Happy Holidays!

It's a very busy time for us these days with everyone wanting to look their best for Christmas and of course those last minute dashes for gift certificates. Just a reminder that we'll be closing at 4:00 on Christmas Eve so if you want a Gift Certificate for your special someone make sure you drop in before that. Meanwhile I'll let Charlie speak for me and wish you all peace and love in the New Year and the very best Christmas celebration.

Finding time

Time has been flying by with a few new projects on the go which goes some way to explaining why it's been such a long time between posts. One of those projects is the design of our new website. We've been working long and hard to come up with a site that is visually stunning and packed with all the information you want and need. We're hoping the new site will be unveiled in early January but I've learned to be patient as all works in progress that are worthwhile take time. Until the new site is live we'll continue posting to this blog. Next time I'll tell you about Christmas nails and what you can find at the spa when it comes to last minute Christmas shopping. For now all of us at Ocean Palm Spa, along with our mascot Charlie, wish you a very happy holiday season.

A funny thing happened on the way to the spa....

I have to laugh at the way life takes us in strange directions sometimes. Last weekend I found myself overseeing a few Ocean Palm staff members working their beauty and massage magic on clients right smack in the middle of a pig roast!! Sure it was a little surreal but you'll do everything you can when it comes to helping kids with cancer and the event at the RC Grillhouse in Sidney raised money for Cops for Cancer, a cause we're always proud to support. Thanks to everyone who made this event happen, particularly Ocean Palm's Jacky for her extraordinary efforts. And keep your eyes open - you never know where we'll pop up next!

Hard as nails

If I had a dollar for every time a woman has said "I don't bother getting manicures because they never look good after the first day" I'd be a very rich woman by now. I know what they're talking about because my nails are subjected to a punishing workout every day at the spa. So I was intrigued to hear about OPI's new product, Axxium gels. Axxium acts as an invisible layer of protection for your nails and I can attest to the strength of these nails. I've worn the gels for more than two weeks now without a single chip or smudge. It would normally be rare for me to keep my nail polish looking this bright, shiny and fabulous for more than a day or two. I predict this product will revolutionize manicures. By the way, this fall's hot manicure look calls for short cut nails, polished to a dark shine.

Staying tan and lovely

One of the hardest parts of heading back to work after enjoying fun in the sun is watching our glowing tans fade away so I have a few tips on how to maintain a fresh, healthy sunkissed glow. Self tanning lotions are always easy but using a good quality product is key. I'm going to make my usual plug for the importance of exfoliation in getting the best effect from your self tanner. Have a warm shower or bath and exfoliate and then apply the tanner while your skin is warm. Apply in long even strokes and I recommend a tinted tanner so you can see where you're applying it, being careful around elbows, knees, hairline and eyebrows. Most importantly remember to wash your hands thoroughly. If you it hard to apply self tanner evenly we can always do this treatment for you at the spa.

Long dry days of summer

As summer draws to a close it's time to take stock of the state of your skin. We've enjoyed a lot of long sunny days this year but they take a toll. To rehydrate and remineralize your skin try an epsom salt bath which will improve your skin's hydration and tone. I've written about the importance of exfoliating in this blog before and again this is the time to use a dry body brush before your bath or good exfoliant in the shower. As always use a good moisturizing lotion to replenish lost lipids. Don't forget to drink lots of water which is good for your body as well as your skin.

From our guest book:

Thank you Lesley! I had believed there was no treatment for all the "bumps"
around my eyes. Thanks to your treatments, they are now on the decline and I can
see my face looking younger. Thank you for making my first spa visit so
positive!

Getting away to get in touch

The funny thing about summer holidays is how little time it takes to lose that wonderful feeling we get from getting away. I was lucky enough to enjoy a lovely holiday traipsing all over the English countryside a few weeks ago and find myself already nostalgic for that carefree and relaxed time. It's important to do everything we can to recapture those feelings if only for a little while. For me that means walking my dog Charlie on the beach or letting my stresses melt away on the massage table. Whatever it is that gives you that "getting away from it all" feeling don't forget to indulge today!

Lovely legs!

One of the great things about summer is that with a nice tan covering up all those skin imperfections on our legs we can forget about pantyhose. Well Phytomer Labratories now has a couple of new products that can do the same thing year round.

Apart from being a wonderful moisturizer, the Blemish Eraser Cream visibly reduces the appearance of small veins on the ankles and thighs. And the Drainage Enhancing Shaping Emulsion uses marine ingredients including Suaeda maritima to help "dissolve" excess localized fat while it smooths and tones your skin.

And just to encourage you to see for yourself how fantastic these products are, if you book our Remineralizing Body Wrap or our Detoxifying Wrap in the next little while you'll also receive ten percent off the price of the New Phytomer products.


From our guest book:

What an amazing experience; Lesley you have created an oasis of
calm and a wonderful sanctuary to “fly home to”. Thank you
Lesley, and thank you to all your wonderful staff.

Father's Day is coming

Father's Day is coming up and we're ready at the spa. I know many men are a little nervous about going to a spa, in fact the travel writer Rick Hudson wrote a very funny article about his experiences at the Ocean Palm. So we've come up with a couple of Father's Day packages that will give Dad a chance to relax and feel fantastic. The Gentlemen's Time Out will provide a one-hour sports massage, a refresher spray facial and sport pedicure. Or recharge your Weekend Warrior and help Dad recover with an aromatherapy Soothing Mineral Bath, a one-hour relaxation massage and a sport pedicure and manicure. Appointment times for June 21st are filling rapidly so call early.

From our Guest Book:

What a wonderful surprise to be pampered by intuitive, well trained
staff. They are artists-we feel beautiful & will proudly display fingers
& toes. Thanks!!!

Kitchen beauty fixes

I don’t know what it is about summer but it seems to bring out the homemade remedy in us in attempts to make our hair and skin glow in the sunlight. Do you remember when girls would lighten their hair by spraying lemon on it? And then there’s putting cold teabags on our eyes to freshen us up. Most of these home remedies have dubious results and many of them are harmless. But some of them can actually hurt you. For example, oatmeal is great for the skin but you need to be careful when using it as an defoliant that it isn’t so abrasive that it scratches the skin. And be careful that lemon juice doesn’t strip essential oils from your hair. One of the best ways to achieve that sun kissed look is with a self tanning cream (Guinot uses caramel in their product and it has an immediate effect). Just don't go overboard and end up with that orange look. Don’t be afraid to discuss your kitchen beauty experiments with your skin care specialist to find out the safest way to feed your skin.

From our guest book:

What a wonderful surprise to be pampered by intuitive, well trained staff.
They are artists-we feel beautiful & will proudly display fingers &
toes. Thanks!!!

Toe tapping in mad colour

It's pedicure pandemonium again at the spa - this time of year when toes start peeking out from summer sandals and we care about having soft sexy feet. Favourite colour this year seems to be the sizzling red-orange "On Collin's Ave" from the OPI South Beach Collection and the Out the Door top coat is a hit. It dries your polish in 45 seconds, and according to one client I spoke with the other day, it prolonged her pedicure - she says her last pedi lasted over six weeks!

It's such fun to book a pedi with friends - we're always happy to accommodate group pedicures. And if you're short on time don't forget the spa's Ocean Palm Express service located in the Focus 5000 salon.

From our guest book:

I feel 100% relaxed and refreshed. Thank you. (Anita)

Traditional healing

When I hire new employees I always look for those who bring interesting skills to the spa so I am very pleased to announce the hiring of Tennille Carter. She has just completed her nursing degree in Ayurvedic Medicine in India. Ayurvedic medicine is a holistic medicine system developed in India thousands of years ago. A primary goal of the Ayurvedic practises is to cleanse the body to restore harmony and balance. Tennille will be studying in India over the next four years to become an Ayurvedic Doctor but will be spending her summers here where she will provide services at the spa. Tennille is also trained in relaxation massage La Stone and Jade stone therapy. Tennille is now booking appointments at the spa and will be here until October.

From our guest book:

For two people from the peninsula, it was like getting very far away.
Thank you so much for everything. We will be coming back for more.

Soft silky summer skin

As I write this the sun is shining and I have high hopes summer is here. So now that we're finally able to bare our arms and legs it's a great time to talk about aromatic body softening. With just three easy steps you'll shed that winter skin and start glowing. First start by applying a sugar body scrub in the shower before you turn the water on. Take a couple of minutes to gently massage your arms and legs and then rinse with warm water. After you rinse, towel dry but use upward motions to help circulation. Then moisturize all over.

If you're wondering which products are best I'm going to of course tell you about our Ocean Palm line. We have a great white sand sugar scrub and our rich emollient cream (with Neroli, geranium bergamot, shea butter and avacado oil) is nourishing and simply uplifting. So go, enjoy the weather and don't forget your sun protection.

From our guest book:

Thank you for such a gentle and thorough body and face treatment. I
feel totally relaxed. My favourite quote on aging is “Life is a dressmaker,
specializing in alterations.” (Joan)

Smooth and silky days ahead

Despite the cold and rainy weather this spring I'm holding out hope for a great summer. I'm not alone in that judging by the number of clients booking appointments for waxing these days. As I was working with one client the other day she was asking about how she could make the waxing last longer. There are a number of products that can extend the time between your waxing appoinments. For example, Guinot's After Hair Removal Body Gel slows down hair regrowth and when the hair does grow back it's finer and lighter which makes future removal easier. Don't forget to use a good body scrub to avoid ingrown hairs and as always moisturize. Here's to smooth skin all summer.

From our guest book:

Wonderfully painful – the wax treatment that is! Now - "oh-so-smooth".

Happy Mother's Day

There's no better gift than the gift of your time on Mother's Day. Well maybe one thing is better ... spending time with Mum while being pampered. We know how hard it is to find that time so we've developed a number of Mother's Day packages where you can treat Mum and yourself at the same time.

You can spend just over an hour having your feet pampered with the Ocean Palm pedicure and chair massage. Or book in for the Stress Free Day at the spa for six hours including lunch. Your day will include the Japanese deep soaker tub, a detoxifying wrap, one hour relaxation massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. You'll see her appreciation in her relaxed and glowing smile. And if you're looking for a gift for the Mum-to-be in your life, we have a great package with a leg treatment, 45-minute maternity massage, facial and pedicure.

Just give us a call at the Spa and we can tell you about all the specials but remember to call soon - we usually book up early for Mother's Day.

My mum is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being.
I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.
~Graycie Harmon

A new face ... and hands ... come to Ocean Palm

It gives me great delight this week to tell you about our new massage therapist. Craig Lawrence is a graduate of the West Coast College Message Therapy program and comes highly recommended for his therapeutic as well as relaxation massages. He specializes in athletic massage, deep tissue mobilization, myofacial release, basic cranio-sacral therapy, manual lymph drainage and advance Swedish message. Craig will be working at the spa primarily on weekends but may be able to fit you in on a Wednesday if necessary.

I was impressed by Craig's credentials but even more so by his calm and gentle personality. We're so lucky here at the spa to have the magic hands of Loretta, Eli and Krista - I know Craig will be a great addition to the team. Welcome Craig!

Ready to launch!

The big day is almost here. This Friday we launch our new Medcream. I mentioned this in an earlier post and want to tell you more about it now. The idea for this cream came to me seven years ago during discussions with a dermatologist who had been working with Vitamin C and Vitamin A and saw promising results in reversing the signs of aging. I was excited to hear that because I realized it fit so well with what I was witnessing in my clients. Together we met with a compounding pharmacist and came up with a cream using vitamins A and C as well as CoQenzyme 10 and Hylauronic acid.

We conducted case studies with the cream in 2003 with phenomenal results. We worked with the most extreme skin-damaged types in the studies, applying the cream according to skin sensitivity and found an amazing production of healthy cells with up to 75 percent improvement in hyperpigmentation or "brown spots".

The cream is designed to meet each person's individual needs. Some people with extensive sun damage may need twice daily applications initially, others less frequent use during the repair stage. For maintenance some people may need an application every second day, others one week a month. Every skin type can benefit from Medcream but for sensitive skin we may prescribe fewer applications or dilution with a general moisturizer. If your skin is quite damaged or devitalized you will see results within days. It will take several weeks to see a general renewal of your skin and improvement of hyperpigmentation could take a couple of months.

I can't wait to see how Medcream works for you so please remind me to talk about it next time you're in the spa.


From our guest book:

My fiancee and I just finished having facials. It was our first time and it was great! (Jolene & Roy)

A face lift without surgery

Now that the sun is shining it's time to think about getting our skin ready for summer. Facials are always popular at this time of year and we're offering a special on one of my favourite facial treatments.

Once you've experienced a Hydradermie Lift you'll be hooked. After just four treatments of this non-surgical face lift you'll see an almost fifty percent decrease in wrinkles and nearly as much improvement in your skin's firmness. The hydradermie process uses Roller and Twin Balls that conduct a microcurrent which pushes the firming elements of the facial gel into your skin allowing you to target the forehead, upper eyelids, nasal creases, or facial contours.

I love doing this treatment for clients because they always come away looking and feeling so good. Right now Ocean Palm is offering a series of 4 treatments for $580 (that's $200 less than the regular price). The treatments are scheduled one to four weeks apart so you'll see the effects by summer.


From our guest book:

This spa is my happy place. You leave feeling renewed and always get the best results. (Charlotte)

New gifts

I've had such fun this week unpacking the new gift bags from Guinot. This great gift with purchase promises 15 days of skincare. It contains $95 worth of products including the Age Logic Cellulaire which helps reverse the cellular aging process, the exfoliating cream Gommage Grain d'Eclat, Hydrazone Corps moisturizing lotion and my favourite, Nouvel Eclat Masque. This peel-off exfoliant really does make you feel as though you have a second skin! The products come in a sophisticated clutch bag. Don't forget to pick up your gift bag the next time you purchase more than $100 worth of Guinot products.


From our guest book this week:

"I can't wait until my husband feels how soft I feel now. Thank you!"

- Kelli

A new face at Ocean Palm

Some of you have already seen the newest addition to our staff here at Ocean Palm and if you have you've already experienced Jackie Keepence's Australian accent, sunny disposition and megawatt smile.

I've known Jackie for years so I know all about the decades of customer service experience in the hospitality industry that she brings to the spa. You'll see Jackie most often welcoming you at the front desk but she'll be contributing her ideas and energy to the promotions department as well.

I've been working in the lab...

I'm so excited today because I'm finally seeing one of my dream projects come to fruition. I've long since wanted to create a therapeutic cream that would complement the skin technologies we use at the spa. A trip to an industry event a few weeks ago reignited my dream and I started working with a chemist I've trusted for years. We've come up with a medi-cream that will be really helpful to women who have micro current skin resurfacing treatments like Compulift or microderm abrasion. The cream produces great anti-aging effects like skin firming and tightening. I'll let you know when it will be available at the spa and I can't wait for you to try it.

Complimentary manicures and pedicures

I'm really happy to tell you about our new offering at the spa. Not only are we giving you the chance to experience just how fabulous Guinot products are, we giving you a free manicure and pedicure when you do.
During March whenever you book and purchase three hydradermie treatments we'll book your manicure and pedicure for whenever you want ... maybe when the weather warms up and you slip into those cute sandals.