# How Many Bodywork Professionals do we have??



## IanT (Mar 7, 2010)

Just noticing that we have an increased number of bodyworkers on the forum lately... which is awesome!!

Healers, Skin Care, Hair Care, Holistic Doctors, etc...


I am a Licensed Massage Therapist, and seriously thinking about pursuing Acupuncture in the near future. (among the million other things Im interested in... lol)


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## Healinya (Mar 7, 2010)

I have been in the field for about 7 years now... it keeps me from making soap lol


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## Hazel (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm a licensed esthetician but I'm still looking for a job. The only experience I've had is clients from school, family and friends.

This is why I've had so much time to work on making my own products.   :wink: 

Although, cross your fingers...I just applied for a position and I'm hoping I'll get it.


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## Lindy (Mar 11, 2010)

Level II Reiki Practitioner and just completed my Clinical Aromatherapist.....


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## Hazel (Mar 11, 2010)

I'd love to get aromatherapy training but there's nothing around here.  :cry: 

I've been looking at the online courses but I'm not sure which is best. It doesn't matter too much right now since I don't have the money to pay for one.


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## IanT (Mar 11, 2010)

I love the bodywork field  It is awesome  

Im glad to see that we have a growing community of bodyworkers (and people interested in bodywork) on the forum!!


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## Healinya (Mar 11, 2010)

I have some dvd's worth copying. I can go through them when I get a chance. I wonder what shipping is for just a slim case? 

P.S. oh wait - that's against copyright law, isn't it....... hmm, I guess I should say nvm then ;-) lol


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## IanT (Mar 11, 2010)

lol welllll ....if they are considered 'backups' and not for resale.... lol shipping couldnt be tooooo expensive


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## Bigmoose (Mar 11, 2010)

My wife is a medical massage therapist.  I love being her test subject.

Bruce


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## IanT (Mar 11, 2010)

Bigmoose said:
			
		

> My wife is a medical massage therapist.  I love being her test subject.
> 
> Bruce



LOL I have been trying to show my girl "the ropes" .... Im always up for an opp to be a guinea pig!! 

lol you are veeery lucky, I my girl was a massage therapist too lol... that would be sweeeeet.... but shes awesome anyway


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## Healinya (Mar 14, 2010)

Well, to you guys with a license.... I just bought 16 oz amber glass bottles with lids for only .99 cents each... plus others ( 2, 4, 8oz plastic bottle/lid for .39)... cd's for $3.50... lots and lots more... go check it out, free shipping on $150 orders... I just spent $150.75.. can't wait to get it all - no Christmas/birthday shopping left - and they'll never know the discounts lol.

universalcompanies.com


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## IanT (Mar 15, 2010)

Healinya said:
			
		

> Well, to you guys with a license.... I just bought 16 oz amber glass bottles with lids for only .99 cents each... plus others ( 2, 4, 8oz plastic bottle/lid for .39)... cd's for $3.50... lots and lots more... go check it out, free shipping on $150 orders... I just spent $150.75.. can't wait to get it all - no Christmas/birthday shopping left - and they'll never know the discounts lol.
> 
> universalcompanies.com



that is awesome!! thanks for the link!!!

I make my own lotions and aromatherapy blends for my practice (saves money!!), so that is a great site! thanks!!!


Does anyone else make lotions for their practice?


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## Healinya (Mar 15, 2010)

I don't, but I have made a whipped body butter recipe that I got from this forum, and have used it for stone massage, I love it.... it was 60% shea, 20% jojoba, 20%... hmm, can't remember, but probably apricot kernal or rice bran. One day I may strictly use my own private line - but I'm years away... who knows, my arms may quit on me in a few years and I need a back-up plan.


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## Hazel (Mar 15, 2010)

In school, I used some of my own blends but not lotions.

I recently was told by a MT student that he would buy massage cream/lotion from me. But so far, I haven't been able to come up with one that lasts long enough for a massage. I've looked at the ingredients in professional creams/lotions and I'm using the same oils. Is there something I'm missing?

Any suggestions?


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## IanT (Mar 15, 2010)

Hazel said:
			
		

> In school, I used some of my own blends but not lotions.
> 
> I recently was told by a MT student that he would buy massage cream/lotion from me. But so far, I haven't been able to come up with one that lasts long enough for a massage. I've looked at the ingredients in professional creams/lotions and I'm using the same oils. Is there something I'm missing?
> 
> Any suggestions?



Lasts long enough in terms of staying on the skin without absorbing? or in terms of volume of product used?

I have a few different blends I use based on each therapy, for swedish I use something thats a little higher in oils so there isnt as much "stick" and then for deep tissue I like something higher in water content, and a little thicker so its not so greasy and I can do some of the hard-core myofascial deep tissue type work without slipping all over the place... hyperemia and derivation here I come 

what kind of percentages are you using?


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## Hazel (Mar 15, 2010)

Oh oh Ian...I lied to you. I was just looking at a sample massage cream packet and it listed soybean oil as an ingredient. I haven't tried this oil.

Percentages were approximately

30.5% aloe juice 
12.5% aloe vera gel 
33% sweet almond oil 
13% cocoa butter 
3% beeswax 
5% lecithin 
1.5% glycerin 
1% Optiphen
.5% T-50


My understanding was that it absorbed too quickly. I think part of the problem is that I used beeswax which also probably created drag. Also, I used aloe juice instead of distilled water. Another problem could have been the cocoa butter. Or the lecithin...I really don't know. People who weren't MTs loved it for massage which is why I asked a couple of students to try it out. 

I've found a couple of  other recipes that I will play around with and see if they work better. These recipes use stearic acid and ewax. I've bought some glyceryl monostearate which I'm going to substitute for the stearic acid. I've read that stearic acid can create too much drag.

I'm just going to have to keep experimenting.


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## IanT (Mar 15, 2010)

Hazel said:
			
		

> Oh oh Ian...I lied to you. I was just looking at a sample massage cream packet and it listed soybean oil as an ingredient. I haven't tried this oil.
> 
> Percentages were approximately
> 
> ...



30.5% aloe juice--------------> 
12.5% aloe vera gel --------->  43% "water"
33% sweet almond oil ------->  33% oils
13% cocoa butter  ----------->  21% hard
3% beeswax ----------------->
5% lecithin -------------------->
1.5% glycerin 
1% Optiphen
.5% T-50

I would say that you should def. nix the cb and beeswax,(maybe switch the cb for aloe butter...I LOOOOVE that stuff)...  in my experience, theyre just too stiff for massage, while they may be nice for lotions you just rub on and are done with, for massage when you are really getting into palpating and such I think you will be using too much... 
This Recipe is a newer version of my last recipe which needed a bit more heat before the oils and water were combined, as well as a little bit more oil.

I would split that 21% up between water (which I like around 65-75%) and the oils. I like the oils up around 17-20%)

I would say to switch the glycerine with lanolin too... Glycerine kinda gets sticky on skin, lanolin...which is a homologue for our skins' natural oil, sebum is very nutritive to the skin and will absorb pretty well...

I agree on the stearic, I tried it and dont like it... I found that when I used it it would "ball up" on clients skin, not sure if they realized it but I thought it was nasty so I stopped using it in my formulations

I tried this recipe recently for a swedish adaptation:


74% water
22% oils (grapeseed, because it has little possibility of allergic reactions)
4% ewax

although I think a better batch would be 5% ewax, and 23% oils... I think this one was juuuust a bit too loose, I was going for loose, but this is just a bit too loose. I wanted this to be able to be used in a pump-bottle without clogging it, or sucking up only a little bit where the intake is, and then the rest is too stiff to settle back down around it...leaving me pumping like a fiend while the client is wondering Kitten Love is going on here!?!? lol...

I was using potassium sorbate as a pressie at .1%, but I dont think I want to use Potassium Sorbate as a preservative any more, Im just nervous about the alternatives... Might start using optiphen or something once I get busier... recently I have just been making lotions per massage, so if I know I have 5 treatments the next day, I will make 5 units worth of lotion the night before, keep it in the fridge and its good to go. I hate using preservatives but it is neccessary if the lotion is kept more than 24-48 hrs. (and I keep mine in the frige too).... I like to have about 1.5 oz of lotion per client, at least... or 2, just cause you never know when people are rockin' the fur which everyone knows eats lotion up like a hungry sasquach...

Its a constant process though, I still want to improve my recipes as I dont think I have found "the one" yet... but I am so critical of everything I make, so that might be part of the problem...

I havent tried glyceryl monostearate so I might see what that is about, I guess it is used in food products too so that is cool (that is mostly one of my requirements for lotions, I want them to literally be okay to eat)

I am really trying to find a food-grade and skin safe preservative so I dont need to make batches of lotion every time I have clients etc.. although there is a good marketing effect I have found from me making my own lotions, I make it heavily known that I do so in practice .... so people find it cool that I make my own lotions the night before ... I always say theyre fresh from the cupboard to the fridge to the table... (massage table in this case!) 



Hope that helps!


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## Hazel (Mar 16, 2010)

IanT said:
			
		

> I like to have about 1.5 oz of lotion per client, at least... or 2, just cause you never know when people are rockin' the fur which everyone knows eats lotion up like a hungry sasquach...



I have heard MTs mention something about this problem but not in such graphically visual terms.   

I would think people would be thrilled to know that the massage lotions are fresh and unpreserved. It’s definitely good marketing.

Thanks so much. You’ve been very helpful. I did wonder about using beeswax and cocoa butter but it’s what was written in the recipe. I got it from a google search and when I made it up, it was very nice. I gave it to several people and they liked it as a massage lotion but then they aren’t MTs. 

The percentages are very helpful. I ran the other recipe I had found through a calculator. I had thought the water seemed very high and the oils and butter were a little low. 

77% Water
13% Oil
1% Butter :shock:

Luckily, I hadn’t made it up yet. I’d been putting it off because I’ve been making CP and MP. I’ll alter the percentages and give it a try. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I certainly understand what you mean about being critical about everything you make. I’m the same way. After I make something, I always think it could be better and wonder what I can change to improve it. I'll just have to keep experimenting until I come up with something the MTs really like.

Thanks again for the help.


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## IanT (Mar 16, 2010)

no worries  glad I could help!!! 

I find that water just absorbs into skin, cause most people have such dry skin from diet, or just not moisturizing ever... so if you include a lot of water, it will get soaked up reaaaaal fast by their skin, because its craving it...so I like to have a little bit of a balance, I use moisturizing oils and a moderate water %, so they get the moisture they need, at the same time as me not having to go through like 5 oz of lotion to get the massage done...

yeah I came across recipes like that at first, and asked around a bit, and the general concensus was ditch the beeswax, waxes will only sit on the skin and not get absorbed, so while they are excellent for keeping moisture in, theyre not really great for the professional massage application (unless say, you are making something specifically for feet/hands... but then you get into another issue...dispensing it is a PITA, it will clog most pumps, and if it doesnt you run into the whole suck up available lotion but it wont settle down so when the pump sucks everything locally located to the tube thingy... all thats left is an air pocket)...

thats why I dont use waxes in my massage lotions any more... I think the recipes you find online state massage more like, massage onto my skin for a second or two...not really meaning massage in terms of being able to be used in the professional setting 

re the unpreserved thing...:yeah thats my philosophy too.. I like the viral marketing aspect of it, people do talk about things like that and Ive gained clients because of it... now granted Im not knocking preservatives, they are both essential and neccessary for any application where you dont use up the product in 24-48 hrs, but I seriously doubt that there are any microbes and such in there after 24 hrs... I usually use it up before the 24 is out anyway, so its good for my application, but once I get into packaging and selling it when I do finally get my dream recipe... then Im going to worry about preservatives... Or at least until I can find one on the market that is good for both food, and skin and doesnt have any carcinogenic or nasty effects, which is just not the case IMO for most of them... Im hypercritical about this though... I always get the MSDS for everything I use, combined with my chem/bio knowledge from college, and research... I always make sure stuff is safe for use in all aspects internal and external...


wow... I could write way too much.. I guess I really like lotions lol ...



Oil blends are waaay easier because no water is involved and hence they really only require an antioxidant like ROE or Vit E


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## Hazel (Mar 19, 2010)

I haven't had a chance to try the new percentages for a massage cream because...drum roll please...I started a new job (part time) and have been working/training for it this week. 

Plus...another, longer drum roll...I had an interview Wednesday at a spa and the owner called me today and wants me to start within the next few days. Yeah!   

I hope this works out. Both are part time jobs and it will take some juggling but I am sooo thrilled!


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## IanT (Mar 19, 2010)

thats awesome!! congrats!!!


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## Hazel (Mar 20, 2010)

Thanks! So far, the one part time job is wearing me out.    I'm sure I'll get used to it in a few week (maybe).

I'm to start at the spa tomorrow. I'm a little nervous but I'm really looking forward to it.


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## IanT (Mar 20, 2010)

Hazel said:
			
		

> Thanks! So far, the one part time job is wearing me out.    I'm sure I'll get used to it in a few week (maybe).
> 
> I'm to start at the spa tomorrow. I'm a little nervous but I'm really looking forward to it.



good luck!!!


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## Hazel (Mar 20, 2010)

Thanks Ian. I appreciate the good comments.


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## IanT (Mar 20, 2010)

No worries!  Thats what we are all here for!!! let us know how it goes!!!


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## Healinya (Mar 20, 2010)

That's great, Hazel!! Have fun! 

This doesn't have anything to do with what you guys were talking about, but I found it interesting and thought you may too.

Salvation for Baby Boomer Skin 
By Cynthia Lane, Dermascope Magazine, November 2000 

Baby boomers check in with their mirrors more often these days. They cautiously scan for the dreaded signals of aging: wrinkled foreheads, crinkle lines around the eyes, sagging skin, laugh lines permanently etched into facial topography. Sipping (or gulping) morning coffee, they contemplate avoid and delay tactics. An astounding and potentially expensive number of schemes involve propping up skin conditions, since skin, as you know, can be the first betrayer of what we kindly call maturity. 

The boomers turn their trusting (increasingly creased) faces to you, sharing their fears and woes. What works? What doesn't? You sometimes feel like they are asking you to rescue not just their skin but their entire self image. Trying your best to respond to the growing crisis, you do your homework. As you do your research, you most likely find more and more evidence that skin conditions cannot be separated from the rest of who we are. Youthful skin is the reflection of total health in mind and body. 

Ayurveda, the world's oldest system of health care, has always known this. Ayurveda, or "science of life," has been in use for at least 5000 years. We can safely say that its health and skin care recommendations have stood the test of time and then some. 

In Ayurveda mind and body are one, totally integrated unit. Consequently, many middle-age skin problems are directly related to stress. Emotional stress produces pitta-related problems (see box), including less tolerance to the sun, rashes, acne and allergen sensitivity. Mental stress results in vata-related conditions (see box) such as dry, thin, dull skin and early wrinkles. Whether your clients suffer from one or both types of symptoms will depend on a variety of factors, including: 

Their original doshic skin or body type and facial structure. 
The type of stress in their lives and the type of stress to which they expose their skin-sun, chemicals, etc. . 
Diet. Every food we eat has properties that support or disturb the natural balance of the doshas and all their functions, including skin health. Eating the right kind and quantity of food and eating at the right times of day are all important. 
Daily routine. Behavior influences the doshas. For instance, skipping meals and watching violent movies disturb pitta. Late nights and regularly irregular schedules disturb vata. 
Ayurvedic medicine has solutions for all these areas of life, including techniques to reduce stress, as well as individualized diets, herbal prescriptions and recommendations for daily routine and exercise. Trying a few of its skin treatments will renew the glow and smiles on your clients' faces. 

Wrinkles: Maharishi Ayurveda to the Rescue 

Babyboomers are certainly not the first people in history to feel discouraged by wrinkles, so it is not surprising that the ancient Ayurvedic health care system offers effective tactics to ambush lines and wrinkles. Try this treatment from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians with your clients. (It is also something that they can do at home before sleep.) For five minutes, gently massage areas with lines and wrinkles with an all-natural, herbalized oil whose main ingredients should be gotu kola and sensitive plant. You can also massage skin with milk foam, as an alternative to herbalized oil. Now make a thin paste using equal parts of ground, skinless almonds and amlaberry powder mixed with warm water. Leave the paste on the skin for five minutes and then rinse. Finally, apply an all-natural Ayurvedic skin cream with gotu kola and sensitive plant as the main ingredients. (Do not try to make this yourself. Unless properly processed, gotu kola may produce contact dermatitis.) 

Easing Eye Lines 

It is easy to see why this deeply soothing treatment has been used for several thousand years. Use the fingers of both hands simultaneously to gently massage all around the eyes in a clockwise, rhythmic motion for about five minutes. Finger movement should be slow and synchronous. If your client's skin is dry you can use a touch of almond oil. Otherwise, the massage should be dry.Now dip some large cotton pads in cool milk and place them on the same areas that you have just treated. Leave the pads on for about five minutes while your client relaxes. If the pads warm up, dip them in cool milk again. This procedure will relax, detoxify and lubricate the skin.For the final step, the coup de grace for lines, use an empty tea bag or a small cotton bag. Fill it with organic, tender green tea leaves (80%) and organic rose petals (20%) that have soaked in warm water. Both these ingredients have anti-oxidant properties. Gently pat and scrub the whole area for about five minutes with the bag. The cumulative affect of all three treatments will not only erase eye lines but also restore a healthy glow to the skin. 

Makeup and Cleansing 

Whether it's what you eat or what you put on your skin, Ayurveda always recommends chemical-free, organic ingredients. Vata and kapha skin types can use foundation makeup, but The Council advises little to none for pitta skin. Pitta people already have a lot internal heat that gives their skin radiance and color. If pitta remains healthy, then brabha (the facial aura) will have a natural luster that foundation makeup will only block. Pittas have the most sensitive skin and if their thermostat goes awry, many kinds of makeup will be reactive for them. The Council recommends makeup-removal formulas that frankly sound delicious. They not only clean the skin, but also help it breather better. Combine all ingredients in the recommended proportions, making about 200 grams of the compound at a time. Place one teaspoon of the appropriate mixture in a small cotton bag, dip it in hot water and apply the bag to the face. It will pull makeup from the deep pores as well as lubricate. 

Pitta-cleanse mixture: organic rolled oats-85%; lime peel, coarsely ground-3%; rose petals-5%; sarsparilla, coarsely ground-7% 
Vata-cleanse mixture: organic rolled oats-85%; lavender flowers-2%; orange peel, coarsely ground-3%; sarsparilla, coarsely ground-5%; marshmallow flower-5% 
Kapha-cleanse mixture: organic rolled oats-70%; chickpea flour-20%; amlaberry powder-8%; orange peel, coarse powder-2% 
Facials to Restore Balance 

The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians has some skin-loving facials to relieve problems associated with imbalances in each dosha. Each dosha can give rise to a set of symptoms associated with its nature when it is not functioning properly. Pitta has a lot of heat and pitta-aggravated skin might have rashes, blemishes and red areas. A kapha imbalance can show up as cold, oily skin that thickens or loses its luster. After giving these treatments to clients, you can recommend that they do them at home before bed. One caveat: The Council emphases the importance of proper ayurvedic skin care training in order for the aesthetician to be able to recognize skin conditions and administer the appropriate treatments. 

For Pitta-Related Problems: 

Remove makeup using the formula just given. Then rinse with whole, organic milk, warmed to room temperature. Use more milk on trouble spots-blemishes, rashes, etc. Twice a week, apply an herbalized clay mask. Use any kind of high-quality organic clay, free from chemical additives. To the clay, add pitta-balancing herbs: sandalwood, vetiver root and rose powder. Keep the mask on for three minutes, then rinse. 

Finish off with an Ayurvedic anti-aging cream. The cream's main component should be gotu kola, an herb that enhances collagen synthesis. It should also contain sandalwood (cools), flame of forest (enhances resistance to the sun's damaging rays), and sensitive plant (nourishes the tactile nerves). 

Two more pieces of advice for pitta skin: If you use aroma oil while giving a facial or any other treatment, The Council recommends moderate mounts of grapefruit oil diluted with jojoba oil, or other cooling aromas, like sandalwood and vetiver root. If summer heat produces rashes or blemishes, you can treat them with an emergency mask made out of crushed watermelon. Leave the mask on for five or six minutes, and then rinse. 

For Vata-Related Problems: 

Use the formula from the previous section to remove all makeup. Apply a very thin layer of almond oil mixed with a few drops of lavender oil and gently massage it into the face for about three minutes. The proportion should be three drops of lavender oil to 100 ml. of almond oil. Spray a little rosewater into whole, organic milk and rinse with this mixture. 

Twice a week, about five minutes after this facial, use an herbalized clay mask. Once again, the clay should be organic and chemical-free. To the clay, add sensitive plant, winter cherry (ashwaghanda) and licorice. Apply the clay and leave it on for about three minutes. Afer rinsing, use an anti-aging cream with organic ingredients. 

For Kapha-Related Problems: 

People with primarily kaphic constitutions have less fire in their systems. This can make their digestion sluggish and less efficient than that of their well-heated pitta friends. As a result, with kaphic clients, you need to focus on cleansing and detoxification. After removing makeup using the formula described in the previous section, bathe facial skin with lukewarm, organic, whole milk for six minutes. Use an organic sponge and pay special attention to the T-zone. 

Now prepare an herbalized mask. Make a thick paste out of organic, chemical-free clay, mixed with Indian gooseberry (amla), Indian madder (Rubia cordifolia or manjistha) and Indian sarsparilla. Leave the mask on for five minutes and then rinse with milk or water. Finally, apply a very thin layer of a non-greasy, all-natural, anti-aging cream. Give this treatment to clients with kapha skin problems three times a week for two weeks, followed by twice a week for six weeks. However, monitor the skin and if it gets too dry, stop or cut back on the treatments. 

You're as Young as You Think 

Maharishi Ayurved ra sees the babyboomer leap into middle age as a move toward heightened beauty-a deep, real beauty based on the confidence and wisdom that come from experience. In Ayurveda, thoughts impact health and biological aging. Psychological aging-dark thoughts that focus on limitations, aches and pains-can speed up the aging process, while joy, strength, optimism and inner ease prevent it. How people feel about this time of life and themselves will show up on their skin. Negative, discouraged thoughts produce tired, grey-looking skin, while inner happiness generates a radiant aura. As you explore and experience Ayurveda's many gifts, you'll be able to use it with a confidence that will be communicated to your customers. Both your thoughts and your treatments will give them the health and support they need. Fears will drift away with worry lines as Ayurveda's ancient wisdom helps you discover how to live long and live well. 

copyrighted, November 2000, Dermascope Magazine 

http://mspa.com/news/babyboomerskin.html


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## Hazel (Mar 21, 2010)

Thanks, Healinya.

I've had two trial facials so far (actually I was told I'd be paid for the second one) and I have to admit I was a nervous wreck for both. What the spa manager expects is very different from what I was taught at school. The room set up is very different and so is the equipment. Plus, I've never used the brand of products which they have so I was fumbling to find the right cleanser, mask, etc.

I'll get used to it.   

Interesting article on Ayurveda. I really like the pitta cleanse recipe. Thanks for posting the article.


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## IanT (Mar 21, 2010)

Glad your first day went well!!

and Healinya.. awesome article!  I love things like that!!

Have you ever read the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies?? gooooood read


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