Spa Flyer: Blog for spa enthusiasts by SpaIndex.com

Save the planet and your skin with Renault's Spa Car

If there’s anything the French hate more than gas-guzzling Family Trucksters, it’s bad skin. It is therefore with much amusement but little surprise that we learned the interior Renault’s Zoe Z.E. electric car concept was designed with help from cosmetics manufacturer Biotherm.

Hinting at a production vehicle that officially debuts in 2012, we first saw the Zoe Z.E. at the Frankfurt auto show earlier this year. It’s hard to miss, since it’s a 13-foot-long bubble with 20-inch rims and gullwing doors. That exterior is coated in a thick polyurethane gel that protects it from minor scrapes and bruises — much like a good foundation masks crow’s feet and laugh lines.

Renault says the Zoe is ideal “for men and women who want to take care of the environment while taking care of themselves – even behind the wheel.” Since unsightly blemishes and wrinkles are as much an anathema to French sensibilities as Velveeta and Wonderbread, the automaker made the interior a spa-like experience.

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NBC names Fitness Ridge Resort in Utah as exclusive destination partner for The Biggest Loser

Congratulations to the newly named "Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge" in Ivins, Utah, selected to be the exclusive weight loss destination to NBC's television show "The Biggest Loser."  The Resort provides an affordable, calorie-controlled, structured program, boot camp style, for both men and women of any fitness level.  The program is aligned with The Biggest Loser lifestyle and features hiking, stimulating cardio and stretch classes, healthy and tasty spa cuisine, and practical education to help participants succeed.

Read more about The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge on SpaIndex.com: Guide to Day Spas and Stay Spas

Browse recipes for Spa Cuisine courtesy of The Biggest Loser

Newsweek shares the 5 Secrets of Salon Safety

By definition, getting pampered shouldn't be painful. But if you're heading to the salon, you don't want your indulgent treatment to come with anything extra, like an infection. Millions of people visit manicurists each year, and every so often they end up with untrained beauty technicians or inadequately cleaned facilities that leave them with more than they bargained for. And according to a study published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene, a salon that's poorly maintained can also lead to other problems, like respiratory and neurological conditions from breathing in the fumes of polishes, disinfectants and other chemical-laden products.

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Bon Appetit at Lake Austin Spa, Texas

After spa treatments and lazy-day activities, resort guests eased into a kitchen classroom overlooking Lake Austin's high cliffs and tranquil waters.  There, renowned pastry chef David Lebovitz chatted about his life in Paris and his love for chocolate. 

Ah, chocolate.

Like an intoxicating ballad, it takes hold of the senses. So all eyes were on Lebovitz as he told stories of his enchanting chocolate tours that conjure images of an endless sweet feast.  Though this isn't Paris, Lake Austin Spa Resort is a backyard paradise for foodies or people who simply enjoy a good meal. The intimate atmosphere (with just 40 guest rooms) is a relaxing setting to take in the aromas of good food and wine.

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Visit Lake Austin Spa Resort Online

Go through the Golden Door to pamper mind and body

What's viewed as the first luxury destination spa in the USA began as a weight-loss oasis that catered to movie stars looking to drop pounds for the cameras and still is considered the gold standard of U.S. spas as it marks its 50th anniversary this year.

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Take a Photo Tour /  Visit the Golden Door Online

Unregulated Medi Spa Dangers

Fabiola DePaula stretched out on a cot in a Framingham basement and expected to wake up with a little less cellulite. Instead, the 24-year-old never woke up. The unlicensed couple who performed her liposuction ran a roving medical spa, giving botox treatments, chemical peels and surgeries in people's homes.

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Cosmetic Spa group plans slew of Bay Area outlets

BlueMercury Inc wants to put a new face on beauty retail and day spas.

Backed by capital from Invus Group, the 8-year-old, Washington, D.C.-based chain has opened a 2,000-square-foot spot in Corte Madera, an early stop in a national expansion with a big Bay Area component.

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Vinotherapy Comes to Philadelphia

A Chester County winery and Center City day spa may seem like unlikely business partners, but don't tell that to people eager to try out a crushed Chianti scrub.

The Chaddsford Winery in Chadds Ford and Body Restoration in Philadelphia have joined together to create what they believe is the region's first vinotherapy program.

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Manly Men Getting Waxed

Metrosexuals, move over. The burly, macho men of Colorado Springs are barging in on your territory. Manscaping — the art of transforming men’s hairy bodies into something manageable — is not just for frou-frou, fastidious guys anymore. Neither are soft cuticles, flawless skin or pedicures.   The guys who are visiting spas these days range from preteens to great-grandpas and come from all walks of life: the military, business — even trucking.

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Foot Massage Wars in Southern California

The Oriental Natural Treatment Center is at the hub of the hotly competitive world of foot massage in the San Gabriel Valley — home to the nation's largest Chinese American community.

Square foot by square foot, it is the foot-massage capital of the country. 

When the first foot-massage parlors opened, therapists charged $70 an hour. But competition has pushed the average price down to well under $20.   The price war has made foot massages available not just to the well-heeled who can afford the luxury, but to waiters, busboys, store clerks and hair stylists — the working-class version of the Burke Williams Spa for people who spend their days on their feet.

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