Steam Therapy

Steam Therapy             30 minutes

This is the most relaxing way I’ve found to enjoy the benefits of detoxification.  I use the “Steamy Wonder” steam canopy to allow you to stay lying on the massage table and completely relax while enjoying the benefits of steam.  I also include an aromatherapy face and scalp massage or upper back and neck massage.

This is a great add-on to any massage.

CAUTION: Steam treatments can be harmful to anyone with the following conditions:  kidney malfunction, cardiac or arterial diseases, severe high blood pressure, acute infection or inflammation of any kind.  Women should avoid steam treatments just prior to or during menstruation.  Also avoid if pregnant.  It’s best to not wear any jewelry or clothing of any kind in the steam as these will cause unnecessary “hot spots” on your body and decrease your enjoyment.

Steam & Body Masque Massage           60 minutes

Experience the blissful quality of exfoliation, detoxification and remineralization at its finest.
A seaweed, mud and clay blended Body Masque gets massaged onto the body followed with Steam Therapy.  Seaweed contains many useful nutrients (glucids, lipids, proteins, vitamins (A, B, C, D, E & K), phyto-hormones, beta-carotene, 41 distinct minerals including potassium, sodium, zinc, selenium and fluoride).  Seaweed stimulates the thyroid gland, which is responsible for burning fat.  It also helps in assimilation of collagen in our skin.  Seaweed is moisturizing and helps with skin regeneration.  It is used as an effective slenderizing agent due to its effect on “drawing” toxins out of cells so they can be eliminated.  This special blend of salts and clays are used to remove dry skin cells, leaving the skin smooth and silky.  The action of massaging the Body Masque into the skin causes an immediate increase in surface circulation and increases lymphatic flow.  Seaweed based treatments have increased benefit when taken on a monthly basis – especially in the Spring and Fall to bolster the immune system.

Choose from:  -Seaweed (highest concentration of seaweeds and algae for Firming, Stimulating and Toning)

                     -Baltic Mud (mostly organic silts from European fresh water lakes for Detoxifying)

                     -European Rose Clay (creamy clay from France with deep Hydrating properties)

Caution for Seaweed:  Avoid seaweed treatments if you are allergic to iodine; have hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, varicose veins, or attacks of rheumatism.  See also the Caution for Steam.

Steamy Wonder photos courtesy Natural Health Technologies - Steamy Wonder

Steam & Scrub Massage                     90 minutes

The ultimate in rejuvenation starts with a full body relaxation massage followed by a Body Polish and a thorough Steam session.  A service designed to relax you, resurface your body, and refocus your mind through the meditative quality of this specialized massage and scrub finished by the sedative aspect of the steam process.

            *some detail was requested for what a “Steam” is…

After massage, a ‘steam canopy’ (think one person tent) is placed over the table and your head is out while your body is enveloped in a personalized sauna.  The canopy fills with steam and elevates your core body temperature over about 20 minutes (time based on personal heat tolerance).  This increases your heart rate and heart function (heart will pump 1/3 more blood per pump than typical resting rate) and stimulates lymphatic flow (a key to boosting the immune system).  It is a cardio-vascular event with out physical exertion that is equivalent to running 4 miles – burning up to 600 calories.

Essential oils of your choice are added to the steam for desired effect – relaxation, personal favorite scent, etc. 

It is 30 minutes long.  While you are ‘steaming’ I massage the face/sinuses/scalp for the first 10 minutes or so and then have cold towels available if needed for the neck and face to help keep your head cool and enjoy the heat longer.  The temperature for the body is between 120F to 130F (50F warmer than where your head is outside of the canopy). 

For claustrophobic prone clients, I make sure that the fabric by the neck is not pressing.  You are free to wiggle in the canopy – many raise their knees, move their hands to play with the air currents, perform a self-massage (working in the oil and condensation into their skin), or even turn over to lay on the fronts and have me massage their upper back some more.  It is sort of a time for forced meditation or vegetation – relax, focus on breathing and let your body accept the heat. 

* all times for steam services are approximate based on individual heat tolerances           

I use Biotone Spa Muds exclusively for all Body Masques

Body Masque Choices:

    Active Seaweed (Green) - Marine based; highest concentration of seaweed; smoothing, stimulating & detoxifying

    Baltic Mud (Black) - Fresh water silts added which contain hydroxyl acids to unclog pores, firm and detoxify

    Rose Clay (Pink/Rose) - deeply hydrating French clay that also heals UV damaged skin

[Information provided by Biotone for its Body Muds]                                                                             Biotone photos courtesy Biotone and Biotone Spa

ACTI-SEA (Green) This centuries-old curative frees skin of environmental stress and toxins. Seaweed used in the body masque; including, Laminaria, Fucus, Ulva Lactuca, Spirulina and Sea Rocket, submerges the body in pure marine actives to stimulate, firm and moisturize. This sophisticated combination of ingredients offer vitamins A, B, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E, P, iron, iodine, amino acids, sterols, pantothenic acid, lecithin, essential fatty acid, and mucilages. Together they work to stimulate the thyroid, promote decongestion and waste elimination for better skin smoothness, protect and regulate cellular moisture exchanges, increase osmotic exchanges to support tissue regeneration, rebalance and restore proper hydration, and prevent future skin damage by fighting free radicals.

BALTIC MUD (Black) Body Masque with black mud utilizes organic colloidal Europeans Black Fresh Water Silts to improve skin texture and extract pore-clogging impurities that damage and weaken skin. Formed 30,000 years ago by the slow decomposition of organic plant substance, these rare Black Silts contain 40% Humic Acid, from the class of hydroxy acids, and contain an abundance of fatty and amino acid, lipids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, minerals,  trace elements as well as carbohydrates,  phenylcarboxylic acid, and polyphenols. This intricate mix of elements enhances cell turnover while deeply hydrating skin, promotes cell oxygenation, and assists in removing debris and impurities. Regular use imparts freshness, firmness and uniformity to the skin.

ROSE CLAY (Pink) Body Masque with soothing Rose Clay, carefully sun-dried to retain its purity and extracted from the Provence region of France, is infused with powerful source derivatives of deeply hydrating Apricot and Wheat Amino Acid able to penetrate the epidermis and retain four times their weight in moisture, high potency Beta Glucan, Rosa Centifolia, and Alpha Hydroxy Lactic Acid to provide a multifunction skin renewing treatment that accelerates epidermal cell renewal, heals, protects, ensure renewed hydration and stimulates the skin’s self-protecting mechanism against UVA induced oxidative stress. A Body Masque with clay is the ultimate for skin refining and extreme hydration, perfectly suited for dry, delicate, weathered or aged skin.

These Body Masques also include the nourishing, protecting, and softening oils of Jojoba, Avocado, Peach and Sunflower.

Detoxification

... is a process of removal of harmful substances (toxins) from the body.  This is what Steam Therapy does. 

Steam is an effective tool in heating up the body in a comfortable and relaxing environment.

My steam process has immediate effects on the body.

Effects of Steam: 

• Body temperature rises (up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit externally and up to 2 degrees core temperature) – this creates a false fever in the body and initiates the bodies natural detoxification process.

• Release of excess fluids (the body will release 17 – 35 ounces of fluid through perspiration during a 20 minute steam session) – this is how the body sheds undesirable toxins.

• Adrenal glands produce cortisone – this strengthens the immune system and protects from “common colds” – (a great reason to get “steamed” during the cold & flu season). 

• Increased flow of blood and lymph – (pulse quickens and circulation increases by 33%) - greatly enhance the bodies ability to combat illness and repair any damage that needs attention.

• Increased cardiovascular event - you could burn up to 600 calories in one Steam Therapy session, which is the equivalent of running up to 4 miles.