CHOOSING A SPA PARTNER

It is important to research spa partners when creating a new spa or spa menu and to remain emotionally neutral. The main consideration is how this product aligns with your hotel and spa brand. Below are other important questions you need to ask when selecting a Spa partner:

Spa’s in your Region - Is There Another Spa With the Same Product Nearby?

Products Country of Origin - Local or International?

Unique Selling Point - High Tech or Natural?

It’s Positioning - Luxury Establishments or Local Salons?

Exclusivity - Across 50 Spa’s or 500 Spa’s?

Online Competition - Can the Product Be Purchased Online at 60% Off?

Retail Price - Is It Too Expensive or Too Cheap for Your Guest Demographic?

Profit Margin - Do You Receive a Full 100% Profit Margin or Less?

Treatment Costing - Does It Cost $8 or $40 to Deliver a Facial?

Testers - Are Testers Supplied and How Often Are They Replaced?

POS - Is Point of Sale Material Supplied for Free?

Training - Does The Company Provide Regular Training Free of Charge?

Therapist Incentives - Does The Company Give Products to Therapists?

PR Support - Does The Company Offer PR Support & Marketing?

Diversity of Treatments - Is There Enough to Create an Interesting Spa Menu?

Stock Holding - Do You Need to Keep a High Level of Professional Stock?

Treatment Protocols - Are These Labour Intensive and Hard to Train?

Retail Selection - Is There A Good Variety of Retail & Lifestyle Products to Sell? 

When evaluating a spa partner based on the questions above you can make an informed decision that will serve your business and your client in the best possible way. And if you need an unbiased opinion give me a call and I can help you find the perfect spa partner fit. 

SKIN WELLNESS

Did you know that your skin is your largest living breathing organ? In fact, as adults we carry some 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) and 22 square feet (2 square meters) of skin on our body. As important as our skin is, it is the last organ to receive nutrients, but the first organ to show signs of imbalance, which is why our skin is such a great barometer for our overall health. 

The skin is often referred to as the third kidney or lung, because we absorb more impurities, and eliminate more waste through the skin than any other organ in our bodies (including the colon). Two pounds of waste are eliminated every day through the skin, which means that our health is reliant on the skin being able to perform this incredibly important function. We will come back to how we support the function of our skin in a moment, but first let’s stop and appreciate a few more things our skin does for us every day.

Biologically, our skin is our first line of defense and it holds our bodies together, shielding us from the outside world. Culturally, skin defines much of our standard for beauty, because bright, youthful skin signals healthy and vitality. And, like every part of our bodies, skin responds to care and attention.

Dry body brushing is a traditional natural health practice, which involves brushing over dry skin before following with a bath or shower. Dry brushing exfoliates dry, rough skin, opening pores so that toxins can freely pass out from the body and it lightly stimulates the nerves under the skin that connect to the lymphatic system, to drain these toxins from the body. It also assists with stimulation of sweat and oil glands, contributing to the restoration of moist, supple skin. Dry skin brushing also strengthens and improves skin tone and it alleviates vein and lymph congestion to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Another way we can support the skin as a passage way to expel toxins, is via the use of an infrared sauna or sweating through exercise. Sweating purges the body of toxins that can clog pores and plague the skin with pimples and blemishes. Induced sweating enhances your circulation and natural metabolic processes as well as helping to oxygenate your tissues. I hired an infrared sauna over winter and experienced amazing results. My skin glowed with cleanliness and was no longer dry. Plus, I generally felt a lot healthier.

What we put on our skin is just as important as what we put in our body, because your skin absorbs a large percentage of what you put on it. Therefore, its very important that you only use natural skincare that is rich with oils the skin can actually recognize and metabolise/eat, for want of a better word. If pores are congested and blocked with chemical products and mineral oils, our skin cannot function and eliminate properly as described above. Our oil glands secrete oil that contains bacteria to fight off disease. Harsh chemicals, soaps and skin care products that deplete our bodies’ natural protective oils demolish this natural defense strategy. Another reason that making informed choices about personal care products is so important.

So much of how we feel about ourselves is also wrapped up in our appearance. Those suffering from skin ailments such as rosacea, acne, psoriasis and eczema, understand the anxiety and stress that blemished skin can have on emotional wellbeing. Understanding how the skin functions can help to alleviate these problematic skin conditions.

Finally, drinking a lot of water and eating a healthy diet rich in wholefoods, oils and fruits and vegetables is key to great skin. We need to nourish ourselves from the inside out, both through nutrition and healthy compassionate thoughts.

How ever your skin looks, I hope this article will highlight just how important your skin is for physical and emotional health. I recommend creating daily rituals to keep your skin healthy and nourished from the inside and out.

AROMATHERAPY LOVE

Whenever anyone visits my home or office they always comment on how the space feels like a day spa. One of the reasons for this, apart from the decorative details, is the aromatic essential oils that infuse the room. 

The powerful and therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy essential oils have been used for self-care and medicinal practice for thousands of years. Aromatherapy is applied via inhalation (diffusers and directly from a bottle or on a tissue) and through the skin (via massage or bath soaks).

When essential oils are applied to the body they penetrate the skin via the hair follicles and are absorbed into the bloodstream, where they not only help to kill bacteria and viruses but also stimulate the body's immune system, thereby strengthening resistance to further attack.

Each essential oil has its own character and aroma, exhibiting a varying number of properties and benefits which are unique to itself. Some essential oils increase the circulation and help with the efficient elimination of toxins, others promote new cell growth and encourage the body's natural ability to heal itself.

The tiny molecules of essential oils are readily absorbed via the lungs and into the bloodstream when they are inhaled from a tissue, or a room a vaporizer, or bathwater. The aroma sends a signal directly to the Limbic System in the brain which is the centre of emotions and memory, which is why essential oils can help to lift depression, soothe stress and tension, induce sleep, calm nerves and generally encourage a better state of mind.

Massage is one of the best ways to enjoy aromatherapy because you not only receive the therapeutic properties of the essential oils, but you also get the wonderful benefits of the massage itself. The therapeutic action of the essential oils when brought together with the revitalising effects of massage stimulate all of the organs in the body, plus the skin, muscles, nerves and glands. The increased circulation of the blood and lymph flow also assists with the clearing away of body toxins.

It has long been understood that preventative measures go a very long way towards protecting the body against all types of illness. Therefore the relaxing and de-stressing influence of essential oils and massage, together with their effect on the immune system, places aromatherapy in the pre-eminent position as the finest preventative medicine.

HEALTHY RETAIL PROFITS

For a business to experience true profitable wellness and for a spa business to thrive, its essential to map out a clear retail strategy.

Unfortunately many spa's often miss the mark when it comes to merchandising and promoting their skincare and retail offering. If you have the luxury of designing a new spa its important to build in a generous retail boutique near reception and if you have an exisiting spa consider how your retail space might be remodelled or improved. Concept stores such as Aesop, Aveda, Jurlique and Perfect Potion provide wonderful retail inspiration. These companies appreciate the importance of visual merchandising and specific placement of products, and spare no expense in achieving the perfect retail environment that has you coming back time and again. A taster bar that allows clients the opportunity to smell and feel product also creates a great connection. 

Be sure to include a diverse range of retail products in your boutique including but not limited to; inner health supplements, a mens range, a lifestyle range, heat packs, eye pillows, body brushes, bath products, muscle ease products, gift packs, insect repellant, baby products, deodorant, suncare and sun soothing care, lip balm, writing journals. The sky is the limit! And weave as many products as you can into the guest journey. Every touch point should be connected to a retail offering. For example; shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand wash and hand lotion in the bathrooms should be available in your boutique. Perhaps the bath robes and slippers are also available. You might serve teas, alchemy cordials or beauty chef elixirs in the relaxation area. Feature essential oils in foot bowls, foot compresses and in aromatic diffusers placed around the spa. And ensure that any oils or mists used in the opening and closing sequence are available for retail purchase as well. You might also expand your retail boutique to include candles, eye pillows,   aroma reeds, bath salts, writing journals, gift cards...in fact the options are endless. 

One challenge we experience as spa operators, is that many therapists believe that their duty of care goes no farther than delivering a treatment. Sadly, this sees the industry's average in retail sales quite low, and has our spa clients going elsewhere to purchase their skincare, such as 'heaven forbid' the supermarket shelf or David Jones counter. And buying skincare in this way, hardly provides the prescription our client might have received had their therapist shared even just a small percent of their extensive knowledge on the skins anatomy. During a treatment a therapist has the unique opportunity to carefully analyse a clients skin as well as work with it and notice how it responds to certain products. It really is the perfect scenario for giving each and every client a prescription to support the needs of their skin. In fact, a therapist is in the doctors chair when performing a treatment, and the more a therapist truly believes in what they have have to offer, the more in service they can be. Have your therapists embrace this belief and give them the training and tools to recommend in a sophisticated way and watch your retail sales improve dramatically. And don't forget that introducing the brand begins during the consultation and preparing the client to receive a prescription also begins here. The therapist can ask the client if they would be happy to receive any applicable advice and a prescription at the close of their treatment. This is a polite way to ask for permission and creates the expectation that will then hold the therapist accountable. 

It is also very helpful for a spa to design its own skin and lifestyle prescription. This is not an expensive exercise in terms of graphic design and printing, and yet so worthwhile to your business, your therapist and your guest. It keeps your branding cohesive and makes completing the prescription a breeze for busy therapists. The prescription informs the guest of all products used in their treatment, along with the price so there are no embarrassing surprises and the therapist can specifically highlight 1 to 3 products that they especially recommend for their client. This can be as easy as saying; "your skin responded particularly well to the hyaluronic serum, which Ive highlighted here for you". The spa manager can decide how the guest journey will best flow and whether the prescription is discussed in the treatment room or relaxation lounge or at the reception desk upon departure. The receptionist can be instrumental in closing a sale.

Retail sales are finite and only limited by your running out of stock, and even then there is always a way around that such as postal delivery. Whereas there are only so many hours and treatment rooms and therapists rostered on in one day, which caps the profit potential of your treatment revenue. Therefore if you want your retail to thrive, create a fantastic retail space, add a tester bar, weave retail products into every part of your guest journey, train your team continually and ensure that every guest leaves with a prescription form at the very least.

Your clients will respect the level of service and the care and knowledge they receive when visiting your spa, and both your client, your team and your business will thrive. We are after all in customer service and offering our expertise in skin and body wellness is what we are here to offer the world.