So now that I'm golden brown and covered in organic sunblock, I'm headed out to the beach. Thank goodness I got that organic spray on tan! Being in a bathing suit is scary enough.
I’m on holiday, as the Brits say, and staying at the Cloisters Resort on Sea Island, GA. And they have a rockin’ spa that uses all natural products in many of their treatments. Beach? Spa? Beach? Spa? Well, you get the picture. Decision, decisions... Well, a girl’s gotta make ‘em, so here’s mine.
a great body of work with the Spice of Life body treatment
Walking into the Cloisters Spa, I had no idea that I was embarking on such a relaxation journey. Before you even get through the first set of doors to the incredible atrium adorned with tall plants, pool with waterfall and overstuffed chairs, you feel at least 25% of your cares slipping away. Did I mention the cashmere throws on the chairs? Sweeeet.
I was passed like a fragile package from staff member to staff member, all just to lead me to the changing room. (Wow, it took three people to get me 60 feet. I could get used to this.) Plus, everyone at the spa, from the front desk to the aesthetician, were all about me. That works.
After being completely catered to, I was joined by my aesthetician, who took me to my Spice of Life body treatment. She showed me all of the ingredients in the Red Flower products she was going to use and explained what each did. That’s when I fell hard for Red Flower.
The treatment started with a sugar-based scrub called lemon coffee blossom olive stone scrub. What an incredible combination of smells! This scrub pulls impurities out of the skin. As it turns out, I prefer a salt-based scrub, as it’s softer, but this was still a great scrub.
Next came the Moroccan mint tea silt purifier. And after that, I jumped into the shower. OK, maybe it was more like, stumbled into the shower, I was so relaxed and intoxicated by all of the amazing yet subtle fragrances. I barely had the energy to move to the oversized bathtub, where I soaked for 20 minutes. Somehow I made it back to the table for an hour massage first with cardamom amber oil and then with tangerine fig butter crème, which keeps the moisture in and acts as a skin polish.
(BTW, if you get the opportunity to go to the Cloisters Spa, send me an email and I’ll give you the name of this aesthetician. She’s off the charts!)
Many of the body treatments use products by Red Flower, too. I chose to add Ohana Gingergrass Bamboo Scrub to my beauty arsenal. Not an easy choice, given their incredible selection. This is a gentle scrub (not like the ones that leave you looking like you just used sandpaper). It exfoliates dry skin and increases energy flow, which may be due to the fact that the main ingredients are invigorating oils of ginger, lime and fine grains of bamboo, which sure beats the non-natural versions that contain parabens and dyes. Yikes! Sea oil acts to make the skin silky (love that!), silt from the earth encourages cell renewal, while ginger and lime increase blood flow. Whew, I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. I loved the smell when I opened it and loved how my skin felt afterward. Woohoo!
One more thing—they package in 77% post consumer recycled paper AND print at a 100% wind-powered plant. Cool.
face first with a first-rate organic facial
In addition to many other wonderful services, the Cloisters offers a vast array of facials. I was feeling the need for a little face time, so I booked one.
Their facials use products by Sodashi. Sodashi is a great discovery. They are to green beauty products what sliced bread is to, well, sliced bread. They’re a very environmentally focused company that makes incredible, 100% chemical free products largely made from natural plant extracts and essences. To preserve the product, violet glass with light filtering qualities encases the item. The best part of that is, their packaging is 100% recyclable. Bonus!
Sodashi products are formulated based on the wisdom of ancient philosophies and natural healing traditions, they say. I just say, wow, my face looks and feels great. That’s what we want, right?
After my incredible facial, my product pick was Nourishing Repair Treatment. Not that it was an easy choice to make, given my state post-pampering. (I came out of the treatment so relaxed I had to check my pulse.)
The moment you apply this moisturizer, you feel the deep hydrating qualities of avocado and centella. Carrot oil reduces sun damage. Aging and poor skin tone are addressed by the rock rose and neroli. And if all that is not great enough, Nourishing Repair Treatment has regenerative qualities. Can’t go wrong here.
I’m looking for an excuse to stay another week and try all of the spa treatments. But no doubt, I’ll be leaving shortly, kicking and screaming. At least I can hunt around for some great new green beauty products. It’ll be just like being there… OK, maybe not. Sigh…
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