It is impressive to see how many spas are modifying the way they do business to become more
earth friendly. Many are making a conscious effort to be in harmony with nature. A truly “Green Spa” uses organically certified products and practices ecological management by being energy conscious and making sure they use low energy lighting, recyclable products, phosphate free cleaning products and consciencious waste management.
Environmentally conscious marketing campaigns are quickly becoming one of the most important movements in recent memory. Earth friendly companies are writing corporate policies based on living in harmony with nature. The organic cosmetic market is on board and growing at a rate of 20% - 30% per year. Unfortunately, with no legislation governing the claims of green companies there is great deal of controversy. The following definition of terms may help to clear up some of the confusion.
"Organic" refers to carbon compounds. Organic labels do not guarantee anything unless they are Certified Organic. There are a few associations working to establish criteria for claims being made, such as BDIH in Germany, AIAB in Italy, and EcoCert in France. EcoCert is the most recognized as it is over sixteen years old and used in over eighty countries, including the European Union. The EcoCert label guarantees that 95% of a product's ingredients are of natural origin, with a minimum of 10% coming from certified organic farming. Companies must also show respect for the environment with good manufacturing certifications, no animal testing, minimum certified preservatives, adherence to the Eco-Charter (recycling) and promote research enhancing plant use in cosmetics.
“Natural” does not imply any guarantees and basically means the ingredients used are from nature’s broad spectrum, including plants, whether grown in organic soil or not.
“Ecological” is also not a certification, but usually means the environment is respected in the management of actives, but does not necessarily mean organic. Ecological products generally require that a minimum of 5% of the ingredients come from organic farming. Certified Organic products are usually ecological too, but not visa versa. There are some ecological brands that promote fair trade and defend the environment, but the ecological branding does not apply to their product ingredients. It is all in the advertising and the implications.
It all sounds rather complicated, doesn't it? Simply put, . . . if using organic products is important to you, look for the certification labels. Mother’s Day is around the corner offering each and every one of us a perfect opportunity to do our best to pay our respects to Mother Earth.
The following is an update on the lipstick/lead controversy. One study found that, "more than half of the 33 brand name lipsticks tested (61%) contained detectable levels of lead - ranging from 0.03 - 0.65 parts per million (ppm)." One third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the US FDA's 0.1 ppm (parts per million) limit for lead in candy. Many say comparing the ingestion of candy with lipstick is not a fair comparison but according to a fact reported by Glamour Magazine (2002), women inadvertently eat about 4 lbs of lipstick in a lifetime. 
THE SMART PART:
It is impressive to see how many spas are modifying the way they do business to become more earth friendly. Many are making a conscious effort to be in harmony with nature. A truly “Green Spa” uses organically certified products and practices ecological management by being energy conscious and making sure they use low energy lighting, recyclable products, phosphate free cleaning products and consciencious waste management. 
What can I expect from having a professional skin analysis done? Is it worth it?
A proper skin analysis conducted by a professional esthetician, or beauty therapist, involves a thorough look at the characteristics of the skin and also includes a client history. This means not only will they look at your skin, they will ask about your health, your ethnic background, your age, your diet, your habits, your life style, if you are (or have been) taking medications, if you take food supplements or vitamins, your skincare habits, even your stress levels, and will take all of this into consideration when analyzing your skin. Some will also incorporate tools, such as magnifying lamps and/or woods lamps, that enable them to see the underlying conditions of the skin.
The esthetics industry has taught for decades that dry skin lacks oil and dehydrated skin lacks moisture. Dry skin is a type, dehydrated skin is a condition. Dry skin is one lacking sufficient sebum (skin oil). Another name for it is alipic skin (alipic means lacking oil). It can be genetic, triggered by some medications, or occur with hormonal changes, such as those that take place with menopause. A genetic dry skin is generally finer in texture, has almost invisible pores, and is beautiful if cared for and protected. It will not handle the aggressive treatment an oilier or thicker skin tolerates. If dry skin is not looked after, it will react quickly and age much faster than a normal or oily skin type. Part of the role of the lipids and sebum in the skin is to form part of the hydrolipidic barrier (protective barrier), to hold moisture in the epidermis, and slow the evaporation of moisture through the skin's surface. If skin is lacking the emolliency of skin oils, it will feel tight, and in most cases will not only be dry, but dehydrated as well (insufficient sebum to hold the moisture). Providing just water to address the needs of this skin type will do little, and possibly worsen the condition. Products used must provide emolliency, promote the barrier protection, comfort and protect the skin from further moisture loss. Consumers will describe their skin as dry if it feels tight, or flaking, and while it might be dry, in most cases flaking skin is from dehydration. Dehydration (lacking moisture) is a condition that can affect all skin types. You can have dry dehydrated, normal dehydrated, or oily dehydrated skin, but you cannot have a dry, oily skin.
Time to get back to the basics. A good skin care routine begins with a proper skin analysis. Here are some of the tell-tale signs of three skin types. Which one are you?
