Sea-Derived Products

As the spa movement has grown, manufacturers have had to expand the selection of products offered that can enhance some of the more classic therapies.
IBS, for example, sells raw materials like bulk-powdered algae. "Algae has wonderful drawing qualities. We suggest that spa technicians mix one part dry algae to five parts water or solution," says Bartok. "That sort of mixture will produce a thick paste. The algae is very concentrated, has a strong odor and can be used in baths, masques, body pastes and as a part of other therapies."
Rebecca Holborn, founder of Organic Therapy Inc. in Lake Mary, Florida, creates natural products mostly from sea-based ingredients.

It takes a living ingredient to heal a living system," she says. "Algae and forms of seaweed are ideal because the seawater and sea plants so precisely parallel our body's interstitial fluid and blood plasma."
Beyond this fundamental comparison, the ocean's bounty is rich in trace minerals, such as iodine, magnesium, sodium, potassium, fluoride, sulfur and carbonates. "All of those minerals are absorbed by the skin to allow the body to regain systemic balance. Most of all, when heat accompanies a treatment with seaweed extracts or alginates, both detoxification and replenishment occur," says Holborn.

Sharon Weizman, vice president of Acticell natural beauty products, based in Swampscott, Massachusetts, explains, "Our epidermis can absorb the seawater and seaweeds, but the dermis [a deeper layer of skin] actually has a positive charge, which attracts the negative ions in the seaweed. As the blood flow increases at the surface of the skin and the pores open to allow the alginates into the dermal layer, toxins are drawn out through the skin's surface as nutrients are drawn in."

Bringing The Sea Inside

As messy and extravagant as seaweed wraps and baths might sound, there are a number of ways to integrate marine therapies into a basic massage practice, spa or wellness center. For facilities equipped with Jacuzzis, jetted tubs or soaking baths, micronized algae can be easily added to these hydrotherapy options without damaging the filtration system or jets.

All-over exfoliations with Dead Sea salts, algae or a thalassotherapy body scrub can be performed with a dry brush or with the therapist's hands. After the exfoliation, the client can opt for a hydrotherapy treatment, Vichy shower, traditional shower, or the salts can become a part of the layering of product before a body wrap.

If absolutely no wet services are available, sea products can still be offered with a massage or facial.
"It is very easy to add seaweed extract to your massage oil [or] lotion base if you want to offer the benefits of marine products without the mess. Soaking hot towels in alginates or misting seawater on the client during a service are also options," says Bartok.

Another consideration is your spa's surroundings. The immediate environment sets the tone for the kinds of services that your client will expect, she adds. "A spa located by the ocean will typically do very well with seaweed wraps and marine-based services, [while] a spa in the Midwest or in [another] land-locked area will probably do better with a fresh-water-derived alginate," says Bartok.