Inside-out beauty
IN PREPARATION for this issue, we indulged in some good old-fashioned field research: a body treatment here, a manicure there, and a few chats with spa owners, estheticians, and massage therapists along the way. But the one thing we took away from the experience — besides the glowing complexion and swoon-worthy new shade of lip liner — is that there’s more to beauty than what you lacquer onto your face and smear into your skin. Good looks are a lot more complicated than that — so we set off to discover how the pieces fit together.
There’s a school of thought that to achieve overall good looks, it’s imperative to treat the whole body, not just the superficial layers. Google “holistic beauty,” and you’ll return more than 70,000 hits — some legit, some questionable. But no matter how much credence you give the idea, the inherent connections just make sense: how can you look good if the stuff you’re putting into and onto your body is crap? How can you look good if your brain’s not in the right state and you don’t feel beautiful? The connection between the body, the mind, and outward appearance is a logical one.
When pimply, oozy, and itchy clients come begging Anne Roche for relief, the esthetician at the Carriage House (33 Church Street, Cambridge, 617.868.7800) is quick to delve into their eating habits. “Especially if they’re breaking out or they’re having some issues with their skin, are they under a lot of stress?” she asks. “Are they eating a lot of dairy? Are they not drinking enough water? Are they drinking too much caffeine or sugar?” Turns out stress, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits can wreak havoc, causing breakouts, puffy skin and eyes, and a dull complexion.
Not surprisingly, then, turning eating habits around can bring significant improvements. Violet Mkhitaryan, president and founder of Violet Enterprises, goes so far as to write out recipes to treat the dermatological woes of her clients at Violet Skin Boutique (257 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.SKIN). Mkhitaryan, a favorite in Boston for her holistic approach to skin care, remedies her clients’ issues on a case-by-case basis. One of her more popular concoctions treats constipation — which she considers a cause of toxin build-up that leads to acne — with a mixture of plums, figs, apricots, bay leaves, and honey that’s taken by the tablespoon before bed. And Mkhitaryan herself is a testament to the effectiveness of her advice: “If you look on my skin,” she says, “you can see I’m 57 and I have no wrinkles on my face.”
If you’re in need of a little extrakick, a number of vitamins and other supplements are available. French hair-care line PHYTO developed a supplement called Phytophanère; it contains vitamins and essential fatty acids to help restore strength to hair and nails and to keep skin supple. BORBA pairs a line of beauty-boosting beverages with edible and topical products to ensure that skin looks its best. And a locally-based company, Sipping Beauty, has created a line of teas, with names like “Forever Young” and “Multi Beautimin,” that claim a number of benefits.
At the Carriage House, Roche suggests clients round out their food intake with a good multivitamin, especially one that contains antioxidants. “It can only help, and a well-nourished body is going to have healthy-looking skin,” she says. “Some estheticians believe that vitamins A and D can really help with the external appearance of the skin,” adds Danielle Terranova, Mind Body Spa director at Exhale (28 Arlington Street, Boston, 617.532.7000). But, Terranova is quick to point out, such advice is best solicited from a doctor. “You have to be careful with anything you take internally,” Roche agrees. “If you’re on medication, check with your doctor, because medications can also cause acne and other skin problems. You don’t want to just take anything — even if it’s natural, it can hurt you.”
Of course, what you put on your skin is as significant as what you put in your body. Now that “going green” is totally in, organic, all-natural products are flooding the market. Whole Foods (various locations) is a supporter of natural beauty and carries a number of eco-minded lines, while the rise in the popularity of mineral makeup, including Bare Escentuals, indicates a growing consumer awareness of the benefits of chemical-free cosmetics. Other brands of note include Care by Stella McCartney and Nude, a new luxury skincare line that launched at Barneys New York last month. Locally, the folks at the Carriage House are quite taken by the Dr. Hauschka line. “It’s bio-dynamically grown, which is like one step above organic, and there’s no fragrance, no dyes, no preservatives,” says Roche. “It’s about bringing the body back into rhythm and balance so that it functions properly.”
Adds Mkhitaryan, who only uses 100-percent-natural products in her salon: “Our cells in our stomach and our cells in skin, [they’re] absolutely [the] same. [It doesn’t] make sense to use chemicals on the face and eat organic food inside.”
There’s still more to the holistic beauty equation, though, as the growing number of gyms that double as spas attest. “I think if you feel good, you look good,” says Judilyn Green, spa manager at the Spa at Equinox (131 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.578.8918). “I know that’s been said by other people, but I think that when you’re working out, you feel better about yourself. You don’t eat as much, you take better care of yourself, you recognize that to treat yourself with a spa service or whatever it might be is a good thing. By the same token, when you’re relaxed and coming from a massage or a facial, you’ve also treated yourself in an exterior sort of way, and it promotes you to be more inclined to experience a better workout and to make your whole experience at Equinox one of mind and body.”
At Exhale, there are classes in yoga; core fusion, which melds conditioning, Pilates, and yoga principles; and core energy flow, a mix of yoga, core training, Qi Gong, and stretching. “What Exhale does well, that I think a lot of other places struggle to find balance [with], is they incorporate fitness, wellness, and spa together really successfully,” says Terranova, “and they lend equal weight to all three avenues.” The Mind Body Spa also features a six-week transformation program that includes unlimited access to classes, nutrition, and acupuncture appointments, a 30-minute spa treatment, and a counselor who calls every few days to check up on progress.
All the physical stuff aside, however, there’s a mental portion of the beauty puzzle that’s undeniable. After all, one of the most effective components of the spa experience is its ability to allow clients to relax, whether it’s for a quickie treatment or a full day of pampering. “I have people that come in and lie down for a brow wax, and [when it’s over], they get up and they say, ‘Ah, I feel so much better,’ ” Roche says. “Yeah, it’s waxing, but a lot of us, we don’t [normally] have somebody really focusing on us intensely.” Spas such as Exhale consider relaxation and taking time for oneself as essential for overall wellness. And at Equinox, the staff is focused on making every visit “an experience,” with a hot shower and a few minutes of unwinding in the relaxation area before treatments begin. Afterward, a glass of cucumber water and a steam are encouraged to conclude a well-rounded visit.
Over in Cambridge, shiatsu is a popular addition to the Carriage House’s treatment menu. “Everybody talks about how relaxed they feel [after a shiatsu treatment],” notes practitioner Page Wasson. “Once a person has tension, the energy cannot flow freely through a tense body. At the very least, relaxation releases that tension, allows energy to flow freely throughout the meridians [the body’s energy pathways]; that’s going to give a sense of well-being. This has been documented even in Western medicine, that so many illnesses are stress-induced and stress-related. And it’s really possible to do our work and function through our days in a relaxed state.” Just remember how great you looked after that two-week vacation — and then imagine being that relaxed on a daily basis.@
[Photo by Kelly Davidson]
I attended a couple of your events and was even in one of your magazines. I also read your magazine from cover to cover. Your most recent article has hit the nail on the line of work I would like to do. My dream is to become a Green Beauty Consultant and your article is the kind of thing I've been looking for for quite some time. Thanks. I also wanted some advice as to how I can start my dream profession. Thanks!
October 9, 2007 11:32 PM
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