Minerals
If life originated in an organic soup, you can be sure that some of the minerals on offer at our nation’s spas were in that brew. Minerals are chemical compounds that cannot be reduced to simpler substances; they come from the earth and return to the earth. They are the building blocks of matter, and indeed of life itself.
From pure elements and simple salts to complex silicates, these naturally occurring solids have a crystalline structure. They can be as soft as talc or as hard as diamonds; in fact, gemstones are made of minerals, as are metals such as gold, silver, and copper.
In the spa, mineral-based treatments are all the rage; indeed, even gold and diamonds can be found as ingredients on select spa menus. But spa-goers seeking remineralizing treatments tend to go for a back-to-basics approach. It is here that precious matter generally takes a back seat to mud, salt, and seaweed mineral-rich substances that nourish the skin, promoting detoxification and cell turnover.
The popularity of such treatments rises as we learn how minerals are essential to our body and all its functions. Four to five percent of our body weight is made up of minerals most of that in the skeleton. But virtually every other body process, from our brains to our tissues to our respiratory systems, rely on minerals too.
Minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, boron, copper, and iodine are important components of the foods we consume. But a poor diet can often distort the amount of minerals in our bodies. Excessive amounts of copper, iron, or selenium can be as troublesome to our health as deficits. Additives and pesticides in our food can also interfere with the balance of our mineral intake, as can industrial farming techniques that strip the soil of key nutrients.
“The mineral content of plants depends on the amounts present in the soil in which they are grown,” says Marion Nestle, Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and Professor of Sociology at New York University. “Organic foods are cultivated in richer soils, so their mineral content is higher.”
Rich soils yield rich mud, which is often used to remineralize the skin through masks and wraps. Such treatments have been around for thousands of years. The Romans, populations in India and Russia, and native peoples of the Americas, among others, developed mud-based healing traditions.
“Topical application of mud can have a calming, analgesic effect,” says Melissa McMahon, spa manager of Sense, a Rosewood Spa at the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California. “Mud can also have antioxidant and inflammatory properties. It is detoxifying to the whole body because it draws the impurities out from your skin, which is, after all, the body’s largest organ. All of our mud therapies are detoxifying, exfoliating, and nourishing, and they leave your skin feeling absolutely amazing.”
Salts, which are comprised of minerals, are also popular in the spa. Salts harvested from watery regions high in minerals, such as thermal springs, are rich in potassium, calcium, sodium, bromine, magnesium, and trace minerals. Applied to the skin, whether through a bath, scrub, bath, rub, or poultice, these natural salts can help alleviate rheumatism, neuralgia, allergies, and skin troubles such as psoriasis.
“Salts cause the top layer of skin to break-up smoothly,” explains Chris Hilburn, spa director at the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California, which offers salt-based scrubs and massages. “The epidermis, which is the second layer of the skin, is then receptive to the minerals. We use an organic, mineral-rich salt from the Himalayas which has so much iron in it, it is pink in color. The high mineral content in our salt makes it especially nourishing and effective in relieving dry skin conditions.”
Perhaps one of the richest storehouses of minerals is the ocean. Sea products have long been touted for their healing benefits. At the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, sea-inspired treatments include the Lift & Firm Facial, which contains pulverized mother of pearl proven to help repair, firm, and restart the skin’s vital functions.
“This luxury facial features products that are infused with authentic pearl powder, an ingredient rich in calcium and other sea minerals,” says Gloria Ah-Sam, spa director for the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. “The minerals help the skin to restore its vital functions of youth for an overall glow. Mother of pearl, after all, is a natural protective insulator that counteracts the effects of aging. The result is tighter and younger looking skin with a firmer feel.”
The appearance of treatments from earth and sea on spa menus across the land begs the question: Why now? “I think in a tight economy, people want to get back to the basics,” says Hilburn. “Maybe they have less money to spend, so they are less willing to try something esoteric and unproven. Working with ingredients like salt, mud, and seaweed is reassuring, because they are not trendy. We know they have lasting value. After all, they sustain life on earth.”
To find a mineral rich treatment near you click here.
By Katherine Stewart
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