By Caroline Ruhland
Ingredients sourced from gardens and farms are exceedingly versatile. In addition to providing sustenance, leafy greens, for example, have potassium to facilitate normal heart function; meanwhile, colorful fruits are packed with nutrients like vitamin C. And though consuming fruits, vegetables and herbs can benefit your body from the inside out, there’s also a delivery system offering its own benefits from the outside in.
Edibles have long been incorporated in spa services and beauty products—think honey facials, avocado hair masks and oatmeal moisturizers. Replacing harsher chemicals in treatments, they can do the body good while helping you achieve an overall state of relaxation.
This winter, Newport Beach spas and salons are embracing seasonal produce to take natural solutions to the next level. Find time to rejuvenate with a variety of deliciously luxurious treatments that incorporate edible ingredients for head-to-toe wellness.
Photo by Jody Tiongco
The Spa at Balboa Bay Resort
For those looking for more flexibility and less of a time commitment, the 25-minute body scrubs offered at The Spa at Balboa Bay Resort are a good choice for an in-and-out treatment. The scrubs—which are available as stand-alone services or as add-ons to facials or massages—come in five culinary-inspired varieties, ranging from a calming mango ginger sugar option to an invigorating rosemary mint salt variety. According to spa director Linnea Robertson, a guest favorite is the lavender salt scrub, which uses an oil base to leave skin feeling soft and aromatherapy to soothe the senses. This is a particularly good choice for wintertime; as a salt scrub, it’s more abrasive than a sugar option and thereby more effective at removing any dry or rough winter skin. (949-630-4772; balboabayresort.com)
Courtesy of Pelican Hill
The Spa at Pelican Hill
With its rich oils, powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, pomegranate is considered a “superfruit,” a marketing term for fruits with exceptional nutritional content. Specifically for winter, the beauty benefits are significant—its properties can help hydrate dry winter skin and the seeds can be ground and used as an exfoliator.
According to spa director Robin Dunivin at The Spa at Pelican Hill, pomegranates may also aid in preventing infection, clearing up blemishes and promoting cell growth for anti-aging benefits. For these reasons, it’s featured in the winter body gelato treatment offered at The Spa at Pelican Hill. This full-body service—which includes a sea salt scrub, a warm body wrap, and application of a rich body butter—ends with a scoop of the icy treat to make it an indulgence for the body and the palate. (855-315-8214; pelicanhill.com)
Courtesy of The Spa at Island Hotel
The Spa at Island Hotel
For the active, jet-setting spa-goer, the Island Boreh Remedy offered at The Spa at Island Hotel is the way to fight travel fatigue. This warming, energizing massage begins by incorporating clove and ginger in a paste that is rubbed on the body. According to spa director Holly Monson, both help increase blood circulation and detoxify the body, while calming muscle fibers, reducing inflammation and decreasing overall tension. To finish, the therapist gives a one-hour “tui na” massage—a tropical take on the classic massage, and the perfect relaxing cure for those stressful holiday errands and travels. (949-760-4992; islandhotel.com)
Courtesy of Spa Gregorie’s
Spa Gregorie’s
Natural enzymes work wonders for the skin, removing dead cells and helping to provide a more even tone and texture without many of the risks associated with chemical-based ingredients. It’s no surprise, then, that fruit enzymes are front and center in Spa Gregorie’s Epicuren facial. This treatment includes an apricot scrub, a hot cinnamon peel and two enzyme face masks that work to detoxify, firm and rejuvenate dull, tired winter skin. The cinnamon peel increases circulation and blood flow, while the enzyme masks not only clarify but also calm and nourish the skin. (949-644-6672; spagregories.com)
Courtesy of Rosey Toes
Rosey Toes
Surrounded by the aromas of warm milk, coffee beans, brown sugar and vanilla cream, guests might feel like they’re at a local coffee shop or bakery instead of a nail salon. Such is the experience getting a “warm vanilla latte” manicure or pedicure at Rosey Toes, where seasonal, natural ingredients are used to buff, soften and hydrate the exposed, often-neglected skin of hands and feet. The coffee beans and brown sugar, in particular, work as effective natural exfoliators, while the milk and cream soften, protect and replenish nutrients in the skin. This more natural approach to nail care, as spa owner Krissy Haiflich explains, is part of the salon’s greater aim to look out for the long-term health of both the clients and the staff, avoiding chemicals, UV lights and exposure to bacteria that have become all too common at many nail salons. (949-673-8637; roseytoesllc.com)
