Wednesday, December 18, 2013

WIN a night at the Pan Pacific Hotel

This December, book your spa appointments online and you'll automatically be entered to WIN a stay at the beautiful Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver.

You'll enjoy the convenience of our our new online booking application. It's fast, easy and secure ... and you can book many of your favourite spa appointments 24/7.

Click here to book spa reservations through our Web Booking Applications or from our Facebook page.

Prize give-away includes:

One night's luxury accommodation on the Pacific Club Floor. You'll relax and enjoy exclusive use of the Guest Lounge and Concierge on the 23rd floor. Included is a complimentary 
West Coast Continental Breakfast 
and Evening hors d'oeuvres.

Luxuriate in the warmth of the renowned Pan  Pacific hospitality!

GOOD LUCK!
Winner will be randomly selected and notified before January 10, 2014.

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The world according to James - Sustainable Beauty



In a world where if salt and sugar were discovered today they would be made illegal according to the Canadian FDA health standards. This got me thinking that everything I ingest, rub, brush or apply to my skin must be, in some way harmful to myself, others or the environment.  It’s frightening to think that meat washed in an ammonia substance can be called a process and not an ingredient.

As a hairstylist for over 15 years and Education Director for Spa Utopia Health & Wellness Center, it is my responsibility to know and understand the ingredients of the chemicals we use to color hair. With so many options out there, where does one begin? First step...understand our own personal morals, ethics and beliefs, then search for a company with the same.

We, at Spa Utopia, have discovered DAVINES, an Italian based, family owned company whose core value is SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY. Davines is a Zero impact company through and through. Each year they the plant trees in Brazil to erase their carbon footprint. They also encourage and support their partnering salons to be aware of their own environmental impact.

SCIENCE + NATURE = SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY  -  Simple!



Now...the big ? Drugstore Hair Color vs In-Salon Color 

(SUBTLE HINT TO EVERYONE READING THIS) - "just because it says professional on the box does not make it so."

It is hard to argue the price point of drugstore hair color products versus professional hair color. It’s not hard to argue the inferior and potentially dangerous ingredients that could be hiding in the cheaper price point. Major corporations understand that to color hair you must first understand the composition of hair, color theory and simple chemistry. They also know that the average consumer does not! So how can they make it possible for consumers, educated or not, to use drugstore color? Simplify, simplify, simplify. Increase the amount of active ingredients such as PPD’s and Ammonias.

Example:
Davines - Natural Dark Brown:   Ammonia: 1.8%
Drugstore - Natural Dark Brown Ammonia: 18% and up

This is how they simplify:
When I was researching a semi-permanent color which was suppose to wash out in 15 washes and be ammonia free, I was shocked to find out that the ammonia levels in this particular brand was over 21% , making this temporary color a permanent! When I called the help line for an explaination there was no comment on the ingredients used.

Scary stuff - right! 

The reason that professional products cost more is due to the quality of the ingredients that go into them. We pay for the morals and ethics of these companies that don’t test on animals and do not substitute ingredients with potentially carcinogenic additives.

If the drugstore products really did what they say they did, I would be asking myself why every salon doesn’t carry and use them. 

We have one life, one body, and one world. Sustainable Beauty is our only option.


James Abu-Ulba
Education Director
Spa Utopia Health & Wellness Center