Cassie

Ingredient Spotlight: Arnica

Arnica is a healing herb from the sunflower family found in a diverse array of our home care and treatment products. Arnica is popular as an ingredient in skin care and body care products for its healing and medicinal properties.

Arnica is commonly used in topical preparations to assist with skin irritation, bruising, burns, inflammation and joint pain. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, arnica products, when used topically, are generally considered to be safe. Arnica should not be ingested as it could be toxic, though may be safe in extremely diluted homeopathic formulations under the guidance of a healthcare provider (this blog post does not constitute healthcare advice!)

In an online post about arnica, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center explained that while arnica hasn’t been widely researched, a small body of research has emerged showing it may be effective against osteoarthritis, swelling, and bruising, though more research is warranted.

Our estheticians use and recommend the Rhonda Allison Arnica Therapy cream after waxing services and when skin is healing post-peel to help with calming skin.

Our massage therapists will often use a Kneipp arnica cream and cooling arnica gel when working on people with tissue inflammation or bruising. Many of them use these products on their own bruise relief and as self care. Our best-selling Kneipp product is the Arnica Joint and Muscle Bath Salt blend, which people report to be helpful for pain in hips, knees, low back, feet, and other joints when mixed into a hot bath for a relaxing soak.

For more information about our products featuring arnica, be sure to ask your massage therapist, esthetician, or our receptionists at your next visit and check out the resources below.

References:

University of Maryland Medical Center: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/arnica

Rhonda Allison: https://www.rhondaallison.com/Arnica_Therapy_lp.html

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/arnica

What kind of massage should I book?

People always want to know which massage is the best. It is a great question and not always the easiest to answer until we get to know someone a bit, but I hope this post helps you to sort through our four most popular massage styles to find one that suits you best!

THE EV SIGNATURE MASSAGE:

This is our most popular massage for a reason: It is easy to customize for many preferences. Our Signature Massage is usually full body, but can include more focused work on a specific area of tension. Your massage therapist can vary your pressure from light to firm throughout the session based on your needs and preferences. He or she will also incorporate a few warm stones on the back and feet (not to be mistaken with a hot stone massage, the stones are used for only about 5-10% of the treatment time in the Signature massage).

Your therapist will often blend some essential oils into your massage cream based on your health intake and he or she will also use a warm honey mask on your back with hot towels to soften skin (and the towels feel amazing).

If this massage was a vacation it would be: A trip to Colorado to take in some nature, great food, light hiking, and a visit with an old friend.

If this massage was a flavor of ice cream it would be: Neapolitan or cookies and cream

THE ATHLETIC EDGE MASSAGE:

All of the therapists who offer the Athletic Edge massage at our spa have extensive training in deep tissue techniques or sports massage, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and/or assisted stretching. You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from this service, it is for anyone with a busy lifestyle, injury, or chronic aches and pains.

Don’t book the Athletic Edge massage if you want to drift off to sleep, but when you want to feel like you and your therapist really accomplished something. This massage is generally not full body, but is focused on a few areas of pain or injury. Your therapist will incorporate a variety of techniques and possibly even stretches, products to warm or cool muscles to reduce inflammation, and might ask you to participate by engaging muscles or assisting with a stretch.

If this massage was a vacation it would be: RAGBRAI, a ski trip, or a week off work spent remodeling your kitchen.

If this massage was a flavor of ice cream it would be: A frozen fruit and protein smoothie or rocky road

TWO FEET DEEP BAREFOOT BARS MASSAGE:

If you love firm pressure, but still want a full body massage that lets your mind drift away, this is a good choice. Your massage therapist will stand on the table and use bars overhead for balance as she massages you with her feet. Unlike a traditional deep pressure massage that uses hard surfaces like the therapist’s elbows or knuckles, the feet are softer and spread pressure evenly over a broader surface. Your therapist isn’t “Walking” on your back, but rather using her feet to provide a massage that includes flowing and targeted strokes. This is a great choice for people with a more dense musculature or people who like to feel like the pressure is firm, but don’t like to feel sore the next day.

If this massage was a vacation it would be: A trip to Thailand or Bali

If this massage was a flavor of ice cream it would be: Dark chocolate chili pepper or Cherry Garcia

HEAVENLY HOT STONE MASSAGE:

We call this massage “Heavenly” for a reason. This is our most relaxing massage. Your therapist uses warm jade stones of different shapes and sizes to provide a massage that is extremely relaxing and boosts circulation. He or she will use a combination of long, flowing strokes and quicker, focused techniques with the stones to increase blood flow while warming and relaxing the muscles. While this treatment doesn’t use heavy pressure, the heat of the stones works deep to relax the muscles for the muscles.

If this massage was a vacation it would be: Relaxing on a beautiful beach with a cocktail and a great book.

If this massage was an ice cream flavor it would be: Mango sorbet or a hot fudge sundae with a toasted marshmallow

Ready to schedule your massage? Click here to book online at East Village Spa!

Human trafficking in the spa industry

Following a White House proclamation in 2011, January is recognized annually as Human Trafficking awareness month. In recent years, organizations like the Polaris Project and government agencies have helped to shed light on how widespread human trafficking and slavery are in America, in big metropolitan areas, affluent suburbs, and quiet rural towns.

The issue of human trafficking is often top of mind for me as a spa owner because facets of this industry have been used as a way to exploit victims of human trafficking and Iowa is not immune.

Fake Massage Businesses

Fake massage businesses masquerade as providing legitimate massage, reflexology, spa, or other health services, but often operate within a network of traffickers. People I’ve spoken with are shocked to see how openly these businesses are advertised online. In 2015 alone there were many raids on parlors:

Salt Lake City, Utah

Central Ohio

Houston, Texas

And in West Des Moines, IOWA in 2015, women were found living on bunk beds in a massage parlor that operated long hours 7 days a week including late nights. Neighboring businesses reported they never saw employees come or go. After a visit from the fire inspector, the parlor was told they could re-open once they met fire code. A city council member asked police to investigate the business for illegal activity, but police declined.

Licensed Massage Therapists are health care providers who have extensive education in their field. While some people laugh and tease licensed massage therapists like my colleagues and me about these parlors, it breaks our heart, especially when the people forced to work in places like this may be slaves, even minors. The reporting and labeling these businesses as “massage” is dangerous to licensed massage therapists like me and puts us at risk for assault or harassment.

It also is unfortunate as it stigmatizes the good work that licensed massage therapists do, making some people less likely to seek services that could truly benefit their health, including pregnant women, cancer survivors, senior citizens, children with disabilities, athletes, and people with high stress levels or injuries.

Nail Salons

In 2015, a series of articles in the New York Times by Sarah Maslin Nir exposed nail salons for human rights violations. The organization Human Rights First explains more about nail salon labor exploitation.

As a spa owner, I know exactly how much a safe and ethical manicure and pedicure cost. Quality products that are free from the harsh chemicals common in some high volume salons are expensive (Our cost for a bottle of base coat, top coat and one color of Shellac is $65.85, not to mention all the lotions, scrubs, and disposable tools we give to our clients or toss after a service!)

In order to ensure safety, employees can’t rush through services and need to allow adequate time to clean and sterilize their tools. The cleaning and tool sanitation time is time they can’t see clients. If a salon is under pricing services, they will have to make it up in volume which doesn’t always allow for adequate tool or tub cleaning. Nail technicians spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours attending training programs and continuing education so they can provide safe, skilled services.

Basically, my point is that if a nail service is really cheap, something has to give, whether product quality, sanitation (reusing disposable products, not allowing enough time to clean instruments or tubs), or employee compensation. Often, all three.

Like the fake massage businesses, nail salons are also under investigation. The New York Times series set off a rush of legislation and investigations in the northeast in 2015 exposing many labor violations.

It isn’t a recent problem for nail salons. The Huffington Post published an article in 2013 explaining some of the reasons nail salons are easy fronts for human trafficking: Low hour requirements for licensing programs, a predominately cash-based business (easier to launder money), and at least in 2013, they were more under-the-radar than fake massage businesses.

In Virginia, a nail salon is under investigation after human trafficking reports in November

In Connecticut, 23 nail salons were shut down in 2015 for wage and health violations

New Jersey also started cracking down on health and wage violations in nail salons last year.

It is important to note that not all low price or high volume nail salons are engaging in illegal or unethical practices. Nail salons can be an excellent business for people with lower start-up rates and many are operated well by people who are passionate about their career or making an honest living. However, human trafficking is growing at such an alarming rate nationwide, it is important to know the signs and report any suspicions. Learn more about the signs at PolarisProject.org.

If you know someone you suspect is a victim of human trafficking, you can also contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline 1-888-373-7888

2015 Highlights

The 2015 spa year wraps up in 3 hours and like always, I’m a sap for reminiscing. The year has seen more growth, which means more people in Central Iowa are experiencing some much-needed stress relief! It is always good to have a year with far more ups than downs (I’m sparing you photos of the ceiling collapse and floor drain explosions of 2015). I thought I’d share 10 memories from the year that make me smile.

Early in 2015, I had the honor of presenting my friend (and super cool human) Dr. Chris Lorang with the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from the East and South Des Moines Chamber.

I also got to enjoy a fun evening with some of our team at the chamber’s annual dinner.

2. I love teaching and I had the privilege of teaching TWO amazing classes of students at Body Wisdom School this year. So many great massage therapists entered the profession in 2015.

3. Our team celebrated many “Best of Des Moines” wins again in 2015. We truly appreciate your vote and we aim to live up to our “Best Spa” designation every day.

4. Maybe the coolest thing we did in 2015 was provide free facials and skin care products to 12 women from the Beacon of Life Shelter during the spring and summer. One of these awesome women chose to share her story with Channel 13 news. I’m forever moved by the power of human touch and the confidence boost of proper skincare.

5. We got to enjoy Allison dancing with EVERY SINGLE MASCOT at the SW 9th Open Street Event that the spa volunteered for.

6. Kelly and I had a great educational experience at ISPA conference and returned invigorated and full of ideas.

7. Adding Rhonda Allison Skincare to our spa services and retail was the best decision we made in 2015. Our skin looks and feels amazing and our clients are thrilled.

The Rhonda Allison line also allowed us to incorporate more corrective peels to our menu and I personally loved the results from mine! Check out my blog post on it here.

8. We raised almost $2500 for Fluffy Butts Animal Rescue at our annual Spalloween fundraiser and had a record turnout! The funds helped to cover several surgeries for the dogs in the rescue, like my new buddy Linus (pictured) who found a brand new “fur”ever home shortly after the event.

9. We celebrated our 7th birthday! I spent the day choking up because I get emotional at the spa’s birthday. I just lost it when my dear friends at Ephemera posted this sign in their window. It reminded me of over 7 years ago when we just had 2 itty bitty baby businesses across the street from each other. We used to post cheery signs in the windows to say hello. My how we’ve grown!

10. We closed out the busiest year yet with this delightful little view of the capitol from our nail care suite last week.

Thanks for everything, 2015.

Cassandra’s Peel Experiences

Today we’re featuring guest blogger, Cassandra Lacina-Griffin, one of our estheticians and Rhonda Allison expert. Cassandra has been enjoying our peels and wanted to share her experiences so far to provide information to people who aren’t sure what to expect in regards to peel services and advice for people who are newer to peels and corrective skin care. Cassandra also shared a collage of photos to show some of the peeling she’s experienced (above).

From Cassandra:

I developed adult acne when I was 19 and have struggled to find the right products. I have been under the care of a dermatologist for the past few years treating my acne with a topical cream. I’ve to stop using the cream for some time now because it’s harsh and drying. While on the cream, I’ve been unable to use many of the corrective Rhonda Allison products. I’m love the Rhonda Allison line and said “that’s it I’m done!” No more prescription cream.

I decided to start doing the RA peel for acne. Chemical peels are great to help clear up acne and refine the pores also to help with scaring or hyper pigmentation. The peel Camille and I chose to use on my skin is a bit intense. There is a strong burning/tingling sensation but it doesn’t last long. I started out slow and I’m working my way into stronger peels.

After receiving several peels, I have realized in my peel process that it is best to take extra time after the appointment. My second peel stung a bit longer than the first but after drinking some water and sitting for 10-15 minutes I was fine. Plan ahead before you book a peel. Your skin will not peel with every application but the deeper the peel the more your skin will peel. Another thing is that the deeper the peel the longer it takes your skin to peel. So plan ahead so that you don’t have any major events or parties while your skin is peeling.

I have found it beneficial to not wear makeup while my skin is peeling. It just allows me to apply extra recommended soothing creams and the cucumber spritz as needed. The hardest part of the peel process for me is avoiding picking the peeling skin. It is the worst thing you can do after a peel! I know you may want to “help” the peeling along but it is best to just leave it. You may end up peeling to much causing it to be even more tender and red or causing scarring. If you are treating acne with a peel be aware it’s completely normal for the skin to purge. Trust that it will heal up quickly revealing soft, fresh, glowing skin!

If you’d like to learn more about peels and you already have an esthetician at East Village Spa that you’ve seen in the last two months for a facial, give us a call to schedule a peel. If you haven’t been in to an esthetician at the spa or it has been over 2 months, book any facial (Wellness, EV Signature, or even our express 30 minute facial) for them to assess your skin and goals to help you determine a peel plan that will be safe and effective for you!

Click here to schedule your next facial online to get more information about our peel services!

Cassie’s Vegetarian “Neat”loaf Recipe

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and as a vegetarian, I never feel like I’m missing out because I can make a killer vegetarian meatloaf and amazing veggie gravy, then enjoy all the wonderful sides. For nearly 10 years, we’ve done thanksgiving with friends, typically at least half the group is vegetarian. In recent years, I’ve started doubling my recipe because it freezes well and the leftovers are great for a week.

If you are trying to cut back meat or are going to have a vegetarian guest at some point this winter, give this dish a try! Note: This dish requires a food processor, you could use a blender, but I think it would be really tricky.

The finished product (I wish I had a prettier photo, but I'm not a food stylist. I just like to eat.) — The finished product (I wish I had a prettier photo, but I’m not a food stylist. I just like to eat, and I was finishing the gravy while chasing two very muddy dogs around the kitchen)

Cassie’s Veggie “Neat”loaf

Ingredients:

8 slices whole wheat bread (toasted-I do all at once on a baking sheet, then cool)

2 c. pecans (you can use walnuts if you prefer)

3 large eggs (you can use vegan egg substitute, but I’ll be honest: it isn’t as good)

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, peeled

1 celery rib

1/2 red, green, or yellow pepper, sliced (whatever is cheapest)

1/2 can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings (if you use plain, add a pinch of Italian seasonings of your choice)

1 1/2 T. olive oil

1 t. salt, other seasonings to taste (I like about 1/2 t. garlic powder)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray a loaf pan with oil.

2. Tear up the cooled, toasted bread into the food processor and process into bread crumbs. Toss in a large bowl.

3. Process the pecans into fine crumbs and toss into the large bowl with the bread crumbs.

4. Process the pepper slices, carrot, and celery until very finely diced and toss into the bowl with the pecans and bread crumbs

5. Crack 3 eggs into the food processor and add the onion. Process together into a frothy mixture. The onions should be very fine and it should be a liquid. Pour into the large bowl with everything else.

Blend the 3 eggs and the onion until (for lack of a better word) frothy.

6. Add the olive oil and diced tomatoes, plus salt and seasonings of your preference to the bowl and mix well (you might want to use your hands to make sure it is evenly mixed.

7. Pat into the prepared loaf pan and bake covered with foil for 60-70 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Top with veggie gravy (I love the Chicago Diner recipe), BBQ Sauce, or Ketchup. The gravy recipe takes awhile to thicken once it cools, and I think it is even better the second day. You can find nutritional yeast typically in the health food section of the grocery store, but I’ve found it in baking sections too. I usually have to ask.

Fun tip: If you make the dry base for the Chicago Diner gravy recipe, it makes a TON. I’ve taken extra and bagged it with the directions to give as holiday gifts to my fellow vegetarians.

If you try it, please post a comment and let me know what you think!

Giving Thanks

Our massage therapists, estheticians, and management team have much to be thankful for. We get to work in a (mostly) peaceful space with lovely music and candles, fun products, and caring colleagues. We have the privilege of treating clients and getting to know and care about many like family over the years. Most of all, we get to see guests become relaxed, serene, and unburdened, even if only for a moment. In our busy, plugged-in world, that is truly the biggest blessing of all.

From Camille: I am thankful for not only being able to help my clients relax and ease their mind, but for being able to see the positive changes in their skin over time as we address their struggles and concerns.

From Jamee: I’m thankful for the autonomy to use my knowledge (in massage and healthcare) to my clients’ best advantage.

From Katie: I am thankful I can make people feel better about themselves and hopefully be a bright spot in their day.

From Teresa: I am grateful for all the wonderful people I get to work with: co-workers and clients alike.

From Celeste: I’m thankful for the unlimited resources and knowledge my co-workers have, and for the opportunity to find out more about the lovely people we take care of.

From Cyerra: I’m thankful to work with a talented and and welcoming group of people who inspire me every day!

Happy thanksgiving from our spa family to your family.

7 years, 7 fun facts (and some throwback photos)

I always get a bit sappy on the spa’s birthday. I’m not a parent of human children, but I consider the spa to be my baby. Today the spa is 7 years old and I’ve spent my morning going through old photos and smiling about all the people I’ve gotten to work with over the years. I don’t have any photos of the spa in progress when we were building out the old location, which is a shame because the transformation was incredible.

That being said, some of the things we found when remodeling the first location were so horrifying I think it is best that I don’t have lasting images. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

I wanted to share 7 fun things about the spa for 7 years to mark the milestone.

We signed our lease in September 2008, the day before the market tanked! We laugh that when you start at the bottom, there really is only one way you can go!
Our team grew from 4 of us in 2008 to 18 of us in 2015
In 2009, our first full year, we did 2649 services. In 2014, our most recent full year, we did 10,234 services (we’ve already topped that number by a lot this year!) in 7 years, we have performed 51, 617 massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and waxes
We have been voted Des Moines’ Best Spa every year since 2010! This is a photo of our group in 2011.
Our employees stay with us a LONG time, but sometimes switch roles. Our front desk manager Kelly used to be one of our amazing massage therapists. Our amazing massage therapist Tiffany, was our first front desk manager!
The old spa’s location was too small, had weird restrooms, and no parking, but it did have the prettiest storefront, especially at the holidays.
I hit my 10 year anniversary as a licensed massage therapist this year. While I’m mostly handing out chocolate at the front desk (trying to dodge my REAL projects) these days, you’ll still find me filling in for a shift here or there!
Me (age 27, seems forever ago!) in my private practice prior to opening the spa.

Thank you to all of our clients and employees throughout the years who have made this a fun journey full of such wonderful memories. Here’s to many more years!

Healthy Holiday Cookie Make-Overs: Part 2

Yesterday I shared my favorite healthy holiday cookie, a vegan, gluten free, paleo friendly Pecan Sandy. Today I’m going to share yummy and healthier version of chocolate bark and buckeyes. Both are easily customized to your preferences too!

My friend Renae shared with me her favorite monster cookie protein ball recipe. It was easy to adapt into a protein ball that was healthier, AND to dip into dark chocolate for a buckeye that had lots of protein and fiber, win-win!

Protein Ball Buckeyes

Ingredients:

1 c. old fashioned or quick oats

1/2 c. natural peanut butter (I use one of the easier-to spread versions like Jif)

1/4 c. honey (local if you can-if making vegan, you can use agave)

1 scoop vanilla whey powder (if making vegan, look for a vanilla flavored vegan protein powder)

1/3 c. ground flax seed/chia seed blend or 1/4-1/3 c. flax or chia seeds (optional)

Dark chocolate for melting and dipping (I used the large dark chocolate bars from Zoet, found at Hyvee)

Combine all above, I found that starting with the peanut butter and honey, then adding the dry ingredients a bit at a time was best. If you can’t quite get them sticky enough to form a ball, add a bit more peanut butter or honey at a time. You’ll need to mix with your hands eventually.

Roll into balls, then place on waxed or parchment paper. To be honest, they are delicious at this point without being chocolate dipped. You can store then in the freezer for a quick protein snack or breakfast this way or continue with the next step.

Melt chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl about 30-45 seconds at a time and stir each time until just melted.

Drop a ball into the chocolate and roll until it is covered, then remove with a spoon and place onto the wax paper. Do this until all protein balls are covered in the dark chocolate, stopping to re-soften the chocolate or add more squares as needed.

Place into fridge to harden faster.

Store in fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly you’ll eat these. (Warning, it might be pretty quick-I had to tell my husband to back-off because they were so good).

The finished protein buckeyes, ready for sampling at the Promenade (unless my husband finds them first).

While these protein buckeyes do have more fiber, nutrients, and protein than regular buckeyes, do note they are certainly not low calorie and are ideal for active lifestyles or a grab and go breakfast replacement!

Be sure to visit the spa this Friday for the Holiday Promenade to sample these and a few other holiday cookie healthy makeovers! 🙂

A Healthy Twist on a Classic Holiday Cookie: Pt. 1

I’m a sucker for holiday cookies, candies, bars, you name it. I also love finding recipes for healthier versions of said treats to find perfect recipes to please diverse crowds, from those who love decadent desserts to people who are vegan, gluten free, or have other dietary limitations. This year, I decided to make several healthier versions of classic holiday cookies to serve at our Holiday Promenade event, along with recipes, to inspire others to be creative.

Sometimes my experimentation leads to hilarious cookie fails. Last night one of my cookies had maybe one-too-many healthy substitutions and was deemed by my taste testers as “So bad that if you serve this at Holiday Promenade, you will RUIN Holiday Promenade.” My husband even asked if I made it with potatoes. This explains why my dog that eats anything in sight didn’t try to get the pan off the counter. And I just thought he was being good!

To save our Promenade guests from fails or substitution headaches, I’ll only be serving really yummy treats taste-tested by my picky friends made with easy-to-fi
nd ingredients. This is one of my long-time favorites: Healthy Pecan Sandies.

Pecan Sandies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo, Possibility of being raw)

Ingredients:

1 c. pitted dates

2 c. chopped pecans (use raw if making this as a raw cookie)

zest of half an orange.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Process pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add pitted dates and orange zest. Process until the mixture starts to pull away from the side and makes a coarse “dough”

Pecan Sandy cookie dough after it has been processed

Roll into walnut sized balls on prepared cookie sheet and press a pecan half into each while flattening slightly. They can be placed close together as they will not spread while baking. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes or until bottoms brown slightly. Cool before eating (or they’ll fall apart!)

Pecan sandies ready for the oven (they look the same coming out of the oven!)

To make a raw version, make sure you purchase raw pecans (easy to find in health food stores or Trader Joes) and don’t bake your cookies, but prepare them and freeze in a single layer so they hold their shape. Eat out of the freezer as they’ll crumble as they warm to room temp if you haven’t baked them.

Stay tuned for more healthy holiday treats recipes this week!