Vision Spa Retreat

Spas as green educators?

Today on SpaClique (a free and open resource for the professional spa community) Kate Mearns posted an article entitled 'Spas See Greener Days Ahead'.  It's good to see this, though I remain sorry that the economic factor must still be put forward as the (organic) carrot.

Kate begins and ends with economics, saying:

In summary, the message to effectively reach spa consumers has changed. Today's challenging economic times have caused consumers to become more cautious with regard to spending. Emphasis is as much on value as it is on pricing. Spas have enjoyed success over the last decade providing "pampering services in a luxurious environment" yet the spa industry has really never effectively promoted some of its strongest attributes — health, overall wellness and lifestyle enrichment. Spas have a unique opportunity to provide this value to the consumer. Typically, consumers value and are drawn to eco-friendly businesses.

Kate does explore a little deeper and writes about why 'spas are well suited to be at the forefront of a green industry'.   Key points: 1.raising awareness, and 2. educating.

'As an industry which consumes water, energy and natural resources in its daily operations, spas that adopt green practices not only reduce environmental impact, but also offer an opportunity to raise awareness among spa clientele. Ultimately, everyone benefits. Spas are now perceived as a source of education and lifestyle enrichment which has pushed these facilities to be more proactive in the green arena.'

The best kind of awareness education is to 'walk your talk'. - to demonstrate what it takes, by doing it , to be an example of 'green' in action. Those spas that do so - not just in order to gain a share of the diminishing profits but - because it is the respectful way to treat the planet and to safeguard the health of us all, probably don't need to read articles like Kate's and blogs like mine. It comes naturally.

That said, can those who work in the spa 'industry' (I never did like that combination) look beyond the profits and see what we do to create 'greener' spas as an act of revolution for the sake of a healthier future for all?

Read Kate Mearn's full article: Spas See Greener Days Ahead

For more on the topic of economics/profits see:  Spa profits: an enlightened stance

Managing for sustained success of spa

The new 2010 edition of The International Standards of SpaExcellence(SM)2010  released this month addresses sustainability and the environment in a number of places.

Julie Register, Managing Director at SpaQuality outlined them for Vision Spa Retreat:   

Growing for spas: a local enterprise

This month, Vision Spa Retreat ventured into the local community with the article below which was extracted from the series of six related posts about spa products and the powerful potential they have for enabling sustainable spa culture already posted on this blog (see the end for links to those).

The article was included in the first newsletter of the Ozarks Sustainability Community Center ('A place to discuss sustainability and schedule events within our beautiful Ozarks!') that was launched earlier this year in West Plains, Missouri, near Sara Firman's (Director of Vision Spa Retreat) home-base.

We're hoping to extend this small initiative further to another Ozarks community action The Well-Fed Neighbor Alliance - 'a grassroots movement working toward a vision of a peaceful, abundant and sustainable future' - also launched recently, and very successfully, from the city of Springfield, MO.

Look out for forthcoming posts on ways in which spa community could be integrated with local community initiatives like the Transition Town Movement that started in the UK and has recently begun nationwide in the US. 

If this is a topic that interests and inspires you, please do comment on any of the blog postings or write to Vision Spa Retreat directly. 

Quoting the Well-Fed Neighbor Alliance: Together, people of the Ozarks are fostering neighbor-to-neighbor partnerships to re-establish our local food supply by planting community gardens, supporting local family farms and area farmer's markets.Let us not stop until we’ve achieved a vertical integration of our farm to market products, the relocalization of good-paying jobs, the creation of an all-Missouri buy Local Directory, and the widespread installation of alternative energy sources by and for the people. In the process, we’ll be reuniting neighbors, engaging the better angels of our public officials, and reskilling our kids to face the future.

Growing for Spas

Food cooked and presented with love has always been appreciated.  Spa treatments conducted and presented with heart are no different.  And these things tend to be home-grown and timeless.  They don't depend on ethnic or exotic imports but rather on creative and caring aspects of human community.  Spas can both support and inspire sustainable local communities.

At the spa-retreat I used to run in our area, I once served some guests a pasta sauce I'd made with tofu and lavender (from the retreat garden).  I had followed a recipe and they were polite enough to eat it .  But it would probably have made a better sunburn soothing mask in the spa - lavender is a well-known anti-inflammatory!

The point is that a spa product that is also edible is likely to be safe to use on someone's skin.  Basic products can be made from cold-pressed and unrefined oils, freshly prepared certified organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds etc., therapeutic grade herb and flower extracts, and pure water.  Making a product directly before use in the spa or in the treatment room can give it a further potent quality.

With freshly made products there is no need to worry about shelf-life which can involve all manner of less desirable ingredients in manufactured products.  (It's important to note though that some natural substances can also cause allergic or other unpleasant reactions in some people and knowledge of this is extremely important if for anyone who plans to make up their own products.)

The underlying elements of any spa treatment can (and I think should) be appropriately and effectively adapted to suit and enhance whatever setting a spa is in.  Including locally grown ingredients, local suppliers, and local flavor in spa offerings certainly blends these treatments more naturally with a particular setting than if they are outsourced.

The demand for body care products has proliferated dramatically, along with the growing spa industry.   'Green' products have commanded a premium (and not always justifiable) market price. With increasing evidence of green washing, body care product manufacturers face scrutiny from conscious consumers who also represent a significant percentage of spa consumers. 

This ought to encourage spas and other related venues to examine their choices and offerings more closely.  The best and most creative solution, I believe, is to source local and to involve the community - from suppliers, to staff, to customers - in the creation of a unique and varied spa menu. For a spa venue, making food-based spa treatments, including sourcing local materials for these, will require either:

• establishing their own on-site organic garden, perhaps with bee hives for honey and wax, or

• researching and networking to find good and reliable local suppliers

Also:

• training of staff and set-up of a space/ facility for the making of products

• creative design of a range of services involving these products

All or some of these tasks can be provided or coordinated by a local spa design and consultancy service creating yet another form of local employment (for example, Vision Spa Retreat!). The home-made products may also be of interest to those who do not want to partake of the spa's services but might like to order fresh supplies of body care products.

For spa venues that do choose to sell products they make onsite, it is essential to look into local and state regulations regards retail of 'home-made' beauty products.  There are many websites and blogs on the internet promoting this kind of business that will also provide lots of good ideas for recipes and equipment and supplies needed.

As part of a program I'd like to develop for promoting local spa products and services, I'm interested to hear from (or about) anyone who is already making locally grown and produced body products, would be interested in making them, or would like to offer them as part of their existing therapeutic services (massage, spa, etc.).  Please contact me (Sara Firman).

This article was extracted from the series of six related posts about spa products and the powerful potential they have for enabling sustainable spa culture already posted on this blog.

1. Spa treatment menus: authenticity and audacity
2. Eco-spa-chefs: cooking up a better future
3. Savvy and creative spas grow their own spa products
   
4. The value of growing and making your own spa products
5. Natural, organic? Spa products under scrutiny
6. How to make your own 'soulful and sustainable' spa products

Certificate of Sustainability for Salons and Spas from NAEFSS

The National Association of Eco-Friendly Salons and Spas™ founded by Tamara Jercha recently launched it's Sustainability Certification proposal for US venues.

The obvious focus on environmental issues, Tamara's credentials, a membership service, and a certification that is based around that look promising to Vision Spa Retreat.

The Association is 'organized to build a community of like-minded business owners, mindful of their impact on the environment and dedicated to learning how to implement green business strategies while sharing success stories with others'.

The website states that 'There are eleven areas of concentration created to encompass all aspects of owning and operating a salon/spa using green business practices. Sustainability Certifications are awarded as a result of points earned from each eleven categories.'

The Sustainability Certification is in test mode right now: those joining have the opportunity to be part of that at reduced cost.

Membership at $129/year compares well with the minimum membership of the Green Spa Network (first-year fees for Pledge membership begin at $360 per location). 

GSN members sign a Pledge confirming commitment but are not currently assessed regards compliance.

It will be interesting to see how the NAEFSS Sustainability Certification is taken up and followed through.

Vision Spa Retreat invites spas to support one or both organizations if they can and to report back on the service and value over time.  

Sustainability 101 for Spas

We're delighted to share with you, thanks to Rhana Pytell, the following presentation outlining some primary measures and steps towards sustainable spa operations.

It's a very clear and valuable summary of important issues. 

In particular, we'd like to draw your attention to these ways in which spas can influence current culture:

Participation in the local community

Contributing to the larger spa community

Promoting education and knowledge

Staying connected to the original seed of spa: 

'Healing through Water'

Rhana Pytell is the Director and Co-Owner of GAIA Spa L.L.C. and the President of Amethyst Systems.

In 2007 GAIA became a seed member of the Green Spa Network, an organization whose purpose is to bring sustainable operating practices to the spa industry, and to promote the natural connections between personal wellbeing, economic sustainability, and the health of our environment.

Rhana has been instrumental in developing the Green Spa Network Sustainability Assessment Tool, which supports strategy development and implementation of greening practices.

More about Rhana:

Blog

LinkedIn

How to make your own 'soulful and sustainable' spa products on site

 

This post is the last in a series of six related posts about spa products and the powerful potential they have for enabling sustainable spa culture.  Spa is built on service through treatments and experiences many of which involve body products. Commercialization of products can remove us from their purpose and safety.

This post looks at:

• the basics of making your own
• finding good local sources
• supporting local enterprise and conservation

The basics of making your own

A spa product that is also edible is likely to be safe to use on someone's skin.  Basic products can be made from cold-pressed and unrefined oils, freshly prepared certified organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds etc., therapeutic grade herb and flower extracts, and pure water. 

Making a product directly before use in the spa or in the treatment room can give it a further potent quality. And you don't need to worry about product shelf-life which can involve all manner of less desirable ingredients in manufactured products. 

Some non-organic and synthetic body care products can cause allergic reactions and dermatitis, and many have included substances that are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.  Some natural substances can also be harmful and knowledge of this is extremely important if you plan to make up your own products.

People with certain food allergies or reactions (they usually know about them) should avoid the same ingredients in externally applied products.  For example: seaweed (popular in wraps) contains iodine to which some are allergic; certain essential oils cause skin rashes when exposed to sunlight. And so on.

Making your own food-based spa treatments, including sourcing local materials for these, will require either:

• establishing your own on-site organic garden, perhaps with bee hives for honey and wax, or
• researching and networking to find good and reliable local suppliers

Also:

• training of staff and set-up of a space/ facility for the making of products
• creative design of a range of services involving these products

All or some of these tasks could be provided or coordinated by a local spa design and consultancy service creating yet another form of local employment. The products may also be of interest to those who do not want to partake of the spa's services but might like to order fresh supplies of body care products.

If you do choose to sell, you'll need to look into local and state regulations regards retail of 'home-made' beauty products.  There are many websites and blogs on the internet promoting this kind of business for individuals that will also give you ideas.

Some sample recipes, involving easily obtainable foods, can be seen on the website Homemade Beauty and also found in the books The Incredible Edible Spa by Noreen Finneran and Pure Skin: Organic Beauty Basics by Barbara Close.  Nicolay Kreidlers's Spa College offers E-books and training courses that include these themes:

• Foundational Spa Treatments
• Spa Treatment Design & Marketing

For an example of a method for making a product (in this case Rose which is my favorite indulgence) here is something from the website Homemade Beauty above.  Note the equipment needed and the knowledge that lies behind the product use.

Natural, organic? Spa products under scrutiny

I've been turned off in my spa marketing researches by vendors and marketing advisers who give as a prime motive for selling top-quality organic spa products, the fact that LOHAS customers are willing to pay more for these.  If there is an extra profit to be made then this suggests that production costs are not much different.

And where that is the case, I'd like to see comparable prices being charged in order to encourage and enable consumers to support products that are safest both for people and for the environment as a whole. Large corporations who add natural or organic lines to their products only to cash in do not have my favor.  It's a moral challenge facing everyone in the sustainability movement.

The cosmetics industry as a whole (like the food industry) does not have a flawless track record regards the safety of the ingredients used in their products.  Many less than scrupulous vendors have been able to claim their products are organic and natural, while lacking reputable organic certification.

Those who are reputable have to fight for their reputations, and luckily some are (read on).

What the consumer wants to know is that these products are not only going to clean and perhaps even enhance their skin but are also safe to put on their bodies and safe to release into the  environment in which we all live (as a result of both the manufacturing process and when washed from the skin of the end-user).

There is no doubt that the cosmetics industry is responsible for some of the toxic chemicals we subject ourselves to daily. Research and regulation may be a help in controlling this but as the Collaborative on Health and the Environment which reports on toxic chemicals in the environment states very clearly:

... government regulations represent a compromise negotiated between advocates for public health and parties, usually companies or trade associations, with an economic interest in protecting their access to the market.

The playing field in which the negotiation takes place is strongly biased in favor of the vested interests, who have succeeded over several decades of lobbying to put in place evidentiary standards for proof of harm that make it very difficult to prevent marketing of new products, or removal of old, even in the face of compelling evidence of plausible harm. Decades of experience reinforce that conclusion.

Body care ingredients are absorbed, rapidly, through the skin. It is a lot like eating food. The simplest advice is to look for products in which all of the ingredients have names like organic foods that you eat, or natural, nontoxic minerals like clay, or water.  But for the spa product vendor industry things are not simple.

Back to the land

It's important to understand why 'Organic' is considered such a valuable attribute of both food and body care items.  The Australian company ONE Group provides a very simple outline on their website, which is a powerful resource for anyone interested in the topic of truly safe body care products.

Here are the five benefits of choosing certified organic that ONE Group identifies:

• Good for the soil: Organic systems rely on a modern and scientific understanding of ecology and soil science, while also depending on traditional methods of crop rotations to ensure fertility and weed and pest control.

• Good for the environment: Organic systems aim to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources. Organic production aims at all times towards sustainability whilst having best management of the environment and wildlife as a priority.

• Good for people: Organic based ingredients have been shown in a number of studies to contain more vitamins, nutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants than non-organic ingredients.

• No synthetic chemicals: Organic systems prohibit the use of artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers.

• No GMO's: Certified organic products are produced without GMOs (genetically modified organisms), which are prohibited in the standards for organic food and farming.

It's not necessary to use any synthetic chemicals to make body care products

The definition of natural for the cosmetics industry has been 'any ingredient derived from a natural substance'.  By contrast, ONE Group, bases their use of this term strictly on the definition 'existing in or formed by nature; not artificial'.

Likewise, the definition of organic for much of the cosmetic industry has been 'any compound containing carbon' (which would and has included petrochemicals).  ONE Group defines organic as 'grown, cultivated and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals such as insecticides, herbicides and fumigants'.

Certifying bodies for organic and natural body care products like BDIH in Germany, EcoCert in France ,and more recently OASIS in the US, and bodies that certify to organic food standards like IFOAM in Europe, The Soil Association in the UK, ACO (Australian Certified Organic) in Australia, and USDA/NOP in the US have responded to the call for regulation.

[See below for links and short outlines on all these.]



The Organic Consumer Association (OCA, which has over 800 000 members) in the US suggest that consumers look for products certified under the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) NOP (National Organic Program) (here is their recommended list ) noting that there are other weaker standards that a product can become 'certified organic' under.*

For example, some certifications do not allow toxins like ethoxylation and 1,4-dioxane, but allow  hydrogenation and sulfation of conventional, not organic material, to make cleansing ingredients preserved with synthetic preservatives. In particular OCA mentions, EcoCert and OASIS standards (both trade-related)  as suspect. See also this comparison chart posted on OCA's website.

Companies who are active members of organic trade and  consumer organizations, support certifying bodies in establishing standards free of commercial interest, are working towards sustainability on all levels, and are scrupulously honest in their advertising would seem to be few and far between. 

The value of growing and making your own spa products

Making your own products for your own treatments might seem a daunting task but it is perhaps the best test of passion for service through the healing arts and commitment to environmental and social responsibility. 

In the Vision Spa Retreat model these together make a venture both 'soulful and sustainable'.

This is the positive challenge that I believe Nicolay Kreidler's concept of 'eco-centric spa treatments' presents. It gives the  innovative spa a number of potential advantages by encouraging a constantly evolving, interactive, and responsive way of doing business.

• independence - a business that is not beholden to the proforma products and protocols of common, large, and non-local vendors

• interdependence and community support - a business motivated to use local sources for product ingredients or product suppliers

In marketing lingo, this also offers:

• A unique selling proposition - product lines and services that cannot be found anywhere else or be copied

• Variety of revenue streams - inevitable when a spa is fully involved in determining the source or creation of products and services

• Up-selling opportunities - inspiration to increase revenue by offering new and interesting add-ons to enhance treatments

The key is to appreciate and promote the value of providing a service that is utterly appropriate to it's context (i.e. region authentic). This would mean taking into consideration and highlighting to advantage: geographic location, specific client needs, seasonal variations, local availability, and local culture.

The incongruities of a Japanese-style spa in a Midwestern town, a coconut-papaya wrap offered on a snowy day in the mountains, simulated dawn chorus accompanying an airport chair massage, and so on, may simply distract us from the unique possibilities inherent in our actual contexts and personal preferences.

Not that it is not fun to dream and play by providing alternative realities but I'd like to suggest that you miss a great opportunity to celebrate and support your own heritage or interests while you are busy following fashions and fads imposed from the outside. 

If you adore all things Hawaiian you might just be able to carry that off far from the tropics; if you've spent years in India studying yoga and ayurveda the same is possible; but wherever you are and whatever you do, it is most likely to succeed if you can make it your own and bring your heart and soul to it.

A spa that encourages staff to be and do what they love will not only keep them engaged and interested but will also pass on that energy to the customers.  This requires a shift in approach that cannot help but encourage  responsibility, integrity and authenticity - not just as words but as real actions. 

A spa like this would be:

• creative and responsive - thriving on involvement and innovation in continuous consultation with clients and staff

• passionate and innovative - never formulaic but exploring possibilities and expanding knowledge on an ongoing basis

When you endeavor to keep things as local as possible, this inevitably affects sustainability factors by:

• reducing packaging

• reducing large-scale processing

• reducing preservation needs (shelf-life)

• reducing transportation costs

• reducing uncertainty about what goes into your treatments

To be sure, this approach does not serve those vendors who are invested in capturing a market based on media-campaigns to promote national and international trends.  But good quality specialized products could always be included, and those who supply good quality bulk ingredients will also always be needed.

Sensara recognizes this when they say they aim to create 'products perfectly aligned to the client's vision, mission and values, as well as any global, regional or local brand, competitive, concept, cultural, image, marketing, merchandizing or therapeutic considerations.'

The 10 LOHAS marketing trends for 2009 identified by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) are an unsurprising good fit to the sustainable spa sector.  LOHAS consumers - a marketing sector named for people seeking 'life-styles of health and sustainability - according to NMI are now interested in:

1.small steps, big changes - sustainable, moderate, consistent, practical

2.shifting from isolation to affiliation - shared community living models

3.being here now - ecotourism, slow cooking, experiential consumption

4.acknowledging that everything is connected - fusion of personal and planetary perspectives

5.cleaning up - detoxification programs for personal health, non-toxic products

6.inclusivity - what was once alternative is now becoming integrated or commonplace

7.root causes - not just evaluating consequences or treating symptoms but looking for deeper sources of malaise

8.beauty - no longer contrived but transparent, timeless, authentic

9.energy 2.0 - conservation of personal and planetary energy resources

10.heirlooms - buy less to buy better - artisanal, traditional

Typically, LOHAS consumers are not taken in by false advertizing; they ask searching and demanding questions about their purchases or products or services.  The end-point seller (in this case, spa) will need to be able to answer them.  When it comes to body care products, at the very least, they want to know if they:

• do what they claim to do

• are made from truly safe ingredients

• come in recyclable packaging

• were produced through non-pollutive and resource conservative means

• have if necessary been tested for safety without harm to animals

• were made by workers who were fairly compensated and well treated.

There is kudos to be gained from meeting some or all of these criteria and the ability to prove it is becoming even more of a requirement for body care product makers who enter this market. A look at organic life-style advertising media (say Organic Spa Magazine) will reveal some of the contenders. 

If you are the owner of a spa (especially a small spa with local focus) and have introduced ideas like those described above, or wish to, I invite you to contact me with your story for possible feature on this website. You'll find an email contact below or in the left-hand side bar.

In the next of this series of six related posts, I summarize the problems of certification of body care products.

Natural, organic? Spa products under scrutiny

In the post after that, find some ideas for the actual process of making your own.

How to make your own 'soulful and sustainable' spa products on site.

For the previous three posts  in this series on spa products and the powerful potential they have for enabling sustainable spa culture see:

Spa treatment menus: authenticity and audacity
Eco-spa-chefs: cooking up a better future for organic spa products
Savvy and creative spas who grow their own spa products

Burning with love: a spa product for Valentine's day

 

How can you marry marketing seduction with true (and honest and caring) love?  Recently, I came across a spa product that struck me as a fine example of this rare combination.  At least it looks like that from the website, accompanying blog, and associations, of this maker of body massage candles.

Agent of Change, Seth Godin, writes:

Marketing is not the same as advertising. Advertising is a tiny slice of what marketing is today, and in fact, it's pretty clear that the marketing has to come before the product, not after.... In fact, just about every successful product or service is the result of smart marketing thinking first, followed by a great product that makes the marketing story come true. 

I'm profiling Scandle Candles as an example of the kind of transparent, informative marketing I'd like to see from more spa venues and spa product vendors.  I believe that this company has managed to take on sustainability without compromising their 'selling power'. 

I haven't asked what their selling results are but I'll guess they're good.  I haven't yet tried the product but I will for Valentine's Day and if it doesn't match up ... I'll let you know.  My purpose is not to offer free advertising through my blogs but to encourage sustainable business models. 

Tell me what you think...

Scandle have matched their product with a need, with a gap in the market that related not only to health and sustainability but also to something that their target market - both individuals and spas - would see other values in. 

For individuals, they offer something that's fun, plenty of  serious 'green' information, and lots of variety in aromatic choices and combinations.  For spas, they offer signature and specialty branding,  and an array of unique use, treatment (and selling) ideas.

The text below has been adapted from Scandle's website or blog; please review both for a lot more.  The blog tells the story of their business, the industry as a whole, and will hopefully soon include mention of sourcing more organic ingredients and more about their sources and production process (my suggestion).

Currently Scandle follows the guidelines of the Natural Ingredient Resource Center for 'natural'  (but not necessarily organic) products; you can read more about this by following the previous link here and also by reading the current series of posts on sustainable spa products.

VALENTINE'S DAY LIMITED EDITION FRAGRANCES: Chocolate Dipped Strawberry (The aroma of sweet strawberries smoothered in milk chocolate, with a dry down of french vanilla) & Scandle-ous (A Sweet Floral Blend infused with Bergamot, with Hints Of Jasmine, Ylang, and Patchouli).

'The Scandle Body Massage Candle is a fragrant hand-poured body massage candle that, when burned, melts to create a healthy body massage oil that can be used to enhance the healthy of your skin. Not only, is The Scandle Body Massage Candle healthy for your skin, but it is also healthy for the environment...'

'The Scandle was created because we noticed that several massage candles on the market were only made of soy wax. Soy wax, even when melted is very heavy and doesn't give you the feel that massage oil should have. Also, it doesn't have any of the oils to help moisturize and promote healthy skin.'

'Scandles are made with FDA approved ingredients and are everything you'd expect from a skin healthy lotion with the added ambiance and aroma of a spa candle.'

Scandle candles vs paraffin candles or other vegetable based candles:

• complex blend of soy and all natural vegetable oils
• does not emit toxins while burning
• emits an incredibly small amount of soot
• biodegradable
• water soluble
• burns cooler and therefore, slower
• renewable resource
• supports economic growth and US farmers

Scandles are not only healthy for skin, but are also healthy for the environment:

• all natural and are made from FDA approved ingredients including shea butter, cosmetic grade soy butter, jojoba, vitamin E, & body safe fragrance or essential oils.
• no Stearic Acid
• the wick is cotton and contains no lead or zinc.
• contains no paraffin or petroleum
• free of UV inhibitors

'The Consumer Product Safety Commission does not now nor has it ever regulated cosmetics (with tiny exceptions having mainly to do with packaging, not ingredients). The US Food and Drug Administration regulates cosmetics, and Scandle Body Candle products are in compliance with FDA law.'

'A number of beauty brands & spa brands, like Scandle Body Candles, whether voluntarily or on account of regulations, are adopting packaging policies promoting good environmental stewardship.'

'The Scandle Massage Candle, for instance, features reusable ceramic canisters that can be used for other purposes or refilled with our Scandle Lotion Candle refills. Additonally, Scandle offers travel size body candles packaged in recycled materials.'

They've been in the news all over, they are a member of the Texas Department  of Agriculture, support Truth in Labeling, and they link to 'green' friends.  They also belong to an innovative network for entrepreneurial women Ladies Who Launch.

If you have, or know about a product or service that you think fits with Vision Spa Retreat's ethos, please do write and let me know.

Savvy and creative spas grow their own spa products

Spas trying to establish aspirational guidelines for themselves about what would constitute health promoting, environmentally conscious, socially responsible and ultimately sustainable home-grown spa products,  could start by researching critically the existing product vendors and spas that are talking about sustainability.

Few spas make their own products on site, though there are good (sustainable) economic arguments for it.  In a growth-based world, a trend-watching and formulaic model for spa has served the linked hospitality and manufacturing industries.

Even where unique quality is offered, it may come at a price. The eco-luxury chic of destination spa-hotels often derives from a longing for the charm of the past, for a distant garden of Eden.  This can create dubious contrasts in regions and societies that are struggling in the face of poverty and resource depletion.

Some high-end spas (like Six Senses and Banyan) do seem to take their responsibility to the local community seriously.  Despite being open to criticism for widening the wealth gap, the resources they have to innovate with may lead the way for smaller operations over the long haul.

For example, regards spa products, Venus Spa at the CuisinArt Resort in Anguilla, British West Indies, makes it's own fresh spa treatments from produce of many kinds harvested daily in it's on-site hydroponic farm.  Not only is the farm said to be organic but it also controls water consumption via recirculation systems.

Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro water and ponos labor) is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, or mineral wool. Hydroponics also enables growing on otherwise poor ground.

In 'Remote spas that combine nature and nurture', Madhu Puri provided an inspirational account of how 10 spas worldwide are developing uniquely local approaches to sustainability.  Here are some extracted examples of how this influenced their spa treatments.  They sound enticing but most need more explanation.

Since I have not visited these spas myself, I looked at the websites to see what they revealed about their green credentials. Most were inadequately described. I used the 'Six Sins of Greenwashing' identified by TerraChoice (environmental marketing survey US, 2007, including body products) to assess what I read. 

The six sins are: 1. hidden trade-off, 2. no proof, 3. vagueness, 4. irrelevance, 5. lesser of two evils, 6. fibbing.  I thoroughly recommend TerraChoice's pdf brochure on this topic as a tool for closer examination of such claims, whether you are a marketer or a consumer.  Some are easy traps to fall into unintentionally.

TerraChoice emphasize that the survey summary is not intended to discourage green marketing, or to indict particular marketers, or to scare consumers away from green claims.  Instead, they aim to assist marketers and consumers to build  a more honest and effective dialog about the environmental  impact of products.

Since it is not my intention or purpose to judge any particular venue either, the information provided below is simply designed to encourage you to do your own evaluation or questioning.  Notice the words that sound good and then ask yourself if they really convey solid facts about sustainable practices. See post 5. in this series for more on evaluating claims.

Certainly, you can see how each place succeeds in matching it's offerings to the setting quite well.  Perhaps this is just a good bit of marketing romance.  But it's also something that has inherent potential for supporting local businesses, a valuable aspect of sustainability, if done with environmental and social principles in mind. (Click on the article/website titles to see the sources.)

Corporate social responsibility: how does spa biz show up?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the spa world is a topic I'll be looking at in more depth on this blog.  Though my main focus is on small businesses, the influence and potential leadership role of  the larger corporations is significant.

I want to highlight those who are showing the way.  There is a majority in the spa world still who have nothing to say on the topic of sustainability (including environmental and social responsibility) and others who talk the talk but may not be walking the walk.

If you count yourself or your business among those with the courage and foresight to be taking this lead, or know of anyone who you believe is, please contact me.

Help from the top down

On Change.org, Nathaniel Whittemore's post 'Obama's Call for Corporate Citizenship' (January 27, 2009) discussed a recent article by Bradley Googins (Executive Director, Boston Center for Corporate Citizenship), and initiated some valuable commentary.

From the website: The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship offers a broad and objective perspective on the role of business in the 21st century. Our business-savvy insights and practical management tools are provided in a context and a community that shares the highest standards and a passion to continuously improve.

Martin Smith (CEO of JustMeans.com) said:

Consumer activism is great but countless study after study shows that consumers, beyond the middle or upper class, are unwilling to pay more for a socially responsible good.  While there is a market for 'luxury goods' such as organic food, unless, socially responsible consumption is drilled down into the values of poorer consumers, you will always have corporations externalizing as many costs as possible onto society in order to lower price.

...

I think that new government regulation will increase the opportunities for corporations to respond to emerging social and environmental threats.  I also think that we are entering a time when globally, all private goods will become common goods.  As a result, those companies that do not mitigate their negative externalities will increasing face litigation from consumer groups, active citizens, and governments.

...

what concerns me far more than large companies that are talking about corporate responsibility is the tens of thousands of small to medium enterprises that are not.  These non-consumer facing companies have fewer levers for change. 

Corporate citizenship, socially responsible business, whatever you want to call it, is a key element in the future of social change. 

What this suggests to me, is that the luxury market that is so much the focus of many aspiring spa owners and spa product vendors, can make only the smallest of differences right now.  It is a drop in the ocean of need that is swelling up around issues of sustainability. 

One thing the larger businesses espousing CSR might consider is sharing not only their values through their example, but also donating a portion of their knowledge and skills to those smaller concerns who do not feel they can afford the shift to a more sustainable way of doing business.

This might mean, within their own business arena, in this case spa products and services:

Eco-spa-chefs: cooking up a better future for organic spa products

Before looking more closely at making spa treatment products on-site, I'd like to share the stories of some of the people who took this idea a step further in an attempt to demonstrate that products produced in line with a more environmentally conscious and sustainable model could still fit a vendor-type business.

Arcania Apothecary: Richard Howard

Just over 10 years ago, when I was manager of the Bath House Spa in Bath, UK, I met Richard Howard of Arcania Apothecary who created our aromatic massage oils. He'd gone on a Buddhist meditation retreat in Sri Lanka but spent most of his time in the kitchen, contemplating switching career to become a chef. 

Then he noticed that the women would also go out into the garden to gather fresh ingredients to make their face creams and mud packs along with their curries.  When he got back to England he started making super-fresh body products with very short shelf-lives, and his company still makes small-batch bespoke ranges.

Richard was often talking about sustainability - in terms of the environment but also social responsibility.  His company supports - via very hands-on ethical trading - a small village in India and farms in Sri Lanka for herbs and spices, as well as several hundred families in Ghana supplying organic shea butter.

'My focus has always been to create for the individual, and not for a market, says Richard. The beauty industry has been driven by an illusion for the past 70 years. But just as in the food industry, consumers are now being more conscientious and are asking what’s going into the product.'

Sensara: Norman and Premchit

Authentic and audacious certainly fits Richard's work.  It's interestingly synchronous then, that I've just made connection with Norman Jones of Sensara.  He emailed me that his company's mantra for 2009 is  'Fortune favors the audacious'.

Sensara is currently launching 'an audacious initiative designed to assist hotels/ spas to secure their fortune during these challenging times'.  They  focus on creating custom brands of certified 100% natural organic skin care, spa treatment, and guest amenity products.

As of now they are offering their product creation, formulation, testing, and training services for free  which could encourage more spas to use location-unique products.  Norman also tells me they are considering developing a new line of environmentally safe cleaning products specifically for spas.

Like Richard, they make their body care products in small batches. A product that been formulated in Thailand where they are based, can be produced and delivered to a client from one of their regional centers worldwide they say, 'minimizing' delivery costs, delivery times, energy consumption, and carbon emissions.

Sourcing locally is really the best way to minimize these kinds of costs but that also depends on being able to find (or having the skills to create) what you are looking for locally.  Economic limitations may in the end encourage and favor those who have the foresight to think and act local ....

... and in doing so they could be contributing to a more sustainable world.

Norman and his partner Premchit do seem to be eminently qualified and authentic.  Their website says that Premchit's father learned traditional healing as a Buddhist monk and Premchit’s mother became a chef in the tradition of the Royal Cuisine of Thalang - Premchit learned  much about indigenous plants and healing from them.

Norman was born in southeast Australia, into a family who grew their own food.  His mother instilled in him an appreciation of alternative therapies.  Norman has a degree in agriculture and previously worked as an international agricultural commodity trader throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Arcania and Sensara would seem to be good considerations for a reasonably well-funded spa that didn't want to create their own products on site and from scratch but did want to be involved in the creative process and to support a product vendor that potentially fit their sustainability values.

Sensara says that their customized approach enables customers to 'achieve any practical budget, thereby allowing a client to specify and control the budget invested in a range'.  But some daring and sensible spas might still consider taking up the entrepreneurial gauntlet as eco-spa-chef themselves.

Inara: Anne Dolbeau

There are other specialized product makers who, like Richard of Arcania, were inspired to help disadvantaged communities.  Inara, a brand name for Wild Earth founded by Anne Dolbeau in order to support womens' cooperatives in a remote region of Brazil, has recently been widely profiled in the media.

I was sent some samples to try when the owner misunderstood a posting suggesting I had psoriasis (happily I don't but she was doing good marketing!). All of these used Inara's Enliven essential oils blend (grapefruit, rosemary, rose geranium, mandarin and sage) which I already knew I'd like and did in these richly creamy products.  

They came in a simple rough woven sack with the Inara name brand, and the product style had an appropriately indigenous feel to it.  These '100% certified organic' body care products are promoted as being fair trade, socially responsible, and containing rare Babassu palm nut oil harvested by the women.

As a member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Wild Earth is clearly demonstrating it's market focus. OTA is a business association for the organic industry in North America which says that it 'aims to promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy'. 

Over 60% of members are small businesses in food, fiber/textiles, and personal care products. However, a very detailed article on the Organic Consumer Association (OCA) website about the web of effort and intrigue surrounding claims of organic qualities in body products states that:

...the personal care sector believes it has exempted itself from the NOP [USDA,National Organic Program] final rule via the fiat power of its trade group - the personal care task force of the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Some manufacturers even seem unaware that there is a difference between the regulatory body overseeing organics and the OTA.

I am not in any way implying that Inara is one of these unaware businesses, and in fact I think it very important that producers get involved in trade organizations so long as they never lose sight of being consumers and dwellers on a fragile planet themselves.

What are we feeding our skin?

For body care products, the issues of fair trade and social responsibility regards ingredients sourced in foreign countries may well pale by comparison to those surrounding what is organic and what is not.  In addition, in our love of the exotic and rare, we may have long-since lost sight of our social and environmental responsibilities locally.