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Silver Rain Spa Opens on Grand Cayman Island
Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands, boasts 20,000 square feet, 17 treatment rooms, a couples room called Two if by Sea and a VIP Room called Private Cove. 345-943-9000
Exhale Spa Opens in Dallas
Exhale Spa has opened a new location in Dallas featuring a variety of new signature treatments, including Core Energy Flow, Seven Day Cleanse, Power Body Detox and Deep Flow Massage. 214-370-5800
Lather Spa Opens in New York
Lather Spa and Retail Store recently debuted in New York, featuring skin and hair care products; a Custom Blending Bar; the Lather Lounge; and treatments, including Bamboo Indulgence, Signature Facial and Chocolate Pedicure. 212-644-4449.
Grant Street Medical Spa Hosts Fundraiser for Teen
Grant Street Medical Spa in La Mesa, CA, held a fundraiser in October to raise money for Alana Swagerty, a16-year-old diagnosed with transverse myelitis (TM)—a rare neurological syndrome caused by inflammation of the spinal cord. To contribute to the Alana Swagerty Fund, send donations to the attention of Spa Direction & Promotion Inc. at 3089 C Clairemont Drive, #535, San Diego, CA 92117. To contact the spa, call 619-460-5617.
Beauty is Easy on the Brain
"Easy on the mind" rather than "easy on the eyes" may be a better way to describe something that’s beautiful, according to a new study.
Researchers found objects and animals that conform to a prototype rather than deviate from it are easier for the brain to process and, therefore, are perceived as more pleasing to the eye.
"What you like is a function of what your mind has been trained on," says researcher Piotr Winkielman of the University of California, San Diego, in a news release. "A stimulus becomes attractive if it falls into the average of what you've seen and is therefore simple for your brain to process. In our experiments, we show that we can make an arbitrary pattern likeable just by preparing the mind to recognize it quickly."
Researchers say the findings build a phenomenon known as "beauty-in-averageness effect," which was discovered in the late 1800s. The theory holds that prototypical images are rated as more beautiful or appealing than variations of the same thing.
'Beauty' Experiments
To test the theory, researchers had groups of students undergo different experiments. In one experiment, a group of students were presented prototypes of random groupings of dots. Then distortions of the dots in these prototypes were created and presented to the students.
In a second experiment, a group of students rated the attractiveness of random dot patterns and those that conformed to common geometric patterns, like a diamond or square.
The results, published in Psychological Science, showed that the participants categorized patterns quicker and rated them as more attractive when they were closer to their respective prototypes.
A third experiment had students looking at dots also, but this time also examined cheek muscle for smiling action and brow muscle for frowning action.
Researchers also found that the less time it took participants to classify a pattern, the more attractive they found it.
"This parsimonious explanation," says Winkielman, "accounts for cultural differences in beauty -- and historical differences in beauty as well -- because beauty basically depends on what you've been exposed to and what is therefore easy on your mind."
SOURCES: Winkielman, P. Psychological Science, September 2006; vol 17: pp 799-806. News release, University of California, San Diego.
By Jennifer Warner, WebMD, September 29, 2006
Cornelia Day Resort Welcomed Chiva-Som Therapists
Cornelia Day Resort in New York welcomed two Chiva-Som therapists from Hua Hin, Thailand, for a special promotional week in which clients could experience authentic Thai massages. 866-663-1700
SpaMedica Voted Best of Citysearch
SpaMedica Medspa in Waltham, MA, was voted 2006 Best of Citysearch in Citysearch’s Boston Spa/Hair Removal category. 781-899-7546, waltham@spamedicamedspas.com
CTFA Files Comments With FDA on the Use of Nanotechnology in Personal Care Products
The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) announced today that it has filed comprehensive comments with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the science and regulation of nanoparticles in personal care products. CTFA comments, which can be found at www.ctfa.org, specifically address issues raised in a petition filed with the FDA earlier this year on the use of nanotechnology in personal care products, in particular, sunscreen products.
“Nanoparticles in sunscreens are very small particles that have been reviewed and approved by FDA. They have been used safely and effectively by consumers for decades to protect from harmful UV rays and to prevent skin cancer,” said John Bailey, executive vice president for science at CTFA and former FDA official. “These ingredients have properties that provide a greater degree of protection from the sun, are transparent when applied and aesthetically pleasing, and therefore encourage greater consumer acceptance.”
The nanoparticles in sunscreens, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are established, efficacious sunscreen filters that have been on the market for decades. In 1996, FDA concluded that smaller, micronized particles of titanium dioxide are not new substances and that there is no evidence demonstrating that these micronized particles are unsafe. Nano-sized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, unlike the larger particle size ingredient, form a transparent rather than a thick, white coating, which leads to greater consumer acceptance and use of sunscreen products, and therefore greater protection from skin cancer and other damaging effects of the sun. The same improvement in formulation esthetics also applies to the use of these materials in cosmetics.
“Nanoparticle ingredients in personal care products sit on top of the skin, are used in small amounts, and are not absorbed into the body. The general scientific consensus is that there is no risk to human health. But we don’t rest on this knowledge alone,” Bailey said. “We take the science of safety very seriously, and that is why we review the latest and most comprehensive scientific research, including nanotech research, before bringing a product to market.”
According to widely accepted independent research studies, the size of these nanoparticles does not make them inherently different in terms of toxicity or impact on human health than larger particles. It is also important to note that humans have long been exposed to some types of nanoparticles in the atmosphere such as smoke from candles, fireplaces and other sources.
In the case of the sunscreen ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the overwhelming weight of the scientific evidence states that these substances are safe and non-toxic, including when used in cosmetics and sunscreens.
Authoritative bodies that have thoroughly reviewed titanium dioxide and zinc oxide include:
- The FDA:
Concluded that these substances are safe for use in cosmetics. Titanium dioxide has been approved for use as a color additive in food, drugs, cosmetics, and contact lenses. Zinc oxide is approved for use as a food ingredient, a color additive in drugs and cosmetics, and as a protectant for injured skin.
Concluded that these substances are safe for use in OTC drug products, including sunscreens, skin protectants, and other products.
- The Scientific Committee for Cosmetic Products in the European Union:
Considered more than 100 titanium dioxide safety studies and concluded that these substances are safe for use in cosmetics.
- Germany BfR, Federal Agency for Risk Assessment:
In 2006, reviewed these two substances and found that the nanoparticles did not penetrate the skin, and that the biological properties of the nanoparticles were not necessarily different from those of larger particles.
- The Australian government Department of Health and Aging:
In 2006, published a comprehensive review of the science on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and found no evidence that sunscreens containing these materials in nanoparticle form pose any risk.
“The FDA has broad authority to ensure that personal care products and ingredients utilizing nanotechnology are safe for consumers and has consistently exercised that authority,” CTFA’s Bailey added. “Sunscreens, some of which utilize sun-protecting nanoparticles, are required to go through an extensive pre-market review process to prove they are safe and effective.”
The FDA comprehensively regulates the safety of consumer health products. Under the Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), FDA has erected a complex and comprehensive regulatory system to safeguard the public health. This regulatory system has worked to ensure that, among other things, the food eaten by US consumers, the medical technology used by physicians and patients, and the personal care products used by countless citizens are among the safest in the world.
Based in Washington, D.C., CTFA is the trade association representing the cosmetic, toiletry, and fragrance industry in the United States and globally. Founded in 1894, CTFA has a membership of approximately 600 companies including manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers of the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the United States.
Aspira The Spa Opens in Wisconsin
Aspira The Spa recently opened on the sandy shores of Elkhart Lake, WI. The 20,000-square-foot facility features inside and outside whirlpools, a Finnish sauna, a SpaSuite, and a spa studio for tai chi, yoga and pilates, as well as a menu of services, including the Sacred Waters Massage. 877-772-2070, spadesk@aspiraspa.com
FACES DaySpa Wins Multiple Awards
In the past year, FACES DaySpa on Hilton Head Island, SC, received the 2006 Best Day Spa, Best Massage and Best Manicure/Pedicure designation in Island Packet Reader’s Choice Awards, was a 2006 Stevie Award finalist for Best Overall Company, and was named one of the 200 fastest-growing salons in the United States for the fourth time by Salon Today. 888-443-2237, info@facesdayspa.com