by Lisa Sykes, Eco-Friendly Specialist for Universal Companies and GSN Member

Natural and organic skin care claims are exceedingly abundant in the spa industry, and most professionals are confused by the barrage of floral advertisements that confront them at tradeshows, in magazines, and on the web. Apprehensive clients often turn to us for guidance, but where do we get our guidance? We certainly can’t rely on the FDA, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, or the manufacturer.  But, don’t worry--there is hope! The following simple steps will provide you with enough courage and tenacity to go beyond those arbor-rich, earth-toned labels and see what’s really inside those bottles and tubes. 

I.  Determine what kind of product you would like to incorporate into your treatments and retail area: Natural, organic, or both? Contrary to popular thought, natural and organic are not the same thing. The term “natural” means that a product is derived from plants (or animals) but the ingredients aren’t tainted by chemicals used in certain manufacturing processes. The term “organic” applies to plants grown and managed using organic agricultural methods as characterized by organic third party certification bodies; manufacturing processes also vary per organic certification body.

Guest Post by Lisa Rogers Sykes

Note: This article is intended to be a very basic overview, not a complete how-to guide.

Author Lisa Syke's son Noah enjoys bounty from the family garden.

Because organic gardening prohibits the use of chemical pesticides, natural “pesticides” are utilized instead. In fact, these natural “pesticides” are probably already on your property: beneficial insects (ladybugs, lacewings, and the praying mantis) and birds. While beneficial insects and birds devour garden pests, they won’t eat your plants. You can invite most beneficial insects by planting daisies and herbs nearby or by purchasing a “starter community” online. Birds are easy to attract—place some seed feeders within the vicinity of your garden and keep it full of black oil sunflower seed—they won’t be able to resist! In addition, you can try plant variety and crop rotation. Pests are often plant specific, so to prevent them from taking up residence in your garden, plant a variety (such as tomatoes, eggplant, and cucumbers) and rotate the next year with another selection (maybe potatoes, lettuce, and peppers). Insects that have wintered over will not have a free meal the following year.

Auberge Resorts recently became the first hotel brand to support Green Spa Network on a corporate level.  The spas at Auberge's five properties in the Napa Valley, Southern California, Mexico and South Carolina, along with the spa at Auberge's new Solage brand, all became members of GSN, making Auberge Resorts the first company in the hotel industry to make a company-wide commitment to sustainable spa operations.

Auberge Resorts has been a supporter of the green spa movement since Tracy Lee, Vice President Spa Development and Operations, served on a sustainability task force for the International Spa Association (ISPA) 3 years ago and helped focus the industry on the need for greater environmental stewardship.  The Spa at Calistoga Ranch helped pioneer Green Spa Network as one of the original “seed spas” in 2006 by participating in comprehensive eco audits, identifying and sharing best practices with other seed spas and the network’s leadership. 

At the same time, Auberge Resorts properties were incorporating a variety of green practices, not only at the spas, but also throughout the resorts.  All Auberge and Solage properties phased out harmful chemicals such as parabens and SLS from their signature bath amenities; switched exclusively to non-toxic housekeeping products for housekeeping, introduced chlorine alternatives in swimming and spa pools, increased recycling and composting programs, among other initiatives.  
 
“Our belief in environmental stewardship and personal well-being has been part of the Auberge Resorts identity for many years,” said Lee. “Protecting the precious natural settings that surround our resorts, goes hand in hand with enhancing the quality of life for our guests and staff. Supporting Green Spa Network is a natural extension of the Auberge Resorts brand.”
 
As part of its commitment to Green Spa Network, Auberge Resorts’ spas will help set the standards for environmentally sound spa practices by:

• Providing and promoting earth-friendly products, services and business practices;
• Networking and sharing environmental awareness, resources and inspiration and throughout the spa community; and
• Sharing efforts with spa guests to raise their awareness of the connection between the well-being of guests, resort staff and the environment.
  

Guest Post by Catherine Gray

Today we see “all natural” on many of the products we buy. However, this can be a very misleading statement. The manufacturers are hoping you will not ask any questions and trust them. Well we did ask some questions and here is what we found.

Many companies claim their product is natural if it is plant derived, comes from nature, or contains vegetable-based ingredients. You have to look a little deeper to see if this is actually true. Here are some important things to look for when buying your products:

1. Does it contain persistent chemicals?

One way to find out is to look up ingredients in your product on the Safe Cosmetics Campaign database: www.safecosmetics.org This is a great resource that will help you understand what is in your product and if it is safe. We have included an abbreviated form of the database in the next section.