Last fall, I visited Istanbul, Turkey with a goal in mind: to experience a traditional Turkish bath. Over the years as a spa-goer, some of my favorite experiences have been in water, including soaking in the Roman-style baths in Baden Baden, Germany and in hot spring baths at Breitenbush.

Female bathing area at the Cemberlitas Hammam

In Istanbul, I went to Cemberlitas Hammam, a nearly five hundred year old Turkish bathhouse.  The experience as a whole was quite extraordinary.  The architecture of the building is stunning and it was awe-inspiring to contemplate being a part of a ritual that has been going on for so long.  The treatment took place on a large, circular, heated marble platform in the center of the main bathing area. The platform was shared with dozens of fellow bathers.  My attendant found a place for me to squeeze in between two other bathers and told me to lie down.  Lying on the heated marble, I began to sweat. After about 15 minutes on the marble, my attendant vigorously scrubbed my body and then massaged soapy bubbles over my skin. Afterward, she brought me over to a basin where she washed the soap off with water and shampooed my hair.

When I returned home to Bend, I was intrigued when I heard that Jinsei was offering a Hammam Ritual. How would it compare?

The Vichy Shower at Jinsei Spa

Jinsei’s 90-minute Hammam treatment began in the Vichy room, where there is a long, horizontal shower head above a cushioned treatment table so you can essentially take a shower while lying down. Warm water from the Vichy shower streamed down over my body, which felt quite soothing.  My therapist then rubbed a scrub of coffee, lemon and olive over my skin, even between my toes.

After the scrub was washed off, I moved into the steam room. The heat relaxed my muscles and felt quite detoxifying.  Next was my favorite part of the service: the application of a jasmine and rose clay body mask.  This took place in a massage treatment room.  After the mask was applied, the therapist wrapped me with heavy blankets.  The massage table was heated which, along with the bundling in blankets, felt luxuriously warm. While the mask was being absorbed, my head and neck were massaged.  The treatment finished with a 30-minute medium to deep pressure massage with cardamom and amber oil.

The verdict? Jinsei’s Hammam was light-years more luxurious.  The soap used at Cemberlitas was cheap and left my skin and hair feeling dry. The Red Flower products used in Jinsei’s Hammam felt nourishing and indulgent and their smell was mesmerizing.  I left Cemberlitas hoping to find a moisturizer.  I left Jinsei feeling like I was walking on air, healthily detoxed and refreshed.

By Sarah Cyr

Write a Giving Thanks Poem: Create a poem or short saying about some things you are grateful for and share it with your family and friends on Thanksgiving day. Bring paper and several pens or markers to the festivities and encourage others to write a similar poem. This activity will be a fulfilling way to connect with the group and will likely foster some meaningful conversations.

Gratitude Meditation: Each day this week, spend ten minutes doing a sitting gratitude meditation. Get comfortable in a cross-legged seated position on the floor with a folded blanket or pillow beneath you or in a chair sitting comfortably.  Close your eyes and take several deep breaths in and out. As you begin to feel relaxed, start thinking of things you are thankful in your life.  It’s better to focus on just one or two things that come into your mind, rather than feeling like you have to list all the things in your life you are grateful for. Concentrate on the feeling of gratitude radiating in your heart and throughout your whole body. This meditation can also be done while walking.  You’ll be amazed at how this shifts your perspective in a positive way.

Use a brightening serum: Whether it is from too much sun or for other reasons, like hormonal imbalances, as your tan diminishes areas of hyper-pigmentation become more noticeable.   A brightening serum can help to lighten discolorations and inhibit further hyper-pigmentation.

Enjoy a brightening facial: Regular facials help maintain optimal skin health.  A variety of enzymatic or AHA peels can be used to speed cell turnover, stimulate collagen production and decongest pores.  An experienced esthetician can help you design a skin care regimen including facial treatments and home use products. One of this month’s special is the Pumpkin Facial. The facial includes a pumpkin and fruit enzyme peel plus a free travel size cleansing bar (while supplies last). 1 hour 15 minutes, $125.

Use sunscreen: You are exposed to the sun’s UV rays all year long.  Especially for us Central Oregonians who like to play outside, it’s important to wear a sunscreen every season to prevent further hyper-pigmentation and other sun damage to the skin.  Check out our blog article on sunscreen.

Use a Bronzer:  Enjoy the radiant glow of the sun without ever catching a ray.  Apply a bronzer where the sun would hit your face first: the cheekbones, chin, nose and forehead.  One of our favorite Jane Iredale products is the Brush-Me-Bronze, which comes with its own self-contained dome brush. It’s easy to pop in your handbag for quick touch-ups anywhere and uses soft-focus minerals that make blending the product easier so the bronzer looks natural.

Cleansing: A building block for healthy skin is a daily cleansing routine.  The number one rule is to cleanse at night, removing make up, dirt and oil buildup from your day.  In the morning, depending on your skin type, you should wash again or simply splash with water.

Add in some modern technology for a truly deep clean: Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleansing removes six times more make up and two times more dirt and oil than manual cleansing alone.  Removing these impurities has been shown to allow a 61% better absorption of Vitamin C and other skin care products.  This month, Clarisonic Sonic Cleansers are on sale at Jinsei. Both the Pro, regularly $195, and the Mia, regularly $149, are both on sale for $130.

Exfoliating: An often overlooked part of a skin care routine, regular exfoliation sloughs away dead skin, leaving a gorgeous glow.  How often you exfoliate will depend on your skin type, but a good rule of thumb is once a week.

Be careful when choosing an exfoliator: skip those with crushed walnut shells, which can make micro lacerations on the skin.  Also, any manual exfoliator can irritate the skin if applied with too much pressure or for too long.  A good exfoliator should do the work without needing pressure when you apply it.

Exercise: You may be wondering what that Zumba class has anything to do with your skin. By promoting healthy blood circulation, exercise helps nourish skin cells.  Regular workouts can also ease stress, thereby reducing some skin conditions exacerbated by stress, like acne and eczema.

Nutrition: You’ve heard the phrase “you are what you eat.”  That saying most definitely applies to your skin.  Many foods help promote healthy skin.  Salmon, walnuts and flax seed, for instance, deliver essential fatty acids, which are responsible for healthy cell membranes. The stronger the membrane, the better your skin cells can hold in moisture, which translates into plumper, younger looking skin.  Other skin care stars: berries, low-fat dairy, green tea, tuna fish and avocados.

Sun Protection: Come autumn, it’s easy to think you can slack on the amount of sunscreen you apply. But even on cloudy days, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun’s rays.  Have two moisturizers on hand: one with UV protection for the day and another without it for nighttime.

Here are two more September Specials at Jinsei that are all about helping you take care of your skin:

Blemish Blaster Facial: Includes a salicylic peel to ease inflammation and decongest skin.  1 hour facial for $90, plus free samples of X-Trap Cleanser, Immaculate Mist and Fixzit Blemish Drying Serum.

Age Arrester: A banana and rice peel smooths away dull, dry skin  and replenishes with firming peptides.  1 hour facial for $100, plus free samples of X-Trap Cleanser, Molecular Mist and Sircuit Addict Firming Anti-Aging Serum.

When you’re on the road, eating healthy can be a challenge.  So next time you are gearing up for a road trip, try some of these ideas so you arrive at your destination feeling full of energy, not junk.

Plan a Picnic: Research ahead of time a place to stop where you can enjoy a meal in a scenic area.  Take the time to enjoy your food, instead of shoving down a sandwich while weaving among traffic.  Pack sandwiches or finger foods, like cheese and crackers, nuts and fruit.

Bring your Favorites: Have a favorite tea that’s hard to find? Bring some tea bags with you and just ask at a gas station if you can pay only for the cup and hot water. Better yet, bring a travel mug.  Also, stock a cooler with waters and your cold juices of choice.

Smart Snacks: Ditch the Doritos and stock up on healthy snacks at a natural food store. Replace candy with dried fruit and the chips for hummus and sliced peppers.  Nature’s General Store has energy balls with carob and spirulina, which will keep your energy up for the ride.

Use Sunscreen: The tops of your feet are one of the most common places to be skipped when applying sunscreen.  Be sure you lather some on regularly, especially after swimming or sweating excessively.

Wear Shoes: Walking barefoot can do a number to the bottom of your feet.  From burning your feet on hot asphalt to stepping on glass, your risk of injury increases.  So remember to tie a pair of sandals to your float.  Jinsei carries a variety of colorful Havaianas Sandals.

Drink Water: Staying hydrated will help reduce swelling in your feet due to the heat or from long walks or hikes.  If they are feeling particularly swollen, lie down and elevate your feet with a pillow or lie with your legs up and against a wall.

Get a Pedicure: Besides making your tootsies look fabulous, a pedicure can help remove build up of dead winter skin. One of our August Specials is a Minx Pedicure for $50. If you aren’t familiar with it, Minx is a solid nail coating that extends fashion to your nails. It comes in a variety of fashionable designs, from solid gold to pink fishnet.

Home Care: Between pedicures, keep your feet hydrated and smooth with some at-home care.  One to two times a week before going to bed soak your feet in warm water.  Lather them with soap or a sugar or salt scrub.  Apply moisturizer and immediately after put on some socks to wear to sleep, which will help to lock in the moisture.  We recommend Pure Fiji’s Coconut or White Gigerlily Sugar Rubs and Body Butters. They are both made with virgin coconut oil, making it very hydrating and healing.

Coola products:

• Are enriched with vitamins, nutrients and age-defying antioxidants that nourish as they protect.

• Use organic, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients are used whenever possible.

• Deliver broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection

• And are hypoallergenic  and noncomedogenic and free of additives like Paba, Paraben, Petroleum and Phthalate.

• Coola’s Sport sunscreens and sunblocks are also perfect for Bend’s outdoor activity enthusiasts!

We thought we’d also share with you some of the interesting facts we learned about sun protection along the way:

Sunscreen vs Sunblock, from CoolaSunCare.com

Sunscreen vs Sunblock
The main difference between sunscreen and sunblock are the ingredients. Sunscreens generally use active ingredients designed to absorb and dissipate UVA/UVB rays. Sunblocks, on the other hand, use mineral active ingredients to scatter and reflect UVA/UVB rays.

Another important distinction: sunscreen should be applied at least 30 minutes before sun exposure, while sunblock works right after application.

SPF – What does it really mean?

SPF stands for sun protection factor. The SPF number refers to a sunscreen’s ability to deflect UVB rays.SPF is calculated by comparing the amount of time needed to burn sunscreen-protected skin vs. unprotected skin. For example, if a person might typically burn after 10 minutes in the sun puts on SPF 2, they have double that time before a sunburn, or 20 minutes. Skin protected with SPF 15 would take 15 times longer, or 150 minutes for a sunburn to occur.

The mission of the Humane Society of Central Oregon is to unite the community in the compassionate care of all animals by providing protection and placement, education and outreach.

• Provides care for 4,000 lost, abandoned, neglected and abused companion animals each year.
• Adopts companion animals into loving responsible homes.Humane Education programs to schools, organizations and at community events.Spay/Neuter Assistance Programs: SNAP (Spay Neuter Assistance Program)
• Volunteer Opportunities for adults, organizations, and community service youth programs.
• Pet Visiting Program brings animals to Alzheimer’s and nursing home facilities.
• Pet Food Assistance Program

Raffle tickets are $2 each or $5 for three.  Purchase raffle tickets for your chance to win these wonderful prizes.  100% of your tax deductible donation for the  ticket price goes to The Humane Society of Central Oregon.  Tickets available at Jinsei Spa or HSCO through July 8, 2011.  Winning tickets drawn July 9, 2011.

Here are some of the FANTASTIC prizes up for grabs:-

• Golf foursome at Aspen Lakes
• $100 gift card to Jewel Images Fine Art Photography
• Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing
• $75 gift card for dinner to Amalia’s
• Jinsei Pedicure for you and a “Paw-dicure” and dog grooming from Deschutes Dog Salon
• Dinner and golf for two at The Riverhouse
• Gift card for Happy at Home Pet Sitting

AND MORE!

Here are three tips on how to enjoy your summer with more energy, vitality and focus.

Detox your Diet: There are many nutritional detox programs you can follow. You can find a plethora of books on cleansing on Amazon, for instance. Naturopaths in the area can also likely guide you through a detox. One of our favorites is the Reinvent Yourself 21 Day Detox Program because it’s relatively simple and focuses on whole foods.

Many cleanses emphasize fresh fruit and raw vegetables, which tend to be more appealing in the warmer weather, and are also more available from local sources, providing greater amounts of nutrients. Be sure to stock up at the Bend Farmer’s Markets, in Drake Park on Wednesdays from 3-7 and at St. Charles Medical Center east parking lot on Fridays from 2-6.

Twists: Simple twisting movements can massage your organs, which will assist the cleansing process. Try doing a simple spinal twist each day:

- Lie on your back
- Pull knees into chest
- Open arms to either side in a T- position
- Allow knees to fall to right side of your body. Stay for about a minute while breathing deeply and slowly.
- Bring knees up to center and over to left side. Stay for about a minute while breathing deeply and slowly.
- Return to center. Hug knees into chest.

Yoga sequences incorporate cleansing, twisting movements. Buy a yoga DVD or try out a class at one of the area’s local yoga studios.

Spa Treatments: From massages to visiting the steam room, many spa treatments help flush toxins from your body. Jinsei’s body treatments are particularly detoxifying. The Balinese Boreh, for instance, uses a traditional Balinese scrub using warming and detoxifying spices that increase circulation, boost the immune system and soften the skin. Or the Hammam Ritual, inspired by Turkey’s great hammams, includes a purifying and restorative treatment of a lemon coffee scrub, steam and Jasmine clay wrap, followed by a richly scented Cardamom and Amber therapeutic body massage.

Got favorite cleansing routines? We’d love to hear about them! Fill us in by commenting below.