Body Treatments of your choice with the Apothecary Bar. Select herbs and essential oils to create either a scrub or an exfoliating wrap to produce a glow and relieve tension.
I am a little shameless when it comes to stealing great spa ideas and repeating them at home. One of the cool luxury perks that was unique to the Ritz-Carlton in New Orléans, was a custom scrub in the shower area. I’m sure most of us have bought or been gifted a sugar or salt scrub at some time. Why not? They make excellent and affordable gifts. We can even make some pretty fancy ones at home. The genius in this lil perk was in its simplicity. The staff set out a tray near the showers. You could help yourself to a small cup, and fill it with your choice of a sugar or coffee. They provided a large bottle of body wash as well. The idea is to start with a bodywash you normally use, and add and exfoliant to it to help slough off dead skin and increase circulation. The pleasant scent takes your shower to the next level.
Mini Apothecary Bar. A sweet little perk for guests of The Ritz-Carlton Spa, New Orleans. An assortment of sugars and coffee to add to your shower gel.
I happened to have a bunch of apothecary jars at home and not in use. I filled the jars with turbinado sugar, kosher salt, and coffee. I then mixed one of those ingredients with some odds and ends bodywashes to clean out my bathroom closet. Canning jars or other bowls would look just as nice for a more traditional home or cabin. I included a spoon in the jar to make it easy to use and mix.
I made this tray for use in my master bathroom. This tray would be a unexpected surprise in a guest bathroom as well.I used what I had on hand including sugar, salt, and coffee.If you want to get super fancy, the Ritz-Carlton included more exotic ingredients for their body wraps. Dried flowers (lavender and roses petals), powdered algae, powdered honey, powdered clay, dried eucalyptus leaves, dried rosemary, sugars, salts, and essential oils.
Some additional thoughts:
Turn off your phone 🙂
Set an intention to enjoy some quiet time and the process of self-care.
Take care not to use any bodywash products that you do not have an experience with before adding an exfoliant.
Try as a hand wash first, if you have any concerns about possible skin irritations.
This scrub would be a nice first step in a home manicure, as well.
If using an essential oil, be sure add just a few drops to a base or carrier oil. I like sesame, coconut, grape seed and almond oils for my base.
If using oils, be sure to take care exiting the shower or tub.
Raw Sugar used with the body wash, takes the shower up a notch.
Let me know if you tried this and what your experience was!
Guests of the Ritz-Carlton have a choice six facials in this spa, if you include the one that they offer for men. I chose the Signature facial for the custom approach to this treatment. In my heart, there is only one option when it comes to facials, the eighty minute facial. This spa offers fifty minute facials as well, but those are just a tease in my book. By the time your esthetician discusses any skin issues, gets you settled on the heated table, customizes the treatment, and gets the steam going, that would make a 50 minute facial only 45 minutes of goodness. I am not down with that! My esthetician today is Kathleen.
A beautiful reception area includes amazing fountain.
Kathleen was able to understand what I needed from this treatment. She knows I’m on vacation, because she asked. She also knew my skin would be dry from the long flight and a bit dehydrated from some delicious beverages that I have enjoyed while on Bourbon Street. My intention was to get a moisturizing facial and address any signs of aging appearing on my face.
Just around the corner from the Ritz is Bourbon Street, one of the most fun streets in the United States.
Sometimes I am in a quiet, meditative mood while in the spa, but today, I was not. I booked this appointment at 11am. I had already been in the spa for a while and was able to enjoy some Champagne (straight, no orange juice for me)! Intuitive staff already knew my affinity for Champagne from the day before. I was able to meet some other ladies in the plush locker room, also into town for the same convention. I was in a pretty chatty mood when I met up with my therapist. Beside being a knowledgeable esthetician, Kathleen was able to adjust to my mind-set and we had fun discussing other treatments and restaurants that I might like. She was professional, fun, and helped me my narrow down some of my many restaurant choices while in town. There are so many great restaurants to choose from!
I did not meet Mildred, or I would have asked her for a bite! An amazing spa for special occasions.
About my treatment, I really like it when a spa is not tied to one product line. Multiple product lines means that I can get a truly custom facial. I can get products that I can’t find at home, find an old favorite, or just sampling something new. This spa has a serious arsenal of products so the options were amazing. After discussing my options, we quickly decide to continue on with the Dr. Gross product line. I was introduced to this line in January while at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes property in Orlando, and I really liked it. I also decided to add-on the alpha beta peel.
Large retail area includes all of the beauty arsenal and other carefully chosen spa products.
Here is the thing about add-ons. Usually, they do not add time to your service, and they will almost always cost additional money. But, it is a great way to try new treatments and products. Some of my favorite facials have had a scalp treatment add-on. Other popular add-ons are lip and eye treatments or hands and feet paraffin treatments. Kathleen was not pushy, but just simply offered the Alpha Beta Peel as an answer to my issue with aging. This peel uses natural alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) and beta hydroxy acid (BHA) to lightly remove dead skin. The goal of this peel is to reduce appearance of fine lines, address acne, rosacea, and oily skin. Excellent! I have all that, sans the rosacea. This natural product was applied nearing the end of the treatment and followed up with the application of many moisturizers. There is no downtime with this particular peel. It is not as harsh as a chemical peel or other higher potency natural peels. Due to it’s lower strength, there will be no redness, flaking, or peeling. Expect more downtime with products found in physicians offices, versus a spa environment.
When I bond with a therapist I take a photo to capture my crazy spa hair! Kathleen is amazing.
I loved this facial. Great news, I did not need too many extractions, and if I did, I already had my champagne, so no worries there! Kathleen did a great job explaining the many steps in this facial and the products used. She pampered me with lots of massaging strokes, all while answering my many questions about this fun city. When she finished the service, I was definitely more relaxed, my skin felt more moisturized, and I had a bit of a glow. She reminded me to leave the products on as long as I could, and to take care if I was in the sun. She also gave me a note with the names of the products she used for my reference. I find this helpful, as really good treatment tends to give me “spa brain.” She walked me back over the relaxation room where I met up with two friendly, local ladies enjoying a spa day. They were enjoying very fancy, mini cheese burger sliders in their robes in between thier services. No judgement at this spa! It is an oasis in the heart of the French Quarter.
Helpful tips:
Always discuss your current regimen with your esthetician, don’t forget to mention any peels, laser services, or other topical products that you use on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
If going to the beach or pool after a facial, be sure to wear a hat. Keep one in your spa bag along with sunscreen.
If you have not had a facial in a very long time, expect more extractions 🙁
Have you had any special add-ons to a facial you recieved? What was the add-on and was it worth it?
I applaud the Ritz-Carlton for making such a creative treatment for their spa in New Orleans. As a serious spa enthusiast, I generally book treatments that are the specialty of that spa. This treatment set a nice tone to start out my week in New Orleans. What makes this treatment a little different from just a soak and a massage is the tone set by the room, the whirlpool, and the staff.
Double chaise whirlpool tub used for the Voodoo Love treatment
A double lounge whirlpool tub that is programmed for lighting, temperature, and time greeted me in a room that definitely had a New Orléans vibe. Red Drapes, red tub lights and a hot bubble bath set to 20 minutes was ready on my arrival. In the room incense was burning, and my therapist turned on some music featuring a drum vibe with a voodoo chat that set the tone nicely. Bubbles filled the tub and continued to build up during my soak. Lots of red candles surrounding my bath and tall stand candles operas in the room enhanced the bath. Ice cold towels within an arms reach were ready to cool off my neck, head, and wrists as I soaked. I also sipped Champagne which the helpful staff handed to me upon my arrival.
Bath Bubbles and Bubbly
The most interesting portion of the massage treatment was the oil they used. Kneipp warming massage oil with arnica and ginger, smelled great and had a warming effect and is the formula for the voodoo oil. The therapist used a combination of long soothing strokes, heated wet towels, a few hot stones, and of course the special voodoo oil. After my massage my skin felt soft and the aches from my flight were gone.
Kneipp warming massage oil with arnica and ginger a.k.a. Voodoo Love Oil
If I were to book this treatment again, I would. My tip would be to book it in the late afternoon or early evening, and if possible, with your significant other. The treatment had a very romantic vibe, thus the “love” in the treatment name. It would be more fun to experience as a couple. This would be a great treatment to have prior to a late night on the Quarter. This service would also pair nicely with a late dinner. End your evening after midnight with a bar crawl down Bourbon Street to The Dungeon. This local bar features lots of skulls on the wall, caskets hanging from the ceiling, and drinks served in chalices with dry ice that give the appearance of blood. Continuing your voodoo vibe will make for a fun night. We are in New Orleans after all! I booked this service at 11am, as a solo with a pretty good hangover…but I was still thrilled to get into the spirit of the Quarter and still found it fun.
Roses: Champagne on arrival, ice bucket filled cold wash clothes, cool voodoo music, unusual theme, incense, very comfortable bath tub, probably the coolest treatment I have ever received
Thorns: Better as a couple
I have experienced many unusual treatments, but none really that had a “cool factor.” Please let me know if you have had a spa experience with a cool vibe!
This was not a paid visit. No special treatments were given other than being a guest of the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. This is my life.
