Pavia Desiderata - The Newsletter of Pavia Day Spa

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1. WENCKE IS BACK FROM GERMANY! Wencke has completed her marathon and is back at Pavia starting November 1st. If you've been waiting around for her to come back, now's the time to book with her, as her schedule can get a wee bit packed.

2. FREE ANTIOXIDANT SCANS ON NOVEMBER 12: We've decided to give everyone the gift of health this month! We'll be providing FREE antioxidant scanning starting at 11am on Sunday, November 12th...find out your Total Defense Score by calling us at 408-741-1555 to set your appointment now!

3. NEW NAIL TECHNICIAN AT PAVIA: As many of you may know, our nail technician extraordinaire, Stacy, sustained a serious back injury during a recent vehicle accident. As a result, she has decided, for health reasons, not to perform nail services anymore. We have hired Anna Lu, a 15-year veteran of the nail industry, to take Stacy's place on Sundays and Mondays, but we are still looking for more qualified nail techs! If you know someone or OF someone who is maniacal about sanitation, fluent in English, meticulous, attentive to detail, friendly, and professional, please refer them to Pavia.

Okay, I am about to expose myself "big-time" and talk about a subject on which I am, unfortunately, an expert: flatulence. This is because I perpetrate it all too frequently. It's the main reason I became a Certified Aromatherapist in the first place - I noticed essential oils were helping me manage flatulence and I became endlessly fascinated with them.

Recently, I read that organic flatulence - the kind caused by the everyday digestion process and not disease - is normal: in fact, it is "normal" for humans to pass gas 8-20 times per hour, every hour of the day! I thought to myself, "Whew, I guess it could actually be worse."

But let's face it: just because flatulence is normal doesn't mean it's welcome. Lucky for us, essential oils and herbs can do wonders for this particular problem. What you want to do is to look for essential oils that are "carminative," which means "an agent that relieves and removes gas from the digestive system."

Many essential oils fall into this category, thankfully, so you will be sure to find one that suits you. I have a multi-oil strategy myself - I rotate between Anise, Cinnamon, Clove Bud, Fennel, Ginger, and Peppermint each and every day. It just depends upon what I feel like tasting at any particular moment, or restrictions/limitations on length of use for each oil.

If you'd like to manage flatulence by taking essential these oils internally, here are a few guidelines to follow. In all cases, please do NOT use with children!

Anise (Pimpinella anisum): Take 1 drop three times daily, for a maximum of two weeks. Do NOT exceed this limit! Those who are pregnant, breast-feeding, have liver disease, estrogen-dependent cancer, endometriosis, or prostatic hyperplasia should AVOID Anise altogether. By the way, the Chinese Star Anise (Illicium verum) that is used to spice up our stew and soups is NOT the Anise I am referring to for flatulence - it's an entirely different plant.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): Take up to 3-4 drops three times daily between meals. You should not use Cinnamon if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or suffering from stomach or intestinal ulcers. Also, you should not use Cinnamon while taking homeopathic remedies. If you want to use Cinnamon externally, just be aware that it can be EXTREMELY irritating, so do a skin patch test first. Useful note: Cinnamon kills typhoid bacillus at a dose of just 1 part in 300, so Cinnamon oil is a great addition to the traveler's first-aid kit.

Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum): Take 1-3 drops between meals, three times daily, for up to two weeks. Clove oil CAN cause irritation in some people, both internally and externally. If there is a reaction, then reduce the dosage by half. Don't exceed these limits, as Clove oil can cause liver toxicity, and as usual, avoid in pregnancy and with homeopathics.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): Take 3 drops up to three times daily after meals, for up to three weeks. However, do not take Fennel internally if you have nervous system problems, epilepsy, or estrogen-related disorders. Lastly, do NOT use in pregnancy.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Take 1 drop up to three times daily. Don't use this if you have morning sickness, and in cases of gallstones, don't take Ginger unless you have consulted a medical or naturopathic physician.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Take 2 drops up to three times daily. Peppermint oil has been known to cause allergic reactions in the mouth, neck, and throat when consumed in large doses. Also, do not use in the first trimester of pregnancy, while breast-feeding, or if you have heart disease or epilepsy. Lastly, avoid with homeopathics.

Often called the "dark sign," Scorpios are the most intense, profound, and powerful characters of all the Zodiac. Even when they appear self-controlled and calm, there is a seething intensity of emotional energy under the placid exterior. They are like a volcano that is not far beneath the surface of a calm sea, and can erupt at any moment! But those of us who are particularly perceptive will be aware of the harnessed aggression, the immense forcefulness, magnetic intensity, and often strangely hypnotic personality under the tranquil-but-watchful composure of a Scorpio. In conventional social gatherings, Scorpios are pleasant to be with, thoughtful in conversation, dignified and reserved, yet affable and courteous. They sometimes possess penetrating eyes that can make their shy-er companions feel naked and defenseless.

Overall: The primary theme of 2006 for Scorpios has been to test the possibilities of your life. For most of this year so far, you have found that destiny is in the background and you've had to work hard for any tangible gain. But nevertheless, your motivation and enthusiasm have been high, and these factors have helped you overcome most of the obstacles and impediments that have arisen in 2006.

At work: You have had worries and tensions related to your job. You may have even sought out a job change. Your friends were there to give you sound advice, provided you were in a mood to take it. Some misunderstandings with friends, however, were inevitable - hopefully you did not build up frivolous issues. Lastly, it was important for 2006 that you kept subordinates on your side; your relationships with peers were good, but you always have to be careful with them not to fan a small fire into a conflagration.

On money: There may have been legal issues this year, which should have been sorted out mid-year. If you were looking for new property (or still are), 2006 provided (and still does!) ample scope to strike a good deal. You needed to be careful of your expenditures this year; do not go beyond your budget.

On health: Health was good in 2006, but be careful in the last two months of the year.

Emotional/Spiritual: In 2006, you tried to maintain a balance between your family and career. This balance is a very subtle one and is almost never perfect, but you sincerely sought it nevertheless. - T.H.

Pavia's veteran esthetician is now a marathon runner, too! Wencke just completed a German marathon in October, which is more miles than many of us have run in a lifetime (perhaps I am just talking about me here). Wencke has been at Pavia since 1999, and is well-known for her fabulous facial massages, precision eyebrows, and makeup artistry. She will come flying across the room at you with a pair of tweezers if your brows aren't perfect, so be careful! Here are some fun facts about Wencke:

Trust Eminence Organics to come out with yet another yummy product: their new Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. This "yammy" facial treatment harnesses the natural exfoliating properties of pumpkins, and smells amazing too - like you just slathered a whole Thanksgiving dessert on your face! Combined with Eminence's new soothing Chamomile Tonique, this treatment is perfect for autumnal rejuvenation.

This November, you can try out our new, top-secret, 80-minute "Fall into a Pumpkin Patch" facial for just $109 (normally $130)! Call us at 408-741-1555 to set your appointment today.

NOVEMBER PRODUCT SPECIAL: PRE-ORDER COLORESCIENCE'S NEW "BOX OF PEARLS"

Colorescience is doing it again: taking mineral makeup to another level. This time, they're coming out with a real treasure: the new, highly anticipated "Box of Pearls," created specifically for the woman who has taken excellent care of her skin and wants to bare it. The "Box of Pearls" is not out yet, and won't be until January 2007, but look out for the press release from Colorescience announcing it!

As newsletter members, however, you deserve the inside scoop on this fabulous new product as well as the chance to pre-order it at a special price! The Box of Pearls contains 3 pearl-icious items: "Precious Pearls," tiny beads of powder enriched with microscopic flecks of genuine pearls, a "Pearlescience Pep-Up Gel" containing Hyaluronic Acid and a double dose of peptides to soften the look of fine lines, and a Wisper brush for foolproof application.

The products combine to give your face a luminescent backlit glow, showing off that perfect skin that you have worked hard to maintain, while still giving you the same 6% titanium dioxide/zinc oxide sun protection as other Colorescience products.

The new Colorescience Box of Pearls product will retail at $225, but we will allow you to pre-order with us for the one-time, promotional price of $200 (must be pre-ordered before November 15, 2006)!

MERCURY IN RETROGRADE

Traffic is jammed, servers are crashing, and you're mortified because you just sent a sexy e-mail to the wrong person. It can mean only one thing: Mercury is retrograde! Retrograde planets appear to be moving backward in the sky from one day to the next. Mercury rules communications, business deals, transportation, and electronics. While he's in "reverse," which happens three times a year, misunderstandings, computer problems, and frustrating delays are the rule of the day. Otherwise intelligent people do and say stupid things, so the best way to cope is to learn to forgive and forget. Mercury goes retrograde for three weeks at a time, and this time, it started on October 28!

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