Considered a stimulant herb, Cayenne contains a potent alkaloid called capsaicin, which has many useful properties. For one thing, capsaicin actually enlarges blood vessels, which enhances the flow of nutrients to the cells and the removal of waste products at a cellular level. We can feel the rubefacient effects of Cayenne simply by applying some of the powder to our skin: although we may feel itching, burning, or pricking when first applied, Cayenne is NOT a skin irritant. By stimulating the surface capillaries and bringing blood to the skin surface, Cayenne assists circulation in the area and flushes out the buildup of uric acid and calcium deposits around the joints and in the tissues, making it invaluable for pain relief. Like other stimulant herbs, Cayenne is a useful addition to herbal formulas because of its ability to aid the distribution of other herbs throughout the body.

In addition to acting as a circulatory system tonic and pain relief aid, Cayenne is also thought to be good for the digestive system. Cayenne stimulates the production of gastric juices and the peristaltic motion of the intestines, both of which bolster the assimilative and eliminative processes in our digestion.

How to use Cayenne?

Yes, Cayenne is wonderful, and has a long list of therapeutic actions, including alterative (blood-cleansing), analgesic (pain-relieving), antiseptic, carminative (gas-removing), diaphoretic (sweat-producing), hypotensive (blood pressure-lowering), rubefacient, and vasodilating (blood vessel-enlarging). But how do we use Cayenne?

• For the chills, a cough, or general comfort: Put some cayenne powder in your hot chocolate! Did you know that in the past, this chocolate-and-cayenne combination was reserved only for Aztec royalty? No wonder: it's delicious! I experimented a bit until I found that 1/8 of a teaspoon of cayenne is all you need in 8 ounces of hot chocolate (yup, I set my mouth on fire several times trying to get to this dosage!).
• For cold extremities: Literally got cold hands and feet? Warm them up by putting a few grains in your gloves or socks.
• For painful arthritis and rheumatism: Apply cayenne liniment to painful areas. A cayenne liniment can be made by taking 2 tablespoons of cayenne powder, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of boiling water and steeping all the ingredients together for half an hour. After a hot shower, rub this into painful areas followed with warmed olive oil (we do this in Pavia's Black Pepper & Ginger Pain Balm body treatment, in fact!).
• For inflamed gums: Rub a tiny bit of cayenne powder into your gums. Unless you have a mouth made of iron, however, I wouldn't rub more than 1/10th of a teaspoon at a time.
• For mouth ulcers: Gargle with cayenne infusion. You can make a cayenne infusion by pouring 1/2 a pint of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of cayenne powder and steeping for 15 minutes. After straining, gargle!
• For toothaches: Saturate a cotton ball with cayenne tincture and place it against the tooth. Remember that a cayenne tincture is a concentrated form of cayenne (mixed with alcohol) and available at herbal pharmacies.
• For cold/flu support: Mix ginger and cayenne powders into a hot lemon drink.
• For cuts and wounds: Apply a little powder directly onto the wound. Please note, this may sting, but cayenne has been successfully shown to be a styptic (stops bleeding).
• For liver cleansing: This I would not have known about were it not for Marie Bernat, COO of Spavelous.com and a trained Holistic Practioner herself. She told me that when people crave spicy foods, it is a sign that their liver is imbalanced. So the craving is to trigger the liver to purge its toxins, hence the liver cleanse that is formulated with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, water, and molasses to taste.

When NOT to use Cayenne...

As with anything else, be wise about using herbs, and know when not to use them. Here are some places or situations under which you may not want to use Cayenne:

• Near the eyes: Yikes! Enough said.
• When using other prescription drugs: Cayenne is thought to be metabolized along the same pathway as other prescription drugs, so it may theoretically increase their effects.
• On sensitive skin: Individuals with sensitive skin should avoid using preparations that include capsaicin. If there is a reaction, capsaicin cream can be removed with a diluted vinegar solution (but it is NOT water-soluble).
• Excessive amounts: Avoid taking too much Cayenne, as it can cause gastro-intestinal irritation, nausea, griping, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, faintness, and severe irritation of the mucus membranes. Always start with the minimum dose and go up if necessary.

If you're curious to know what spicy hot chocolate tastes like, ask us for some the next time you're at Pavia and we'll gladly make it for you. If you'd like to experience the warmth-inducing effects of Cayenne for yourself, book a Black Pepper & Ginger Pain Balm (it's our newsletter service special this month)!

When I designed the Black Pepper & Ginger Pain Balm, I wasn't going for "good-smelling." And it doesn't smell good, not in the traditional spa sense (nothing fruity, floral, or herbaceous). Rather, the treatment was intended to pack a big therapeutic punch, especially for those with symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or joint pain.

If you or a loved one are feeling somewhat "pained" this December, then you may want to take advantage of our Black Pepper & Ginger body treatment. In December 2007 only, I am making all Black Pepper & Ginger Pain Balm appointments Off-Peak, even if they occur during Peak hours (20% OFF). Call us at 408-741-1555 to set your appointment today!

*We are able to substitute another base oil if clients are allergic to peanuts or nuts in any way.

TELL MARE WHAT YOU THINK

Thank you to all of you who wrote in to tell me about which of my staff members was most deserving of a spa day. Your emails affirm that I do have a great staff, and that I should be very proud of them. Your overwhelming choice was Monica Moreno, our resident cosmetologist who does everything from facials to waxing to body treatments. Monica was thrilled to learn that she had been the Readers' Choice for this recognition, and we shall see when she wants to take advantage of her spa day.

Here's how: I've added a question on the signup page that asks WHO referred a new member to our newsletter. Just forward this newsletter to someone you think would benefit from it and write a few lines to them about why you think they would enjoy it. If they become a subscriber and put your name in that box when signing up, I will send you a $10 spa credit PER NEW SUBSCRIBER. Alternatively, if you want to send me email addresses of friends and/or family members who would enjoy this newsletter, I can send them a sample version of it, and if they end up subscribing and putting your name in the box, this can also enable me to send you a $10 spa credit PER NEW SUBSCRIBER. The key is that I somehow have to know that it was YOU who referred them. Thank you in advance!

REFERRAL PROGRAM - UPDATED!

• The referred party must put the referrer's name down on the intake form. Otherwise we won't know how the referred party heard about us.
• The referred party's services and products must be paid for with cash, check, or credit. If the referred party pays with a gift certificate or Spa Finder/SpaWish card, they don't register in our system as being referred.
• The referrer has to have experienced a service or purchased a product previously at our spa. (Otherwise, how can it be said to be a "referral?")
• Lastly, the referrer must be a newsletter member (or we would not have their email address in the first place).

To those of you who have referred clients to us in the past, I say a big, heartfelt THANK YOU. Your support and patronage mean everything to us. We appreciate your trust and your business.

We are happy to take Spa Finder and SpaWish cards as payment for services and products at Pavia Day Spa, but we cannot combine them with product discounts and specials any longer. The nature of the Spa Finder/SpaWish program is such that we must accept a significant discount on the services/products to begin with, and then to combine that with any of our corporate, series, rebooking, birthday, or newsletter discounts would greatly injure our business.

Therefore, SpaFinder and SpaWish cards will only be accepted as payment for full-priced ("Peak") services and products at Pavia. Thank you for your understanding.