A Greener day at the spa

I know there are some who would scoff at the idea of anything done in a spa as a “green” effort. But the spa industry is beginning to realize that there is a strong market for environmentally friendly, and responsible, services. I’m not one of those women who travel from one spa experience to another but I’ve been limping along all winter, nursing an injured tendon in my right foot. Last month I spent a few days exploring Northern Michigan and I stayed at Crystal Mountain Resort. . One afternoon, after cross-country skiing and taking a long walk around the property, I was really feeling it. Resting in front of the fireplace in my room, I picked up the resort’s spa menu and one treatment immediately caught my eye. The “Boot Relief” massage. At that moment, a little boot relief was exactly what I needed. I also liked the fact that Crystal Spa is a LEED certified spa - one of only six in the in the country. That was another good selling point. I made an appointment and met Aleia. As she massaged my tender foot we talked about what it means to the technician to work in a place that stresses non-toxic, environmentally-friendly products. Think about it. She spends eight hours each day working with her hands in oils as well as polishes and polish-removers. She has prolonged contact with whatever is in the products she handles. At Crystal Spa, she told me, they use Eco-fin, a petroleum-free product that has no paraffin, for the Boot Relief treatments. Better for her. Better for me. Then, if the client decides she wants to dress up those relieved feet, the Spa uses SPAritual polishes and polish-removers which are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DPB.) SPAritual products are also vegan which means they are not tested on animals and contain no animal products. Sold. So, at the end of my stay I came home with toes painted “Life of the Party” red and an extra bottle of polish in my suitcase. And I learned it is possible to do something as decadent as treat yourself to a pedicure without straying too far from the greener path.