Day Spa Expo: Manufacturers Workshop

Part One: Myths and truths about nutritional supplements

Last week during the Day Spa Expo in Las Vegas, Sequence XO held a manufacture’s workshop to address the booming opportunity nutritional supplements have within the spa industry and the nutrition and spa link. One of the most responsive topics was the myths and truths of nutritional supplements. In this three part series we will cover three of the largest misconceptions surrounding nutritional supplements.

Myth 1: Nutritional Supplements are not regulated
Myth Buster: The truth is the FDA and FTC have regulatory authority over the supplement industry.

Myth Buster – Nutritional Supplements are indeed regulated

The FDA and FTC have regulatory authority over the supplement industry to ensure that they’re safe, properly labeled and the claims associated with the product is substantiated, which is also policed by the FTC. Much of the debate that surrounds this myth is due to the confusion of how exactly nutritional supplements are regulated in the United States. Many people forget that nutritional supplements are considered a natural food product and not a drug, so in essence the FDA regulates them as a food items. Though supplements are not regulated in the same manner as drugs, supplements are subject to some of the same types of controls.

Another area where the FDA has established quality is via manufacturing regulations called GMP’s or Good Manufacturing Practices. Manufacturing under these strict guidelines allows the FDA to have more regulatory authority over the supplements that hit the marketplace. “An extremely high percentage of the dietary supplements on the market today are safe and efficacious and are produced in pharmaceutical qulatiy facilities”, said Andy Fox, president of the Natural Products Association-East in a recent interview with Vitamin Retailers publication.

Meet Sequence XO’s Manufacturing Partner:

In our efforts to provide the most comprehensive Spa Nutrition products we adhere to the strictest guidelines put forth by American regulations. Sequence XO products are manufactured by Robinson Pharma, Inc. Our nutritional manufacturer is a certified GMP manufacturing facility this is FDA inspected and licensed. Their quality management regimen is based on only allowing tested and approved ingredients to be used within their establishment by qualified and trained operators, in a clean and sanitary environment. Beyond Robinson Pharma’s certification of cGMP they have also been issued a Drug Manufacturing License by the state of California. This government standard is considered the most rigorous and is clear demonstration of our commitment to effective and quality products for you and your clients.

Spa Nutrition: A new product on the retail shelf but not a new philosophy

Many of you may be wondering what role nutrition and nutritional products play in your spa experience. Spa associations, magazines and even spa professionals have chimed in about the nutrition and spa connection in recent months. It’s no secret that nutritional supplements are a new venture for the spa industry but its philosophy has been around for years. Take skin care for an example. Popular brands have incorporated vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts into their skin care lines because of the many well known benefits in keeping skin looking and feeling younger.

Well, today spa goers and enthusiast have begun to capture an ‘inside-outside’ approach to beauty. In a recent study by Mintel’s Global New Products database has picked up on a consumer trend requesting the same food-based ingredients in their skin care to be a part of their inner beauty regimen via nutritional supplements, cuisine and beverages. When asked, the consumer reported that the most comprehensive skin care regimen was the ‘inside-outside’ approach.

As more consumers become knowledgeable on the inside-outside approach to health and beauty, they will turn to their trusted health advisor's to guide them in picking a product. How will you be prepared?

Spa Nutrition™: Nourishing the mind, body and spa atmosphere

When you think of spa nutrition, you may think of many different things. For Sequence XO, Spa Nutrition is approaching nutrition like a spa treatment itself. Take a quality nutritional supplement, add innovation, sexiness and luxury to it and you get Sequence XO’s Spa Nutrition. By creating products that fit within the spa atmosphere, they help enhance the spa experience of your guest to achieve pure relaxation, beautiful skin and healthy aging.

Let Sequence XO be your partner in Spa Nutrition. Still have questions please feel free to contact us at info@sequencexo.com or (949) 608-7112.

Spa Retail: Is your retail space giving you the right profits?

The opportunity to tap into a new source of revenue is here for your spa with retail products. Establishing a retail presence in your spa is not as scary as one might think. If you already have one in place, there may be some room for improvement. Retail products provide an opportunity for you to establish high profit margins with low overhead costs. This is a beautiful equation for any business owner. But, be careful how you plan, organize, spend and implement your retail presence.

Retail ideas every spa owner can use

• Practice the idea of having your therapists both incorporate and suggest the retail products you carry to your clients
• Allow all of your staff to use the retail products you carry. Selling products you believe in and are passionate about makes things much easier.
• Incorporate retail products to match specific treatments (i.e. stress aiding products with massages)
• Keep things simple and educate both your staff and clients on the products you carry
• Don’t keep your products in locked cases and provide samples when possible to allow your client’s to have an experience
• Provide specific products promotions during seasonal holidays to attract more traffic in your spa
• Take advantage of vendor collateral material and displays
• Consider investing in a retail sales manager/trainer
• Set sales goals and provide feedback to your staff
• Encourage product sales by your staff by providing them with incentives linked to sales figures they generate
• Prepare kits that incorporate several products you carry for a promotional price to allow customers to experience several products at once

Planning Your Spa’s Future

The New Year has snuck up on us once again and the time has come to evaluate our business. We all know that the market is currently on a downward slide, but it is during this time that we as business owners must work even harder to persevere. While the end of the year has typically shown a peak in business, unfortunately the beginning of the year has traditionally been a valley. However, just because business may be slower during this time of year doesn’t mean that there aren’t things we can do to stay competitive. The economy, market, customer and competition are constantly changing and evolving. If we don’t change and evolve our planning for business, we get left behind in the dust.

Writing a competitive strategic plan

When starting to write your strategic plan, whether it’s for the first time, or an evolution of a previous one, It’s always a good idea to take a step back and figure out what your are looking to accomplish. Are you looking to lower costs? Increase sales? Improve customer service? Enter a new market? Or all of the above? In any one of those cases, a strategic plan must begin with a goal in mind. Once that goal is established, it’s time to look within for change and growth. Running an internal audit will allow you to find things that may have run passed you during the year. As a business owner, your many responsibilities will deter you from catching smaller details that can be caught during your evaluation process. Below is a list of questions that you may ask yourself when you are in the process of a self audit:

- Do your revenues justify your costs?
- Have your marketing efforts brought you the results you wanted to see?
- Did you quantify your marketing efforts based on the revenues they generated?
- What worked well for you the previous year? Leverage it!
- What did not bring in the results you expected? Eliminate it!

Once you have taken a bird’s eye view of your business and evaluated your efforts, it’s time to start planning and implementing. Writing a strategic plan not only gives you a roadmap and direction for where you want to go and how you want to get there, it also allows you to budget accordingly. A good budget allows you to put your money to good use with more rewarding results.
Strategically planning for your business allows you to be prepared. It allows you to spend money accordingly and get the most out of what you invest. Additionally, a well designed strategic plan sets the foundation of how your year will turn out.

Don’t fall into the trap! Common Retail Mistakes

Retail as an afterthought
Many still don’t consider a true retail presence to be a lucrative opportunity. The reality is that selling retail products will bring you extra revenues with high profit margins. It is an option that should be highly considered. When implemented properly, a retail presence can generate revenues year round in a consistent fashion.

Improper presentation
If you are considering a retail section in your spa and you are not an expert in how properly to set up a retail outlet, get help from professionals. A retail presence goes beyond simply putting products on shelves. The positioning of the products is key, the lighting displaying the products is extremely important and knowing what products to carry is essential in a successful retail outlet.

Inadequate signage
Properly describing a promotion, sale or specific details of a product your selling is an art form. Too much information will detract from the product, while not enough information leads to skepticism. It’s a fine balance that will ultimately lead to established client trust and increased sales.

Products Displayed in behind locked shelves
When your clients walk into your retail outlet, they should “experience” the products you have available to sell, not just look at them.

SOS For Winter Skin: Antioxidants Go Skin Deep

With record cold temperatures across the globe this winter, it may be our appearance that will suffer the most. Our skin is the first defense against any harsh environment whether its sun or frost. During the winter moisture levels drop in the atmosphere leading our skin to lose hydration and become chapped or red. Nurturing your skin inside and out is an essential part of keeping your skin radiant during cold months. As nutraceuticals enter the spa industry with more open arms the idea of preventing troubled skin from the inside out is becoming a more mainstream option. Antioxidants can improve nutrient uptake at the cellular level, which means your skin cells get the moisture and nutrients it needs to stay supple and youthful even in harsh weather.

Antioxidants and their role inside and out

Supplementing your diet with antioxidants can be just as important as topically adding these nutrients on your skin. As we age our skin loses elasticity and vibrancy and supplementing becomes an integral part in maintaining a healthy looking appearance. So how do we age healthfully and look ten years younger?

As advances continue in both the nutritional and Cosmaceutical industry the connection between them becomes clearer. “Most scientific evidence shows that what we put into our body impacts our skin more than what we put on it”, says Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, director of botanical medicine at the University of Arizona’s integrative medicine program.

Eating healthier with skin nourishing foods can prolong the suppleness of your skin. The lifestyle choices we make today will make the difference for our skin’s appearance tomorrow. Try avoiding sodas, excessive sun, alcoholic beverages, sugar, caffeine, fried foods and replace them with raw and fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grains and white meats. Even the healthiest of diets may still lack some important nutrients due to over processing, soil depletion, pollution and modern transportation of produce. Keep in mind that using a multi-vitamin/mineral and antioxidant supplement can also be a beneficial insurance policy.

Antioxidants To Supplement With:

Vitamin A, C, and E: Promote skin health and may prevent skin from aging.

Acai: It has twice the level of antioxidants present in blueberries and 50% more antioxidant than pomegranate. Also contains beneficial omega 6 and 9 fatty acids, fiber, calcium and other vitamins.

Cocoa: Contains several trace minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium. Cocoa contains natural caffeine, which provides high energy and as an antioxidant, it enhances the immune system.

Cranberries: Rich in vitamin C, fiber, citric acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, B-vitamins and vitamin E. Also contains anthocyanins, which is helpful with bacteria build-up.

Grape seed: Many nutrients are found in grapes especially antioxidants that promote heart health by acting as free radical scavengers, promoting healthy cholesterol levels and providing support for healthy blood vessels, veins and arteries.

Mangosteen: Contains xanthones, a family of phyto-nutrients. They have been researched to promote healthy digestion, immune response and joint flexibility. Mangosteen has also shown to be a good for the respiratory system.

Olive: This wonderful fruit contains phenolics, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties, which provides support for the cardiovascular system.

Pomegranate: A very good source of antioxidants, fatty acids and botanical estrogens. Contains high level of polyphenol antioxidants and helps neutralize free radicals, which can cause damage to the skin. It helps repair aging skin by reversing the damage and retexturing the skin. In addition to health benefits, it has anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric: This spice helps support the joints from inflammation, boosts immunity and provides support for mental clarity and memory.

Selenium: Selenium is an essential trace mineral in the human body that protect cells against the effects of free radicals that are produced during normal oxygen metabolism. Selenium is also essential for normal functioning of the immune system and thyroid gland.

Lutein: A recent human clinical study showed 10 mg of lutein daily increased skin hydration, elasticity and skin lipid content.

Lycopene: A relative newcomer to the world of skin care, belongs in the carotenoid family. Lycopene is a powerful free radical scavenger, which has shown to provide benefit in improving skin texture.

Tea (green, black and white): Rich in antioxidants epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), providing anti-aging benefits. It is 200 times stronger than vitamin E and 20 times stronger than vitamin C. It helps restore our radiant complexions.

Another essential nutrient is water. Though not an actual antioxidant, water is one of the most important sources of maintaining a healthy complexion. Plus, well-hydrated skin keeps us looking younger and vibrant year round.

SEQUENCE XO’S HELPFUL TIP:
Find these wonderful antioxidants in Sequence XO’s Fusion and Radiance. To find out more information on these great products click here.

A New Year Brings New Resolutions

The parties are over, the buffet tables are safely stored away and the only signs of cookies are the crumbs left behind. Now that a new year is here our resolutions for 2008 can come in many ways. From vowing to eat healthier to exercising five days a week, to finding a way to detoxify any remaining eggnog we have stored up for the winter. When it comes to our New Year’s resolutions staying positive and realistic can mean the difference of giving up in February or letting them stick for life.

Tips on keeping your New Year’s resolutions

Recent studies have found that the most common resolutions people hope to attain in a new year are: spending more time with family and friends, getting fit, losing weight and quitting smoking. The problem with many of the New Year’s Resolutions is that our commitment wobbles for either lack of motivation or setting unattainable goals. Here are a few tips on getting yourself on the right track.

Tip One: Do it for yourself
Any time you are trying to accomplish something for someone else you may face some motivational challenges down the road. You need to want to do it for yourself, and the payoff will be much more rewarding!

Tip Two: Keep to one resolution instead of too many
Trying to lose weight, go to the gym, start a new business and trying to spend more time with the family may get you overwhelmed quickly and start losing motion for all your goals. Instead go for one goal at a time, once you mastered it move on to your next goal.

Tip three: Choose realistic goals
If you want to lose 15 pounds by March, you may start feeling discouraged after a couple of weeks if you don’t see immediate results. Instead set smaller goals for the year that are more attainable, such as losing five pounds by March, five pounds by June, and another five pounds in September.