We already knew our LMT Trish Sternthal was good with her hands (her massages get rave reviews around here!)… but did you know she can also rock a sewing machine?!

Introducing “Balance Pac” by Trishyline… now available at Blooming Moon Spa! These microwavable heat pads come in various shapes and sizes (we love the heart-shaped pacs!) and feature adorable (washable) fabrics. BONUS: Store them in the freezer, and you have yourself a cold pack!

Trishyline Balance Pacs are handmade right here in Portland, Oregon using 100% cotton and natural grain/lavender and are perfect for relieving tension and relaxing stubborn, achy, crampy muscles.

To use: Simply heat in the microwave in one minute increments until you reach the desired temperature. Then place on your chest, abdomen, shoulders, low back… anywhere that needs relief.

And did we mention they’re affordable? Priced at $18-25, you can pick a heart-shaped pac up for your sweetie, too!

Two products found at Blooming Moon Wellness Spa were featured on the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 “Champions of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics” List.

Alima Pure and Kaia Naturals were both featured on this prestigious list, which honors companies for their commitment to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Both Alima Pure and Kaia comply with the European Union’s Cosmetics Directive, widely considered the global gold standard of cosmetics safety regulation.

Pick up Alima Pure cosmetics and Kaia Naturals products (along with other good-for-you goodies) at Blooming Moon Wellness Spa!

For the EWG’s full “Champions” list, visit:
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/2011/11/30/celebrate-our-cosmetics-champions/#champions

Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to change your makeup routine? We all get stuck in a “makeup rut.” Don’t let another year go by without stopping into Blooming Moon Spa for professional advice on the hottest makeup line in town- Alima Pure!

Blooming Moon Spa is proud to carry the Portland-based Alima Pure cosmetics brand, a company gaining global attention for their commitment to the environment and the safety of our skin. Did you know that Alima Pure:

-never tests their products on animals (and neither do their suppliers).  There’s no need- they use pure cosmetic-grade mineral pigments that are safe and gentle.

-is a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.

-offsets 100% of corporate carbon emissions through contributions to carbonfund.org.

-products are Certified Natural through the venerable Federation of German Industries and Trading Firms (BDIH). BDIH takes the rigorous European Cosmetic Directive one step further by carefully evaluating the ingredients product seeking certification.

-products are

• Naturally free of chemicals, preservatives, and pesticides
• Free of nano-particles; gluten-free
• Naturally antibacterial
• Free of dyes, carmine and other additives
• Completely free of bismuth oxychloride
• Non-comedogenic- will not clog pores

Learn how mineral makeup products can flatter your best facial features and tips on how to make the most of your Alima Pure mineral makeup and brushes by attending one of our upcoming “Go Green!” makeup workshops- coming soon to Blooming Moon! Stay tuned for class date announcements on our website and Facebook page.

What do you think of when you hear “North Portland”? How about streets lined with trendy bars, artisan boutiques, cafes, yoga studios, and wellness spas? If you haven’t visited NoPo lately, you’re in for a surprise… it’s the NEW place to be in Portland!

Recent press from Portland Monthly Magazine features Blooming Moon as a Wellness Spa “Top Destination” in Portland. The Oregonian recently featured our next door neighbor, The Hop & Vine, as one of Portland’s Top Five wine bars. It’s safe to say, North Portland is the next big thing!

Even our neighbors to the (far) north recommend the Mississippi District (just a few blocks over from “The Moon”) as a “must-see district” for Portland visitors [The Seattle Times, June 2011]. Blooming Moon is honored to call North Portland home after relocating here from the well-established Nob Hill shopping district earlier this spring. Our bigger, better NoPo location is thriving around several other new start ups in the neighborhood.

What a great time to come in and visit Blooming Moon… after your appointment with us, you’ll enjoy discovering all that “new NoPo” has to offer.

Any weather change can disrupt your skin’s health. Winter skin loses its moisture and becomes dry, itchy and flaky. Often along with dry skin, there can be noticeable redness, broken capillaries and sensitivity. The facial skin is the most exposed to cold, wind and heat. This exposure causes broken capillaries and redness.
Blooming Moon recommends a facial every 4-6 weeks for optimal results and healthy, glowing skin. But for minimal skin care maintenance receive a facial seasonally, (every 3-4 months). Your skin, like all organs, is affected by it’s environment and if not properly taken care of, it will alert you!

Remedies for dry, flaky, itchy, red skin or sensitive skin:

Facials: A Facial every 6 weeks is the best way to get customized information from a skin care expert. A facial will relax your mind and nourish your facial skin back to its normal health. Blooming Moon’s highly trained estheticians can recommend proper home care for cleansing, exfoliation and moisturizing as well as nutrition to get your skin on a path towards radiance. Try the Blooming Moon Custom Facial!

Body Scrubs: Body scrubs are extremely moisturizing. All body scrubs are composed using  oil and a scrubbing agent, like sugar, salt, cornmeal etc. After a deep exfoliation from the sugar or salt of a body scrub the oil is left on the skin, leaving your skin healthy and hydrated. A Blooming Moon body scrub, favorite for dry weather is Brown Sugar Vanilla Cinnamon!

Oil vs. Lotion: If you have dry skin, oil is your best friend! In fact, jojoba oil is actually very similar to the natural oil (sebum) we produce, therefore our skin is more likely to absorb. Keep in mind, many lotions just lies on the surface of the skin, which will give the illusion of “moisture”.  However, dry flaky dead skin cells still reside under the lotion acting like a “moisturizer barrier”-yikes! Your new, healthy skin under all the lotion and dry skin never receives the moisture and this is the reason you may feel that constant dryness on the body and experience acne break-outs on the face.

Blooming Moon recommends, massaging your favorite body oil into your skin immediately after showering and then top it off with a layer of your favorite (mineral oil-free) lotion for extra protection and moisture! Be sure to exfoliate the face before moisturizing. In the shower is the best time to use a facial scrub. Epicuren’s Apricot Scrub is perfect for dry, sensitive skin!

Nutrition: (For all supplement recommendations, consult physician before using). For dry skin we often recommend fish oil. Fish oil adds extra healthy oils and lipids back into the skin, creating supple skin, masking capillaries and other redness that is caused by low hydration and a compromised acid mantel (your oils and lipids that protect your skin). Remember, bad fish oil can be worse for your body than not taking any at all. So, find a pure, all-natural fish oil and don’t skimp on the price-your body is worth every penny!

Overlook  Neighborhood’s 3^rd Annual Celebration

The Killingsworth Street Fair!

Saturday, July 30th  / 11am – 6pm

Located between Concord and Greeley on North Killingsworth on July 30th you will find, live music with 3 stages, local vendors, a kid’s corner, face painting, food, drink, a farmer’s market and more!  Blooming Moon has been so graciously embraced into North Portland’s Overlook community and we are looking forward to this celebration!

Join Blooming Moon, for a Raffle for Facials, Massages, Pedicures and more!! $5 to enter the raffle and you can enter as many times as you want! We will also have: $5 Brow waxes, $1/min Massage,  Henna Tattoos, The ancient Japanese art of Foot Reading, Music and more. We hope to see you all there!

Blooming Moon Wellness Spa has moved from our Lovejoy location to:
1920 N. Killingsworth in North Portland!
Our new phone number: 971.279.2757

The spa is now sweetly nestled in a beautiful 1908 craftsman-style house. The house is complete with a large, private back yard. The mature trees and moss covered rocks create a perfect setting for cedar soaking tubs and an outdoor sauna-coming this fall!! This will be the first and only private, cedar, soaking tub option in Portland and I am delighted to offer it to all of you.

I closed our Lovejoy location February 13th, and with the helpful hands of spa staff & friends, we packed-up and moved an entire spa in 2 days. From this point on, the work began, after 20+ days of consecutive work I was exhausted. Finally, Saturday morning March 5th, our first day officially open in the new place, while a blend of essential oils filled the air,  I looked around…. Oh My! This space is absolutely beautiful! Through all the focused hard work, I was unable to see how serenely gorgeous this space really was until that moment.

I deliver this spa with so much love,  I hope you enjoy the NEW Blooming Moon Wellness Spa & Bath House as much as I do!