Nature Inspires at Sagestone Spa & Salon

by Marci Howard-May

At Sagestone Spa & Salon, we fully believe in and practice a whole-body wellness approach. We take product content to heart, as we understand and respect that our skin is a semi-permeable membrane that can allow absorption of ingredients into the bloodstream. We are conscientious about what our guests and staff are putting onto their skin and we are very selective in finding clean products for use in our treatments and purchase from our boutique.

With the striking natural beauty of our location, it’s easy to understand how we would be inspired by what thrives in this environment. We celebrate our beautiful desert by highlighting the healing benefits of the plants native to our property and region, echoing the indigenous remedies of the past in our signature spa treatments.

Prickly Pear

Also known as the nopal cactus, prickly pear is plentiful on our grounds and displays the most amazing flowers in the spring. Native Americans relied on prickly pear for food, as a medicine to treat wounds, burns and swelling, as a source for needles, and used the red fruit for dye. They also made a moisturizer to protect and hydrate the skin.

Prickly pear is a powerful anti-inflammatory full of Vitamins C & E and the essential fatty acids Omega 6 & 9 for deep hydration. It’s also rich in amino acids to help stimulate collagen production and Vitamin K to brighten skin. Not only do we apply this powerhouse plant to the skin in our Red Mountain Revitalizer, we also showcase a cooking demo on how to make a tasty dish from the pads to get all the internal health benefits of this plant. In the winter, guests can help harvest the hot pink fruit with our chefs and learn how to create syrup and jam with it. 

Agave

Agave is another desert succulent that was relied on by Native Americans as a food source as well as for practical purposes like roofing material, rope, and clothing. Our Soothing Agave Ritual incorporates a cactus toning wrap that contains prickly pear followed by a massage using warm agave oil. This oil is great for soothing and deeply hydrating the skin to reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as calming redness and inflammation and brightening the skin.   

Utah Red Clay and Lavender

Our Adobe Lavender Hydrating Cocoon features the iconic red clay of southern Utah. While this was used primarily to create pottery and adobe bricks for structures of the past, this clay is full of healing minerals to energize and repair tired joints and muscles, hydrate the skin, and heal bruising.

We added lavender, which also grows at the resort, for its notable ability to relax and heal. Native Americans were well-versed in the healing properties of lavender and incorporated it into balms, teas, food, and medicinal remedies.

Cedar and Wild Sage

These plants are abundant in our area. Cedar is a wonderful astringent and purifier, while wild sage is a great anti-inflammatory and balancer of the skin. Both of these were sacred plants to Native Americans that would be burned in ceremony to perform spiritual healing and restore harmony. These plant oils would also be applied to the skin to keep physically healthy. Our deeply relaxing Warm Himalayan Salt Stone Massage utilizes an oil blend of cedar and wild sage to soothe and balance our guests.

We carry the theme of efficacious ingredients throughout all of our services. It is important to our team to select products without chemicals known to cause harmful effects or irritation to the body. We look for products that are free of parabens, phthalates, and sodium lauryl sulfate to be as natural and organic as possible, cruelty-free, and ethically and sustainably sourced, just to name a few.

We also strive to partner with brands with philanthropic initiatives that our sales help support. For clean beauty, we have you covered – hair, nails, makeup, skin, and body care. We pair these wonderful products with techniques that make healing more than skin deep.

About Marci Howard-May

Marci Howard-May is passionate about empowering others to take charge of their personal well-being. She works to develop highly knowledgeable and skilled teams in both spa and wellness by blending over 20 years of knowledge and experience as a massage therapist and exercise physiologist. She continually works with our staff to add spa treatments, personal discovery experiences, and fitness classes that are unique and varied for guests to enjoy.