null,The O2Chair, developed in France by inventor Jean-Louis Portales, is a zero-gravity chair with a twist. It gently rocks clients with specific movements up and down the spine, as headphones play meditative instructions to ‘breathe in’ and ‘breathe out’ – all while a stream of pure oxygen is dispersed near the face.

The tilt and swing of the chair is designed to improve blood circulation and promote the ‘relaxation response’ – an alpha brainwave state where the mind is confident and fully present. The result is said to create a sensation similar to the feeling of being ‘naturally high’.

The O2Chair can be used in spa relaxation areas as a tool for encouraging relaxation and mindfulness pre- or post-treatments, without the cost of a therapist.

Studies have shown that the O2Chair reduces heart rate and blood pressure while increasing physical energy and athletic performance. By generating a better oxygen supply to the cells, results show an increase in blood circulation and the parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s natural stress-reducer. Eighty-nine percent of respondents reported a reduction in stress and feelings of wellbeing within a few minutes on the O2Chair, and the benefits last long after the treatment.

“Many of us don’t even realise how shallow we are breathing, until we take time to focus on our breath,” says Yesa Yu, vice president of marketing for O2Chair USA. “O2Chair is an ideal ‘mindfulness hack’ for stressed-out spa guests to get a jump start on their mediation practice, sleep better, temper a hangover or get a burst of creative inspiration. People feel better when they breathe better.”

KEYWORD: O2Chair

null,British organic skincare brand ila has launched ila apothecary, a new retail line designed to provide remedies for modern life, and to nurture the energetic and emotional needs of today’s consumers.

The collection includes Anti-Panic Drops, SOS Body Balm, Mud Shave, Beat the Blues Room Spray and Feminine Happy Body Oil. Products come in a branded tote bag with a dedicated ritual.

The products contain no chemicals, and are handmade in ila’s meditative environment in the Cotswolds. The line includes remedial ingredients such as British-grown herbs, medicinal flowers, gem stones, aromatherapy oils, vitamins, live stem cells and homeopathic ingredients. Numerology is also used in the ila apothecary line; each product has been matched to a corresponding number to symbolise the shared ideologies. For example: Remedy Number 32 (The Digital Detox Face Mist) represents communication and self-expansion, and is said to hold an energy that harnesses creativity and harmony. Each product also includes a dedicated ritual.

“I want ila’s apothecary range to be ageless – to offer gorgeous, life-enhancing products that are as relevant to an 18-year-old girl as they are to an 80-year-old woman,” says Denise Leicester, founder of ila.

KEYWORD: ila

Italian spa equipment manufacturer Lemi has launched the Capri Pedi Spa, an innovative new manicure-pedicure solution for spas.

Designed to unite form and function, the chair enables facilities to offer clients three treatments – facials, manicures and pedicures – simultaneously. It features a foot spa equipped with Lemi’s Saniject Hydromassage system, a pipeless system designed to ensure hygiene standards and easy cleaning.

The chair is available in 35 different upholstery options and has an oak wood base that also comes in a variety of colours and finishes.

Other features include an electrical adjustment system with 180-degree rotation, designed to give operators complete freedom over the chair’s adjustment, and a gas-spring in the back rest to maximise comfort.

The Capri Pedi Spa also includes a number of optional accessories, including a pillowed headrest, two-section heating and a memory-foam mattress.

“Elegance and design, functionality and comfort, ease and cleanliness – this is Capri Pedi Spa Lemi,” says Matteo Brusaferri, Lemi’s general manager. “It matches new functional features with a completely improved aesthetic concept to give an exclusive sensation of wellbeing.”

KEYWORD: Lemi

Spa equipment manufacturer TouchAmerica has launched the Legato Lounger, an adjustable, zero-gravity lounge chair that is designed to deliver a multi-sensory experience using integrated audio technology.

The new lounger was developed in partnership with So Sound Solutions and features its patented Acoustic Resonance Technology (ART), which combines music, sounds and vibrational therapy to create a unique user experience.

It’s designed to be used as a pre-treatment to aid relaxation or as a standalone treatment to balance the body and mind.

The ergonomically designed chair provides optimal head and heart positioning that claims to reduce stress and increase circulation. It features a three-inch memory-foam mattress, which is designed to cradle the body, while the integrated ART technology lulls the guest into a state of relaxation and wellbeing.

TouchAmerica CEO Stewart Griffith says: “The Legato Lounger fills an important need in the spa industry for wellness technology that delivers real results without the expense of skilled labour.”

KEYWORD: Touch America

German luxury skincare brand Babor has launched a new campaign focused on women’s empowerment, encouraging women to ‘ask for more.’ The age-positive campaign features images of different ages and ethnicities – and photos that have not been retouched.

“At Babor, we’re convinced that you are at your best when you feel confident and beautiful,” says Michael Schummert, CEO of Babor. “Beauty is not merely a matter of outward appearance, as we know. But the fact remains that if we feel beautiful and at ease in our own skin, we are happier, more confident and more self-assured. It is precisely this feel-good feeling that Babor wants to give its customers.”

Babor says it supports women’s empowerment in its company, where 62 per cent of the workforce – and 50 per cent of executive positions – are held by women.

Babor has also launched a new Lifting Cellular Collagen Booster Cream Rich, which contains precision formulas designed to plump up the skin, correct wrinkles and firm sagging tissue.

Described as a “fountain of youth for the skin,” the cream contains lupin extract, brown algae extracts to improve tissue firmness, and Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids.

KEYWORD: Babor

Italian company Allegrini has launched a new range of cosmetics that features organic hemp oil as its primary ingredient.

Hemp Care, known as Hemp Code in the US, consists of a range of high-performance skin and hair care products, as well as a lifestyle line and a collection of hotel amenities.

The 11-piece skincare collection is designed to intensely hydrate and renew the skin. It features both skin and bodycare, including a body scrub, dry body oil, shower gel, body cream, soap, body scrub soap, face cream, lip balm, eye serum, hand balm and hand wash.

The haircare line is billed as ‘a little miracle’ for all hair types, and is designed to stimulate growth, boost strength and increase elasticity for stronger, more youthful looking hair. It features a shampoo, conditioner, hair cream and hair mask. The lifestyle range features a bath essence, eau de parfum, home fragrance, room diffuser and scented candles.

“Hemp Care represents the real luxury of simplicity,” says Antonella Allegrini, general manager, “Hemp is an ancient natural element rediscovered as an exclusive and sophisticated wellness experience.”

KEYWORD: Hemp Code

Dutch furniture design company Van De Sant has launched its environmentally friendly outdoor furniture into the hospitality and spa markets.

The company, which is based on the Dutch-Caribbean island of Curacao, uses recycled materials, including plastic waste reclaimed from the ocean, to create sturdy furniture frames. These frames are then covered with foam and upholstered in weather-resistant fabrics to create a range of furniture that is both functional and stylish.

The range consists of chairs, sofas, tables and recliners suitable for both indoor and outdoor use in spas, in nine mini-collections: Maine, Madesimo, Wales, Toronto, Turrialba, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Munich and Oslo, each inspired by the places they were named for.

Van De Sant founder Robert Milder says: “Our furniture is designed to prevent deforestation and reduce plastic waste. We have proven that a sustainable vision can lead to design and comfort.”

KEYWORD: Van De Sant

F.C. Sturtevant – an American skincare company in business since 1871 – has launched a new probiotic line for the spa industry. Columbia Probiotics is a proprietary formula of probiotics and living botanicals, peptides and isolated plant stem cell extracts that is designed to work synergistically to establish a healthy skin microbiome.

The idea is that the products balance the bacteria in and on the skin by promoting ‘good bacteria’ at the expense of ‘bad bacteria’.

“The regular use of Columbia Probiotics products effectively acts on the most important biological feature in ageing skin: its ability to renew itself,” says Melanie Edwards, director, spa division. “Our formulas have been clinically proven to improve skin barrier function and enhance the growth of the epidermis and dermal layers.”

Columbia SkinCare has created an easy way to augment a spa’s skincare menu by adding in a probiotic facial protocol, which can be added to any skincare treatment.

The line includes two ‘hero’ products – Columbia Probiotic Complex and Columbia Probiotic Concentrate — and is only available at spas and dermatologists’ offices.

KEYWORD: Columbia

Italian skincare brand Comfort Zone is launching a new line designed to meet the needs of modern multitaskers – in particular, millennials – who live in today’s fast-paced world. With 54 per cent of the world’s population living in urban settings – and that number projected to grow to 66 per cent by 2050 – Skin Regimen is designed for those urban dwellers who need to cope with the daily effects of stress and pollution.

Launching globally in February 2018, Skin Regimen is designed to address the most common stress-related signs, such as dehydration, dullness, imperfections, fine lines and wrinkles.

“We’re keeping some of Comfort Zone’s DNA, but Skin Regimen is its own brand,” says Brian Brazeau, general manager of Comfort Zone.

The line includes ten products, and uses the company’s trademarked Modern Plant Chemistry. All products are also enriched with Longevity Complex, made of organic superfood extracts and carnosine.

Designed to be unisex, Skin Regimen features a natural aroma and dramatic black-and-white photography on its packaging and POS materials. A Skin Regimen Urban Longevity Facial will include massage techniques inspired by Qigong and modern physiotherapy, and the company has also devised its own Macro Waves Sound – music to go along with the treatments, which incorporates natural and synthetic sounds and is inspired by Mind Sound Resonance Technique, a yoga-based mindful relaxation technique.

KEYWORD: Comfort Zone