Spring, is that you? Everybody's wondering, hoping, peeking out cautiously from the office-apartment...

1. Refresh Your Style for Spring
Spring, is that you? Everybody's wondering, hoping, peeking out cautiously from the office-apartment
caves where we've burrowed in for most of the past five months. And, yes, the season of
flowers and sundresses is finally here. It's time for a whole new look, feel and attitude! To help us
transform from frozen to fabulous, we asked the experts to share their wisest tips for sloughing off
the winter blahs.
Detox First Get the lymphatic system going, force your body to sweat and expel toxins first and
foremost. Eau Spa's recommended method is a "detox wrap" in jasmine rhassoul clay, but you can
get a similar effect by exfoliating and then going in a sauna. Use a dry scrub, sugar scrub or salt
scrub. Removing all that dead skin is almost like removing a shell. And it's important to go in a dry
sauna rather than a steam room because in a dry sauna your body is working to sweat, whereas in a
steam room you're coated immediately in moisture.
Blooming Beauty Floral, grassy, mossy, supple: These are the scents and textures that guests of Eau
Spa gravitate to in spring. If you're looking for products with these qualities, the Red Flower line has
some great choices: Red Flower Ohana Gingergrass is one of Eau Spa's biggest sellers. It smells like
the forest coming alive. Plum Blossom Silk Cream from the same line has a supple feel and an
aromatic blossomy smell, like plum trees blooming before they start to produce fruit.
Also recommended: the Cherry Blossom & Lotus range from Sothys.
Get on the Ball As Core Fusion Barre is a ballet-inspired, core-centric class, it focuses on isolating
core fitness exercises, alignment, flexibility and posture, and mindful muscle movements. You work
on the ball of the foot to help get more range of movement in the leg and gluteal muscles. This
position actually comes from ballet classes where dancers work in "releve" to get more length to the
legs. It also works the calf muscle along with balance. When you work on the ball of the foot of your
standing leg, you also help increase bone density, because it is a weight-bearing leg.
Core + Cardio = Full-Body Transformation Exhale's newest class, Core Fusion Barre+Cardio,
combines the cardio benefits of interval training with the toning benefits of the Core Fusion barre

2. technique. Each two-part class consists of 30 minutes of plank-run sprints with short recovery
periods, followed by muscle-defining barre-based sequences of movements that target the thighs,
butt and abs. Note: Core Fusion's definition of "recovery" is typically a down-dog stretch, a plank, or
slowly practicing an exercise form before speeding up to double-time for the intense sequence.
There's no such thing as a total resting period, until the last few minutes of the cool-down. This class
incorporates high-energy sequences with "bigger" range of motion than the subtle repetitions that
define other Core Fusion classes.
Epsom Salt Does a Body Good As the new Epsom Salt Council spokeswoman, Olympic snowboarder
Elena Hight is popularizing a simple home remedy that physical therapists, yoga instructors and
masseuses have recommended all along. Three cups of Epsom salt in a bath are "such an easy go-to
when you have sore muscles or after a hard fall," she advises. For a great DIY body scrub - effective
as an exfoliant but also to hydrate wind-chapped skin -- Hight recommends Epsom salt mixed with
coconut oil.
Exfoliate Thyself One of the first things I like to promote for spring are body scrubs. People don't
realize how bad the winter is for their skin. They put lotion over lotion over shea butter, to try to
keep hydrated. But if you're not getting the dead skin off, the lotion is doing nothing. And if you're
not exfoliating before spray tanning, that's when you get the streaks. The tanner is going to adhere
more to the dry areas, and giving it that uneven look.
What I'd recommend for spring is a full-body exfoliation followed by a great self-tanning treatment.
We have one here called the Fruity Peel, which is fruit enzymes. Sugar scrubs are really great.
That's going to be your most gentle scrub, even more than the enzymes.
Spring in Your Step Another thing people start to think of in spring is their feet, because they're
going to be putting on sandals. The area where the wear and dehydration really shows first is in the
heels. One professional pedicure's not going to do it. To get your heels nice and sandal ready, you
have to have a home care routine.
I keep one of the foot files from Sweden hanging in the shower: It's called the FOT. Do it every time
you shower. Then once a week, slather your feet in a really thick body butter or crème, slip on
some socks, and go to bed. In the morning your feet will look so nice. And they will stay gorgeous all
summer long.
Professional warning: Never razor skin off. There's too much risk of infection.