Juara is Now Paraben-Free

One of our favourite face and body care lines is JUARA—a fusing of the active botanicals utilised in Indonesian herbal recipes with western science. The result is an exciting and innovative product line that represents the best of both worlds.

Utilising active botanicals such as rice, tamarind, turmeric, candlenut oil, healing teas and red sandalwood, JUARA combines time-honoured recipes for skin health with the best in modern technology and innovation to deliver elegant, effective treatments of the highest quality.

Recently, JUARA completed the long transition process to remove parabens and other possibly harmful chemicals from their formulations. (Parabens are chemicals that prevent bacterial growth, and are in a wide range of face, hair and bodycare products. While the cosmetics industry still considers them safe, no strong data exists to assess the effects of long-term use over a wide area of the body.) Kudos to JUARA for putting the well being of their clients first by committing to this arduous and expensive task.

Removing parabens from products is not a quick process. First, alternative means of preventing bacterial growth must be identified and tested, and the product reformulated when the removal of specific ingredients results in an undesirable change to consistency, appearance or aroma.

Although JUARA's original product line was 60% paraben-free, the process of reformulation has taken the company over a year.

"We wanted to get it right," says company spokesperson (and one of the four young female founders) Metta Murdaya. "During the process of improving our products, we met with a few challenges that we were determined not to compromise on."

With over 20 products and a loyal customer base, JUARA wanted to make sure that their line remained "true" and retained all of the good and none of the bad. All JUARA products are 100% vegetarian, free from parabens, pthalates, sulfates and artificial colourants and are not tested on animals.

Our personal favourites? The yummy Invigorating Coffee Scrub, luxurious Candlenut Body Creme, highly effective Sweet Black Tea & Ginger Mattifying Moisturiser, and the impossibly rich Avocado Banana Moisture Mask.

You can purchase JUARA products from various beauty boutiques and online from their website.

The Perfect Spa

Just about now, as soon as pretty sandals come into the stores, I book my first pedicure of the year at the best spa on the planet. This is Spa Utopia in North Vancouver. In case you've never heard of Spa Utopia, it's a world class facility that offers, if only for a brief period of time, a life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams. The first Spa Utopia opened in February 2001 on 64th Avenue in Langley. Today, there are three spas, the others located on Harbourside Drive in North Vancouver and in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver.

A visit to Spa Utopia is truly a delight, whether it be for a simple pedi or the full treatment in one of their exquisite VIP suites. After snuggling into a fluffy white robe, you will be led into the lounge, through a long, dark corridor flanked by Roman statues and mood lighting. Here, you will find an array of nibblies and beverages including fresh and dried fruits and white wine or the spa's delicious signature blend of warmed apple juice and rooibos tea served in a champagne flute. Relax in front of the fireplace to the soothing sound of the central fountain (the whole interior is fashioned after a Roman villa) or read your favourite beauty mag as you wait.

You may think I'm waxing a little too eloquently about Spa Utopia, but there is simply no place like it. I must admit I have a weakness for spa-ing, and have been to many—in various locales and different hotel chains including the Four Seasons and the Grand Wailea in Maui. (At the latter, I endured my half-hour pedi while listening to my technician chatter on and on about her problems with the roadworks to two other technicians providing pedicures inches away from each other. Finally, one of the customers told them she wasn't paying $100 with gratuity to feel like a sardine and listen to all their complaints...) Of the 20 or so spas I have visited, Spa Utopia is by far the most luxurious, with the hands-down best selection of services. And, yes, they are private...

At the top of my list of to-dos this summer is the Aromasoul Experience. Four treatments are available, reflecting ancient traditions of the Orient, Mediterranean, Indian and Arabian cultures. Each ritual encompasses soothing music, an Aromasoul essential oil blend, refreshing body scrub and an Aromasoul massage typical of the culture you choose. I plan on having the Oriental Aromasoul Experience to begin with. Here's a description:

Essences of Ylang Ylang, mimosa and jasmine set the foundation to create a warm and comforting atmosphere and help reduce anxiety. Mother of pearl powder favours a cherished exfoliating tradition to bestow smoothness and luminosity to the skin. Oriental Aromasoul massage honours the ancient theory of the five elements to increase energy flow to exert a soothing and relaxing effect on the body for sweet comfort.

The image to the left is of an elegantly appointed VIP suite in the North Vancouver location, complete with fireplace, double Jacuzzi, waterfall shower, private dining area, private changing area with super-soft robes, towels and extras, and personal hostess. This and the Pan Pacific locations offer a VIP Getaway Package for two that would make the perfect anniversary or birthday gift. The package lasts approximately 3 hours and includes:

- Two Spa Utopia luxury robes to keep ($250.00 value).

- Side by side private VIP suite treatments

- Two 50 minute Classic Swedish Full Body Massages

- Two 50 minute Designed for You Facials

While spa treatments are, of course, a luxury, it is a luxury we all need from time to time to restore the self and remind us that our bodies are the temples of our souls. Being a member of Spa Utopia provides a number of benefits including up to 25% off treatments, a $25 gift card, 10% discount on products (and the array is nothing short of staggering) and upgrade to a VIP suite at 50% of the regular rate (North Vancouver and Pan Pacific locations only). The cost of membership is just $129 plus GST.

More Coffee Tales

Yes, that's a Salt Spring Coffee sign hanging in the snazzy Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal building! What a difference a couple of years can make...

Back then, on a similar visit to Victoria, I remember sitting in a dismal cafeteria, sipping a barely-tolerable coffee from a styrofoam cup and looking forward to a rather tedious trip on an aging ferry. This time, the coffee was superb and the locale delightful, with its many boutiques and places to find more-than-mere-palatable food.

And then, there was the Coastal Celebration...one of the new B.C. ferries which is a triumph of design, and loaded with "services" such as the Pacific Buffet, Coastal Cafe, Coast Cafe Express and Seawest Lounge. Things are looking up! (My only disappointment was that, after my two cups of Salt Spring Coffee shoreside, the onboard brew was a bit flavourless.)