The age-old sentiment that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” may be true, but here on the Osa Peninsula beauty rests in the hands of Mother Earth.
Blue Osa is intimately connected with the environment surrounding us, which means all the rejuvenating beauty treatments that you experience at our spa are locally sourced.
Here are the 10 products that make you beautiful. They are not only found in our spa services but are also locally found as well.
Many of the ingredients from our spa treatments are organically sourced from rainforests in the Osa Peninsula, and healing properties from local plains are extracted and used whenever possible.You may be surprised at how easily they can be found.
Bring the power of the rainforest home with you.
What are the 10 Products that make you look beautiful?
1. Coffee
Coffee is the morning drink of choice worldwide, but did you know it can have energizing effects on the body, not just for sleep deprivation? Costa Rica’s history with coffee production is no mystery, as the nation has been growing it since 1779. When used in a body scrub, coffee stimulates microcirculation and eliminates toxins. And what woman doesn’t want a little fat reduction and a way to eliminate cellulite? Because coffee does that too!
2. Chocolate
There’s a reason why chocolate tastes so sinful, making women sigh with pleasure, it’s a natural raw super food and a powerful antioxidant for the body. Packed full of glycerides, minerals and vitamins, chocolate leaves your skin feeling supple and revitalized.
3. Coconut
Oh, the glories of coconut! I’m a rabid coconut fan myself–eager to eat it, wear it and drink it. At Blue Osa, one only needs to gaze above to discover the many coconut trees on the property. This equals heaven to me. Coconuts are rich in lipids, lauric acid, vitamins, nutrients and minerals, and promotes the youth and health of skin and hair. Coconut meat is incorporated into body and hair conditioning treatments or exfoliating scrubs, while coconut oil is drawn out for use in massage and skin rituals. It’s truly nature’s nectar!
4. Avocado
In Costa Rica, the avocado is sold at nearly every grocery store, roadside stand and farmers’ market throughout the country. They are available year-round, which makes them a fruitful source for a variety of purposes, not just eating. Rich in monounsaturated fats (the best kind), it delivers superior moisture to damaged, dry, and undernourished skin and hair. Armed with Vitamin A, D, E and potassium, avocados penetrate deep into the skin tissue to soften and regenerate.
5. Blue Osa Clay
Clay might register as an odd ingredient for a spa treatment, but at Blue Osa, we respect the indigenous plant life and listen to its wisdom. The clay that is used in our facial and body masks come directly from the Osa rainforest. Referred to as “jewels of the earth”, the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica is home to two-thirds of the living animal and plant species in the world. Since ancient times, the clay was used for it’s healing properties. Full of potassium, magnesium and zinc, it can extract impurities and toxins from the skin, deliver minerals, increase firmness, decrease wrinkles, and smooth and rejuvenate. Green clay is also known to increase circulation, and bring blood and lymph to the surface, relieving muscle aches and pain. An absolute miracle cure for what ails you.
6. Aloe Vera
Healers know the secret of aloe vera on the Osa. If you return from a day in the sun and are nursing a nasty sunburn, don’t turn to that aloe you purchased at the pharmacy from home, if you apply aloe directly from the Osa, your skin will miraculously heal. An ailment in the local environment can be healed from a local plant. Aloe is planted around our spa so its leaves can be easily snapped for immediate use. It’s thick clear liquid that is stored in its leaves is used in treatments to heal sunburn, hydrate, tone and re-oxygenize skin. For luscious hair, aloe’s juicy sap can repair and strengthen hair follicles.
7. Volcanic Mud
The curative properties of mud have been explored by numerous cultures, such as the famous Dead Sea mud baths along Jordan, which is why Blue Osa is conscious of including this purifying ingredient int our relaxing body masks. Wet volcanic mud is extracted from he central valley of Costa Rica and works as an excellent carrier for essential oils to generate a meditative heat and aid tissues in releasing toxins.
8. Sea Salt
At Blue Osa, sea salt is a great exfoliate for the skin, but many people don’t realize how amazing it is. The high calcium content of sea salt can clear up clogged skin pores. If you have acne-prone skin, a sea salt pore cleanser does the trick. Also, sea salt is chock full of vitamins and minerals, providing proper nourishment to skin cells. This nourishment keeps the tissues hydrated and boosts blood circulation flowing on the skin surface.
9. Papaya
Papaya’s sorbet orange shade and gleaming black seeds make this fruit appealing enough, but when mixed into our facial treatments, papaya is proven to reduce wrinkles and clear away age spots caused by sun damage. Our spa uses the pulp for masks and then the skins over the face for an exfoliating massage — every bit of the papaya is utilized at Blue Osa.
10. Ylang Ylang
With so many ylang-ylang trees on the Blue Osa property, our spa therapists need only walk a few feet to snip off a stem for our signature aroma. As an essential oil, ylang-ylang is a predominant ingredient in body and face creams used for its antiseptic, toning, stimulating, and sebum balancing properties. When infused with aromatherapy treatments, the bright hints of jasmine and neroli act as an anti-stress agent, invoking feelings of calm and deep relaxation.
With the majesty of nature accessible at every turn, our family at Blue Osa incorporates what is thriving around us to make sure you leave feeling beautiful from the inside out.
About the Author
Jeannie Mark left the corporate cubicle in 2010 and bought a one-way ticket to India, never looking back once. Through her travel/creative website, Nomadic Chick she inspires other women to seek out the same, an impassioned life full of purpose. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
