Summertime and the livin' is easy. ... Until you look in the mirror in September. We're blessed with gorgeous summers in LA (so far), so we can't help but stay outside as long as possible -- we'll take our workouts, dinners, drinks and dates outdoors, please. But all that exposure to the elements -- no matter how much SPF30 we slather on -- does some serious damage to our skin, hair and nails. And you know we're vain (men and women, thank you), so here are five ways to curb the dull and get back to your glow after you've had your summer fun.
Scrub It All Off: Your tan looks awesome now, but in a couple months it will reveal itself for what it really is: damaged skin. So, it's gotta go. The full-body traditional Korean body scrub at Wi Spa in Koreatown is thisclose to a full "Silkwood" but it’s so worth it. You will hand over $30, lie naked in a small treatment room and wince (slightly) as an overly-but-necessarily aggressive esthetician rids you of your unwanted skin cells. That red, tingly feeling afterwards means it's working. The next day you will glow.Wi Spa, 2700 Wilshire Boulevard at S. Rampart (213-487-2700 or wispausa.com)Return To Your Roots: It's OK to keep your highlights appointment for now, but when that calendar turns September, your locks could use a lift and a return to their natural (likely darker), healthier state. White after Labor Day: yes. "Beach" highlights: No. Since your hair is stressed, treat it to a new color sans the damaging ammonia (that's the smell in almost every color salon that makes you gag) at Shades Natural Color Studio in Beverly Hills. Owner Susan Henry (check her A-list creds) worked for years to find a nontoxic color alternative to create a healthier salon for herself, her stylists and her clients. The all-natural treatment is even safe for cancer patients and pregnant women.Shades Natural Color Studio, 144 S. Doheny Drive at Charleville Boulevard, (310-275-4882 or shadesnaturalcolor.com)
Get a New 'Do: Now that you're colored, you'll need a cut too (sun, salty beach air and chlorine make for dry, dry hair). And for that, put your trust Mike and Jenny at GoodHead in Echo Park. The co-owners of this uber-hip salon (a City's Best fave) are seriously skilled at creating layers -- even on the thinnest hair -- that will make you love your cut even more during the grow-out phase. Sometimes you love it so much that you only make it to the salon twice a year for cuts (sorry, Mike).GoodHead, 1527 West Sunset Boulevard at Echo Park Avenue (323-580-3282 or goodheadsalon.com)Turn Back Time: Cher does it through plastic surgery, but invasive is out (yes, even in LA) and topical is in. Booking a DNA Growth Factor Exfoliating Facial at The Four Seasons Spa in Westlake Village not only gives you an excuse to indulge in a mini vacay an hour outside of the city (the gorgeous, totally posh facilities are yours in which to frolic with a booked spa treatment), but will erase a few of those fine lines you've acquired over the summer. Created by dermatologist Ronald L. Moy, M.D., this treatment provides a medical-grade peel without the ruddy, red monster face. Glycolic acid gently gets dissolves your top layer of skin, then a specialized serum from Iceland (Iceland has some antiaging magic, just look at Bjork) is applied to your new, thirsty skin cells, making them divide and multiply.Four Seasons Spa, 2 Dole Drive at Via Rocas, Westlake Village (818-575-3000 or fourseasons.com) Spoil Your Soles: We're about to recommend you spend $200 on a pedicure. Seriously. Most of the time, $40 will suffice for a totally acceptable pedicure in LA -- it often even comes with a scrub. These are fine for maintenance throughout the year, but when your feet need post-summer rehab, it's time to splurge. The Aqua Ultimate Pedicure at the Lea Journo Salon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel is dubbed LA's most expensive pedicure (so far). You pick a polish, sit in a comfy chair, look at Kim Kardashian's 20 wedding dresses in Us Weekly -- it's all so familiar, why are you dropping two Benjamins? Wait, you finished Us Weekly, and Star, In Touch and Cosmo (for substance), and you're still in that chair, ridiculously relaxed—you may have even dozed off. All this time (105 minutes) your body below your knees has been massaged, scrubbed, masked, re-masked, massaged again, pumiced, oiled, expertly groomed and polished to perfection. Your feet are almost too A-list to slum-it in Jimmy Choos; you’re Louboutin-worthy now.Lea Journo Salon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard at (310-275-5200 or leajournosalon.com)