AT HOME SPA DAY

Spa Day

At-home wellness routines from EDITION Hotel spa experts

Written by Delaney Willet

Amidst these unprecedented circumstances, we all seem to be signing off our emails with “be well,” but what are we actually implementing in our daily routines to remain mindful and “stay well”? Edition Hotels, known for their minimalist glamour and serene surroundings, maintain some of the most upscale spas at their properties around the world. While we don’t have the chance to sample their sumptuous treatments for ourselves at this time (in the interest of social distancing), we do have the pleasure of hearing from the experts curating the Edition spa menus. By peering into the at-home wellness routines of these aficionados, we find multiple daily practices we can utilize in our own homes to revitalize our bodies and psyches.

THE WEST HOLLYWOOD EDITION Carrie Sotebeer, Director of Spa

Carrie Sotebeer, the Director of Spa at The West Hollywood Edition, brings the wellness she professes in her professional life home with her, beginning each day with a health ritual.

She starts every morning with a glass of Himalayan sea salt sole, adding a teaspoon of the salt to a full glass of water. She does this to “balance pH levels, intake essential minerals and increase the body’s alkalinity.”

Sotebeer makes a point to take at least ten minutes for herself to meditate and focus on her breath, followed by yoga, which she has been teaching, along with meditation, for 11 years.

Last but not least, Sotebeer says “I dry brush my body—not only is this exfoliating, but it also increases circulation and stimulates our lymphatic system.” Talk about an at-home spa treatment!

THE MIAMI BEACH EDITION Vince Smit, Spa Director

From The Edition Hotel’s sunny Miami Beach location, Spa Director Vince Smit, an expert in all things self-care, shares his easy, at-home morning ritual—which he does each day to stay healthy and strengthen his immune system.

First, Smit practices oil pulling. This ancient Ayurvedic practice involves swishing oil in your mouth to remove bacteria and promote oral hygiene. Smit suggests starting each day by taking 1 tbsp of coconut oil and swooshing it around for at least five minutes. What’s the benefit? “The bacteria that accumulates in the mouth overnight are attracted to the fatty oils, and they leave the system when you spit it out. This also helps to clear mucus and congestion in the chest,” Smit says.

Secondly, Smit completes his morning ritual with a large glass of fresh-pressed lemon water. “This makes the body alkaline for the day and gets the metabolism going, while building immunity with the vitamin C. I don’t ingest anything for 10 minutes after, to allow the lemon water to take its course through the body.”

THE BODRUM EDITION Zorka Jovovic, Spa Manager

Zorka Jovovic, a self-described homebody and the Spa Manager at The Bodrum Edition, shares that when she isn’t keeping busy at the Turkish Riviera property, which overlooks the Aegean Sea, she “gets a great deal of joy from performing a few morning rituals.”

Much like the aforementioned spa directors, Jovovic starts each day with a glass of water with squeezed lemon, as well as a homemade ginger root zest shot, for a quick immunity boost. She maintains hydration throughout the day with her own cucumber, lemon, rosemary, and kumquat-infused water, which is essential after she finishes her morning yoga. Jovovic recently joined a local online yoga class, a practice that’s becoming increasingly popular among these new global measures.

“Since social distance and being at home most of the day makes the skin a bit drier than usual, I recommend the Aromatherapy Associates’ Hydrating Rose Face Mask to rescue your skin," says Jovovic. "Without fail, the Damask rose water infused gel mask returns vital hydration to my skin, flooding it with moisture and creating a dewy, fresh look.”

With the expertise of these seasoned spa directors, it is now possible to make your time at home not only tolerable, but an opportunity to deep-dive into personal wellness like never before and emerge better than ever! *

“By peering into the athome wellness routines of these aficionados, we find multiple daily practices we can utilize in our own homes to revitalize our bodies and psyches.”