Desert botanical spa day

Greetings from Scottsdale!

We scooted off to Scottsdale for a little bit of sun, and thoroughly enjoyed the high desert flora and fauna! We will feature some gorgeous plants, but for now let’s talk botanical beauty!

I had the pleasure of sneaking off to the spa at the Fairmont Princess to try their signature “Desert Botanical Facial.” I was quite excited to see what they had in store for me, because desert flowers don’t always rock my olfactory boat, and I was curious to see what they would come up with. Well, the facial ended up being a bit more of a signature facial tailored to my personal skin and I was treated to a honey cleansing balm, cherry peel and white tea antioxidant mask. These are not exactly the first botanicals that come to mind when thinking of the desert... although there are a remarkable amount of bees in the desert come to find out. (The Camellia sinensis plant where we get white tea is firmly rooted in Asia, definitely not in Scottsdale!).

Ok, well what do we do if we do want to soak in some Sonoran desert scents? Here is my own little guide to a quick pampering sesh that evokes the spirit of that beautiful and unique region.

-We are going to start with a soak with Antica Farmacista’s Desert Sage Bubble Bath, with notes of sage, rosemary, Verdelli lemon, lavender, orange blossom, sycamore and mesquite. We can practically see the sparking mountains and barrel cacti before our eyes!

-Next, we are going to indulge ourselves with Nopalera Cactus Flower Exfoliant, made with prickly pear, jojoba seed oil and a touch of salicylic acid with a delightful tangerine oil scent.

-For our last treat, we are going to hydrate and rejuvenate our skin with Naturopathic’s Aloe Vera Replenishing Gel Mask. Aloe vera and other species of aloe can grow almost anywhere and despite orginating from the Arabian Peninsula it thrives in the desert... and anywhere else you want to place it. It is an important pollinator for the Sonoran Desert..like those afore mentioned bees and especially cute, long-billed birds like the cactus wren!)

Now go enjoy the delightful scents and nutrients of those desert botanicals!

Show-stopping flowers on this Eremophila

The tranquil desert landscape is perfect for a spa day