There are some serious perks to having a job like mine, and even though I would consider myself in either the "out-of-the-loop" or "could-care-less" camps when it comes to celebrities, I would be lying if I said that I don't occasionally get excited when certain stars come to town. 

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A literary masterwork this is not, but simply a snippet from the conversation two adult women recently had about beauty products. Becky Sturm from StormSister Spatique just introduced me to a fabulous, new sweet-smelling styling product made especially for frizzy-headed folks like me (see below). Once I was done expressing my gratitude, I decided to bat a few questions with Becky. Here goes:

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I think few would disagree that beauty is placed on a pedestal in our society. Flawless figures, youthful skin, and unattainable clothing pervade our everyday lives--in magazines, on TV, and in stores. Most of us know (to some degree) that we'll never look like the airbrushed models on magazine covers or the waif-thin cat walkers on the runway. Yet, that doesn't necessarily stop us from trying, and it certainly doesn't prevent us from judging the way we look in comparison.

Filmmaker Darryl Roberts probes the question: "Does America  have an unhealthy obsession with beauty?" in his moving documentary America the Beautiful. The critically acclaimed, 105-minute film plays for two days only in Minneapolis--tonight and tomorrow night at Lagoon Cinema.

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This past Wednesday—like most Wednesdays—was a busy, busy day for me. I had a million things to get done at work, and by 1:30 p.m., I felt like I'd barely made progress on my long to-do list. At 1:45, I bolted out of the office and hurried through the skyway to my car. I was running late for an appointment I'd made at RejoovMe Relaxation Center.

Frazzled (and at least ten minutes late), I walked in the door and was greeted by a a smiling (and much calmer) Jeanna Beck, general manager of the beautiful St. Louis Park locale. Though I love the fast pace of our downtown office, the relaxed atmosphere at RejoovMe was just what I needed. Jeanna took me on a short tour of the serene space, which consists of four private "flotation suites," two spacious changing rooms with personal lockers, a massage room, and a cozy post-session lounge area.

Jeanna escorted me to my changing room where a comfy bathrobe and sandals awaited. I was then assigned to my private suite (Fun fact: All are named after Twin Cities lakes. I was in Calhoun.) where I would have my first "flotation" experience. The dimly lit room included a modern rain shower (for rinsing off before and after my session) and a giant "bed" filled with warm water and nearly 800 pounds of salt. (High salt content creates very buoyant water, allowing for effortless flotation and relaxation.)

After a quick rinse, I inserted the provided ear plugs, grabbed a pillow for a head-rest, and stepped into the futuristic bed of water. Guests have the choice of leaving the lid opened or closed. (I started with it closed, but it felt slightly coffin-like, so that didn't last long.) As I relaxed on the water's surface, the sound of crashing waves played quietly overhead and I began to forget the worries of my hectic day. I recommend turning off the lights to help fully unwind. The time goes by more quickly than you'd think, especially if you're able to simply let go and float.

Once my session was over, I could certainly feel the salt on my skin. So I hopped back in my private shower (which features complimentary shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner) and changed back into my clothes. I felt completely different than the frazzled girl who walked in an hour ago.

Aside from relaxation benefits (floating for an hour is said to be the equivalent of four hours of sleep), the flotation beds also improve cardiovascular efficiency, strengthen your immune system, reduce muscle and back pain, increase mind retention, and relieve insomnia.

RejoovMe charges $45 for a thirty-minute session, $55 for a sixty-minute session, and reduced costs if you buy packages of three or more. (Psst... a student ID gets you a discount!) Swedish, deep tissue, and pregnancy massages are also available for additional costs. (It's recommended that a massage follows a float session.)

Still curious about this innovative new relaxation center? Check out RejoovMe's grand opening tomorrow (Saturday), October 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. Guests will enjoy appetizers, drinks, tours, demonstrations, and a take-home gift.

RejoovMe Relaxation Center, Excelsior & Grand, 3826 Grand Way, St. Louis Park, 952-285-2993

The first time I had a massage, I was sixteen. During a visit to my chiropractor (an attempt to walk my puppy and ride a bike at the same time left me with a broken tailbone), I complained of a sore neck and shoulders.

"Your muscles are really tight," my chiropractor explained, "why don't you go see the masseuse upstairs?"

Knowing that my father would be getting the bill, I took her up on the offer. One hour later, I was determined I'd just been born again. I had never felt so revived, so at peace, or so whole. And since that day, I have made massage an integral part of my personal-care routine that includes, among many things, exercise, vegetables, water, love, and laughter.

The only unfortunate thing to come from that experience is that massage is kind of like the gateway drug to the spa—it introduced me to the facials, body wraps, and Vichy showers that I now also crave.

After a particularly long summer of work (and saying goodbye to a boyfriend who is going to graduate school across the country), when an invitation came my way to try a few of the new services at Ivy Spa Club, it took everything I had not to ask to come by that afternoon. I felt broken, and I knew that a few hours of relaxation would be a step in helping me heal.

I started with the Nature's Indulgence Body Treatment, a part herbal exfoliating rub, part nurturing wrap, and part massage that blended nature's most aromatic herbs. My masseuse, Milly, started by applying a gentle exfoliating mix of herbs and olive oil (A side note: olive oil is the beauty secret of many Mediterranean women. They slather it all over their hair, face, and body after a shower. Which might explain why they always look so good despite lifelong exposure to harsh sun and salty water).

After the exfoliation and olive oil was applied, I was cocooned in a wrap of blankets while Milly administered a phenomenal scalp massage. To finish, a special lotion blend of chamomile, honeysuckle, and cucumber was applied during a fifty-minute massage. I left the room feeling so relaxed, I couldn't even muster the energy to read a magazine.

After the massage, I had the Diamond Radiance Facial, a "natural face-lift" that promotes immediate firming, plumping, and radiance. I am neither of the camp that needs a real face-lift (or injections of Restylane or Botox for the matter) nor the type of person who would want such treatments, but the idea of looking just a little bit refreshed and plumped and alive was more than tempting.

Four hours after walking my tired self into Ivy Salon, I left feeling revived, rejuvenated, and thoroughly relaxed.

Nature's Indulgence Body Treatment ($165) and Diamond Radiance Facial ($200), Ivy Spa Club at Hotel Ivy, 201 S. 11th St. S., Mpls., 612-343-3131

For thirty-five years, Horst Rechelbacher, the founder of Aveda and more recently Intelligent Nutrients, has studied plant chemistry and traveled the world, learning from medicine men, shamen, and Ayurvedic teachers. The culmination of his life’s work in the beauty and cosmetic industry and his more recent jaunts into organic farming come together in the creation of Intelligent Nutrients—the first collection of USDA Certified Organic food-grade beauty and cosmetic products. I grabbed a few moments with him to talk about the ugly side of the beauty industry, IN, and his new book, Minding Your Business: Profits that Restore the Planet.

Q. You sold Aveda to Estee Lauder in 1997; when did you start working on Intelligent Nutrients?

A. I had a non-compete, which I had to honor. That was over two-and-a-half years ago, and I started as soon as it was over. But I was researching food technology and how to apply it to things other than just chocolates, teas, and other things that I was selling under the Intelligent Nutrients label. I really got into food science. Now I am using what I learned from food science in the creation of cosmetics.

Q. Many cosmetics and personal-care products contain silicones. Intelligent Nutrients does not. What is the problem with silicones?

A. Silicones are OK when implanted and controlled, but silicones are not good for the body when they are loose and traveling. Silicones are indigestible and not recyclable—they exist as silicones forever. So having silicones in small particles in creams and lotions and hair products (which we inhale and ingest through our skin), our liver cannot break these down. The stomach cannot digest them. So they just float around the body. Nobody really knows where he or she goes because medical science has not yet looked in-depth at cosmetics as possible pollutants. And this kind of information is definitely not broadcast on the daily news, so people don't know how they may be harming themselves. It is criminal.

Q. How are petrochemicals dangerous?

A. These pollutants affect our body in a very biological way by going after our cells. They penetrate and mutilate cells. If a cell is mutilated, that cell becomes sick, and then it becomes inflamed. Inflammatory conditions are the root to all diseases. And let's not forget that these petrochemicals have completely infiltrated every part of our society, and we have become dependent on foreign sources. And if society doesn't make some sweeping changes, we will run on this petrochemical paradigm until we are all dried up.

Q. Why is having the organic certification so important?

A. The cosmetic market is interesting because the FDA has trusted the cosmetic and household-care markets to self-regulate. The word organic is not governed in these industries. The word organic belongs to the USDA, and they are the ones who can give an organic certification to food. We had to go get our seal for our products from the USDA.

Q. In Al Gore's interview on Sunday morning on Meet The Press, he expressed that society and consumers may need to make and commit to drastic lifestyle changes in order to get off the grid, to no longer be dependent on foreign energy, and to decrease their contributions to pollution. As far as our beauty routine goes, how do we make the change? It can't be a good thing to just discard of everything we have.

A. It is a transition. Use it up, and be a better consumer. Now you know. Knowing is the moment of change. Manage the old while introducing the new. This is what companies need to do; this is what households need to do; and this is what individuals need to do. We all need to support the change.

Q. What is green washing?

A. Green washing is when a company promises their product is green, and it is not. Nowadays, a new word is "Seal-washings" because now there are all of these made-up seals [being slapped on] products. Both of these are ways of lying to the consumer.

Q. Why are plant chemicals better than man-made?

A. Humans cannot duplicate what is made in nature. There are 300 components to the essence of jasmine. In a lab-made fragrance, there are only five or six, and those are synthesized with petrochemical science. When humans try to recreate something from nature, it will always produce side effects, which is why Intelligent Nutrients uses only food-grade plant essential oils as fragrance.

Q. You have come out with both supplements that contain your Intellimune Oil blend, but it can also be found in the beauty products. What is an Intellimune Oil, and why is it so important?

A. Seed oils were used in traditional cultures as cures to all kinds of illness and diseases. Our cold-pressed oil and powdered shell caplets provide a super-potent amount of antioxidants that fight aging, boost immunity, and will give us longer lashes, stronger nails and hair, and radiant skin.

Pick up the entire collection of Rechelbacher's Intelligent Nutrients cosmetic and body-care items at 983 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-617-2000

Horst Rechelbacher discusses and signs copies of his new book, Minding Your Business: Profits that Restore the Planet.

Tuesday, July 22, noon-1:30 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 801 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-371-4443

Tuesday, July 22, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Galleria, 952-920-0633

Wednesday, July 23, 7 p.m.
Germanic American Institute, 301 Summit Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-7027

Local purveyor of stylish-looking, hard-working, and environmentally gentle cleaning products, Daub & Baublé, is adding a new all-surface cleanser to its lineup of hand wash, hand lotion, and dish detergent. The new surface cleanser will be available in all of D&B’s signature scents—Tarocco Orange and Clove, Mission Fig and Thyme, and Sorrento Lemon and Ginger.

The ready-to-use, kitchen-to-bath spray is formulated to be biodegradable with a naturally derived, plant-based cleaning agent, and it is safe for all nonporous, finished surfaces. We’ll be using it on our tile, sealed granite and marble countertops, and stainless steel.

$9. Garden of Eden, 867 Grand Ave., St Paul, 651-293-1300

Also, check out Abby Van Ness's story about Josh and Rachel Berger, the husband-and-wife team behind Daub & Baublé, in our June issue. On newsstands now!

There’s no getting away from green today. And it’s not just because of all the rain we’ve been getting. Green, organic, and all natural are part of our national lexicon for good reason. Gas prices are through the roof, and we’re on the verge of an energy crisis. Today, more than ever, the concept of green is hitting every corner of the consumer market, including beauty products.

So it isn't surprising that Horst Rechelbacher, the man who arguably started all this with Aveda (the hair-care company that introduced the U.S. to aromatherapy and Ayurvedic philosophies in the seventies), wouldn’t let other industries out-green him. Although he settled into placid farm life in Wisconsin after Aveda was purchased by Estée Lauder, we’ve always heard rumblings that he was, err, cooking something up.

On Wednesday, Rechelbacher finally introduced his anticipated collection to editors in New York City (at a press conference in which they dined on organic fare and were transported back to their offices in green MINI Town Cars). The products include internal, food, lip, hair, and aromatic offerings with body, facial, pet, intimacy, maternal, and baby products expected in the next few months. The items all feature Intellimune Oils, derived from products grown on Rechelbacher’s 600-acre Wisconsin farm. 

Up until now, no beauty or personal-care products have been able to earn a food-grade stamp, but with Intelligent Nutrients, all items are 100 percent certified organic—except for two products that are made for color-treated hair—a score only given to food-grade items. Hair items, including a hair and scalp treatment oil ($45), styling crème ($35), and leave-in conditioner ($39), to name a few, do not come cheap. But for many, you can’t put a price on good health.

Although the line isn’t available quite yet, we can expect a role out high-end salon and spa chains as well as the opening of more freestanding IN stores in Minneapolis, New York, and Toronto.

Intelligent Nutrients, 983 Hennepin Ave., E., Mpls., 612-617-2002

Located above downtown Minneapolis's CorePower Yoga, in a naturally lit industrial space, 501F1T is the newest gym to hit the Twin Cities. I stopped in on Thursday evening for the open house celebration and to tour the 8,000-square-foot club. Exposed brick walls, citron-green accents, and large windows act as a backdrop to state-of-the art fitness equipment— much of it custom-designed by founder and fitness director Phil Martens.

Having more than ten years of fitness training under his belt, Martens sought to combine all of his favorite gym equipment into one compact machine. He invented and designed the G-Werx Gym, which is used in 501's unique strength training classes. Featuring a patented "Flexchange System," the G-Werx uses dumbbells as resistance for machine exercise. The combination of free weights and machine offers more than 100 ways to tone and strengthen your entire body.

Other 501F1T amenities include: a fully stocked free weight room, rows of cardio equipment, tidy locker rooms, showers, towel service, massage therapy, nutritional consultations, and more.

While large enough (and open enough) to avoid feeling cramped, 501 is intimate enough to allow for fellow gym members to know you by name. And for many city dwellers, it will be a welcome alternative to the large-scale chain gyms that dot the metro.

Give it a try: New visitors can try a week's worth of classes for only $5.01. Call 612-767-4415 or email info@501FIT.com for more information.

501F1T, 501 S. Washington Ave., Mpls., 612-767-4415

If you lived in the Twin Cities in the '90s, you must remember Steve and Sharon, the infamous duo that hosted KSTP's Good Company. Our local ABC affiliate is hoping to hit gold again with Twin Cities Live, a mid-afternoon talk and news program hosted by Rebekah Wood and John Hanson. The search for the hosts took months and spanned the continent, and the show premiered yesterday. We nabbed a few minutes of the hosts' busy time and asked them a few harmless questions.

John Hanson:

Q. What is your favorite Twin Cities neighborhood and why?
A. The Warehouse District because it’s near some great lounges and close to the sports arenas

Q. Necessary extravagance?
A. Premium beer

Q. What can’t you leave home without?
A. Like everyone else on Earth, my cell phone

Q. Who inspires you?
A. People with muscular dystrophy who don’t let it stop them from constantly achieving

Q. Where can we find you on a Friday Night?
A. r.Norman’s

Q. Have Steve and Sharon given you any advice?
A. No, I haven’t had a chance to talk to them, but I would love to.

Q. Tell us something we don’t know about your co-host, Rebekah?
A. She had to overcome some amazing competition for the job and earned it.

Rebekah Wood:

Q. What is your favorite Twin Cities neighborhood and why?
A. Woodbury because it’s my neighborhood, and the people there have been unbelievably welcoming.

Q. Necessary extravagance? 
A. Starbucks . . . two toddlers, need I say more?

Q. What can’t you leave home without?
A. Guilt—whenever I have to drop my girls off at preschool. Or, C.O. Bigelow mint lip gloss. Both are always with me.

Q. Who inspires you?
A. My husband who is winning a pretty tough fight against brain cancer

Q. Where can we find you on a Friday Night?
A. I’d like to say at a great happy hour, but usually it’s popcorn party night with my family.

Q. Have Steve and Sharon given you any advice? 
A. Not yet, but I can’t wait until they do.

Q. Tell us something we don’t know about your co-host, John? 
A. He’s got a great overbite when he dances.