Seed and Rind Splendor

An Ayurvedic Facial Marries Eastern Health Western Luxury For an All-Out Majestic Experience

If you’ve never heard of it, an Ayurvedic facial is like the aesthetic care equivalent to yoga for your body only you don’t do any of the work and you just get spoiled.

“Ayurveda translates as the science of life and so basically the approach here is very holistic,” said Vanessa Tavaglione’s, owner and practitioner at Seed and Rind. In her at home atelier, she opens the door with a warm welcome and you are also greeted by her and her lovely little aged Boston terrier, which for me always makes me feel even more at home. (I have a really soft spot for elderly pets)

When I first saw her ad up on Instagram, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from an “Ayurvedic Facial,” as one of the photos on the site had a woman with different crystals placed upon her face. But, at the same time, never having been into yoga, I wasn’t really that familiar with the whole philosophy of yoga and Ayurveda. When it came to research and knowledge on every single aspect of what she was doing and why and the science behind it, Tavaglione was so in the know!!!

Prior to coming to that point of discovery where she realized that this specific niche was hers to own, she studied at the Institute of Ayurveda and Wellbeing in NDG with Anita Sharma as well as also having studied holistic nutrition about ten years prior at the Natural Health Consultant Institute.

“I discovered Ayurveda through different practitioners and decided to pursue that. While I was there I very casually took the Ayurveda Facial Course and then fell in loved Ayurveda Beauty part of that world. I had always had an interest in that type of thing, making my own formulations for my skin and then I was also always really into natural health and beauty and so this sort of re-sparked that passion,” said Tavaglione.

Getting down to business, what Tavaglione does with each client is highly specific. Prior to even stepping into her atelier, she has each client fill out a questionnaire to figure out what Ayurvedic constitution they fall under: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. This information will then be used to treat each individual according to what is being expressed through the “Dosha,” which is the term used to house the categories.

“The origins here are naturopathy, Chinese Medicine also derives from Ayurveda and there is a bit of that there but basically through nutrition, through herbs, through various formulations treating the state of the imbalance of these Doshas to create balance,” said Tavaglione.

A visit to Seed & Rind isn’t your typical visit to an  aesthetician as you don’t just get some kind of mask or peel and sit there. Instead, Tavaglione offers an ultra luxurious facial massage with the one of a kind tonic or oil she will have made for her client depending on their aesthetic needs and complexion problem they are looking to treat or just the type of skin they have.

As for the products she uses to massage a client’s face or head, she said that what will go into them isn’t just based on a client’s body type or skin problem but that there were other factors that come into this creation process.

“I use plant based organic products and so each ingredient has its own energy and its own constituency and brings its own benefits but this is all according to what the person’s issue is,” said Tavalione.

At the same time, thinks like the season, the individual’s age and their temperament will all be factored into each individual’s personal formulation.

You don’t necessarily have to have bad skin to make an appointment with Seed & Rind, Tavaglione’s treatments are an incredibly luxurious experience, completely on par with going for a high end massage in a spa.

I got to sample the facial massage and it was unlike any other cosmetic/spa experience I had ever had. She had this incredible swooping technique to massage your face that just felt so heavenly and exotic; I don’t think I have ever been so relaxed before.

Tavalione also has a number of beauty tools and crystal stones that she can incorporate into a facial treatment, all depending on what the client is looking for and desires as part of their experience.

“There are different beauty tools and crystal stones are part of it or beauty tools that are made of those stones, those come out of Chinese medicine but the kanza wand, that is an Ayurvedic tool and so these medals and earth elements are all again used according to what needs to be addressed by that individual and the action they want to take,” said Tavalione.

She also explained how these items are used in the context of massage as sometimes they are used for moving blood around and reducing fine lines. As for the placement of crystals upon the skin, she said that those were all about specific energy points, used in “energetic medicine.” While these elements can be used in a treatment, they are among many, many different options a client has coming to Seed and Rind as she explained, even the same regular client usually doesn’t get the same treatment twice because of the variables.

In addition to the facials, Tavalione is also trained in the art of Indian head massage.

“That is basically the Indian way of utilizing these ancient techniques, because Ayurveda is about 5000 years old, so that is done with oils. It’s not for everyone as not everyone will want to leave with their head oiled up but I actually really encourage them to keep those oils in there because they are therapeutic oils and they will be like a hair treatment. I can do a combo of facial and head massage if they want. The facial will be an hour and the head massage will be another half an hour after that,” said Tavalione.

What stands out most about this experience is how much it varies from the western approach to skin care because every single element is approached with healing in mind and that is what makes this experience so unique. Tavalione said that the western approach is often to get something painful done by waxing or peeling, leaving skin often irritated or burned.

“We are in skin care but we are treating the person and the person is coming with his or her own baggage and condition and upbringing and so we are taking all of that into account,” said Tavalione.

To book an appointment with Tavalione, go to: http://www.seedandrind.com/contact-us/