French to English: Spas, Part 1

 

It used to be that facials and massage were the staples of spa salons, but today we're hearing about new services that are added to the "spa menu."  As the list of offerings grows, the terms get harder to pronounce!

 

 

In her article describing the history and evolution of spas, Julie Register said that in 2001, there were over 9,000 spa locations in the United States alone.  For the 1995-1999 period, spas grew at a rate of 21%.

Sign of the times?  Are we more stressed? Do we have more disposable income to spend on personal luxuries (seems like a stupid question considering the present economic crisis), or are we looking back to our ancestors and trying to duplicate their lifestyle?  After all, the concept of the social bath was practised by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans. 

Did you know that an international organization called the International Spa Association (ISPA) represents about 83 countries and claims to be the voice of the spa industry?  Their mission is to spread the word "by providing invaluable educational and networking opportunities, promoting the value of the spa experience and speaking as the authoritative voice to foster professionalism and growth."

The ISPA web site http://www.experienceispa.com/about-ispa/ is worth a visit.  If you're thinking of starting a spa business, this site is a valuable source of information and tips. We'll take some nuggets from the web site and talk about them in our next two posts.  In the meantime, let's get some of those spa terms for you (some are on the slideshow):

FRENCH	ENGLISH
bain bouillonnant (ou bain tourbillon)	whirlpool bath
enveloppement de boue	mud wrap
pédicurie	pedicure
manucure (ou soin des mains)	manicure
massage facial	facial massage
aromathérapie	aromatherapy
luminothérapie	light therapy
blanchissement des dents	teeth whitening
traitement chromalift	chromalift
massage aux pierres chaudes	hot stone massage
massage suédois	Swedish massage
exfoliation aux sels marins	spa salt scrub
exfoliation et enveloppement reminéralisant	scrub and mineralizing wrap
bain de vapeur	steam room

I found this joke on http://longhairguyintexas.blogspot.com/2005/11/10-massage-therapy-jokes-one-good-one.html:

In my next blog, more spa terms and a visit to ISPA's site!