It all began with a skincare article that contained a survey sent to patients who had been suffering from cancer. “The article stated that most of the providers were looking for one goal, survival,” said June Marie Russo owner of Spa on the Spot, located in Gold Canyon, Arizona. “What the patients complained about most, though, was not being able to get much care for their skin.”
“It was something that touched my heart.” That, in a nutshell, is June. One specialized program and certification later, and she was ready to welcome cancer survivors into her spa, offering a level of care tailored to their needs. But what, exactly, does that entail?
“If someone comes in and wants, for example, an aggressive chemical peel, that would not be a good idea for a person with compromised skin,” explains June. “If they’re complaining of clogged pores and their skin does not look as if they’ve had a robust tissue response, then we can diffuse even distilled water with a machine called the Silk Peel that can vacuum the pores and lift all the dead skin.”
“It’s very gentle and can even be used on a person who has sunburn or someone who has such very thin skin like what we call onion skin,” she explains. “There are some soothing, of course, this person is not sensitive to oatmeal, and there’s an oatmeal mask or a calming gel mask. In oftentimes, our clients are also looking for that at least that hour of some pampering, some human attention that they are perhaps not able to always receive.”
June tailors her treatments for both face and body (including full-body body wraps, scrubs, and back facials) to the needs of cancer patients and survivors, ensuring the most benefits for whatever stage of recovery they might currently be experiencing.
“There are some wonderful cooling devices that are available, for example, glass globes, nice gentle serums, and certain types of devices that cool the skin down, especially in this Arizona heat. The cooling down process is very helpful,” explains June.
And with 18 years’ clinical experience and another eight running the skincare center for an OB/GYN women’s clinic—in addition to her special certification—she’s more than qualified to maintain a safe, hygienic environment for immunocompromised patients, especially now with COVID-19.
But not only does June offer therapy for the skin, she also offers food for the soul: vibrational sound therapy or Reiki energy work, also offered at Spa on the Spot.
“Vibrational sound has so much to do with the experience,” says June. “When you think back on certain songs you’ve heard through the years, you probably associate some of them with a moment, a great experience, or someone special. That’s very much what the sound therapy does. We have rain sticks, tuning forks, bells, chimes… all of those things come together.” Having your chakras and energy aligned also goes a very long way towards well-being, as does dancing!
“The World Groove Movement has been around for many years and was something that I turned to in the privacy of my own home during a snowstorm in Buffalo,” says June. “I did it to stay healthy, to exercise, but I wouldn’t even let my family members see me dance, I was so self-conscious! But I learned [founder] Misty’s World Groove Movement technique, and learned she also offers teachings to facilitate.” Misty offered her course online (due to COVID), and soon June was on her way to certification. As of press time, she was just finishing up her training and already helping people get their groove on via Zoom.
“Literally: if a person can move, they can groove,” she laughs. “They can do it sitting in a chair or lying in bed. It’s something wonderful.” With the current pandemic situation, everything is online and she’s offering the sessions strictly by donation (“but if they can’t afford it, I absolutely would never expect them to make a payment!”) Still undergoing treatment or just not up to a groove? If you can move your wrists, bob your head, wiggle your toes, June says that’s all you need, and you just might surprise yourself!
Always very involved with her community, June even puts together Zoom rock painting classes. “Here in Gold Canyon we posted in Facebook for those interested in the community to come to my work and pick up the supplies for the rock painting. They don’t pay anything, just take them home and follow a YouTube video on how to get started. Then we can hold a Zoom rock painting session. We also have a book club where we do the same!”
“There are a lot of lonely people out there, and this is a wonderful way to have a diverse set of options for people to pick and choose from,” says June. “Some people join us for every event!”
Thank you, June, for your wonderful work with our community here in Arizona! If you want to connect with June Marie Russo and Spa on the Spot, you’ll find her online by clicking here or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/spaonthespotgoldcanyon Tell her you are a friend of Bosom Buddies and June will give you a 50% discount on her skincare treatments (facials).
