LavaBene Natural Detox Spa

You Are Supposed to Use Heat to Maintain Health in Summer
— What You Don’t Know About Health
Translated from an article in People’s Daily (July 14, 2015); republished from Hangzhou Daily
What? Are you sure about using heat to maintain health in summer? It is already hot in summer. Won’t you get a heat stroke if you use heat to maintain health?
Many people probably think this way since they are so used to using cool to maintain health in summer. In fact, people’s pores tend to be more open in summer so in using cool, it’s often easy for the body to get too cold and be chronically weakened. Therefore, the correct choice is actually to «stay hot» in summer.
Learn to «Stay Hot» in Summer
Chinese medicine follows the seasons in going about health maintenance. You are supposed to sweat in summer. Therefore, we should follow the season and see how we can use heat and sweat appropriately to maintain health in summer.
Stay Away from Cold
On diet, avoid ‘cold’ food. There is the folk saying, «Eat turnip in winter; ginger in summer. You won’t need prescriptions from the doctor.» Use food such as ginger for warming in summer. Drinking ginger water with brown sugar would give good effect. Do not let the air conditioning fan blow at you for prolong periods. Do not wash your hair and feet with cold water. Avoid getting soaked in the rain since it can weaken the body significantly.
Soak Your Feet in Hot Water
Humidity is high in summer. It affects your appetite and tires you. Soaking your feet in hot water can help to counter the effect of humidity, stimulating the body and improving appetite. There is a folk saying that makes the same observation, «Soak feet in summer, hot humidity is ridded.» It is better to soak with a tall wooden bucket and use water that is neither too hot nor too cool. 40C water would be good. Also, be sure to keep replenishing with hot water to maintain soaking temperature.
Take Hot Showers
Take hot showers to wash away sweat and keep skin and pores clean and unblocked. It boosts blood circulation to improve heat dissipation, supply of nutrients, metabolism and metabolic waste disposal. 30C water would be good. Dry off thoroughly with hot towels afterwards to maximize the feeling of cleanliness, heat dissipation and relaxation.
Drink Hot Tea to Quench Thirst and Dissipate Heat
Many young people like iced drinks in summer. In fact, hot tea is more thirst quenching and heat dissipating, especially the smoother kinds of teas. Common people in ancient China knew to drink hot tea to quench thirst and dissipate heat. The idea is to have hot tea to gradually stimulate the body to sweat from the inside. Sweating dissipates heat to counter the summer heat and water from the tea replenishes water lost from sweating.
Iced drinks cool the body parts they contact but do not stimulate sweating for the body to dissipate heat. Heat would soon build up again even for the cooled off parts. Furthermore, too much cold can be bad for the respiratory and digestive systems.
Note however that the tea should not be too hot or it can be bad for the mouth, tongue, throat and digestive tracks.
Exercise
Huangdineijing, a definitive reference in Chinese medicine, says that health maintenance in summer should «enable discharge of breath.» Breath in this context means sweat and a key way to cause sweating is to exercise. In the view of Chinese medicine, exercise in summer can boost metabolism, strengthen constitution, and heighten the immune system.
Also exercise can improve the body’s handling of heat, increasing the ability to regulate body temperature, and preventing heat stroke and other heat related conditions. However, exercise should not be overly vigorous. Slow jogging, Tai Chi, aerobics, etc. would be good choices.
Women’s ability to handle heat is generally worse than men’s. This is especially the case for women with cold body types, who should pay particular attention to keeping warm. Experts in Chinese medicine think that since women lack yang and often have anemic tendencies, they should be mindful of boosting yang, which can help to counter anemic tendencies. Therefore, women should pay particular attention to not getting cold and avoiding ‘cold’ food in summer. And they should exercise more to sweat and detoxify.

Absolutely wonderful! The staff was kind and attentive and the treatment left my fiancé and me feeling refreshed and light and our skin silky soft. I would definitely recommend and will return again.

March 10, 2016

I woke up feeling happy this morning!
When I asked myself why, the only reason that came to mind was having steamed at Lava Bene the previous evening. I felt an unusual sense of good health and well-​being when I woke up this morning.
Last year I steamed a dozen times at Lava Bene. Every time, I felt more deeply relaxed after steaming than I could remember feeling before. Also, I felt lighter, younger, healthier, and more energetic than before I steamed at Lava Bene. I raved about Lava Bene for half an hour at a time to my friends and family, enumerating the benefits of steaming at Lava Bene. I probably making a nuisance of myself.
Now, I want to share with the rest of the world the profound pleasure of feeling light, healthy, relaxed and energetic after steaming at Lave Bene. I want everyone to enjoy the same experience of good health and well-​being that I have after steaming at Lava Bene.
May you be well and happy!

Emilie Farenthold

March 10, 2016
I woke up feeling happy this morning!
When I asked myself why, the only reason that came to mind was having steamed at Lava Bene the previous evening. I felt an unusual sense of good health and well-​being when I woke up this morning.
Last year, I steamed a dozen times at Lava Bene. Every time, I felt more deeply relaxed after steaming than I could remember feeling before. Also, I felt lighter, younger, healthier, and more energetic than before I steamed at Lava Bene. I raved about Lava Bene for half an hour at a time to my friends and family, enumerating the benefits of steaming at Lava Bene. I probably made a nuisance of myself.
Now, I want to share with the rest of the world the profound pleasure of feeling light, healthy, relaxed and energetic after steaming at Lave Bene. I want everyone to enjoy the same experience of good health and well-​being that I have after steaming at Lava Bene.
May you be well and happy!

I thought this was interesting concept. First time customer gets a session for $ 20 (50% off). Staff there was nice and friendly. Don’t forget to drink ALOT of water.

This place is amazing! I feel so refreshed and renewed. I’ve never sweat like that in my life. It felt like every cell in my body was being cleaned out. They have an introductory rate of only $ 25 for first timers. The spa managers, Sammy and Chris are the most warm and accommodating people in the industry. You will not want to leave!

I was very impressed with the whole experience and my body has never felt better. Be prepared to sweat and feel rejuvenated
I was nervous at first due to service I was getting but I got comfortable and felt relaxed once everything was fine. Sitting in the egg I felt myself being at peace! Sweating out the toxins and enjoy my 30 mins of sweat! I will go back very soon I was impressed with the staff and service.

I’m not going to repeat all the other reviews. Also, I can speak about those that had bad Groupon experiences. For me, it was a great experience. You have to see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Employees friendly and the place is immaculately clean. $ 25 well spent. (first-​timers price).

STILL loving this place! Several visits later, I am more in love than ever! Sammie runs the joint — a deeply caring, wonderful person, who explains everything so well. She makes even the most squeamish feel at ease. Ping Ping, the owner, is serious about detox — and generously shares her knowledge and experience. It is obvious she is passionate about helping people get healthier. I also tried the yoni steam — a fantastic experience, highly recommended.
I really cannot say enough good things about this place!!!

Man oh man! What an experience. After reading Farrah’s review and my boyfriend suggesting I go I decided to book an appointment Sunday afternoon for this experience. I booked the private room and since it was my first time everything was $ 35. Worth it.
When you arrive ring the bell to gain access. I was greeted by the receptionist. I filled out paperwork and got some water. I was escorted to my room and explained how this bad boy worked. You strip down to your birthday suit and get in. Then they return to make sure you are okay and towels are around your head to seal the steam in. You sit for 30 mins. I’m a bigger guy so I had to keep readjusting to get comfortable. Once done my sweat was black brown on the towel. I felt great. Most definitely will try it again. I had a toilet, sink and shower in my room in addition to the massage table and chair. Great relaxing experience and friendly!

Been a few time. When I need to sweat and feel relaxed this is the place to go, pods are always clean and ready. They suggest you call at least 30 minutes, so the pod will be ready. Your things are locked in a locker, and you may shower after your treatment. I love it, the price is a little high for a session, I dont mind paying $ 25 – 35, but $ 50.00 is a little high, but I came on a Groupon Deal. They offer other services. The staff is super nice, I have never had a issue. Try it and you will want to come back.

This place is good. Very clean, and fun. Me and my friends come to this place every week. However they need to improve their service quality.

I love these rock hot pot. after steaming for 30 mins I came out, you don’t have to stay 30 mins if you can’t handle. after taking a shower, It feel amazing. they also provide good shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body and bath lotion, live water spray and efg anti aging cream? I rest by the resing area (pretty clean, relaxing, and had a seaweed green tea. I had a rash on my face and elbow with one steam my skin came out smooth like a baby butt. although This was my first time I had a little light headache but I managed. shellsie was helping me out with my treatment, I think if she could slow down and talk more gentle she would have a great customer service but I should may be just accept that it might just be her motivated personality. Other then she was very knowledgable and helpful. Im sure I lost about like two lbs of my water weight. shellsie had to walk back and forth serving water to me about 4– 5 times. She always check on me every 5 to ten mins to see if I was still alive. Lol, I sure had a great night of deep sleep that night.

I loved my steam session at this location. This place is so clean and the staff is so nice. The owner even took the time to talk to me in depth about improving my health and increasing my energy. I went ahead and bought a package after my initial visit. I found a pretty good deal online and jumped on it. I actually felt so much better after my session. I saw my released toxins and my skin looked great afterwards. I did not feel uncomfortable at any time. The whole experience was so relaxing. Do not go if you are pressed for time as you won’t get to fully relax. I look forward to my next appointment.

This place is great! Yesterday was my second visit and the level of customer service was top notch. The atmosphere is very relaxing and perfect for a girls day out. The changing area is super clean and they don’t rush you when you are cooling down in the rest area. I recommend to drink plenty of water while sweating and hold out for the 30 mins if you can! I had an opportunity to converse with Sarah and she told me about another spot to try. See, you never know who you might meet at Lava Bene!

I went here today & loved it! I also had a Living Social deal, but they made sure to specify that it has to be printed out when I made the appointment. Once I got there, I filled out paperwork & then got a tour of the facility. Next, I got my massage — super relaxing. Then I went to the pod & sweated. I was only in for 23 minutes, which is good on your first time. My towel was a little brown, but I’m told the more you go, the more toxins come out. I then went to the lounge & had a great conversation w/​another lady who used the pod… she was super relaxed. After that, I got dressed & left.
All in all, if you’re looking into places to relax & different, go here. And make sure u print your Living Social deal!

LavaBene is a joke. The main woman there today was unprofessional and rude, arguing with us and bossing her staff around (both when the appointment was made and today). I’ve spent thousands on GroupOn, Living Social, Amazon, etc and I’ve never heard a company tell me I have to reschedule because we don’t have the paper vouchers with us. (The voucher doesn’t indicate it needs to be printed.) She said they TRY to tell everyone in advance to bring a printed copy. The one (nice) girl did try to help by asking us to email ours to them, but they didn’t have a working printer today, blaming it on the person that worked on their website (apparently they HAVE to have a paper copy for some reason). My friend tried helping with the printer, but she didn’t want the help. Instead of accepting it and printing it later, or writing down the voucher number (like everyone else does), or even downloading a barcode scanner app for their iPad/​tablet, they said they have no other option than to reschedule. This is after we’d been on the road and out of the house since 11:45am, drove an hour to get there, stayed and ate in the area, arrived 20 min early for a 3:00pm appointment, and spent over an hour in their waiting room. The main lady offered a tour for next time as we walked out, but there won’t be a next time for us. Thanks, but no thanks. Living Social: refund, please!
Please don’t give LavaBene on Bellaire Blvd your business. They clearly only care about their profit and not about keeping customers happy.

Owner is incredibly rude!
I bought a living social deal for a steam session & massage. I took my electronic voucher to her 5 minutes before my appointment and she threw a fit about how irresponsible its of me for not bringing a printed coupon. Hello! It’s just a voucher no. you need to redeem a deal. It’s 2015, how technologically challenged you could be! Then she asked me to wait 10 minutes to see what she can do about my «problem»… She comes in & says if she can’t make her printer work I will need to reschedule. After another 10 minutes she finally comes back & says she can’t take me and her masseuse is anyways not in today so I could have only had the steam even if had the printed voucher. Wait a minute if she couldn’t offer me the entire services as described in my voucher, why did she even give me an appointment!!! Big waste of time.
There are some service providers who do not like to entertain customers with living social/​groupon deals. She is definitely one of them… Please don’t waste your time dealing with this lady when you are trying to relax with a spa/​massage. There are tons of spa salons in the same plaza please treat yourself going somewhere else — oasis salon in the same plaza provides excellent massages!!!

I would give it less than one star if I had an option. The lady at the front reception is stupid. We bought the living social coupon and made a reservation. After reaching there she tells me we should have printed the coupons and that it is a deal breaker. Then she makes us wait and tells us that we can have the Lavabene but cannot avail the massage which is part of the coupon because there is no masseuse avaliable. If no one was avaliable why the hell make an appointment.
Don’t spoil your mood going to this place for a massage.

Listen up. Sweating is good for you. For those who hate sweating, avoid getting out and working up a sweat because «it’s icky,» you’re in for some trouble. Whether its through sports, fitness, hot yoga, yard work or whatever, sweating is a natural and healthy way to get rid of toxins in your body causing various ailments. Now that I’ve voiced my opinion, lemme tell ya about Lava Bene.
I found this gem back in March 2014 — yes, I should have snagged the FTR when I had the chance — after searching for sweat spas in Houston. At the time, it was more for weight-​loss; but then I stumbled upon LavaBene’s website, which highly touted the benefits of sweating from the heat of Japanese 708 tourmaline rocks. I watched their vids, did some additional research — apparently it’s the first of its kind in the US — and booked my appointment a few days later.
So here’s how it works.
1. You arrive, check-​in, fill out a questionaire for first timers
2. Head to the ladies’ or men’s locker room where you’ll change into a towel and slippers (provided for you) and leave your belongings in the locker (lock and key provided)
3. Zone out in the waiting room and fill up on 2 – 3 cups of negative ion water (provided for you).
4. When your LavaBene is ready (I rec making a potty break before you hop in because you’ll need to go after all that water), you’ll be walked over to either the men’s or women’s side to dis-​robe (this ain’t for the prude) and the staff member will help you get situated in your LavaBene — nekkid. Additional water and towels are provided. They can dim the lights if you please, or you can watch TV. I just liked to sit there, burn up a sweat and relax. Unless I’m with a GF, we can’t help but gossip and laugh. You spend a total of 30 minutes in your LavaBene; don’t forget to steam your face for a nice glow!
5. When the bell goes off, a staff member well help escort you out; you then turn around and examine any discoloration in your sweat left on the towels you sat on, as well as anything that seeped from your feet, visible on your foot towel. Match the color with their color chart, and there ya have it.
6. Wait — you’re not done. Before you can shower and change into your clothes, walk over to the relaxation room and sit in a recliner as you continue to sweat. You can sweat for as long as 30 to 60 minutes after your LavaBene session; so relax, drink more water and just enjoy the delicious thing you did for your body. :)
So how does sweating in an egg differ from sweating in a sauna or steam room? For starters, I always felt worse after a sauna/​steam room. Think about it: You’re in a confined room breathing in all those toxins and nasty fumes sweated out by others. And when was the last time you saw someone scrub those wet, mildewy things? Aside from that, LavaBene claims to work by heating your body from the inside out (versus heat that only punctures the skin). There’s a long story, cases and studies that go over the health properties of the 708 rock, and you can read about it on their website. I don’t have time to explain science. I do have time to tell yo about my experience, though.
Know before you go:
: Call in advance to book your appointment. It takes time to heat up the LavaBene.
: Don’t drink alcohol 12 to 24 before a session. I once drank two mimosas for brunch, did a sweat sesh a few hours later and was so faint and dizzy during and after my session.
: They do provide towels and rubber spa shoes, but you can bring your own flip flops, robe, and face wash (to take advantage of those open pores).
: Showers with bath products are onsite; but you may want to bring your fancy stuff.
: They also have a private VIP room with its own shower, massage table, LavaBene, etc.
: You can coordinate a group sesh. I went with a group of guys and goils, and they allowed us to get or session on the male side so we didn’t have to split up. The spa was empty that day, and I’m glad they accommodated our group.
The owner, Ping Ping, and her staff and friendly and set a nice tone for a zen-​like spa experience. If I had any qualms, it would be to provide more towels in the relaxation room. I don’t like exposing my skin on any chairs that other could have sweat on (for this reason, I highly rec bringing your own robe). And as much as I’d like to partake in this experience 2 – 3 times a week, it’s pricy. $ 25 for first-​timers ain’t bad, but the cheapest spa package of $ 550 for 20 sessions is still $ 27.50 a session. (There are smaller packages).