Hey —
Spring is here. The pool is calling. In Texas that means we've got about three weeks before it's too hot to do anything but float — and I plan to be ready.
This week I'm sharing something I've wanted to write about since Issue #1: the at-home red light therapy panel I've been using for years. If you follow spa and skincare professionals, you've probably seen these panels everywhere. There's a reason for that — and it's not just a trend.
But first, a resort deal that's basically made for pool season.
Deal of the Week — The Easter Escape
Signia by Hilton La Cantera Resort & Spa — San Antonio, TX
From ~$395/night (Easter weekend) | 550 acres | Loma de Vida Spa | Adults-only infinity pool | 4 pools total | Championship golf
If you're looking for the best pool deck in Texas, this is the conversation. La Cantera's resort-level pool complex is stunning — four outdoor pools including an adults-only infinity pool that overlooks the Hill Country. The kind of view where you forget you're 20 minutes from the Riverwalk.
The Loma de Vida Spa is full-service and then some — they do hydrotherapy circuits, body wraps, and a signature stone massage that's one of the best I've experienced in Texas. The name literally means "hill of life" in Spanish and the spa lives up to it.
Easter weekend moves worth knowing:
Easter rates run $395-600+/night — this is a splurge. But La Cantera is doing an Easter Egg-stravaganza at The Rock at La Cantera: large-scale egg hunts, games, inflatables, crafts, face painting, outdoor movie, and a special brunch. If you have kids (or just like brunch), it's worth the premium.
Ask for a room in the Palmer building — closer to the adults-only pool and quieter.
The spa's hydrotherapy circuit (hot/cold plunge, steam, sauna) is included with any 50-minute treatment. Book a single treatment and you get 2+ hours of spa access.
Runner-Up — The Smarter Easter Weekend
Horseshoe Bay Resort — Lake LBJ, TX (45 min from Austin)
Up to 20% off when you book 14+ days out | Lakefront spa | 4 pools | White sand beach | 3 championship golf courses
If La Cantera is the splurge, Horseshoe Bay is the play. AAA Four Diamond, Condé Nast Readers' Choice, sitting right on Lake LBJ with a white sand beach and four pools. The spa is lakefront. The views are better than half the resorts in the Caribbean, and you're an hour from Austin.
Why I'm picking this for Easter: They offer up to 20% off when you book at least 14 days in advance. Easter is April 5 — you're right at the cutoff. Book this weekend and you save real money on a resort that competes with anything in the state.
This Week's At-Home Pick — The Big One
PlatinumLED BioMax Series — Red Light Therapy Panel
I've been waiting to write this one. Red light therapy is the single at-home wellness investment I'd recommend over everything else I've shared in this newsletter combined. That's not exaggeration — I mean it.
Here's the short version: red light therapy uses specific wavelengths (630-660nm red + 810-850nm near-infrared) to stimulate your cells at the mitochondrial level. Your cells produce more ATP (energy), collagen production increases, inflammation decreases, and your skin starts repairing itself faster. This isn't a beauty gadget. It's a clinical tool that happens to make you look better.
Why I'm bringing this up now — right before pool season:
Most people think about sun protection as a one-step thing: sunscreen. Sunscreen is essential — don't skip it. But there's a layer most people miss entirely: what you do before and after sun exposure matters just as much.
What the research says: Multiple peer-reviewed studies show that red light therapy increases collagen I and III production, reduces UV-induced skin inflammation, and activates your skin's natural antioxidant defense pathways (the Nrf2 pathway). In plain English: it helps your skin defend against damage and recover faster from sun exposure. This isn't spa marketing — it's published in medical journals.
Sources: International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024), Skin Pharmacology and Physiology (2023), Stanford Medicine review (2025)
How I use mine:
Before pool season: 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times a week for 4-6 weeks leading into summer. This builds your collagen base and preps your skin.
After a day in the sun: 10 minutes that evening. Helps with inflammation and speeds up recovery. Think of it as a post-sun repair session.
Year-round: I use it for general skin health, muscle recovery, and sleep. It's part of my routine the same way brushing my teeth is.
Important — what red light does NOT do:
It does not replace sunscreen. Wear your SPF.
It does not help you tan (no melanin stimulation — it's not UV light).
It's not a medical treatment for skin cancer or serious conditions. See your dermatologist for that.
Why PlatinumLED BioMax specifically:
Not all panels are equal. The BioMax series is medical-grade, FDA-registered as a Class II device, uses 5 calibrated wavelengths (not just one), and delivers actual clinical-grade irradiance. This is the brand used by physical therapists, dermatologists, and professional athletes. The Amazon knockoffs for $50-100 look similar but deliver a fraction of the power at the wrong wavelengths. Your skin knows the difference.
Is it an investment? Yes. The BioMax 300 starts around $400. But consider this: a single professional LED facial at a resort spa runs $150-250. Three facials and you've already spent more than the panel — except the panel sits in your bathroom and works every single day for years.
Quick Picks — Sun Season Essentials Under $30
Red light handles the before-and-after. These handle everything in between.
Body Nutritive Serum by Just Nutritive (~$25)
You met this one in Issue #3. Kukui, hazelnut, and avocado oils — no mineral oil, no silicone, no water fillers. Apply to damp skin before heading out and it nourishes while you're in the sun. I use it poolside and year-round as my daily body moisturizer. The glow is real.
Get Body Nutritive Serum on Amazon →
Plant Therapy Lavender Essential Oil (~$10)
The after-sun ritual most people skip. A few drops of lavender in a cool bath after a day in the sun is one of the most soothing things you can do for your skin and your nervous system. Research backs the cortisol reduction — but honestly, just try it once and you won't need a study to tell you it works. 100% pure, therapeutic grade.
Get Plant Therapy Lavender on Amazon →
Frog Fuel Collagen Shots (~$4/shot)
Collagen from the inside out. These liquid collagen shots are nano-hydrolyzed for fast absorption — the same formulation used by military and pro athletes for recovery. Sun exposure breaks down collagen in your skin. Rebuilding it isn't just about creams — it's about what you put in your body too. Grab the variety pack to try all flavors.
Get Frog Fuel Collagen on Amazon →
New customer? Use code LUXERESTORE10 for $10 off at frogfuel.com
The Backyard Resort — Two Upgrades That Changed Everything
1. FEIT 48ft LED Filament String Lights (~$15-24)
I just hung these over my patio and the difference is immediate. Not "kind of nice" — immediate. The second the sun goes down, your backyard goes from a yard to a space. Warm white, 2200K — that golden amber glow that makes everything look like a resort patio in Tulum.
The key is warm white, not cool white. Cool white looks like a gas station. Warm white looks like a five-star hotel. These FEIT filament bulbs are shatter-resistant, rated for 15,000 hours, run on 24 watts total, and weatherproof. Costco usually has them between $15-24 depending on the week. String them zigzag over your patio, your pool deck, or between two trees. Instant ambiance, zero effort.
If you're building a backyard that feels like a retreat — this is where you start. Lighting changes everything before you spend a dime on furniture.
2. The Backyard Sauna — Your Next Move
I'll be honest with you: this is aspirational. But I'm putting it here because I want you to start thinking about it.
A Himalayan salt sauna in your backyard is the single most transformative wellness investment you can make for your home. Not a hot tub (high maintenance, chemicals, mediocre health benefits). Not a pool (expensive, seasonal). A sauna.
The Golden Designs Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna with Himalayan Salt Bar starts at $3,595 for the 2-person model. Full-spectrum means near, mid, and far infrared — the same wavelengths used in professional wellness clinics. The integrated Himalayan salt bar releases negative ions while you sweat. Canadian hemlock construction. Near-zero EMF. 5-year warranty.
Here's what most people don't know: infrared saunas are HSA/FSA eligible. That means you can pay with pre-tax health savings dollars — potentially saving 30-40% off the sticker price. A $3,595 sauna becomes ~$2,500 after tax savings. For a piece of equipment you'll use daily for years.
I'm not saying buy it this weekend. I'm saying: the backyard resort isn't just string lights and candles. This is where it's going. And when you're ready, this is the one I'd buy.
Spa Pro Tip
Your 4-week pre-summer skin prep protocol (what spa professionals actually do)
Most people wait until summer hits to think about their skin. By then you're playing catch-up. Here's what I do every year starting mid-March:
Weeks 1-2: Start red light sessions 3-4x per week, 10-15 minutes. This activates collagen production and builds your skin's baseline defense. Hydrate like crazy — collagen needs water to do its job.
Weeks 2-3: Add the Body Nutritive Serum as your daily body moisturizer. The plant oils build a nourishing base layer. Start drinking collagen (Frog Fuel or similar) — you're rebuilding from the inside.
Weeks 3-4: Do a gentle exfoliation to clear dead skin, then a hydrating mask. This lets your fresh, collagen-boosted skin actually see the sun instead of hiding under dead cells.
Pool season: Sunscreen every day (mineral SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours). Red light in the evening after sun exposure. Lavender bath once a week to calm inflammation. Body serum on damp skin nightly.
This is not complicated. It's just the order of operations most people don't know about. Your skin is an organ — prep it the same way you'd prep your garden before planting season.
That's it for this week. The sun is out in Texas, the pools are opening, and your skin deserves better than a last-minute panic buy at CVS. Start your prep now.
Next Sunday: summer travel edition — the best pool-and-spa resort deals for Memorial Day weekend, plus an at-home spa packing list that fits everything in a carry-on.
Know someone who lives at the pool? Forward this email to them right now. Especially the red light section — most people have no idea this exists.
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Until next Sunday,
Luxe & Restore
Curated by a spa professional.
