East Palo Alto, CA Spa and Massage

The physicians and skincare experts at SkinSpirit concentrate their nonsurgical beautifying powers on restoring and rejuvenating every corporeal form in sight. During the signature facial, a medical-grade microdermabrasion first breaks through the skin's outer shell, forever quieting the dull conversations of expired skin cells and replacing them with the polished banter of a youthful façade. Then the skilled staff paves freshly smoothed veneers with a warm enzyme exfoliant before applying a double-layer antioxidant mask. Once the mask has finished uploading a brand-new personality to your face, a layer of enzyme serum gives your mug a hug while a copper-peptide-rich moisturizer refuels subdermal collagen generators and pampers sensitive skin to the point of looking, feeling, and acting younger than it did yesterday or the day before yesterday, but not two days after the day before yesterday.

Scattered throughout the peninsula, Natalie Salon Inc.'s five locations each house a team of specialists who pamper and beautify guests during nail, waxing, hair, and facial services. Staffers make over bodies from head to toe, rejuvenating faces with facials and treating dull talons to manicures and pedicures. They hone in on hair all over the body, waxing away unwanted fur, arranging lackluster strands into stylish coiffures, and tinting eyebrows to match recently dyed locks or recently dry-cleaned banana suits.

iSalon's expert aestheticians and stylists beautify the entire frame with a vast range of services. Tress trimmers mix and match 'do-sculpting services such as cuts, styling, and color touchups above the salon's earth-toned tile floors. The modern interior design unites small Greek-column-style ornamentation with vivid purple and yellow lighting around the edges, and a chandelier informs the salon's elegant nature. Within the stylishly decorated environs, a trio of massages dig deep into musculature to alleviate corporeal aches and pains, and facial experts spread the relaxation with eight soothing facial serums whose benefits range from those that abate the visibility of aging to herbal peels with a holistic bent. The staff also permanently lops off locks on six areas of the body, preparing clients for skimpy summer wear. Beverages, cheese, and crackers are served in the waiting room, unlike at most dentists' offices, where they just serve floss, toothpaste, and discipline.

Parasol Beauty Atelier recruited Laura for her expertise with the technical aspects of skincare and her deep understanding of the emotional importance of looking good. As a former acne sufferer, Laura is familiar with the pain of breakouts and being penalized for reckless cleansing. This experience led her to become an expert healer of problematic skin, and an undergraduate degree in psychology taught her to express that empathy with her clients.

Recently she traveled to the Dermaquest skin therapy headquarters with Parasol Beauty Atelier’s owner to learn to incorporate microrollers into her facials and time-off requests into her smile. Her nimble hands apply complimentary touch-ups with Youngblood Cosmetics after refreshing complexions with Eminence organic and Dermaquest products, and she also deftly corrals body hair with wax.

Bianca de Jong launched her first spa boutique in the Netherlands. After helming it for more than 10 years, she hopped the pond and landed in California, where she opened Forest Spa Boutique. To keep her services aligned with European standards, de Jong regularly returns to the Old World, learning new skills and expanding her collection of Big Ben key chains. She specializes in facial treatments related to aging, and can enhance each appointment with add-ons including peels, massages, and paraffin dips. During a customized massage, she blends essential oils with carrier oils to create a soothing aroma that is rubbed and kneaded into the skin. De Jong also grooms body hair with a gentle Italian wax that quickly ousts unwanted strands and vermicelli noodles.

As one of the first certified-green day spas on the peninsula, The Spa Studio keeps both its clients and the earth beautiful by reducing waste and conserving resources while carrying out a range of skincare, massage, and wellness services. During airbrush-tanning sessions, a solution infused with botanicals and antioxidants coats the skin and bronzes it over a 12-hour period, resulting in a glow that doesn’t require exposure to the sun’s harmful UV comets. The Organic Bliss facial rejuvenates skin with minerals and omega-9 nutrients, and permanent, nonlaser hair removal uses an enzyme called trypsin to prevent hair from growing back.