Beauty & Spas in Goleta

Led by Dr. Douglas J. Mackenzie, the registered nurses, aestheticians, and physicians’ assistants at Pacific Plastic Surgery help clients amp up their self-confidence with a wide offering of both noninvasive and surgical services. Dr. Mackenzie, who has studied at Johns Hopkins, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Cornell University Medical Center, wields his extensive experience and know-how to perform tummy tucks, scar revisions, and face-lifts. A specially designed, multifaceted medical weight-loss program helps patients get fit healthily, and the center’s noninvasive spa services get faces in shape for special events and awkward family photos.

On her website, Jennifer Weston is described as a “renaissance woman of beauty”—and for good reason: her Rolodex of talents includes cosmetology, massage therapy, makeup applications, and waxing. She’s spent the past two decades perfecting these skills, eventually ending up at her current venture, Brows to Brazilian Waxing, Make Up, and Skin Care Salon.

The Brazilian in the salon’s name denotes one of Jennifer’s specialties, in which she eradicates all hair from bikini areas in less than 10 minutes. She also embraces oft-ignored demographics by practicing her speed-waxing techniques on males and moms-to-be. But waxing isn’t all she does here. Jennifer turns her focus to the skin during custom chemical peels and facials that draw on ingredients such as honey paraffin and seaweed. This natural approach also colors her body treatments, which range from aromatherapy sea-salt scrubs, which slough off dead cells, to herbal detox body wraps.

The staff at MAI Spa helps guests rejuvenate with a slew of medical and non-medical beauty treatments, putting the same care into the spa itself. Throughout the luxury boutique, minimalist sculptures stand proud, floral arrangements pop with vivid color, and hushed lighting relaxes vacationers and locals alike during head-to-toe makeovers.

The experts on MAI Spa's elite team of medical doctors, nurses, and wellness professionals include Dr. Grace Kim, who specializes in Botox and other beauty injectables, and makeup artist Shannon Loar-Cote, whose eyelash extensions thicken lashlines without relying on saving each one that falls out. Together, the staff beautifies and relaxes physiques with diverse treatments, ranging from airbrush makeup applications to European-style facials.

Spa Escape lives up to its name six days a week. And not only because of its well-hidden location—it’s tucked behind a nondescript, two-story home—but also because of the relaxing skin and body treatments it provides. In a private treatment room filled with flickering candles, clients can be found resting atop memory-foam tables as trained therapists work out aches and pains with more than eight massage modalities and Epicuren Discovery lotions. Aestheticians also rely on Epicuren's enzyme-rich products to enhance treatments, such as the pumpkin-apple-spice peel, which exfoliates dead skin cells with an acidic formula and attracts scarecrows with an aromatic smell. Skilled cosmetologists also enhance appearances through traditional make-up applications.

While alchemists never managed to transmute lead into gold, Geneva De la Rouge may be considered a modern alchemist. She uses her knowledge of the aesthetic elements—essential oils, nutrient-rich clay, and other natural ingredients—to transform skin from looking timeworn to youthful. Geneva customizes her elixirs to suit a wide range of skin types, which she differentiates by using the five elements of Chinese medicine as a guide. For each of these elements, such as fire—which is responsible for blotchy red skin—Geneva employs the elemental opposite, balancing dry skin with moisture, sallow skin with nutrients, and irritated skin with a fire extinguisher.

At her eponymous spa, skincare expert Colleen Elizabeth takes a holistic approach to beauty, favoring long-term solutions over one-time treatments. Her recommendations during a complimentary consultation can range from minor changes to an at-home skincare regimen to a series of medical-grade services at the spa. Either way, clients will be in good hands. Colleen Elizabeth personally selects all of her spa's skincare products from top-quality lines such as GloMinerals and Ayur-Medic, and many others are custom-made, like the stamps doctors use to give each newborn baby its fingerprints. In-spa services include advanced treatments such as electrotherapy facials and full-body chemical peels, as well as standard facials, plus makeup, waxing, and massages. Relaxing therapies can come to you during on-location spa parties that allow clients to enjoy staffers' expertise in their own living rooms.