Keswick, ON Spa and Massage

Voted the best city spa in 2010 by Chatelaine, sweetgrass spa seizes luxury services back from the exfoliated fists of men by offering its therapeutic treatments to only women in a comfortable environment. During an express facial, sweetgrass spa’s friendly estheticians remove the clutter clogging clients’ skin vents while moisturizing and revitalizing the skin with a coat of day cream to leave visitors with a fresh-off-the-lot new face shine. The express massage expediently delivers an equally comprehensive bodily renewal. Spa therapists delicately handle wearied muscles of the back, neck, and shoulders, extracting tension and knocking it unconscious with brass-knuckled fury. Arrive early to enjoy the indulgent spa amenities at sweetgrass, including a whirlpool, an infrared sauna, and an ozonated pool with an underwater treadmill, as well as towel service and a guest change room with lockers containing spa attire.

According to Lynn Shulman, founder of Elixir Organic Spa, "Our products are so pure, you can literally eat them." Aside from slathering the spa’s food-grade products on her face and morning toast, Shulman makes a concerted effort to bust myths about food and product labels. For instance, she says that “many products on the market are falsely labelled as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’” when they’re really packed with chemicals and toxins. This realization led her to develop a house brand of synthetic-free beauty products. Stockpiled alongside products from like-minded artisans, Elixir Organic Spa’s rinses, scrubs, and lotions permeate spa services such as the exfoliating fig enzyme facial and the Dead Sea mud and eucalyptus body wrap.

At first blush, it seems strange that The Ten Spot would advertise itself as the “ultimate anti-spa experience.” The more one becomes acquainted with the beauty bar’s funky allure, however, the more one understands its pride in that moniker. A friendly, unpretentious ambiance—combined with grooming treatments for men and women—has earned The Ten Spot praise from notable fashion publications such as Elle Canada. Owner and founder Kristen Wood drew inspiration from two of her former homes when she founded the first of her four locations. Her time spent in New York City inspired The Ten Spot's hip, urban decor, and her time spent in Montreal may explain why the spa has no professional baseball team.

Mee Skin Care's modern ambiance stems from its bright, geometric decor and its advanced anti-aging technologies. Two-storey glass windows flood the lobby with tidal waves of light. Inside private treatment rooms, aestheticians slow or reverse signs of aging or skin damage with laser light and botanical products by Babor and Swiss Line. In addition to warding off physical wear and tear, beauty pros also alleviate the hectic pace of life. During massages and facials, specialists lavish skin and muscles with nonstop attention, kneading away knots and renewing skin health.

Medical procedures and spa treatments share a home at Allure Skin and Laser Clinic, where medical aestheticians reinvigorate skin with facial peels, laser hair removal, permanent makeup, and other treatments that blur the line between the laboratory and the day spa. Though their specialties vary, the staff members share a common philosophy: treat each guest as an individual who deserves to be pampered.

This philosophy pervades every aspect of the spa, from the smile and steamy cup of herbal tea that await guests upon arrival to the treatments themselves—each of which begins with a personal consultation and a customized skin analysis. The aestheticians often call upon advanced implements such as a special skin scanner to determine which treatments to deploy. Their considerable skills also allow the team to camouflage scars, whiten teeth, and obliterate rebellious planets with their laser devices.