Orangeburg, SC Spa and Massage

Founded in 2007, Sweet 185’s dedication to natural ingredients is apparent in its organic facials, which rely on plant essences, and its holistic massages, which use herbal oils.

Rather than rely on chemical-laden waxes, Sweet 185’s experts hark back to the ancient Egyptian technique of sugaring to banish body hair. They use an un-heated paste made of simply sugar, water, and lemon to remove hair without the uncomfortable heat of waxing.

The spa's oxygen therapy has caught the attention of both the Charleston Mercury and the Moultrie News. Inhaling four to five times the normal amount of oxygen in the air while reclining in the spa's leather zero-gravity chairs can promote healing and heighten memory.

The also handpick gifts and goods that fit their vision of kindness to both your body and to the environment. They stock the Sweet 185 boutique with Angel Rox clothing made with organic cotton and low-impact dyes, Jurlique creams and lotions that are never tested on animals, and Nadina bath towels, made with sustainably grown bamboo rayon.

After a decade spent working in public relations, teaching fitness classes, and playing bass in a rock band, Stacey Suzanne Overstreet longed for a career that would let her impact others on a more personal level. She followed her dream, and opened staceyO studiO - Massage & Esthetics Wellness Spa. Now a licensed massage therapist and aesthetician, and recently returned from advanced wellness training in India, she treats her clients with carefully planned, custom spa services inside her candle-lit studio, nestled in Gold’s Gym.

She sets a soothing tone for personalized massages with soft lighting and music, hot towels, and exotic aromatherapy scents. As she kneads her visitor's muscles with gentle or deep pressure, she may moisturize their skin with Epicuren Discovery oils and lotions, scaring away worries more swiftly than a threateningly brandished tea candle. She also exfoliates dead skin cells and smoothes blemishes using microdermabrasion treatments and PCA chemical peels; and nourishes skin during more than 14 facials that incorporate ingredients such as pumpkin, ginger, volcanic clay, and ground crystals.

Divine Massage Therapy induces a multisensory, full-body feeling of tranquility by combining tension-melting massages with soothing music, soft lighting, and scented essential oils. Beyond basic relaxation massages, specialty treatments include a Fire and Ice massage that transitions between warm and cool stimuli to ease pain. Raindrop therapy sees the therapist sprinkling the skin with 12 essential oils to mimic the relaxing feel of gently falling rain, then massaging them into the skin to create a tingling sensation that mimics the relaxing feel of a gentle jellyfish kiss. During each massage, guests can rest their eyes on work from local artists, such as oil paintings by Rob Shaw, which they may purchase to take a piece of the studio’s serenity home with them.

Tranquil Moments Day Spa, located inside a renovated house built in the 1930s, harkens back to a simpler time when eyes weren't always glued to cell-phone screens and gas cost only 10 cents a gallon. Visitors disconnect from the stresses of the outside world in Tranquil Moments' laidback environment, where they indulge in an array of treatments geared toward relaxation and beautification. All-natural Aveda products lend their anti-aging properties and sweet-smelling aromas to the spa's soothing facials and personalized massages, whereas rejuvenating body wraps and waxing services make recipients look and feel as new as the day they left the human assembly line. Hardworking digits get their due pampering with a variety of rejuvenating mani-pedis that end with a luxurious coat of polish.

It's hard to tell who's doing the mothering at The Mom Spa. Certainly the aestheticians play a motherly role, doting on clients during indulgent services such as the Cleopatra wrap, which bathes the body in a blend of milk, honey, and oats to soothe dry, sensitive skin. But that's not to say the clients lack maternal dispositions. The spa has three pregnancy treatments that use massage strokes and hot stones to address the pains that result from carrying and birthing a child, and its Ayurvedic fertility treatments are meant to help women conceive. However, plenty of the services appeal to everyone, from facials that fight the appearance of fine lines and even out skin tone to natural nailcare that beautifies fingers and toes without harsh chemicals or chatty cyborgs.

Lordis Loft Salon & Spa is an Aveda salon and spa. With the renowned beauty company's organic hair and skincare products in hand, the Lordis staff pampers its guests. On the salon side, stylists render color services such as partial or full foils and single-process applications, in addition to cuts, thermal styling, and feather extensions. On the spa side, trained therapists perform massages, and aestheticians beautify clients with facials. Massages come in modalities such as hot-stone, prenatal, deep-tissue, or the elemental nature massage, each customized with an Aveda aroma. Facials are targeted to address specific concerns, such as acne or wrinkles and fine lines.