Ridge, NY Spa and Massage

Soft robin's-egg-blue walls and warm wooden accents welcome beauty seekers to Blue Water's skin and body sanctum. The ultrasonic facial ($95), Blue Water's signature visage vivifier, uses ultrasonic vibrations to loosen and eliminate blackheads, dirt, and expired skin; the treatment includes a face, neck, shoulder, and arm massage. Or opt for an aromatherapy facial ($95), which uses essential oils to hydrate and plump tired cells while encouraging lymphatic drainage and delusions of grandeur. To give your body the radiance and dewy sheen of a well-groomed glowworm, use this Groupon toward an exfoliating lavender body scrub treatment ($110), or delight in the gentle kneads of a classic Swedish massage ($90 for an hour). Blue Water Spa also offers a variety of services for teens ($75 for a teen facial) and men ($95 for an hour-long gentleman's facial).

Madison Salon & Spa's multitalented team of beauty experts coddles façades with 55-minute signature facials performed in private treatment rooms. Raising client concerns on a pedestal, the skin sultans mold sessions to combat individual imperfections, attacking from all angles like a doberman chasing a bouncing dodecahedron. Deep cleansing lures debris to the surface before technicians coax youthful splendor from complexions with hydrating remedies. Throughout the session, candles cast a soft glow across treatment rooms, which branch off from a space drenched in honey-tinted light inspired by bees' in-hive meditation chambers.

Amethyst Rose's one-hour facial uses organic Eminence skincare products to deep clean pores, exfoliate dead cells, smooth fine lines, and water dry patches until they sprout fresh dandelions. An expert aesthetician will focus on your skin's unique issues until any and all problems are smoothed, softened, and glowing with healthy stimulation. While your body's PR department is being perfected, booties will warm your appendages and one of Amethyst Rose's friendly therapists will massage your head, neck, arms, hands, and feet.

Inner Balance's massage rooms use light and music to create a calm atmosphere, while heated massage tables warm stressed soul sacks from crust to core. During your 60-minute Swedish massage, one of Inner Balance's licensed therapists will alternate between moderate and soft kneading pressure to stimulate circulation and melt muscular tension like ice cream in the sun. After your torso is tension free, your countenance will be cleansed and exfoliated by a facial that uses Pevonia Botanica organic skincare products. This facial evens any skin type's tone while healthifying and rejuvifying it. To complete your relaxation vacation, one of Inner Balance's expert aestheticians will lather on an eye collagen mask, which can tighten the skin, improve its elasticity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Call ahead to schedule your beautifying beautyventure.

A seven-circuit labyrinth sounds like the setting for a Greek myth, but at Branford River Resort & Spa, it is a concrete place patrons visit to practice meditation. Relaxation is not reserved for the labyrinth, though—it pervades the spa and resort as a whole, helping to earn the establishment one of 2012’s Patch Readers’ Choice awards. Visitors can bask in the healing milieu of its infrared sauna, lounge in the onsite gazebo, or unwind during diverse spa treatments. 

The spa’s treatments encompass a vast array of facials, which can combat acne or aging, soothe with warm stones, or draw on the healing power of crystals. Massages range from traditional Swedish effleurage to the Shiradora indian head massage, which incorporates kneading upon the back and herbal oil conditioners, just like a cat clinic held in a soap shop. Body wraps ensconce physiques in materials from Dead Sea mud to mylar foil, and a complementary suite of salon services beautifies visitors with custom haircuts, highlights, and nail services.

After a year of living in the corporate-communications world, Sabita knew she needed to change paths. Like a baseball player who runs to first every time he swings, she felt herself becoming too aggressive. In order to reconnect with her inner empathy and sense of place in the world, she decided to commit herself to taking care of others. With that desire in mind, she became a massage therapist and holistic-health counselor and opened the Sabita Holistic Center in 2003 to surround herself with like-minded professionals.

Celebrating their 10th year of business, Sabita and her staff heal guests of all ages and needs with holistic techniques, such as guided meditation, massages specifically tailored to elderly guests, and self-esteem workshops. In addition to leading the classes and workshops, doctors meet with guests to prescribe holistic treatment plans that incorporate Western and Eastern methods. The center even purveys its own beverage: Sabita Tea. It's a kosher-certified organic line that comes in varieties such as peppermint white tea, nutmeg white, and anise—which comes from the eponymous seed-producing plant.