Beauty & Spas in South San Francisco

Natural ingredients dominate the beauty elixirs used at Skincare by Erika. Rhonda Allison skincare products fuel facials with antioxidant-rich doses of cherry, grape, and green-tea extracts, and everything from apples to lotus flowers contribute nutrients to peels. Sunless tanning by Bronze Biologic imbues skin with a summery sheen made from an alcohol-free formula that, like a 100-yard dash where you have to fly the last 3 feet, is 99% natural.

A European education and training at Estée Lauder give Regina, the eponymous founder of Regina European Skin Care, a unique take on skincare. The popularity of her services grew over the years, leading her to open her own salon in 1995. Armed with high-end products, such as Éminence, Peter Thomas Roth, and Yon-Ka, Regina cleanses complexions with a gentle, massaging touch and leaves flesh glowing brighter than a jack-o'-lantern full of comets. Her waxing treatments depilate faces and bodies, and microdermabrasions send dull, tired cells packing.

Veteran beauty specialist and licensed aesthetician Steve Crovo and his team tackle all of men’s hairiest areas at his studio that specializes in aesthetic services just for men. Garden-green walls set a tranquil setting inside the salon, calming anxious nerves as Steve—or fellow waxing specialist Alan Williams—coats nether regions, limbs, and backs in warm wax and swiftly removes hair using cloth, muslin, or powers of coercion.

Though specializing in waxing, Steve also calls upon indulgent ingredients, such as caviar and coffee, to treat men to the relaxing comfort of skin-rejuvenating facials. To help aching backs to feel like themselves again, he enlists his training in deep-tissue and trigger-point massage to soften clients’ muscular aches caused by injury or trying to wax their own backs. Skin specialist Linda Sanchez also helps acne sufferers to find results as she coats faces with potent cleansers and divulges skin-clearing diet tips.

Master aesthetician Mandy Tsai has 15 years of experience working with men and women, particularly those whose skin reacts negatively to the humidity and sun of their local climates. Within the walls of Trenz Salon, Mandy works one-on-one with her clients to evaluate their skin and develop a personalized treatment plan. Mandy uses her arsenal of professional-grade products from brands such as PCA, SkinCeuticals, and Jan Marini, and a bevy of techniques, including microdermabrasion and LED facial therapies, to treat wrinkles hyperpigmentation, acne, and rosacea. Other services provided include spray tanning, eyelash extensions, body waxing, and cosmetic tattoos.

Judging by first smell, Miracle Spa—where aromas of milk and honey, chocolate mint, and vanilla waltz through the air—could be confused with a coffee shop. However, rather than brewing lattes, the staff fixes up indulgent baths for hands and feet. While grooming nails, the attentive nail technicians soften skin with salves such as vitamin-infused shea butter and enrage grumbling stomachs with stress-melting infusions that are laced with a variety of nose-tickling scents, from ginger-lime to French lavender to eau de Gérard Depardieu. Elsewhere in the aromatic studio, staff members tint eyelashes, apply makeup, and wax bodies from eyebrow to lower leg.

In 1996, the first laser was cleared by the FDA for use on the public and onstage at Madonna concerts. Since opening their doors one year after this ruling, Aesthetic Laser Concepts has researched and compared technologies to find the best system for laser hair removal. The experienced technicians use the Lumenis LightSheer Diode laser to permanently reduce unwanted hair on the body. The center also curates aesthetic equipment that helps diminish the appearance of fine lines, acne scars, and stretch marks on the skin during fractional laser treatments.