Day Spas in Ypsilanti

Magdalena Cap's training as an aesthetician began more than 33 years ago in Czechoslovakia, where she studied dermatology and cosmetology. Three years later, the licensed aesthetician opened her own spa, where she has continued providing European-style facials and spa services for the ensuing three decades. Magdalena is joined by a loyal staff of licensed cosmetologists, massage therapists, nail technicians, and electrolysis experts, many of whom have worked with her for more than 10 years. The staff undergoes continuing education in an effort to ensure that all of their facials, peels, and rejuvenating treatments take advantage of the most advanced techniques. Like a park ranger building a nest, the team also draws on a wide range of natural ingredients including pumpkin and seaweed.

Jessica Elkins's eponymous spa is a tribute to her love of plants, nature, and beauty. During her aesthetics training, Jessica worked in the bodycare department of a natural-foods market, assisting clients as they selected lotions, rinses, or cucumbers. She then turned her attention to biochemistry, a field of study that explores the chemical processes in living organisms. By learning how cellular components interact, Jessica broadened her ability to resolve or diminish skin conditions with specific products. At the spa, Jessica works alongside aestheticians who perform custom facials with natural ingredients from Europe or minerals from the mines of Moria. Wax technicians specialize in Brazilian and eyebrow services, and cosmetologists perform makeup applications with mineral pigments.

At Tamara Spa + Wellness—named one of the Best Spas in Detroit by Hour Detroit in 2010—the licensed staff has been saving jeopardized digits and parched pores with in-depth treatments for 35 years. Comprising 10,000 square feet, the spa boasts nearly 30 private treatment rooms in which to enjoy soothing massages enhanced with soft lighting and soothing music. Or, try the rain forest water journey treatment—a therapeutic punch of eucalyptus steam made all the more serene by the addition of falling water and the gentle harmonies of an all-toucan jazz trio. Candlelit whirlpool tubs invite bodies to soak away inches or stress in baths filled with milk and honey or firming and toning tonics, and miniature pedicure tubs welcome feet to soak away walking woes with help from soothing sea salts and oils. A dozen or so facials see the spa's aestheticians personalizing each step to suit skin's specific needs, leading a writer for Spa Magazine to declare, "My skin never looked and felt so good."

The beauty experts at Advanced Esthetics draw from more than 50 years of combined experience to deliver a gamut of beautifying services. After a complimentary consultation to determine the best approach for issues such as rosacea, fine lines, or skin laxity, a licensed aesthetician may recommend a rejuvenating, saline-based JetPeel or a noninvasive radio-frequency treatment to enhance both collagen growth and the ability to tune out infomercials. Advanced Esthetics' master skin technicians can also reduce spider veins and lift unwanted hair, and a team of licensed massage therapists eases tension and stress with long, gliding Swedish strokes.

Within Shear Style's cozy, welcoming atmosphere, owner Kim Wolf leads a team of beauty experts in customizing treatments for hair and nails. Kim draws upon 30 years as a master stylist, specializing in cuts, color services, and feather extensions that can help to break the ice with a new pet parakeet. The family-friendly salon boasts a tropical mural, paintings of palm trees, and a trickling waterfall next to the fireplace, along with a children's play area to keep youngsters occupied.

When a guest steps into Refresh Day Spa, the outside world is immediately quieted. Privacy glass in the lobby obscures the actions of passersby, and water features and meditative music lull patrons into a relaxed state. Four treatment rooms encircle the reception area, and inside these rooms massage therapists and aestheticians pamper bodies with naturally derived services. Dermalogica products—which are known to eschew irritants such as alcohol, artificial colours, and tiny tickle monsters—fuel a selection of custom facials, and hot stones and mud build earthy foundations for massages and body wraps. Down the hall, stylists and nail technicians set to work in a salon equipped with massaging pedicure chairs and a plasma-screen television. Laser hair removal reigns as their most popular service, for which the spa may offer a 20 per cent discount off the price of competitors who use the same equipment.