Yucca Valley, CA Spa and Massage

Like a professor knowledgeable on tulip mania, alien black oil, and a myriad of seemingly esoteric subjects, Massage Envy's certified body therapists ably converse with the gamut of muscle ailments. They'll unravel tense coils of accumulated inner stress through a perfectly catered treatment for individual clients' needs. Swedish massages offer gentle rubbing for muscular soothing and improved circulation, whereas reflexology focuses on a patient's crawling paddles, delivering relief to hands and feet to extend goodwill throughout the entire body. A prenatal massage is ideal for expecting mothers who could use a little relief from carrying another person inside them, and a sports massage provides tension relief and injury prevention for an athlete's body.

The stylists, skin soothers, massage therapists, and nail and makeup artists at Lavish Salon and Day Spa have seen their fair share of media buzz. So has owner, master stylist, and senior Goldwell hair-color educator Samantha Murguia, whose color-correction skills found themselves under the spotlight on ModernSalon.com. In 2010, OCFamily.com editor Susan Belknapp blogged that not only was her Brazilian Blowout with Murguia "a relaxing, fast-moving treatment," but also that she found the result to be "fantastic." Murguia and her team have also been featured multiple times in Inland Empire Magazine and, in 2011, graced CBS’s list of LA’s Best Blow-Drys.

Perhaps the high praise is a result of the expertise with which Murguia's crew performs their services. Or perhaps it’s the fact that they keep a close eye on the latest youthful trends. The staff includes a teen blogger who has her finger on the pulse of the beauty industry, and the salon has been accepting donations of gently used dresses, shoes, and accessories to help girls attend the prom in style. They have even offered teen makeup tutorials that explain how to complement natural facial features and use a smartphone’s blush-administering app.

Inspired by the glamor of Hollywood, owner of Best At Beauty Enhancement (B.A.B.E.) KC Chavez strives to make each customer feel like a celebrity during customized skincare, waxing, and nail services. She combats blemishes, signs of aging, and paparazzi red eye with nine types of facials, nourishing skin with the nontoxic, botanical extracts and pure essential oils found in the paraben- and fragrance-free Bioelements line. Chavez uses formaldehyde-free CND Shellac polish to keep nails from chipping or oxidizing for up to two weeks.

Though Skin Essentials Skincare Studio & Day Spa owner Katherine Bocanegra found her way into the spa industry by coincidence, she discovered a genuine passion for helping others while working with beauty professionals across the country. In addition to mastering treatments using Skin Script products, her team of licensed aestheticians educates each one of their clients so they may continue their skincare routine at home or even in space.

Inside the spa, cascading water places guests at ease as they sit in round cherry-wood chairs. All services take place in private treatment rooms equipped with soft beds or chairs and unique décor, such as silky, gold curtains that glow by candlelight.

The Synergy Wellness Clinic's founder, Dr. Steve Nelson, who was featured in Suzanne Somers' lifestyle and wellness book, Breakthrough, boosts clients' confidence with weight-loss and appearance-enhancing services that rely heavily on technology. He uses such equipment as the noninvasive i-lipo laser to rupture fat cells' membranes and cause them to shrink and the Asyra bio-energetic testing device to determine allergy-sensitivity and hormonal profiles. The whole-body vibration platform eliminates the need to stand on a pile of cell phones to vibrate muscles until they're more toned.

After 1,000 hours of massage education and 17 years of experience, licensed massage therapist Neya Pasley has honed her skills to a point where she can zero in on aches and closely tailor her treatments to individual issues. Inside her comfortable, softly lit studio, she administers 10 massage treatments that can be augmented with various add-ons and an optional high-five. Among many possible benefits of Neya's treatments, clients have reported decreased levels of stress, increased flexibility, and improved circulation.