Spa Spa Away

One Mom, Many Spas and So Little Time. A Guide to Spa-Hopping OC.

I could get used to this.  That’s what I was thinking as I basked in the afterglow of a massage. I was wrapped in a fluffy robe, reclining on a chaise in a dimly lit and quiet room. An attendant had thoughtfully brought me some herbal tea and I was flipping through the pages of a celebrity magazine without a care in the world. I was a lady of leisure, if only for an hour.

Become rejuvenated as you take a break in between treatments in Spa Gregorie’s relaxation room.

But the real world beckoned. I knew I had to pick up my daughter and her friend from a birthday party in about an hour. Trying not to rush myself and lose the pampered feeling, I strolled into the lady’s locker room and began transitioning myself back to the reality of life: carpools, grocery lists, work deadlines, what are we having for dinner. A daily life that is pretty similar to that of most Parenting OC readers. A life I am blessed to live. But a life that is stressful and taxing and oftentimes makes me one very cranky and overscheduled mommy, wife, woman.

So fate had smiled on me: I was given one of my dream assignments, career-wise – write a feature story on spas. Immediately I set about to ask for recommendations and called for appointments. And once my plans had been organized, I brought my husband home early one afternoon to “work” from the home office, kids underfoot, while I ventured out into the beyond to pamper myself. 

No matter how far the women’s movement has come with women working outside of the house and men stepping up their home and family responsibilities, in most homes, mom is the center of family life. I know in my home, I have become a master juggler. My kids, my house, my husband, my work – I keep all of these balls in the air, knowing that if one should fall, they will all fall out of sync.

All of that juggling can be exhausting. Moms give and they rarely take, as in take time for themselves. And in these times of tightened budgets, taking time and money for a massage or facial can feel selfish.  But what I learned and felt after my week of spa-ing is that money spent on your self is money well spent. A happy mommy really does make for a happy family.

All of the spa professionals I spoke with said the same thing: Women, moms especially, need to take more time for themselves. Anne Kelly, owner and founder of RejuvCard, a membership-based spa service provider based in San Clemente, says, “Women will often buy a new pair of shoes or jewelry when they have a bit of money to spend. They think about how good they will look wearing the new item. But no matter how wonderful that new purchase is, will anyone notice the accessory when the woman wearing it looks tired and stressed?”

A spa trip can be just what the doctor ordered to diminish that stress and allow us moms to relax. And when we’ve distressed and relaxed, we look better, too.

Still some moms have difficulties just letting go for that hour or two. Judy Metez, a mom of two from Laguna Beach says, “I go for treatments that do more than make you feel good.  I must always be productive; I’m not very good at relaxing so even at a spa I’m multi-tasking.”

Luckily many spa treatments can now address this need. A combination of new technology and traditional herbal and natural treatments coexist in many spas’ facials. At Spa Gregorie, a day spa in Newport Beach with locations in Rancho Santa Margarita and Del Mar, they now offer a technology called NuFace, a handheld machine that is reminiscent of a sonogram wand. It glides over your face, supplying low-voltage electrical current.  The micro-current stimulates the muscles under the skin, toning and firming, as well as helping to promote collagen. A productive way of relaxing, one could say.

Relax by the pool or go for a swim in Pelican Hill’s Women’s Acqua Collonade.

Personally, I was a bit hesitant to try the NuFace, but the Spa Gregorie’s staff assured me that it was painless and beneficial.  Already feeling well-taken care of after a deep cleaning, botanical peptides, lip and eye treatments, an antioxidant mask of A√ßai, Gogi Berry and Pomegranate and a foot-and-hand massage, the fabulous esthetician, Tamara, took out the NuFace wand and explained what she would be doing and how it should feel. The light zaps I felt as she slid the wand over my face weren’t unpleasant, just tingly and, well, strange. When I looked in the mirror after she had done half of my face, I could see the NuFace side looking tighter than the other. Tamara carried on. After enjoying the spa’s relaxation room post-facial, I emerged from Spa Gregorie with cleaner, brighter skin and felt as if I looked refreshed and perhaps a little younger.

The next day at a playdate, two women commented on how great my skin appeared.

Prior to my facial, I had chatted with Marketing Manager Erwin Dass about the trends he sees in spas. He relayed that there seems to be two almost opposing trends: going green/organic and the use of technology in treatments. Spa Gregorie has both of those concepts well covered but, he said, regardless of which route the treatment takes, the bottom line is that clients want to see and feel the results. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the products is what determines if  it makes it into the permanent rotation.

A few days later, still pleased from the NuFace results but eager to enjoy the next part of my assignment, I found myself pulling up to the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Lead Esthetician Lola Clark gave me tour of the spa and resort, which spa guests have access to.  Visiting the Ritz Carlton Spa, Laguna Niguel gives really felt like taking a mini vacation!

Adding to the luxury, adjacent to the spa is an up-to-date fitness center with glass walls providing a stunning panoramic view of the coastline. Here is something that could make time on a treadmill more bearable: a view (and all the cute surfer guys).

Lola showed me the resort’s organic garden, which features edible plants that can be used in spa treatments. We checked out the lovely outdoor pool and hot tub area as well as an outdoor, ocean-view pergola that was hosting a relaxing yoga class. A former nightclub (oh, how times have changed) has been repurposed as an indoor learning center for the resort’s Jean Michel Cousteau Ambassadors of the Environment Program. It offers hands-on experiences for both children and adults designed to acclimate participants to our outdoor environment and lead them on the path of responsible land and sea stewardship. Good stuff! And a great option for your child (ages 5 and older) while you’re enjoying the spa.

The spa itself was as elegant and relaxing as I expected. The sound of gently trickling water from fountains filled the air, immediately calming me. In Lola’s expert hands I tried the Ritz Carlton Signature Facial, including a sweet cherry enzyme peel, which smelled delicious and left my skin magically brighter, reducing the sun spots that I had developed over years of outdoor activities.

Lola also used Clarisonic technology on me.  Using the same concept as the Sonic toothbrush, this was a brush that vibrates back and forth so quickly you can’t see it moving. The brush felt nice as Lola worked, and, again, when we checked my face after half was done, I noticed that the treated side appeared to have fewer tiny lines than the other.

Two below-the-radar tips: The Ritz Carlton Spa, Laguna Niguel offers a 15% discount on all treatments to Orange County residents and validates your valet parking ticket so that parking only costs $5. Not bad for this slice of heaven!

A few days later, I visited The Spa at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast and was dazzled by the atmosphere of pure indulgence and relaxation. Spa Director Liza Esayian explained that the spa’s 20,000 square feet helps to create an atmosphere of privacy and luxury. Liza shared with me the philosophy at Pelican Hill: taking the client to a new level of serenity and striping away the cares of daily life.

A starring feature of that 20,000 square feet is a relaxing retreat within the spa that features a eucalyptus steam room and cedar dry sauna as well as an extremely oversized, salt water “Roman Soaking Tub.” I had the Colonnade to myself on a weekday afternoon and I relished the solitude as I went back and forth from the sauna to the hot tub, enjoying the chilled facial towels between heated “activities.”

Pelican Hill tip:  Valet parking is complimentary. And they have a cute lunch spot with an amazing view called Caff√© in the main resort building – housemade sandwiches, gelato and pastries.

My final spa visit was to Burke Williams Mission Viejo (also at The Block at Orange), where I found an easily accessible oasis in the midst of the busy Kaleidoscope Center. From the moment I walked through the door, I was away from the daily grind.

On the Sunday afternoon of my visit, the spa hummed with gentle activity as women, many in pairs, enjoyed the amenities including the whirlpool, steam room and sauna.  The spa’s quiet room, with its comfy recliners and blankets left me feeling relaxed and coddled.

The excellent (is there another kind?) massage was relaxing and worked out the kinks I developed over years of sitting at a keyboard.  Manager-on-Duty Stephanie Fell shared that Burke Williams offers products that are organic and paraben free, echoing the comments of all of the experts that I spoke with: natural is the new norm, as long as it produces results.

What I learned: Visiting a day spa can be quick and simple if you don’t have too much time to spend, or long and luxuriating if you have a block of time you can devote to yourself. Whichever type of spa experience you take time out of your schedule to enjoy, you and your family will be glad you did.