In this day and age, everyone is running around with barely any time to relax. Going to the spa is a perfect way for someone constantly on the go to finally stop and relax. Relaxation should be a part of the client experience from beginning to end. Employing these elements of relaxation can bring peace to any spa space.
LIGHT IT UP
Lighting is a big part of creating a relaxing environment. Choosing the right light bulb is just as important as the warmth of the lighting. Fluorescent lights are typically not recommended for a spa setting. Fluorescent lights flicker at a rate that stresses out the brain and can zap employees’ energy. Additionally, avoid using spiral, compact fluorescent bulbs that are filled with mercury because if they break, mercury dust could possibly be in the air for days, wreaking havoc on all the lungs that pass through.
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The best lighting for the brain and health is incandescent. LED is also a good way to go, especially when the brightness and warmth can be controlled. The biggest mistake to make is using the whitest light possible. While it makes an all-white spa look pretty, the white light is possible because of the blue light spectrum. Constant blue light hurts the brain and forces the eye to elongate to diminish the blue light coming in, causing changes in vision. 4,000 Kelvin is the perfect setting for white light to make the spa look beautiful. The treatment room should be less bright and have a relaxing warm, sunset light. This can be done with a warm, halogen bulb around 3,000 Kelvin.
JUST THE ESSENTIALS
Essential oils are a powerful tool to help with mood. Lavender in the treatment room is great for relaxation. This oil can be diffused or applied topically to the chest and back of the neck with a carrier oil. Orange is energizing and creates happiness. Orange essential oil can be diffused at the front desk or applied to the temples at the end of a treatment.
CRYSTAL CLEAR
Having gemstones in the treatment rooms provides a gentle, noninvasive form of healing that cooperates with the body’s inner healer – a repair mechanism that brings things back into balance. Working through vibration, crystals channel electromagnetic energies that realign the bio-magnetic sheath or aura that surrounds the physical body and chakras.
Aquamarine brings a calm, quiet clarity to an overactive mental body. Malachite is grounding, while smokey quartz is calming. One spa water hack is to put gemstones with frequencies of relaxation directly in the water for clients to receive. This can be done with amethyst, as it is known as the healing stone. When the body is relaxed, it can repair. Rose quartz can also be used for healing to support healthy, radiant skin.
DOWN TO EARTH
Meditation is all about breath and being present in the moment. It helps to draw awareness to areas that a client is holding tension to release. Breath has power and is often underutilized. Guided meditation is perfect while the client is masking. Adding a massage is a perfect way to put the client in a calm relaxed state. The service provider can guide the mediation, or there are apps with pre-recorded mediations.
ENERGY VIBES
On some level, everyone has walked into a room and felt tension. These are the energy and vibrations left over in a space. People can take on that energy. If a client walks in and the spa is hectic and panicked, the client will feel panicked too. If the front desk or service provider is upset, the client will feel the disturbance too. The same thing goes for if the staff is happy and calm – clients will leave happy and calm. Having the right energy in the spa is vital.
SPA MELODIES
The right music is very important for the atmosphere of the spa. Two things to consider are what clients like to hear and the speed of the tempo. Obviously, spas do not want the music in their treatment rooms to be the same as in the lobby where clients are making purchases. Do not make clients so relaxed that they do not want to think about adding to their skin care regimen. Rooms should have melodious music at 60-beats-per-minute. Research confirms that music at this beat causes the brain to synchronize to the rhythm, resulting in alpha brainwaves. This alpha brainwave puts the client into a relaxed yet conscious state.
The lobby atmosphere is where clients start the process of escape. One option is to play throwback hits of the past. Studies show that when someone listens to music they heard when they were younger, it increases their energy, zest for life, and reduces the symptoms of health conditions. Choosing the right music creates a memorable and positive client experience that makes the client look forward to their next appointment.
The spa should be a hub for relaxation, a getaway that is just a drive away. Spa owners have the opportunity to create a unique, inviting environment. Take advantage because a relaxed world is a happier world.
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Holly Tanella is an international award-winning aesthetician and business owner with over 10 years of experience in the aesthetics industry. She was named the 2019 Top International Holistic Esthetician at The Skin Games and has owned BOHO Alternative Med Spa in Allen, Texas since 2015. Tanella is a wife, mother of five, and skin fanatic whose personal mission is to help her clients create healthy, glowing skin through alternative methods.
