Essential Indulgence

Area experts weigh in on emerging spa trends for 2010

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Despite the media’s attempts to cajole Canadians into tightening our belts and reeling in our spending, the spa industry shows little sign of failing, even flagging. Quite the opposite: our culture’s keyed-up, plugged-in, stress-heavy lifestyle leaves us craving the therapeutic benefits and indulgence of the spa environment. Though the regular visits to the spa have yet to become as deeply embedded in our culture as that of our European counterparts, the number of Canadians visiting spas continues to grow.    

Long gone are the days where people patronized their local spa for a sumptuous nip of pampering for its own sake. A recent international consumer survey indicates that over 60% of Canadian spa goers are seeking to relieve stress and improve their health. “Wellness is what people are looking for and what they need,” says Franscisca Dennis, owner of Ora Medispa in Stoney Creek. “In order to maintain a healthy mind and body, it’s imperative to take your health seriously.”
   
The stereotype of the highborn society dame nestled in a fuzzy pink robe, sipping champagne with cucumber slices over her eyes is strictly the stuff of nostalgia. But with a weary populace seeking to unwind and tune out without breaking the bank, what’s new in the spa isn’t necessarily the composition of the mud in your facial mask or the origin of massage you receive. Newly tailored services include a range of options for men, groups and young people of every tax bracket. However, local spas continue to offer the best in traditional therapies as well as introducing the newest therapeutic treatments and services intent on keeping us well, relaxed and refreshed.
   
Thirty percent of Canadian spa-goers are male. Really. For decades, many men would take in their pedicures and facials in stealth mode, often making arrangements with spa staff to come in before or after-hours. Understandably, men would feel a tad compromised in what was typically, if not explicitly, a woman-focused space. “Most are a little apprehensive at the beginning,” says Vivienne Camilli, owner of Vivienne Medi Spas, who hosts regular Men’s Nights at her spas to introduce men to the spa service menu. “Nowadays, we have so many men – there’s been such a huge change in the past ten years.” Local spas have opted for a gender-neutral atmosphere, one that caters to relaxation and healthful indulgence without prissy ambience.
   
The iffy economy coupled with a time crunch culture have likely left a bit of a mark on our ability to spend capital-Q quality time with those nearest and dearest. As we may think twice about hopping in the car for a weekend away with our partners or friends in tow, local spas have broadened their service menus to allow for the collective spa experience. Services for couples, especially massages, are becoming very popular. “Most couples who frequent our spa facility also enjoy coming without their partner for some alone time,” says Lisa Purdy of Coco Mazzi. Jeanette Stevenson of Keora Aveda Salon concurs. “It is most definitely a bonding session, but it can result in return visits if the experience is great.”

“As an industry, this is a permanent shift in the way spas are adapting. We’re seeing spas scrambling to not only offer couples services, but creating a room just for that purpose,” says Wanda Love, CEO of Leading Spas of Canada, an umbrella association for the Canadian spa industry. “Almost every spa will host birthdays, stags and stagettes and showers. The spa is a great place to spend time with the people you love.”
   
Unlike their European counterparts, the baby boomer cohort didn’t grow up in the spa. Up until the 1990s, most spa-goers typically consisted of women over the age of 35. Presently, people aged 18-34 account for roughly a third of spa-goers in Canada. “Nowadays, people are working harder and trying to balance it all,” says Belford. “They see this as maintenance, not pure luxury. It’s part of looking after yourself so you have energy to get through the day.”
   
Several local spa owners indicate that their client base is getting even younger, with teens and tweens showing up with a parent for a treatment, usually a facial to help manage the dermal disasters of puberty, damage control from an eyebrow plucking extravaganza or simply a manicure or pedicure. Says Love: “This is more of a bonding, familial experience – something they’ve been doing in Europe for decades, but we’re just catching on here.”
   
Green, organic and sustainable living have become guiding principles of our time, and inside the doors of spas is no exception. Today’s spa-goer is looking to look and feel good, but is less willing to tread heavily on the planet to achieve these ends. A glance at most local spa menus indicates a pull toward practices and products that are mindful toward responsible consumption. “We’re about holistic, natural services and environments,” says Vince Randazzo, co-owner of Pure NV Salon and Spa, an Aveda concept salon – a brand focusing on eco-friendly, plant-based product centred in aromatherapy and whole-body treatments. “I’ve had opportunities to use different technologies and machines, but I think that would be contradictory to what we do, and to what our clients like about us.”
   
The past decade has seen the birth of the medispa, usually a space offering services beyond the traditional spa menu, but more aggressive dermatological
treatments, under the watchful eye of an on-site physician or nurse. Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser-based therapies are pricier fare, but all sources indicate that these practices have become permanent spa menu items. “Treatments like these are extremely popular, even the men are coming in for Botox. It just gives you that refreshed look,” says Camilli. “Microdermabrasion is very big right now
as well.”
  The industry is further integrating their core treatments with Eastern-inspired philosophies and practices. For example, reflexology, a popular method of ancient Chinese massage now comprises almost a fifth of spa-related treatments in Canada. To boot, the past two decades have seen the inclusion of Reiki, acupuncture and yoga included as key elements in the wellness packages of day and travel spas.
   
Moving forward, spa-goers with a nose for the all-the-rage are giving chakra-based crystal therapies akin to those offered at White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa a try, a robust Thai yoga massage at Scape Spa in Mount Pleasant or an Ayurvedic-inspired head massage at Eva Skin and Beauty in Dundas. These and similar Eastern-based treatments incorporate meditative techniques in addition to keeping your corporeal vessel in first-rate condition. “There’s often a greater level of spirituality in times of economic trouble,” says Love. “This is possibly the reason why spirituality is finding its way into the spa.”
   
And so, as ever, the spa experience continues to widen its draw to those outside of its traditional range of devotees. 


What demand are you seeing, in your own business and in the broader industry, for treatments that are traditional in more Eastern-influenced ways? Which of your services do you see undergoing the largest increase in demand for 2010?

Vivienne Camilli, Vivienne Medispa “Life in the 21st century presents it own unique and complex problems. Demand for Eastern-influenced spa treatments are prompting us to offer more services in that direction. Reflexology is one treatment offered, involving the feet. We can treat the entire body through pressure points on the feet. Light Therapy (chromotherapy) is another service that can be used to treat seasonal affective disorder, insomnia, stimulate the circulatory system and detoxify the body. It can also be used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and aligns itself well in the health and beauty industry.”
Jeanette Stevenson, Keora Aveda “People are gearing more to holistic services; the result is definitely an increase in ‘specialized treatments’ and the Eastern-influence is of great interest to a number of our guests. As for 2010, we’re anticipating even greater demand for massage, pedicures, manicures and facials.”
Lisa Purdy, Coco Mazzi “We do very well with our chakra-balancing therapies. We also have a Reiki master and holistic therapist on staff who incorporates Reiki into most of the massage therapy she does. Guests respond wonderfully to Eastern-influenced therapies. Facials and massage have become much more important for men and women, both for stress management and to maintain overall good health. And since introducing Egyptian sugaring as a hair removal technique – more effective, less painful – almost every client has gone away from waxing.”