Clients at the sleek Spa Já are greeted by an exceptionally friendly staff, organic snacks and teas, Brazilian music, and scents of mint and lavender essential oils. Spa Já is known for its use of Dr. Alkaitis and Farmaesthetics products in its facials and body treatments as well as offering one of the city's largest selections of paraben-free beauty products.
"Your face is alive!" said esthetician Eka after administering the spa's popular Dr. Alkaitis organic facial, which includes masks made from Dr. Alkaitis powders mixed with milk, yogurt, and honey. The blissful treatment lasts 80 to 90 minutes. Included in the $160 facial is a massage of the neck, shoulders, hands, and time permitting, reflexology, leaving both face and spirit aglow.
Those looking for a fresh haircut visit John Masters Organics, a clean air hair salon located on one of SoHo's quieter streets. Standard salon activities are abuzz yet there is no ammonia smell, just rosemary. The salon doesn't perform any chemical processes; coloring is done using herbal and clay-based products.
"I was thought of as peculiar, now I'm looked upon as a pioneer," says Masters. He started his salon and concocting his own products in the mid-1980s. His contemporary, elegant approach to using and selling organic beauty products made the salon appealing to the mainstream. "I've been working on this for 20 years. I didn't start last week because it's cool and popular," says Masters. "It's frustrating when these green divas pop up and are suddenly the experts."
Clients look forward to lavender and rosemary lathers and rounds of rinses and conditioners with intoxicating smells of herbs and citrus, specifically neroli. Cucumber slices rest atop the eyelids while hands expertly massage the scalp. It's almost jarring when it's time for the actual haircut, which costs $80 to $100.
