Hit List

Say Spaaah

Prime places for a springtime reawakening

By Kasey Cordell and Kaitlin Johnson May 19, 2009 Published in the April 2009 issue of Portland Monthly

Spa Willamina’s hand-laid river-stone shower

1. Spa Willamina

Portlanders’ favorite vices—coffee and beer—can suck the moisture from your skin faster than you can say “Country Cat beef jerky.” That’s where Spa Willamina’s Spa Pure treatment ($120) comes in. The ninety-minute body wrap (which includes a steamy post-wrap shower) will leave your skin feeling baby-butt soft. Even better, the hip spa—tucked into the basement of a Northeast Portland bungalow—books no more than four clients at a time and uses only chemical-free, plant-based products. After all, if you’re going to be good to your body, why not be really good? 2223 NE 43rd Ave; 503-287-2787; spawillamina.com

2. The Dragontree Holistic Day Spa

East meets West at the Dragontree: using everything from ayurvedic massage to acupuncture, the staff will ease your body’s working-man woes. If you suffer from aichmophobia (fear of needles), consider reserving a simpler treatment in the communal Sangha room, filled with plush red couches and copper foot-washing bowls. Forty-five minutes of the Sweet & Simple ($45)—a milk, honey, aromatherapy, or salt footbath followed by a twenty-minute massage—and you’ll forget the meaning of the word “overtime.” 2768 NW Thurman St; 503-221-4123; thedragontree.com

3. The Barefoot Sage

Your feet and calves have been in boots all winter and they just can’t take it anymore. Sometimes all you need is the right pair of hands. At the Barefoot Sage, a fleet of licensed massage therapists tends to your tired soles as you recline on big, cushy sofas in a calming, low-lit salon. We loved the Foot Zen treatment ($45), a footbath and twenty-minute lower-leg and foot massage. Now we can’t wait to go back for paraffin dips, hot stone massages, and exfoliating salt scrubs. 1844 SE Hawthorne Blvd; 503-239-7116; thebarefootsage.com

4. De Daysha Spa Atelier

Of the three thousand square inches of skin that cover the average human body, the fifty or so on your face take the biggest beating. Fortunately, De Daysha offers twelve facials to combat the damage. Our favorite is the Mini European Facial ($50). For something called a mini, it’s pretty darn thorough. After the spa’s aesthetician, Erika Peterson, cleanses and exfoliates, she applies a customized mask and a silky moisturizer. As your skin absorbs the nutrients, you’ll enjoy a head and shoulder massage. It’s an indulgent affair your face will thank you for. 11790 SW Barnes Rd; 503-574-3600; dedaysha.com

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