Eco Spa

Organic Ways Make
Green Spa Luxury
Even Better

by Jill Nussinow

   Going to the spa is a luxury, so why not have your spa experience reflect your organic values? Whether soaking in Japanese cedar chips or the finest European mud, indulgence can now happen without toxic chemicals in the products or the surroundings if you choose an eco spa. Organic products are the norm at these spas. Attention to green details occurs in the buildings with the use of nontoxic paints; compostable paper, glass, or porcelain drinking cups; filtered water to drink; and recycling programs. The buildings may be solar-powered and surrounded by carbon dioxide restoring plants. Whatever the case, peaceful and chemically safe surroundings are an important part of a relaxing spa experience. Come with me to explore a few green spas in Northern California.

Eco Spas - Day Spas or Destination Spas
   Usual spa choices include the day spa where you receive services and then retreat to your hotel or home, or a destination spa in a more resort-like setting. At the Southern end of the Napa Valley, though, Gaia Hotel and Spa is a hybrid. It is not part of a resort and allows an affordable escape.
   Situated on the side of Highway 29, the main drag in the Napa Valley, the Gaia Hotel is easy to miss. Don’t let its “plain Jane” looks deceive you. Once inside the spacious, clean, and light lobby, you’ll glimpse the lagoon and waterfall, along with wall gauges measuring energy and water usage plus CO₂ emissions. It’s then that you begin to sense that this is no ordinary hotel. It is, in fact, the first Gold Certified LEED (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System) hotel in the world. The meticulous care and attention to green details are evident throughout the hotel, including recycled carpeting throughout, and light diffusing skylights that naturally light up meeting rooms and hallways.
   A short trip from the lobby leads to the Asian-fusion themed spa building where a beautiful fountain creates a soothing atmosphere. Here you’ll find seven treatment rooms, offering a variety of services just a touch out of the ordinary, from massages and

facials to scrubs and soaks. You can get a duo (couples massage), nail services with non-toxic, toluene-free polish, Ayurvedic hot stone massage, Thai coconut scrub and massage, and Java Lava Foot Reflexology and Massage, to name a few. Beautiful tubs and showers are available for rinsing off.
   In addition to the gurgling fountain, the spa lobby houses a retail display of organic spa products used in the treatments, some of which are not easily available other places. You'll be able to purchase Soleo sunscreen from Australia that's EWG approved.
   Spa manager Kate Riley, a massage therapist herself, has been at the spa for the past two years, arriving shortly after it opened. She’s currently beaming that The Bohemian, the local alternative newspaper,

named the Gaia Spa the “Best Day Spa” in Napa Valley. “When I hire a massage therapist, they need to have 700 hours of basic training; 100 or 200 hours won’t do,” says Riley. She goes on to say, “I want people to have a wellness experience here, and think of it as a necessity, not a luxury.” No matter why you are there, if you’re staying at the hotel, it’s just a short walk to your room.
   In your room, you'll find organic cotton sheets and towels, organic body care products and bags of organic Numi tea for your morning cup. These rooms come with a reasonable price tag, starting at just $109 per night or less if there's a special in effect, which is a true Napa Valley bargain.
   Conveniently adjacent to the hotel is the stylish Gaia restaurant, serving meals made from locally sourced organic ingredients, including a selection of organic wine for dinner. Breakfast and dinner are served daily.
   In nearby downtown Napa, just a ten-minute drive, is the highly acclaimed Ubuntu restaurant. The daily menu is determined by what’s fresh and in-season. Even confirmed meat-eaters rave about the meals there and are willing to go vegetarian for the night. Upstairs is a yoga studio if you want to burn some calories and get grounded before sitting down to your meal.

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The Resort Spa
   Another green spa experience farther up Napa Valley is Calistoga Ranch, an Auberge spa destination that incorporates hotel, resort, and spa activities. This place has up-valley cachet and prices to match. Special spa packages for two will run you more than a thousand dollars for two nights, including a treatment session. This might be the perfect getaway for a very special occasion.

A Day Spa in the Country
   Crossing county lines and traveling an hour west into Sonoma County, almost to the ocean, is the tiny town of Freestone, home of Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary. One of the six founding membersof the Green Spa Network, Osmosis sets a green standard. Over the years, Osmosis has morphed from a place to relax in the Japanese sawdust and enzyme bath to a blissful day spa with massages and other services. Located just 25 minutes from downtown Santa Rosa, the county seat, Osmosis provides a tranquil experience where you feel as if you are away from it all, because you truly are. Freestone doesn't have a single stoplight and no downtown. From the first step into the entryway where you remove your shoes, you get the green vibe. Wall signs point out the low VOC paint, recycling containers, and reverse osmosis

water.    Once you get your locker, deposit your belongings and emerge in your yakata (Japanese robe), you are treated to a cup of enzyme tea in a meditation room, overlooking the garden. From there you enter the bathhouse, where you step into a large wooden enclosure filled with Japanese cedar and rice hulls mixed with enzymes that’s been hollowed out to fit your body. Your bath attendant leaves you to get in and cover yourself up.
   The attendant reappears to bring you cool cloths for your head and glasses of water to drink through a straw. The cedar gets hot to help you detox. From there you step out into a shower to rinse off. If it’s a nice day, you can get your massage in the outside pagoda. If not, the massage rooms are soothing. After

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your treatments, you may want to hang out in the meditation garden to continue the relaxation process before getting in the car. Check the website osmosis.com for special offerings.
   If you plan well and arrange your visit from Friday through Monday, be sure to walk across the street to Wild Flour Bakery wildflourbread.com; for what I consider the best wood-fired oven artisan bread in Sonoma County. It travels well, so get a loaf to go.
   If you want some natural negative ions, the beach is just a 20-minute drive west. Don’t bother looking for green hotels there, as none currently exist.
A Day Spa in the City
   For a city spa experience, head to San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf area to the recently opened Avra Organic spa.
   They offer individual treatments and spa

packages that provide a respite from San Francisco’s hectic pace. The spa’s interior is fashioned from recycled materials. They take great care when choosing products for individualized treatments based on your Ayurvedic constitution.
An Eco Spa Near You
   I’ve shared just a small taste of the “green spas” located in Northern California. Many other green spas exist throughout the United States and other places such as the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Belize. Green Spa Network (GSN) affiliated spas are easily found by going to the Green Spa Network.
The Network was started by six spas, including Osmosis and Calistoga Ranch, both highlighted here, to advance sustainability practices in individual spas and the industry.    Yet, some “green spas” choose not to be part of GSN. Financial considerations may be an issue for some, and others prefer their independence. This doesn’t mean they aren't green. Use your judgment when choosing a place to be pampered – for me, organic and green is the best way to go.
   If you want to learn more about the products you are using, look at the Skin Deep Database, Cosmetic Safety Reviews by the Environmental Working Group. On their website they state, “Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 42,000 products

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against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.
   The greenest spas take great care to choose products that are not toxic to you, the therapists, or the environment. It’s hard to put a price tag on that.

Jill Nussinow, The Veggie Queen™, is a freelance writer, cookbook author and recipe developer who lives in Northern California. She escapes to the spa as often as she can, which is not nearly often enough. You can see her work at www.theveggiequeen.com.