The lowdown on local skincare

Face Fixes

Skincare is more than skin deep

BY Lou Fancher

For addressing serious skin conditions and concerns, it is always best to contact our primary medical practitioner, who may then refer us to the care of a trained medical dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment. For all other times, when the “fi x my face” or “treat my whole body well” impulse surges to the forefront, a visit to a spa, skincare salon or massage establishment provides rejuvenation. After two years of don’ttouch social distancing, deep-bodywork denial and overall disillusionment and distrust related to health during the pandemic, we all deserve safe epidermal and sensory stimulation. A visit to one or all three of these East Bay personalcare businesses provides a roundhouse of services aimed at revitalizing and reconnecting the body, mind and soul.

This may not fi x one’s face—likely, there is nothing wrong with it except the attitude—but one’s outlook will receive a serious upgrade.

Selected based on personal experience, history and recommendations from colleagues— some of whom are in the medical fi eld—the three locations featured

LOOK Changes Salon & Day Spa excels at skincare treatment.

RELAX Clients are encouraged to luxuriate in the relaxing atmosphere of the Walnut Creekbased salon and spa.

»here are by no means an exhaustive list. They serve as representatives of spas and salons with solid safety protocols in place, established and reliable track records, and owner/ operators and staff who focus on people over product sales. While a good supply of skincare products are offered at two of the three establishments, the energized “push” exerted in deep-tissue massages is not mirrored at the sales counter.

CHANGES SALON & DAY SPA IN WALNUT CREEK

The full-service salon, which opened in 1984, is owned by Bonnie Waters, a nail technician who from the get-go envisioned a unique, full-service day spa. The salon’s popularity during the early years resulted in Changes expanding: in 1996, the addition of 1,800 sqare feet created an extra facial room and a roomier hair styling space. As the demand for more spa services increased, Changes in 1998 added a lounge and multiple skincare and massage rooms.

Waters’ establishment became a destination space, and in 2007 another expansion of 2,700 sqare feet brought Changes to its current size of approximately 10,000 sqare feet. Among the amenities and offerings are showers, steam rooms, a 16-foot water wall, a wet room, a sound chair, an infrared sauna and a well-curated boutique offering hair, nail and skincare products, makeup and bath essentials. Hair-salon services include haircuts, styling, conditioning and coloring for women and men. Spa services range broadly: facials, hair removal, makeup, massage, body therapies and nail, hand and foot treatments. Special packages present opportunities to gift loved ones or to keep savings in one’s pocket for later self-care.

Asked about riding the roller coaster of running a salon and spa during the Covid-19 pandemic, Waters says, “The first year of Covid was extremely difficult for my business and industry, because of the mandated closures. We were closed almost eight months out of 12, and the other months were a combination of limited services approved to be offered and/ or allowed only outdoors. As you can imagine, doing hair color with no access to water—having a facial—is tough to make happen, not to mention multiple days of smokey conditions or extreme heat that made it very uncomfortable for both provider and client.” Forced to lay off many of the »

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»60-plus staff and trained technicians due to the closures, Waters says the second year of Covid, when Changes and other personal care salons were allowed to reopen, was “a big push to try to rehire and/or find new help.” While still operating understaffed, the salon maintains its high standards and its emphasis on safety. Clients are asked for proof of vaccination to schedule any appointments that require removing a mask. Proof of vaccine—booster optional, either digital or hard copy—is required to receive the relevant services and, in compliance with Contra Costa County mandates, all Changes team members and clients wear masks regardless of vaccination status as of Aug. 3, 2021.

“For the most part our clients have been very understanding and supportive. The vast majority of clients have been happy to show proof of vaccination,” Waters says.

The most popular services in 2022 are Hydraderm Facials, Medifacials and peels; find complete details on the salon website. The top-selling skincare products are Cosmedix Simply Brilliant, Cosmedix Benefit Clean and Cosmedix Purity Clean. Waters says Cosmedix skincare products are designed to work with all skin tones and skin types, not against them. “Whether your skincare concern is dark, under-eye circles, hyperpigmentation, acne, redness, sensitive skin, fine lines and wrinkles or dehydration—our luxurious line of cruelty-free skin-care products delivers real results without harsh side effects.” Top-selling hair products combining high-tech science and primarily natural ingredients include Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me Rinse, Bumble and Bumble Bond Building Conditioner, Kevin Murphy Session Spray and Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion.

Asked about the overall forecast she makes for 2022, Waters says clients, including both men and women, are “hungry for results-oriented skin care that helps them to look the best they can at any age.”

www.changessalon.com/skin-care-services

PIEDMONT SPRINGS IN OAKLAND ON PIEDMONT AVENUE

Another location with a decades-long reliable history, Piedmont Springs, provides massages, sauna and steamroom treatments, hot tubs with group or individual rental options and skincare treatments that include facials, body treatments, waxing and hand care. Gift certificates, kind and gentle staff, and individual practitioners all received special mention from clients who were asked about the establishment.

Covid-19 protocols include face coverings and social distancing while checking in and entering back rooms. People displaying symptoms of fever, coughing or sneezing at the time of their appointments are asked to reschedule. Temperature screenings may be required, and to ensure safety, adjusted cleaning and safety practices include: sanitizing commonly touched services in each private room after every use, sanitizing payment devices and sanitizing all commonly touched surfaces in shared areas hourly. Masks are worn by staff and customers at all times while in shared areas, and pre-screening of customers and staff includes temperature checks.

A streamlined website makes it easy to select treatments, and prices are up-front and reasonable—some very reasonable—when compared to similar East Bay salons and spas. The Sugar Butter Body Scrub, for just $60, promises to exfoliate, smooth and moisturize in one treatment. According to the website, “The essential oils create a sweet treat for the skin that smells yummy enough to eat. The body is left with a clean, fresh polished look.” Sounds—and smells—like a winner.

www.piedmontsprings.com

GOLDEN ISLAND MASSAGE

Finally, for those times when a pickme-up doesn’t allow full, luxurious day-spa indulgence, swing into Golden for an inexpensive—and very strong— half-hour deep-tissue Swedish massage or a 20-minute chair massage. If the schedule loosens, opt for a longer session up to two hours or choose from among hot stone, aroma, pregnancy and couples massages. Acupressure and therapy, reflexology foot massage, Korean body scrubs and combination packages are also available. During a quick call to Golden Island in early February, staff said people in recent months are coming most often for back and foot massages. The number of appointments each day fluctuates; with some days similar to before the pandemic, other days extremely slow. With practitioners working on clients’ bodies in close proximity, temperatures are taken daily and a room that once had five beds now has three; a room that had four beds now has two. Requests for treatment in private rooms are honored. All staff are triple vaccinated and masks must be worn by both clients and staff.