After the stress and chaos of the holiday season, we all need a little self-care, and what better way to unwind than by taking some time out at a spa? The mellow lighting, fluffy robes, and relaxing music will begin to calm your nervous system as soon as you step inside, and the treatment will take it from there.
We’ve rounded up a handful of the best spas Whatcom and Skagit counties have to offer— from massages to facials and everything in between, you can find it here. Treat yourself to a treatment or two!
Massage & Body Wrap
Is there anything more relaxing than having your stresses literally worked out of your body by strong, able hands (and maybe an elbow here or there) while lavender essential oils tickle your nose and whale songs play over the stereo? In Fairhaven, The Chrysalis Inn & Spa Bellingham offers more than 10 types of massage, as well as couples massages and a host of specialty add-ons to enhance your experience. If you’re looking for a fewer frills, just-the muscle-work option, try Northwest Academy for the Healing Arts in downtown Bellingham, where a supervised student will perform an hour-long massage for just $40. For a renewing (and delicious) body wrap, check out The Apothecary Spa’s Honey Glow Body Wrap, where you’re literally draped in honey while your scalp gets a dreamy massage— it’s offered at both their Anacortes and Burlington locations.
Anti-aging
Look, aging is part of life, but that doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes want a little perking up of the face we look at every day in the mirror. Why not bundle relaxation with a visual boost? Pure Skin + Wellness Spa, in downtown Mount Vernon, offers a Hydro-Glow Facial that promises to tighten and hydrate skin, while Bellingham’s Crosier Skincare offers a handful of services to make your skin look its best at any age. If you’re looking for something a bit more intense than a facial, try a medspa— RejuvenationMD, in Bellingham and Burlington, offers a range of outpatient anti-aging procedures, from injectables to microneedling.
Float Therapy
Float therapy offers the kind of sensory deprivation we can only dream of during the busy holiday months. Supported by body-temperature water filled with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt, in total darkness with your ears filled only with the sounds of your own movement in the water, you’ll be weightless and free of distraction. Still Life Massage and Float, in Bellingham, promises that their float sessions will leave skin silky, not wrinkly, and can lead to improvements in mental health, sleep, and even athleticism.
Infrared Sauna
The Finnish (and many of their neighbors) have been preaching the benefits of sauna for generations: the heat relaxes muscles, improves circulation, reduces blood pressure, and may even delay the effects of age. But you don’t have to sit in a wooden box and breathe hot air if you find that uncomfortable— infrared saunas enable the heat to penetrate more easily, providing the same benefits of traditional saunas in a less oppressive atmosphere. At Spero Skin Spa & Salon, in Mount Vernon, you can purchase infrared sauna time in bundles of up to 12 sessions, so you can reap the benefits all year long. In addition to their massage and spa services, Little Oasis Wellness Spa, in Bellingham, offers infrared sauna sessions— including longer sessions for return sauna-ers who’ve built up enough of a tolerance for the heat.
Packages
If you’re celebrating something special or just taking a whole day for yourself (you deserve it, after all), many of these spas offer multi-treatment packages to help you relax and beautify from head to toe. The Heron Inn’s spa offers a handful of packages, including The Heron Signature Works, which includes a back scrub and classic relaxation massage and ends with a mini facial to leave you feeling revitalized from head to toe. The Chrysalis Inn & Spa Bellingham has four preset packages to choose from, or you can create your own package by combining three or more one-hour services on the same day— you’ll get a 10% discount, plus access to the steam room and relaxation lounge. The Apothecary Spa offers packages ranging from 1 ½- to 3 ½- hour stints (there are more options at their Anacortes location, though Burlington has a few packages as well), including treatments from the standard massage or facial to float sessions and body polishes.
Memberships
One trip just not enough? Why not indulge in a membership! At Blessings Salon & Spa, in Fairhaven, a monthly membership gets you access to their dry sauna, steam room, and fireplace lounge, as well as either one or two discounted treatments each month (depending on which package you choose). Bella Soul Spa, in Burlington, offers 60- and 90-minute facial memberships, which include a monthly facial, discounts on products, and priority bookings
