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"For
the stressed out, the time pressed and bone weary, indulgence is just
around the corner... There's a
two-month wait for a signature rubdown at Houston's tony Brea
Spa..."
"Long the province of
the upper crust, day spas have reinvented
themselves as oases of the calm for everyone
(Yes, guys, you too.) Here, a
coast-to-coast listing of the best...
...Brea Sanctuary d'
Sante
3637 W. Alabama Blvd., Suite 235, Houston,
Texas; 713-622-7722. When could I
submit to this Houston spa's famed one-hour,
45-minute treatment? 'In
 two
months,' was the receptionist's answer.
Brea Pope built her business around an
intoxicating offering called The Cure,
and in her funky day spa, men and women fork
over $103 for the treatment. When I finally
got my turn, I entered a sensual, candlelit
room with a waterfall. Brea, who has been
in the business for 21 years, whipped a
cocktail of seaweed, algae, and spirulina,
'perfect food for the skin,' she says. She
pulverized flaxseed, herbs, and seawater to
the concoctions that are manufactured in her
husband's lab, then chose a mix of
aromatherapy oils to match my mood. 'If
you're having a bad day, I use lavender and
chamomile.' In addition to a delicious
facial, Brea bathes clients' feet in warm
water infused with essential oils, then
massages legs, feet, hands, arms, and back,
rubbing from the scalp all the way to the
tailbone. It doesn't get any better than
this."
"A complete guide to finding the best facialists
throughout the country...
Brea Natural Facial Spa and Aromatherapy Bar
Tucked in a brick house in Houston's West U district,
this quirky salon is famous for its holistic
1-hour-and-45-minute treatment known as The Cure. We
lay back as Pope whipped up a mask of seaweed, algae,
and spirulina. 'AHA products are too harsh,' said Pope.
'Sea elements break down pore congestion and are perfect
for the skin.' After giving our feet a hot soak, she
massaged our hands, arms, and legs until they felt like
saltwater taffy. We left in a trance, but there's a
price to pay for such composure- we forgot where we
parked our car."
After months of mindlessly tolling from Sante Fe to St.
Tropez, hypersocial types admit they're desperate for a
glamour fix. Oh thank heavens the social season is in
full swirl. So, time to oil up the family limo, and
drag out the heirloom jewels. It's time for Life in the
Show Lane.
Brea [Gratia]
(Brea Sanctuary d' Sante, 3637 W. Alabama, Suite 235,
713.622.7722) Brea calls her nurturing treatment
the "Cure Lavish." And after experiencing this popular
two-and-a-half hours of pampering, clients don't
question why. Cocooned in a candlelit room, you're
eased into the treatment with a scalp massage before the
one-hour facial. Then for the following 90 minutes,
you're senses are surrendered while you experience hot
and cold surprises ranging from finger massages to foot
baths. Famous for the intoxicatingly sublime services
she's perfected for more than 21 years (she's been
written up in magazines like
Time and
Vogue), Brea has garnered flocks of
faithful fans like Gracie Cavnar
and Janie DeGuerin who don't mind waiting two months for
an appointment. Clients also clamor for her creative
Ritual experience. No talking is permitting upon
entering the candlelit room that pulsates with recorded
earth sounds and a heartbeat rhythm. The relaxing
75-minute production, which includes light body
brushing, heat, aromatherapy massage, cradled rocking
and Shirodhara (warm oil slowly flowing onto the
forehead and scalp) has been said to provoke a personal
spiritual seance of the senses."
"Holistic Treatments have
come full circle, as ancient therapies, like
aromatherapy and thalassotherapy, have been updated to
offer new benefits...
Sanctuary Spa, 3637 W.
Alabama, Suite [235], Houston (713) 622-[7722]. This is
massage heaven, with several types, from a fast
20-minute Stress Relief Massage for scalp, neck, and
shoulders ($20) to a 45-minute sea-algae underwater
massage ($50)."
"Discover the
pleasure
of
relaxation
in spas
across
the
state...
Sanctuary
d' Sante
in
Houston
assists
you in
putting
your
best
face
forward. Here
it's all
fabulous
facials
that
spin off
their
original
treatments,
The
Restorative,
which
exfoliates,
extracts,
and
nourishes
($90). Or
relax
with
The Cure
facial
that
also
includes
a hand
and arm
massage
($105). Inquire
about
the
mystery
facial-
you'll
have to
get one
to
uncover
the
secret. Call
(713)
622-7722."
"In need of a
pampering pick me up? A day of mental and physical
rejuvenation? Your dreams will come true if you wish
upon a spa...
...The Sanctuary.
Although a die-hard Giants fan, The Banker has always
been partial to the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Brea
[Gratia], owner of this serene jasmine-and-chamomile
scented spa, suggests that if you want those Texas-type
thighs, you should regularly enlist the following
services: a thalassotherapy or Thermo-Trim treatment,
followed by electronic muscle stimulation or a vibration
massage to help release toxins, as well as a friction
rub with loofah mittens, and a nutritional
consultation. She also offers basic Day of Beauty
fare-facial, one-and-a-half-hour massage, lunch,
manicure, pedicure, and make-up session. (3637 West
Alabama, Houston, 713-622-[7722]."
"You arrive in Houston with hair
hammered by humidity and a T-zone slicked with almost as
much oil as the state of Texas. Not cute, in this city
of omnipresent opulence. Get primped and pampered
alongside la crème de la femme of social chic-dom..."
Brea [Gratia] - Brea Sanctuary
d' Sante
3637 W. Alabama Street | 713-622-7722
In a two-hour treatment called
"Cure
Lavish,"
you are cocooned in a candlelit room and scalp-massaged
before your face undergoes one hour of exfoliation,
extraction and moisturization with seaweed-based
products. Eye pillows are positioned for complete
darkness so that all your senses experience the
"surprises" of the second hour, which range from finger
massages to footbaths. The result: A tingling composure
- as if you've been dipped in a tub of champagne."
"Much more to movement than communing with nature,
smelling roses...
...Holistic is an umbrella term used to describe the
smorgasbord of ideas, therapies and natural remedies
inherent in the New Age movement. 'We try to meet the
spiritual, intellectual and physical needs,' says
[Barbara] Freidman. Another concurs: 'We wanted to
create a facility where people could come and have every
aspect of their being nurtured. To feel better about
their lives,' says Alan Davidson of The Enchanted
Garden. The key word is "feel." To actually have some
emotional response.' Brea Gratia of Sanctuary Spa
confirms this. 'People come here to get nurtured,
loved. And I mean love in the sense of genuine caring.'
And everyone wants love, says Freidman. 'We've gotten so
far away from it that it has caused a lot of stress.'
Gratia relates a story of how one lonely housewife,
whose husband all but ignored her, responded to one of
Gratia's massages. The woman burst into tears
mid-session and afterwards hugged Gratia. 'You know I
love you. That's why I come here,' the woman told
her..."
"Customers wake up and smell the aromatherapy...
WRAP it. BUFF it. Massage
it. Soak it. Sounds like the work of a shoemaker.
Instead, it's what holistic types are having done to
their bodies. And just who are these holistic
converts? Well, word has it they run the gamut from 12-
to 85-year olds. But Brea Gratia of Sanctuary Spa says
the average age of her patron is 40, with most being in
the middle-to-upper income range. Though they all differ
in what they sell, many holistic beauty hangouts around
town offer the same services: massage therapy, facials,
hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, and so on. Here's a list of
some better known sources and their services:
Sanctuary Spa
Gratia opened her business in 1981, long before anyone
now offering holistic services did. There, one can
indulge in seaweed facials and body wraps, sea salt
scrubs, hydrotherapy (spa treatment), thalassotherapy
(use of seaweeds in a spa), scalp treatments, manicures,
massages, and the creme de la creme,
aromatherapy. 'We're checking into acupuncture and
manual lymphatic drainage. And we already do
acupressure,' she says... The majority of Gratia's
clients go to her for relief from stress, or chronic
pain. 'A lot of them have been to the doctors and have
not found the help they needed,' she says. And that's
understandable to to Dr. Christine Matson, vice chair
for Family Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. 'If
traditional medicine doesn't offer them something,
well... they will go to some other route. I think that
happens a lot more than doctors perceive,' says Matson.
All of the services Gratia offers, aromatherapy may be
the most popular. In aromatherapy, a person inhales the
aromas of essential oils derived from trees, herbs, and
flowers. The oils are placed in a diffusor and the
fumes soon permeate the air. These essential oils are
concentrated- it takes 2,000 pounds of flowers petals to
yield on liter of rose oil. 'Just the smell of the
jasmine, pine, sage, lavender oils creates a feeling of
relaxation. Euphoria comes over these people. It makes
them want to come back.'
'It's a feel-good thing,' says the receptionist. But
it's really more than that. Some of these essential oils
are believed to be truly healing. For example,
eucalyptus is used to relieve respiratory problems. And
when used in massage therapy, it is also known to ease
muscular and arthritic pain. But, buyer beware. They may
help, but they can also hurt. Gratia says pregnant women
especially must take precaution. 'Certain oils can cause
a pregnant woman to abort. Watch out for penny royal,
thuja and clary sage,' she warns. The Aromatherapy
Awareness Guide also cites basil, cedarwood, juniper,
marjoram, myrrh, peppermint and rosemary as being
potentially harmful to pregnant women.
Be advised before you breathe..."
1982, Sanctuary d' Sante (3637 West Alabama,
Suite 235, 713-622-7722, 888-566-6392,
www.sanctuarydsante.com) owner Brea Gratia
returned from a trip to London, where she
enjoyed a full day at "The Sanctuary." It was
truly an experience she would never forget. As
an esthetician, she fantasized about the day she
could have a place like that for physical and
mental rejuvenation. She began to write her
goals and business plan and by 1983 she realized
she could provide a very small version of the
London Sanctuary.
Her hydrotherapy is now in full bloom with the
proper equipment, which includes a tub and new
shower facilities. Utilizing a custom-made
whirlpool foot spa, pedicures became the
ultimate treat. In February 1991, Brea's
Sanctuary Spa expanded to a total of 3,800
square feet and 14 employees (5 estheticians, 5
massage therapists, 2 nail technicians, a
receptionist and an administrative assistant).
All estheticians and massage therapists were
cross trained to provide all body treatments and
hydrotherapy services.
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