Lina greeted me at the door.Always professional and on time and I was satisfied with my service.

I purchased a Groupon for 2 Brazilian waxes. Firstly, it was difficult to make my initial appointment for my 1st wax. I called a few times during business hours and nobody answered the phone. They don't have a way for you to make an appointment online (I didn't need a consultation since it was a Brazilian and a pre-purchased Groupon so I didn't feel like I fit that criteria.) I finally was able to make an appointment and it was easy. Making the 2nd appointment was easier and I was able to make it after the 2nd call earlier in the day. On my first visit there was someone at the front desk, but on my 2nd visit nobody was at the desk and the aesthetician had to leave a session she was in to greet me. She was professional, but someone should've definitely been at the desk or there needs to be some type of program in place to ensure people are greeted when they arrive. Had I not had an appointment, I would've left. The space is calm and all of the staff were extremely friendly and inviting, but like many of the other reviews mention they are a bit pushy with their products. It didn't make me uncomfortable, but I can see how it would be a turnoff to many others. Although the space is calm it could use some updating, but overall it was clean. My biggest complaint though is the fact that they use wax strips and not the hardening wax for their waxes. I've been getting waxed for a while and greatly prefer the hardening wax to the strips. For one, the wax is much warmer much longer with the strips and that's a sensitive area already. Also, the strips I find to be a bit more painful than the hardening wax. It's hard to get all of the hair gone and be precise AND it's messy! The aestheticians that I had were both really precise and professional and did an overall good job. I would've been much more pleased though with the hardening wax. Overall, it wasn't a horrible experience, but I wouldn't return for a wax. read more

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Skin Essence is not really a true day spa with the relaxing atmosphere, soft lights, a robe and slippers. It is more like a skin-treatment factory. I booked what I thought was going to be a relaxing 2 hours at a spa: foot bath, sauna, and a small facial for a total of $150 or so. Instead, I somehow got roped into a very costly and time-consuming acne treatment. I'm usually one to say no pushy sales people, but I did have bad acne and thought I'd give it a chance. Lina speaks fast, with an accent under a mask, so perhaps I missed it, but no one ever mentioned my options or the cost. There was never a chance to pick which treatment I wanted and evaluate its affordability. My 2 hour break on a work day turned into 3 hours, as I received microdermabrasion, blue light therapy, a papaya peel, and a VERY strong chemical peel. I had never had one, so I didn't expect that level of burning, nor did I expect that I would not be able to show my face in public for several days. Again...no one really made that clear. After it was all done, they forced a bunch of aftercare treatments on me bringing my spa day total to about $700! I was annoyed and a bit angry, but I figured I have been struggling with my acne and this place has good reviews so I went ahead with it. But the pushiness didn't end there. She demanded that I come in two days for another blue light treatment, and she offered it for free so I agreed. Then again she insisted on 2 days later. She just picked a random day and time to make my appointment, not considering I have work or an outside life. I agreed to one more blue light session and a 2 week post peel follow-up. At my follow-up, I received another microdermabrasion and extractions. Then suddenly, I felt my face burn...I asked if it was the same chemical peel I had 2 weeks ago for $350. She said yes, and I told her to stop and wipe it off. I had not agreed to that. I have a life and I cannot hide my face from the sun and other people for a month! She really didn't seem to understand the issue. In fact, when we were done she again insisted that I come the next day for more treatments and again every 2 days! Lina seems like she means well, but I'm not sure who her clientele usually is. Rich housewives with nothing else to do? I'm a regular person with a job and 3 little kids, and she seemed to have no appreciation or regard for that. Appointments are often overbooked so you could be waiting around an extra 30-45 min for someone to retrieve you. I will say that my skin does look a little better, but topical treatments aren't a permanent acne solution. I am grateful that I discovered the world of skin treatments and blue lights, so now I know how to do it at home. My advice would be to avoid this place unless you are able to stand strong against pushy sales. If you have acne, start healing addressing your hormone or gut imbalance. And instead of dropping $1,000 and spending every other day here, do yourself a favor and buy a handheld blue/red/green light device from Amazon for less than $100 (I'm already noticing a big improvement from my home treatment). read more

Skin Essence has been making my face healthy and more youthful for more than two decades. My first visits were due to mid-life breakout issues I was experiencing after age 40. Since then I continue to benefit from various treatments that counter the negative effects of sun and aging. Definitely use this service! read more

Even though the snow is coming down they remained open and willing to get the job done! My experience was very pleasant. It smelled great in there and looked really nice. Staff was very friendly and I would come again! I used a groupon for my brazilian this time and it was super worth it read more

Skin Essence Day Spa - Day Spas Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Oh my gosh. My eyebrows look amazing!!!!! Very professional and informative on procedure and after care. I wish I had done this sooner!!!

I recently got a deep chemical peel and it was a wonderful experience. Not the healing part because that's never fun, but being at the spa and talking with Lina was wonderful. She knows her stuff! She checked on my progress and had me come back to help with the peeling. After my face completely healed I have to say this was the best chemical peel I've ever had! Very happy with the results and will be sure to go back. You can trust Lina with your skin. She's a pro! read more

Skin Essence Day Spa - Me post peel. Very happy. - Day Spas Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Really nice environment, very zen. Great wax experience, she was very quick, it hurt less than most of my brazilians, and she made really good conversation (never felt awkward even in the silences). Came with a groupon this time but will likely be back next month for regular price (the only thing that would stop me is the distance from my house). 1star off only because scheduling was a bit of a nightmare, the appt got rescheduled 6 times (once because of me)... but she was always nice about it and tried to accommodate otherwise. read more

fantastic results!! she did a perfect job on my brows. I will never go anywhere else.

If you have acne and want results, come here! Lina not only treated my skin but also taught me how to properly take care of it at home. I've been going here for a long time now, if you're unsatisfied by the prices then simply take your broke self somewhere else! Just don't be surprised if you get lower quality service and little to no results like I did. A lot of these bad reviews don't even tell a truthful or knowledgeable story so I would recommend finding out for yourself, there's a reason why skin essence has been in the business for over ten years while I've seen so many other spas in the area come and go. read more

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I have to agree with others about the owner's demeanor (very pushy and doesn't listen) and the outdated-ness of the spa. It looks like a spa from the 80s. I've been here twice now. First time for a sauna and ionic foot detox. She suggested I come back for a facial with her after I was done with both treatments- I said no thanks because I already have a facialist. I came in today for a foot detox sporting 1 small zit on my chin, and two microscopic zits, as well as some dry skin in certain patches. I've been eating crappy foods, been under lots of stress AND I'm about to get my period, so yes I did have a couple of zits. Nothing major though. After my foot detox was done, she proceeds to suggest I get a facial treatment with her. I again, tell her no, I have a facialist already, and, in fact, I'm seeing her in a few days. She proceeds to not listen to me, and push me to do facial treatments with her. Then she proceeds to show me before and after photos of her clients, all of whom have lots of acne. At this point, I'm insulted. I only have a few zits lady, Jesus. Very pushy, doesn't listen. Based on her demeanor, I would never see her for a facial. I also will be looking for a different place to get my ionic foot detoxes from now on. read more

My go to skin specialist & expert is Lina! For over 20 years to date I have entrusted my skincare to Lina. Lina is the kind of professional yet caring individual she truly cares about all of her clients and their skin! Some are good at what they do in their chosen field and a few rare exceptions are the ones truly gifted & knowledgable! I am in awe at the many services and care Lina has provided through her in-depth knowledge and desire to turn back the hands of time for us ladies wanting to look and feel our best! Truly people of all ages have benefited from her professional experience & knowledge. My teen son has benefited from her care in teen skin with nothing but rave reviews! Lina is able to to do what's best for your skin in all phases of our journey in our lives. Please invest in yourself and visit Lina with Skin Essence A Day Spa. She will be able to analyze your skin and complexion offering sound advice and direction on how to strengthen your skin and heal any areas needing improvement. My skin always feels so soft and supple when I am being treated by Lina. We all want to show our healthiest and prettiest skin. Turning over our old skin cells and seeing renewal. Lina is your to go to Skin Expert! You won't be sorry if you visit! You will live your skin under her care! read more

I went in for microblading and wished I had done it sooner. Lina was friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive. She listened to my concerns and was very supportive and attentive towards my desired look. My eyebrows never looked better!! Thank you, Lina! read more

Lina and Monica both are great. Been visiting due to hyperpigmentation and am seeing great results! So glad I found you guys. Monica is so sweet and pleasant to chat to while getting my facial. I really enjoy coming here and most of all, the RESULTS are amazing!!! read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at this lovely so:) They are attentive, clean, knowledgeable and spend quality time with each person! If they seem busy regarding appts or a wait time it's because they are amazing and treat each client as if you are the most important :) I met Lena at the front and felt immediately confident in this spa :) My gal Monti was amazing both in experience & personality:) I feel lucky to have had her expertise for my face! I got a full nonsurgical facelift ( preventing those jAwls my momma passed down), this included microdermabrasion & chemical peel for the best full effect! Price is totally reasonable, in addition to teaching me how to properly take care of my skin, washing and aftercare. They offer so many great things, I am looking forward to going back soon! The ambience was calm and relaxing . read more

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I put in a request online for a consultation to see about my sun damage and uneven skin tone and acne scars . A text was sent to me to confirm my appointment close to the time I requested, which was great. Due to scheduling conflicts, the spot was moved to later that day, which was fine with me, no issues. I spoke to the owner on the phone about my face and my issues and she said that she though a stronger chemical peel would work and for me to come in for the consult first and we could decide from there. We also discussed the Groupon pricing and the owner said that they would help me with the best pricing and it was better to wait then to purchase it now. I went in during my appointment time and the assistant greeted me nicely with some Apple water. She then told me about the dangers of long term acne product and tanning and showed me how to care for my face after the procedure. At first I thought it was odd that we didn't talk about a consult but I've been back and fourth on getting a chemical peel so I just went with it. We went back to the procedure room where she took before pictures of my face. I laid down on the treatment bed and she began to talk about what she was going to do and asked me about waxing my face. I told her I would think about it while she did the microdermabrasion. I've never had it done before and getting all of the dead skin off my face felt nice. She did leave a couple hickeys though. After the microdermabrasion was complete we talked costs. Without the Groupon the estimate was around $250. I told her of my conversation with Lina. She then proceeded to steaming my face, she said she would ask and left the room. Lina came in and said that yes we would get the Groupon pricing and she looked at my face, said that I shouldn't wax because it would be a lot for my face the first time and the stronger peel should help me with my sun damage. She took pictures and then we proceeded with the procedure. She gave me free light therapy to help kill the bacteria in my pores before the procedure. After that was complete, she started the peel. It wasn't pleasant but it also didn't hurt....until the fan came off my face. Which, I wasn't expecting it to not hurt to some extent. Once my face wasn't burning, I went out to the lobby to talk to Lina about post treatment skin care and pay... That's where they got me. I was expecting to pay the Groupon price, which she did give me discounts for, and the free light therapy was nice, but I had no clue about the post treatment skin care items I had to have to heal my face. That added another $200 to the cost I wasn't expecting. So if you go, Lina is very nice and will do what she can to help you, however you must know there are costs other than just the chemical peel and microdermabrasion to care for you face afterwards. I don't have results yet as my face is still healing. read more

Lina is the only person i trust with my skin. I have issues with hyperpigmentation/acne scarring and her chemical peels are amazing. She offers great products and with consistency you can see results within a week. She is very passionate about skin care and seeing your results. When i first started coming to her in 2017 my skin was terrible and i didnt know how to take care of my skin properly. she taught me my skin care routine and gives me excellent advice! Shes personable so you wont feel like just another client, she truely cares and is very sweet. Ive had other places do my eyebrows and they would always mess me up, but she waxes my eyebrows so well, i wont let anyone else touch them but her! I highly recommend this spa, she offers a variety of services and a relaxing environment! read more

I was traveling through with my mom and we stopped in for spa treatments. This is by far the best spa I have been to. Lina was so professional and knowledgable. She really cared about giving us the best treatment and making sure we knew exactly how to care for ourselves post treatment. She gave us her personal number and followed up with us the next day. This just showed how much she cares. We will definitely go out of our way and make a special trip to come back to this spa. read more

went in for a relaxing experience which it definitely was not. Was bullied into treatments not explained, expected or wanted. Pushy with products. read more

Bought a Groupon for a mani/pedi. Got what I paid for. Small choice of colors, pedicure chair not very comfortable. Vanessa did the mani/pedi, she did a good job. Just a no frills, hardly any massage type of mani/pedi. I won't be returning. read more

This is a cozy and quaint day spa offering the only infrared sauna in town. Friendly staff and great prices. Get the 30-min ionic foot cleanse with 30-min of infrared for only $50! A fantastic detox package. Convenient location, right off of 540 and plenty of parking. read more

Skin Essence Day Spa - Ionic foot cleanse. Before the water turned brown! - Day Spas Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This is my new favorite day spa. To get nails done, pedicures and facial treatments. Lina is great with her microdermabrasion and facials. The products are great too!! Pronee gives an amazing pedicure!!! The best I've ever had!! Enjoy this quiet day spa where you will feel very comfortable. read more

Look, I don't know anything about facials or pedicures. I went here to cash in on my 90 minute Swedish massage. The place is a bit small and cramped, sure... but it is not unclean by any standards. I was greeted by Kenya who took me in the back room and proceeded to work me over like I've never been worked over. She spent 15 minutes on each foot and like two minutes on each toe. I fell asleep 4 times. She was amazing. I could barely get off the table at the end. I actually asked if I could just spend the night. Maybe they could rouse me in the morning when they came in to open up shop. Unfortunately I had to head out, but Kenya would give any spa 5 outta 6 stars. She's got a special gift from God. read more

I went for a consultation and found the facility to be quite dirty. The table had a torn sheet on it and when she pulled out another sheet to give me to wrap in had stray hairs on it. Dusty baseboards, microdermabrasion skin still in the equipment canisters, no gloves when examining my skin. Pushy with products, but I did buy one after quickly looking up some favorable reviews (and comparable price) on Amazon. read more

Today I had a fabulous seaweed wrap by Monti. It was fun and very relaxing. My skin feels fabulous. I ALWAYS love getting service here and seeing Lena the owner. Great place. Overall Reviews should be higher IMHO. read more

Lina is great! I've been a client of hers for about 9 years. From Microdermabrasion to Eye lash extensions. She is very knowledgeable and has an wonderful personality. Atmosphere is soothing and relaxing. read more

Typically filtered reviews for businesses are bogus or extreme, but I just read a couple of those for this business that almost identically described my experience at Skin Essence. I wish I had seen these before I purchased the Groupon!! This place is a real rip off!! First Lina asked me what Groupon I had, then tried to give me 101 reason why I should not do the European Deep Pore Facial I had purchased and should get a $140 service instead. I declined her recommendation, but only added a microdermabrasion for $30. Next she took me to a room to teach me how to cleanse my skin and scrub my own face. Then she took to the front desk and pulled out some weird machine that looked like a camera from the 19th century. It is supposed to shine light of your face and point out your flaws, I've never seen something like this and doubt it is legit. We finally made it to the the skin care room and I was finally able to sit/lay down. She did the microdermabrasion, then she iced my whole face, did extractions and applied a toner. Another esthetician came in an asked her to go to another client. So she handed me a blue light and said to hold up up against my own face until she came back. She did not come right back, it took about 20 minutes and the light had turned off long before she returned. There was virtually no hands on contact on her part, no mask or moisturizer. At the end, they tried to sell me products, that I refused. Total disappointment, even a Mary Kay facial is better than this (and much cheaper). I don't understand how Skin Essence is still in business, who wants to pay to walk around a spa and wash their own face?Sadly I purchased this Groupon before I began going to the Australian Body Boutique, I am very satisfied with my facials there and won't go to anyone else for my skin needs. read more

WORST spa experience I've ever endured. I purchased a LivingSocial or Groupon for a facial. I had a stressful few months at work at was looking forward to rewarding myself with a relaxing facial that I scheduled for 2 pm on a Saturday. When I called to make the appointment, I already knew this place would try to sell me whatever they could because I was told to bring in all of the beauty products I currently use. Of course I left them at home because they work perfectly fine and I don't need to be sold on something else. When I arrived at the spa, as other reviewers describe, I was ushered into a separate room and taught how to wash my face like I am 5 years old. I also had to provide me own hair tie to tie my hair up - luckily I had an extra in my purse or I guess my hair would have just got soaking wet. They then took me back out in the lobby and sat me down on the lobby couch and said that I had lots of acne and bad skin with lots of "congestion" (??) and I should really get a microdermabrasion and chemical peel. Realizing they were trying to upsell my Groupon I angrily replied that no, I want what I paid for, my facial. The employee still proceeded to explain what each was and I still proceeded to say I was not interested. She then put me under this creepy looking machine that "analyzes" your face - it's basically just blacklight - and she proceeded to confirm that "I have bad skin" And let me say - I had about 2 pimples when I came in, no acne, nothing else that I consider "horrible" or abnormal. I then proceeded to enter the "spa room" - which was SUPER tiny and crowded with equipment. Not the least bit relaxing. I got changed, and the employee came back after a long time. She turned the face mister machine on and left again. Meanwhile I look up at the mister and notice that the where the water comes out of is all moldy and dirty. Gave me the creeps. Once she finally came back, she went to sit behind me, but quickly left again for awhile. She came back and said, I'm sorry, but Lina will have to help you - I don't fit behind the table. (apparently, she was pregnant.). I thought this was very strange - does she not give procedures in this room regularly? How does she all of a sudden "not fit"? Lina proceeds to come in about 15 minutes later - all the while, I'm keeping my eye on the clock and making sure I don't get ripped off because my facial was supposed to be an hour long. Lina proceeds to say that she really can not do a facial for me because my skin is so bad - the massage from the facial will cause my face to break out further and she does not want to make my skin worse. I told her I do not have the money to pay for anything else and that I just wanted the facial. She then proceeded to tell me that she was going to give me the microdermabrasion and chemical peel and this blue light acne treatment for the cost of my groupon. She left me with literature to read over and left the room for a little while. When she came back, I figured - well if it's free, I guess I will do it. All went ok, with the chemical peel stinging a bit, but whatever - such is the cost of beauty, right? Kind of amusing story she told me while she was doing the procedure - she told me that people with skin problems drive 5 hours to come see her because her chemical peels are so good. Puhhh-lease....I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. Once she was done with the microdermabrasion and chemical peel, she gave me the blue light wand and set the machine to run for about 20 minutes and told me to hold it over my face and move it every few minutes and she proceeded to leave the room. The wand was wrapped in cheap, horrible smelling plastic wrap, for sanitary reasons I suppose. But gross. Once she FINALLY came back she said to get dressed and she'd meet me outside the door. Well, I got dressed, and waited in the lobby for 10 minutes so I could give her a tip, while I overheard her giving the same sch-peal to some other poor customer in the back. I had a 4 pm appointment, and by that time it was 3:50 so I just left. I initially felt bad about not leaving a tip, but after reading the other reviews on here, I'm glad I didn't. Ultimately, I do not feel that the chemical peel did anything for my face and I couldn't wear foundation for a week and a half because my face was peeling. I had to keep facial moisturizer in my purse and apply it every so often during the day. It was embarrassing to be at work in a professional atmosphere with my face peeling like a bad sunburn and making sure I check my face before I walk to a co-workers cube to discuss anything with them. Luckily, my skin is decent enough not to be completely embarrassed without makeup. (Contrary to what Lina believes). I still get angry when I think about this place...DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!! read more

This place is horrible. I unfortunately purchased a Groupon for a facial. I have had spa services all over the world and this is the first time someone had a facial start with ME washing my face and them instructing me....WTF? After that a woman who did not explain fully anything she planed to do or the cost and was it seemed, training someone, proceeded to give me almost $200 of treatments-all I heard and agreed to was something for $50 and $10.....anyways my $35 Groupon was never redeemed b/c what I got was nothing like any facial I have ever received. Now I am left with a red flaky face (not told about this until AFTER the treatment was done) and worried i'll never look the same again...... DO NOT GO HERE! read more

This place is dirty. The aesthetician did not use proper safety precautions: no goggles offered during LED. Durung my treatment, other staff would walk into the room on top of that, they are very pushy to sell services and products. I bought some $5 gauze just to get out of there. I would not go back based on this experience. read more

DO NOT GO HERE EVER! Let me just begin by telling you my experience here. I had been working to clear my skin for a very long time and was finally getting to a point where my skin was clear for the most part. However, I still suffered from occasional breakouts and I had a lot of acne scarring that made me very self conscious. I went to Lina PRAYING for a savior, and that is the last thing that I received. First, they make you stand in front of this mirror that is under super harsh lighting and they make you remove all of your makeup in different steps like a 5 year old and you have to stare at all of your imperfections. I broke down and felt awful about myself. Then Lina began the treatment, but never told us the official price she just continued to add on services when she told me it would cost no more than $170.. but she kept saying I needed to come in 2-3 times PER WEEK for treatments costing that much and that I needed to buy HER makeup and her HER products but would never tell me or my mom a set price or set up a run-down of all of this for us. I left with my face in pain and a bag full of products and -$700. I was absolutely miserable and cried the whole way home. When me and my mom finally realized what had hit us, this scam artist, we decided to go back and return every product and never go back. Now my acne has gotten so much worse because of the chemicals and stuff she put on my face and I am miserable trying to find a solution. She will try to scam you out of your money and make your skin worse. I don't know if the reviews on here were fake or what, but the experience was absolutely traumatizing. read more

Monti is AWESOME!!! She knows her job and product. I'll not let no one else work on my face except Monti. Excellent job.

Do not go here! I went in for a brazilian wax and it was way too painful. I get them every 4 weeks, but I just moved here and so my quest started to find a new place...this was really disappointing. Not only did it hurt more than ever, but I had hair left in spots. :-( read more

We called for a teen facial and asked the price. She told me $140. When asked why--what on EARTH was she going to do for $140?! She said microdermobrasion and some sort of lamp. We said-- no. We want a classic teen facial. It should be about $75. She said she would do it for that price (????). When we got home, we looked at the website-- the teen facial was listed for $70! We were apprehensive, but the reviews online seemed decent, so we thought we would give it a try. We arrived 15 minutes early, as requested, to fill out paperwork. All the lights were off and the door was locked even though we arrived 15 minutes after the hours on the door said they were open. We sat for 15 minutes in the parking lot and decided to leave when no body had arrived at our appointment time. Who wants to be greeted by a frenzied esthetician who still needs to turn on the lights, put on the coffee, and prepare the spa for the day-- not these girls!! As we were leaving the parking lot, sure enough, said frenzied esthetician was screaming in to open the doors- she will have plenty of time to prepare for her next client-- we were gone. read more

AMAZING! If you want results, this is where you go! Lina always takes great care of my skin and helps educate me on what I don't know. She is highly knowledgable and what I actually appreciate about her is that she is honest and passionate about what I need and about skincare. I've read other reviews, and yes this is not a discount spa and yes Lina will tell you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it. I appreciate that kind of unfiltered honesty and passion. I have been going there for many years and she has some of the best facial treatment technologies in the area. I always see results! As any of her faithful clients will tell you, she is frequently generous and giving with her pricing. I totally trust her with my skin. read more

Love this place. Have gotten massages here a few times, ion cleanse, and anti-aging facial. Lina is professional, friendly, and informative. The rest of the staff is great and I appreciate their laid back demeanors. It's luxury in North Raleigh. read more

Purchased a groupon for a wax and it was a cool experience. However, at the end, they were pushy about a product purchase.

I love going to Skin Essence. The staff is very nice and Lina definitely knows her business. Other reviews complain about her suggesting things, but I always feel like she's honest with me about what I need. She's not pushy, but just makes recommendations. More importantly, it works! I love the look and feel of my skin now. She's removed sun spots and marks on my face and I wouldn't go anywhere else. I really love the microderm treatments and the chemical peels definitely work. read more

I like this place, Lina is amazing, professional and has a great personality. I like their facial massage and eyelash extension. I am definitely coming back. read more

I have a bit of experience with spa treatments. I made an appointment intending to get a facial and a body scrub. After the facial introduction pointed out by previous reviewers I cancelled the facial (this is what happens the one time I don't check yelp). The owner is a product and treatment pusher. If you want a relaxing experience don't go here. Even if you want just good service don't go here. The owner was 45 minutes late. I had the first appointment in the morning and was waiting for 30 minutes before she even walked in the door. The body scrub wasn't that great. It was comparable to one I would give myself in the shower. Save your time and patience and go to another spa. read more