Skip to main content

Spa Week Hurts So Good: $50 Korean Body Scrub at Tribeca Spa of Tranquility

I’m a spa lady. So I jumped at the chance to preview one of Spa Week’s $50 treatmentsa 60-minute Authentic Korean Body Scrub with Cucumber Facial Treatment at Tribeca Spa of Tranquility (462 Greenwich Street, 212-226-4141) that normally costs $119.

Photo credit: Tribeca Spa of Tranquility
The New York City spa is tucked away on a side street close to the Holland Tunnel. Once inside the quaint space with a blue sky and clouds mural on the waiting area wall, I met my aesthetician, a tiny Korean woman named Helen.

She ushered me into a cozy dressing room, where I changed into a gown and a pair of disposable panties.  Instead of flip-flops, this spa opts for Crocs. “Shower cap?” asked Helen, who didn’t speak much English.

First I melted in a small but mighty steam room for about 20 minutes.  Then it was time for the scrub. Clad in a black t-shirt and black shorts, Helen led me to a wet room with a vinyl table in the middle of the floor surrounded by shower nozzles and big buckets of water.  "This is about to get interesting," I thought to myself.  I lay on the table face up with my shower cap on and a cold compress over my eyes.  Then the scrubbing started.  And boy did Helen know how to scrub. 


During my intense hour-long treatment, this heavy-handed little lady loofahed nearly every part of my body.  Imagine a full-body microdermabrasion session.  I wondered if it was supposed to hurt a little or if Helen was having a bad day and taking it out on me.  Either way, I kind of liked it. 



The authentic Korean technique removes layers of dead skin and increases blood circulation. After several rounds of scrubbing and rinsing with warm water, Helen applied a soothing and detoxifying seaweed treatment to my tingling skin and a cooling facial masque made with layers of fresh cucumber.  This was the most tranquil part of my Tribeca Spa of Tranquility visit.  And when it was over, I didn’t know whether to hug Helen or call the cops.

For Spa Week enthusiasts seeking a painless spa experience, Tribeca Spa of Tranquility’s Authentic Korean Body Scrub with Cucumber Facial Treatment may not be your cup of tea.  But if you like your therapeutic spa treatments a little rough and you’re in New York City April 11 - 17, then you have to try it. My skin immediately felt smoother and tighter and looked brighter.  The scrub even diminished the cellulite dimples in my thighs.  Call me a glutton for punishment, but I’ll be back.

You can book this and other $50 Spa Week treatments across North America starting today.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Conway Discount Clothing Chain Closing in New York City

(Tracy E. Hopkins) It's the end of a budget shopping era. Conway discount stores are closing in New York City . As of this weekend, a sign on the sole Herald Square location (34th Street btwn 7th and 8th Ave) says the store will close in "7 Days." Before I relocated to the Big Apple, I was introduced to the discount chain while on a bus trip from Baltimore.  I recall the first time I saw Conway's signature pink bags carried by hurried shoppers in midtown. And Miss Foster, the trip organizer and a bargain hunter from way back, took me to the store for the first time. Conway store in the Fulton Mall./Tracy E. Hopkins When I moved here in 1994, my love affair with Conway continued.  I furnished my first apartment with discount knick-knacks and home goods from the store.  And much to my chagrin, in hindsight, I curated most of my wardrobe for my first full-time job from the long-shuttered 42nd Street and Third Avenue store. One regretful ensemble: Lime green and

Giveaway: Thank Your Friends with Merci Chocolates!

National Friendship Day was August 4, 2013, but Everything She Wants has decided to continue the celebration with a giveaway from merci fine European chocolates . While some friendships are for a season or a reason, other friendships are built to last a lifetime.  I’m fortunate to have two best friends: Cindy, whom I’ve known since junior high school and Deanna, who started out as my amusing intern.  Besides my mother and my husband, these girlfriends are my greatest confidants.  They’re like the sisters I never had and we’ve supported each other through personal trials and triumphs. So what better way to say ‘thank you’ to your friends than with merci chocolates?  One lucky reader will win a ‘Friendship Kit’  that you can either keep to reward yourself for being such a great friend or share with a deserving comrade. The kit includes: $25 Target gift card (yay!) 7 ounce box of merci chocolates A picture frame to display a photo of you and your friends A choc

Probiotics Do a Body Good: Vitamin Shoppe Tips to Trust Your Gut

You've heard about probiotics.  But what are they and what do they do? We asked the Vitamin Shoppe's on-staff nutritionist Brian Tanzer for the skinny on the benefits of these good bacteria that help keep your gut healthy. Why you need probiotics? I f you eat a lot of processed foods, excess sugar or refined carbohydrates, the bacteria in your digestive tract might have a hard time staying in balance.  And probiotics   inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. Tip:   You can find them in  capsule , tablet,  powder  and  chewable  forms. When you should take a probiotic? If you are looking for a probiotic to  take every day, try a multi-strain probiotic starting with 5-10 billion CFU,  and see how it works for you. CFU's, or  colony forming units  are used to measure probiotics potency. CFU’s can range from 1 billion up to 100 billion.  The best time to take a probiotic supplem