Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2013 | Page 22

mind + body

Fountain of Youth
More kid s and teens are heading t
o the sp a f or the
s a me wellne s s benefit s adul t s seek.
By La ur a C ars on Mi ller and Lind

a D o mingo

just for
teens

The S pa at S ea Island offers
its own unique teen treatments for
ages 13 to 16 using D onne & Cavalli
skin care products.
Or g a n ic R et r eat
(110 min u t es )
Focused on education and wellness for teens,
this retreat includes a private yoga session,
organic milk bath and massage.
C a l m It Dow n (45 min u t es )
This hydrating milk facial helps to
calm skin redness.

t

he spa was once an adults-only domain,
remaining a mystery to those under
18. Massages, facials, scrubs and other
services were geared toward women
and men looking to unwind after a long week
of work, or to escape from everyday stress.
But while many spa treatments are designed
to help guests maintain and enhance their
natural qualities, the demographic of spagoers is expanding to kids and teens as many
spas shift their focus from indulgence to
overall wellness. Condé Nast Traveler cited
treatments for kids as one of the hot trends
for spas in 2013.
“Over the last decade, the biggest trend
at spas is a shift from fussy, grown-up
‘pampering’ to wellness programs for all
age groups,” says Susie Ellis, president
of SpaFinder Wellness. Her company has
recognized spa treatments becoming a
family affair as a growing trend.
Many spas are developing targeted
treatments and activities to address the
needs of this growing demographic. Not

Za p It (45 min u t es )
Teens will leave feeling clean and refreshed
from this deep pore cleansing facial.

only do moms who love to spa enjoy sharing
these experiences with their daughters, but
kids and teens are discovering the fun in
treating themselves and learning a thing or
two about wellness along the way. “I consider
everyone on our spa team a coach,” says
Donna Mastrianni, director of Spa and Salon
at Sea Island.
On a spa visit, young guests can learn about
fitness, nutrition, skin care, applying makeup
and even dealing with stress. “With that shift
[toward wellness] and a growing concern about
multiple aspects of children’s health, more
parents are open to introducing teens, tweens
and even tots to the spa/wellness/fitness world
at ever earlier ages,” Ellis says.
Offers where a teen can bring a friend
and choose two services, as well as feature

packages for moms and teens, are becoming
more frequent on spa menus. Facials and
nail services are consistently popular with
the younger generation, but many teens are
venturing out to experience such services as
foot reflexology, fitness, nutrition and creating
their own scented products at special do-ityourself blending stations.
How young is too young to spa? “Because
more spas are moving towards this kind of
wellness approach for kids from the earliest
ages, I would say depending on the type of
treatment/experience, children are never too
young for a spa,” Ellis says. If you’re interested
in spa experiences for your child, check with
the spa ahead of time to see what services it
offers for the younger crowd, and what ages
are most appropriate for those services. m

made for kids

A kid-friendly spa trip calls for kid-friendly products. The recently launched TOO FRUIT skin care
line is designed just for little spagoers and is now used in kids’ spa treatments at S ea Island. Call
The S pa at S ea Island at 912-638-5148 for more information.

22 sea isl and life | spring/summer 2013

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3/15/13 9:12 AM