Seattle Art of Wellness brings face-saving treatments to its new digs in Madrona

With the price of gas, bread and just about everything else rising recently, I had been skipping getting a facial, and my skin was looking dull and tired. Luckily, Seattle Art of Wellness recently relocated to my neighborhood. Since I can now walk to my appointment, I figure the money I save on gas can go toward saving face.

Co-owners Tyrone Nelson and Andrew Kreiss moved their two-year old spa from Capitol Hill to Madrona in June. It's tucked away in a turn-of-the-century house adjacent to Atradina's gifts and The Barber Lounge.

The reception area is peaceful and homey, with a Roman brick fireplace, old-fashioned Queen Anne chairs and Asian touches. The three cozy treatment rooms are painted soothing shades of butter yellow and sage green.

I scheduled a two-hour facial with Nelson, who is not only an aesthetician, but a certified massage therapist. Score! He promised lots of massage throughout the treatment, and I was not disappointed. He also promised that my skin would be gorgeous and glowing by the end. More about that later ...

The facial included at least a dozen products (all of them organic, from Eminence and Moor) that alternately rejuvenated, stimulated, sloughed, hydrated and refreshed my skin, and all of them smelled delicious. In fact, they're edible. "You wouldn't want anything on your skin that you couldn't put in your body, would you?" asked Nelson. I guess not.

He used a coconut cream cleanser, soy blueberry masque, sour cherry moisturizer, rosehip moisturizer, cucumber mint sugar scrub, eight greens serum, and other delicious things with lime, almond and succulent plant derivatives. I felt like a fruit salad -- but in a good way.

The spa also offers massage, from Swedish to hot stone to pregnancy; foot reflexology; body scrubs; organic exfoliating peels; waxing; tinting; Shirodhara, the Ayurvedic warm oil massage; Reiki energy healing; and cupping.

The latter is a process of suctioning and separating body tissue from the muscles to increase mobility and release toxins. (Remember those big "hickeys" on Gwyneth Paltrow's back at a New York film opening?)

The spa can also accommodate parties, and one room is set up for couples massage. Depending on the length and type of treatment, prices range from $70 to $150 for facials; $70 to $140 for massage, $50 to $60 for wraps and scrubs; $50 for Reiki; $50 for foot reflexology; $20 to $30 for tinting; and $15 to $95 for waxing. Shirodhara is $80 to $110 and cupping is $90 to $120.

Don't miss the spa's special summer treatments through Sept. 30: Save 10 percent on a Pineapple Enzyme Facial Peel (regularly $60), Green Apple & Pear Body Scrub (regularly $50) and Cucumber Mint Body Wrap (regularly $65).

Oh, and my facial? After two hours, I thought my skin looked a damn sight better. But when I came home and my husband said, "Wow, your face is glowing," I knew it did.

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company