Spa Kwus Organic Spa Lets Client Indulge Without Waste

By Erin Stringer

It's hard to walk a block in downtown Vancouver or trendy Yaletown without stumbling across a boutique spa or high end salon-slash-spa. While one can never be pampered too much, what stands out about one hotel spa's hydrating facial, or another ones hot stone massage? How's a lady or gentleman of leisure to choose?

It's refreshing, then, to find a unique spa tucked in the heart of East Vancouver. Away from the already saturated downtown core, Spa Kwus Organic Eco Spa stands out, with a passion for enviro-friendly treatments and products. Based on the philosophy that you can achieve transformation with physical, emotional and spiritual health, owner Wendy Nahanee and the rest of the Commercial Drive spa's staff work hard to balance all three with their careful selection of treatments.

The entrance room in Spa Kwus is simple and clean, with no cascading waterfall or overpriced French skin care lines in sight. I was invited to have a seat with a Chai tea and an intake form, and then led on my way. First was the Deluxe Detox, beginning with the Ion Foot Bath that's said to help the body eliminate toxins and heavy metals, as well as to relieve pain and improve mental clarity. During the process, the water turns different colours – murky orange, dark brown or black, peppered with little flecks and frothy bubbles depending on the type of toxins the body is eliminating from areas like the liver, joints and lungs. Your feet stay submerged in the warm foot bath, with an optional heat band around the waist, for about 30 minutes.

Next came the Infrared Sauna. Because the system uses infrared rays, there is no cloying fog to breathe in like there is in a regular sauna session – it's a dry heat, making the whole experience a lot more tolerable. Even with sweat pouring out of every pore, the 30 minutes session was very comfortable and deeply relaxing. Like the Ion Foot Bath, the sauna reduces toxins, but it also relaxes muscles, flushes impurities from the skin, and stimulates healing and weight loss – it burns up to 600 calories in a half hour. After the detoxifying treatments I felt noticeably more awake, positive and energetic - not that I had to muster much energy for my next soothing treatment: an organic facial.

The treatment rooms are softly lit and there is minimal nature-themed artwork on the walls. The facialist, Fressia, asked me before she began if I preferred to zone out in complete silence, or have her explain each step. This is a nice touch and one that more spas should employ (take note, overly chatty estheticians). She proceeded to cleanse, exfoliate and slather my skin with numerous applications of delicious-smelling Eminence Organics brand products: a tart lemon cleanser, tropical-scented AHA fruit pulp treatment, a tingly paprika herbal treatment, rosehip masque, an energizing pink grapefruit vitality mask, and wild plum eye cream.

I was never left alone while the various fruity potions were put on: Fressia continuously massaged my face, shoulders, hands and arms, and as a finishing touch applied sunscreen mineral powder so I walked out with a fresh from the spa glow rather than a flushed red face.

Spa Kwus is a true eco-spa: their entire product line is organic and environmentally friendly, from the rainbow of chemical-free nail polishes for manicures and pedicures, to the variety of good-enough-to-eat skin care for sale, including the Eminence Organics that they use for treatments and the bath and body line Wendy makes herself. All lighting and appliances are energy efficient, waste is recycled and composted, and only green cleaning products are used. Spa Kwus also cut down on building waste by adding bamboo inserts and dividers, and they've had their carbon output tested and purchased a tonne of offset credits.

Besides easing your eco-conscience, your wallet will thank you too: all of Spa Kwus' treatments are surprisingly affordable, making the spa accessible to those of us who don't usually have the extra coin for regular spa treatments.

Other Spa Kwus treats include the Global Massage with aromatic oils, an Organic Chocolate Scrub, Deluxe Mani-Pedi, and Reiki sessions. Visit Spa Kwus.ca or call 604 879-8367 for information on all services, prices, and green initiatives. Spa Kwus is located at 102-1638 E Broadway at Commercial.