For many women the choice to go organic conflicts with their well-honed beauty routine. While some make the choice to age gracefully with untreated hair and minimal cosmetics, for many it is not an option.
“For someone who eats organic foods and buys non-GMO (genetically modified organism) products, they don’t want to use chemicals in their beauty regiment,” says Kristy Cole, the owner of Cole Wellness Spa in Wayne. “There are studies on both ends, but we want to stay true to our beliefs.”
Cole Wellness Spa offers organic skin care, makeup, waxing and hair care, along with wellness services such as massage, reiki, reflexology and cranial sacral massage. Some clients of Cole’s have been forced to give up their regime due to allergies to the chemical ingredients.
“We have clients who have had to give up their beauty routine [because of allergies],” she says, “and others who refuse change from tradition chemical hair color and suffer as a result.”
Each individual’s reason for choosing this form of beauty care is a personal one. After 12 years in the industry, Cole was concerned about the harmful effects of the chemicals she was routinely handling. Though she had been eating well and living a healthy lifestyle when she and her husband, John, decided to start a family, she says, “That flipped the switch. I wanted to take care of my family without the damage.”
They opened Cole Wellness Spa three years ago, because, she “wanted to develop a place with the same philosophy I had at home,” she says. “I wanted to create a place where employees were appreciated.” Now the mother of two small children, Cole respects that many of her employees are also care givers and offers them the ability to fulfill those responsibilities as well as those of their job for which she provides on-going training.
All of the massage therapists at Cole Wellness Spa are nationally certified and licensed to practice in Pennsylvania. They all take continuing-education courses yearly, if not more often. “We have two therapists trained in cranial sacral massage and are also known for our prenatal and sports massages,” she says. “We have runners, bikers and golfers who all come in to relax and relieve their aches and pains.” Her newest cosmetologist has been in the industry five years, while the most experienced has more than 20 years in the industry.
“All our employees love what they do,” she says. “They get to take the time to listen to clients. The products we use depend on individual needs and their desired results. We recommend the right products for their skin care and have experts performing the services who have experience with the specific brands we carry.”
Cole Wellness Spa carries three facial product lines to serve clients’ varied needs. SkinCeuticals offers a range of clinical-grade professional peels and facial treatments performed on site by Cole Wellness Spa’s trained skin-care professionals. Combined with its antioxidant-rich products used in a customized at-home regimen, the result is healthier skin with visible improvement in signs of accelerated skin aging and other skin conditions. Suki provides similarly effective results while maintaining a strong environmental policy. It relies on Fair Trade, organic and cruelty-free ingredients to treat redness, acne and rosacea. Many of its products are vegan, plant based and, according to Cole, “practically edible.” Lastly, launched in 1991, Pevonia Botanica uses the most effective skin-care ingredients found in nature. Cole recommends its treatment masks for healing sun-damaged or dry skin.
While Cole believes beauty is developed from the inside out, the quality of what is used on the outside is equally important. For this reason the spa carries mineral makeup from Jane Iredale Cosmetics. The full-color-spectrum line can both color and correct, according to Cole. It offers healing and microbial ingredients that provide SPF protection while remaining free of dyes, parabens and talc.
“Skin can breathe through it,” says Cole, making it especially beneficial for the changing skin of teenagers and post-menopausal women, as well as those suffering from dry skin. Cole Wellness Spa offers makeup services for proms and weddings and consultations for those in need of expert instruction or assistance choosing the right colors and product options for their lifestyle.
Color is not limited to the skin, either; the organic hair colors used by Cole Wellness Spa provide 98 percent of the color options offered by traditional dyes with added health benefits. “Hair becomes healthier because the cuticle is not being blasted open by ammonia; it is not being stripped,” Cole says. “Our products use soya oil to open cuticles and heat to help the color penetrate leaving hair shinier, healthier and softer. It’s a nice perk when they are used to dealing with dry, over-processed hair [as a result of chemical processing].
“Our stylists provide each customer with a thorough consultation to determine their expectations,” she continues. “We have been using these products since we opened our doors and understand the results very well.” Cole Wellness Spa uses only organic, ammonia-, formaldehyde- and resorcinol-free permanent and semi-permanent hair color that also covers gray hair.
Even the effects of popular Brazilian blowouts can be achieved through organic relaxers that reduce frizz and make hair more manageable. Cole Wellness Spa also carries Innersense styling products to complement its customers’ at-home organic beauty routines. These are free of sulfides, paraben and F1 and F6 dyes.
“It’s about providing the best treatment you can get, without damaging yourself, your body, your health or the earth,” says Cole. She advises clients to take baby steps to improve their health. “We are results oriented; if you feel better you will look better. … The skin is the body’s largest organ. If someone is struggling with acne I may ask, ‘How is your diet?’ If their body is tense I may ask the last time they took yoga or pilates or suggest some stretches they can do at home. There is an educational aspect to what we do.
“People are different, she continues. “Some like to sit back, relax and enjoy their time and others like a more results oriented and educational approach.”
Whichever approach a client prefers, she assures the experience is their choice. Cole Wellness Spa is designed to maximize their comfort and relaxation. The spa offers three treatment rooms and two styling stations, but Cole says the experience is intimate and personal. “Clients have many options,” she says. “They choose us for that experience.”
In addition to individual appointments, Cole Wellness Spa hosts events for small wedding parties, corporate events and groups of friends planning a unique night out. Guests can bring their own hors d’oeuvres, or have them supplied, and mingle while receiving treatments.
By providing safe, natural and organic options for the most popular health-and-beauty services, performed by a well-trained staff in a relaxed environment at competitive prices, Cole Wellness Spa offers everything one needs to look and feel their natural best.
Cole Wellness Spa
101 N. Wayne Avenue
Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 610-688-SKIN (7546)
Web: ColeWellnessSpa.com
