THE SPA – IN ALL ITS GUISES


One thing is certain when it comes to the S.P.A. and that is the significance of those three letters: Sanitas Per Aqua, health through the medium of water! Everyone seems to have their own definition of the word. For some, it’s a surreal place dedicated to body treatments, massages and beauty products, offering a haven of relaxation and tranquillity to tired and stressed individuals. For others, the role of the spa is to assist people in regaining a state of health and wellness. The term ‘spa’ can also be extended to embrace health and fitness centres or Roman baths. In each case, the common thread running through each of these different notions, is that of water. But what is a spa, really, and when we scratch beneath the surface, what does this term, which has become such a buzz word in the media today, reveal to us? We interviewed a number of key players within the rapidly expanding spa industry to get a better understanding. We also asked them whether they felt the spa industry held the key to the future of beauty therapy.


Bertrand Demonchaux (Sothys)
A SPACE THAT ENCOURAGES WELL-BEING AND GETTING INTO SHAPE

The spa is essentially a space dedicated to well-being and getting into shape, where one can rejuvenate weary bodies, regain equilibrium and rediscover balance - both physically and mentally.

The spa is integrally linked to the notion of equilibrium, renewal and the search for health and well-being. In this respect, it differs from traditional beauty institutions, which are geared first and foremost towards skin treatments and make-overs, and almost consequentially towards relaxation. Even though the two may complement each other, we do lump them into the same category.

Urban day spas, which have been around for some time in North America and Australia, have also started spreading throughout Europe and South Africa. These places bring together skin treatments, like those which one may experience in a traditional beauty salon, with the quest for well-being and relaxation. In these multi-faceted places, one administers skin treatments as well as relaxing therapies to a clientele that incorporates both men and women.

Spas also allow for the administration of thalassotherapy treatments in cities, which one may previously only pursued when on holiday. They add to the offering presented by thalassotherapy treatment centres, which have, for a long time, been positioned as the only water-based treatment option for pathologies (illnesses) and which are themselves evolving towards the notion of the spa by also taking well-being into consideration.

Traditional beauty institutions who wish to implement themselves in this niche market will need to evolve significantly in the area of body treatments – incorporating water if possible – in addition to the array of classic beauty treatments which they already offer.

I am sufficiently convinced that the combination of universal beauty and well-being is a trend that will continue to grow. Gyms and physical fitness centres, however, are a different story… It is possible that these two aspects may be brought together under one roof but, in my opinion, the trend will be towards a separation of these two areas of wellness.

Traditional institutions that already offer specialised skin and body treatments and whom already boast a loyal clientele, may remain in this niche market.

A door has been for other, more holistic places that offer massage therapy, more sophisticated treatments, more exotic, deeper-reaching techniques, where treatments may last up to an hour and fifteen minutes or an hour and a half.

Finally, a true spa is a place where body treatments are administered, a space which also offers a hammam, sauna and balneotherapy. Water is not necessarily an essential element since, these days, there are a number of body treatments which do not involve the use of water.

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Christophe Therme (Academie Scientifique de Beauté)
A CONCEPT THAT CENTRES AROUND WELL-BEING AND RELAXATION

The spa has a connotation of well-being and relaxation. Obviously, in its original form, the concept of the spa was linked to water. In fact, water was an obligatory element of the spa. But over time this concept has evolved. The media is largely responsible for shaping popular opinion about what spas entail, by propagating fabulous images of spas from across the globe, which shows them to be places that promote well-being and relaxation, the kinds of enchanting destinations that dreams are made of. It is essential that spas are able to turn consumers’ dreams into reality by making sure that they deliver what consumers have come to expect based on the impressions created through their exposure to the media. It is, therefore, important to create spas that measure up to the standards and expectations that have been created.

An essential component of the success of any spa is the personality of its manager. Equally important are the products used. There must be synergy between all the different elements that make up a spa.

For me, the focus of the spa is much more on well-being, relaxation and renewal than on an elaborate series of water-based therapies. Since, in our country, spas are becoming increasingly more popular in the hotel industry, our brand attempts to introduce the element of the spa into traditional beauty institutions, including salons, by developing ranges of specific products.

We developed a concept along these lines, which is linked to the range of products that we sell. In 2003, we created the “Acadayspa” range. It captures the very essence of well-being, relaxation and slimming. Our range caters for both body and face. Internationally, we have captured the largest part of the market with our facial products than with our body products.

I truly believe that these concepts will form the backbone of the future of beauty therapy. In this day and age, life is more stressful for the working population than it has even been before. They like to take time out to “decompress” and “take care” of themselves. Beauty institutions need to try and communicate this message to potential clients in order to attract their business.

Brands which distribute their products through traditional beauty salons need to work on communicating messages that will attract clients. They need to promote products and treatments that will grab the attention of their clients and lead them to believe that it is at the beauty salon that they will be able to relax best.

Finally, when we decided to develop “spa” ranges for beauty therapists, using them as a channel for distribution, it was because they are competent, well trained professionals thus amongst the most qualified individuals to administer these concentrated products full of active ingredients using the relevant and most updated techniques.

Beauty therapists must edge closer to the notion of well-being in terms of the products and treatment methods used to administer these products. They can achieve this by implementing some fairly small changes: revamping the décor and recreating the atmosphere of the salon, bearing in mind consumers’ expectations in the French marketplace without blowing the budget.

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Antoin Gedouin (Phytomer)
THREE INEXTRICABLY LINKED SPACES

A spa should be made up of three inseparable spaces. This is the principle difference between a spa and a traditional beauty institution.

• The first is a welcoming reception area where one can get changed comfortably in preparation for the treatments to be administered. This area should also be large enough to accommodate a product display area and sales counter.
• Next there should be an area where treatments are administered, both wet and dry.
• And finally, the third area should be dedicated to relaxation.

It is the flowing and complementary nature of these areas which create a spa. There are some magnificently constructed beauty institutions that are very welcoming but if they do not succeed in combining all three elements, they cannot be classified as a spa.

Finally, water is an indispensable element in the definition of a spa today.

I truly believe that the spa is the future of the beauty institution. There will need to be a segmentation in the market place: larger establishments will evolve in the direction of spas whilst the smaller ones will remain traditional institutes that function very well.

What will not wash are those spas that call themselves spas but which are not. This deceives their clients. Spas dictate that only the highest level of service may be offered to clients. Furthermore, only an exceptional level of comfort will suffice and that necessitates a larger infrastructure than that offered by traditional beauty establishments where clients are really just looking for treatments. The spa client is in search of relaxation and well-being.

I am not pitting traditional beauty institutions against spas: the latter is an evolved form of the former. Certain establishments have an interest in evolving towards the spa market in order to be able to offer their clients a wider range of services, whilst others that are functioning well need to keep evolving and improving within their current niche.

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Michèle Evrard (Matis)
SPACES, BRANDS, PERSONNEL AND SERVICE

Through the “Matispa” range that we developed, we want to capture the body market. Beauty is a natural consequence for those who experience well-being and pleasure.

Beauty is our business. We have created a concept for beauty establishments that bring together the following aspects: an area for facial treatments, another dedicated to body treatments and a third for spa treatments.

As far as the spa-designated area is concerned, beauty therapists need to decide for themselves what they would like to install to cater for their clients’ spa needs: a hammam, a balneo, a sauna… All of which demand a wet zone.

In the United States, 70% of the turnover generated by the spa industry is brought in by the sale of products. In France, 25 – 30% of the turnover generated by an establishment is brought in by product sales.

This is linked to two factors: beauty therapists are not trained in product sales and the area dedicated to product display and sales is far too small. These days, the bulk of the floor space in a beauty salon is taken up by cubicles: the rest of the space is reduced to the bare minimum. By enlarging the product display and sales area, the turnover generated by product sales will also increase. In Italy, for example, product sales represent 50% of the turnover.

The spa niche is a market that is still very vague. It is more a network than a well defined market. Taking hotels, certain evolved establishments, fitness centres and actual spas into consideration, the network is extremely diverse. In order to turn it into a concrete market, the brands have a role to play. This may stem from product distribution as was the case in the perfume industry, 25 years ago, where we have gone from tiny little boutiques to the vast perfume stores that we know today.

But the perfume industry is federated around the same business, they stock multiple brands and sell perfume. The job of a beauty therapist and the treatments he or she administer are heavily influenced by that person’s individual preferences and choices. It will therefore be much more difficult to structure. That is why I do not see the world of the spa flooding the world of beauty therapy for quite some time.

Or job is to create signature treatments using products that we have developed. We need to capture the consumer and offer her something extra. We, therefore, keep a close eye on the beauty industry. I sense that beauty therapists are aware of this ever-growing phenomenon, which seems to insist that everyone adapt. Brands have an important, facilitative role to play when it comes to management and administration… Some schools have already started addressing the aspect of spa treatments, thus allowing for the evolution of careers within the beauty therapy.

Today, our focus is on developing the brand and strengthening our position within professional beauty treatments including spa treatments. Beyond that, it is not or business to start opening spas. What interests us as a brand is working with beauty therapists, partnering with them and assisting them in their development within their chosen areas, such as the spa or body treatments. That is our priority.

Spas revolve around the physical spaces, the brands utilised, the level of service offered, the beauty treatments administered, the sales achieved…

Today treatments have taken on a global perspective. Clients will go to a beauty establishment simply because they are in need of some ‘me-time’. Up until now, the purpose for going to a salon was for a facial or body treatment… These days, clients need to pamper themselves. Beauty therapists must invest in this aspect of their business. From the treatments to the sales, following a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation, clients leave feeling re-energised and in control.

As far as the definition of a spa is concerned, this is, in my opinion, a very personal and subjective experience. For some, it is a magical location incorporating beautiful décor and a massage using scented oils and perfumes… For others, it may be a massage and a particular type of treatment.

It is within the global area of their approach to beauty therapy and its related treatments that beauty therapists need to evolve. They have learnt the particulars of their career but they have not necessarily learnt about service excellence, or the brands and products they will be using nor about how to position themselves within the market. Our role is to partner them on this journey: we see this as a crucial and vital step in the evolution of the beauty industry.

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Jean Louis Poiroux (Cinq Mondes)
A GLOBAL VISION FOR PREVENTION IN HEALTH

It has now been five years since we opened the first urban spa in Paris. The grandparents of the modern day spa are thalassotherapy – with an extra helping of luxury, of course – and traditional beauty establishments which have been cultivating the theme of well-being for a number of years now.

Ultimately the treatments which used to be administered in thalassotherapy centres and beauty institutions are those that are now offered in spas, which bring together the notions of well being for body and mind. The link between mental and physical well being has been highlighted and carefully observed. Today, this cognizance is effectively translated in spas, especially with regard to the highly “physiological” nature of the spaces where skin treatments are administered.

An additional alchemy is at work in the spa, where one is aiming largely to achieve relaxation of the mind and body and revitalization of the person as a whole. That is why the spa lends itself to the practice of ancient rituals from different civilizations such as yoga and tai chi chuan, disciplines which allow one to work on one’s body and one’s mind as well as the equilibrium that exists between the two. Until recently, this has not been the objective of the beauty therapist’s actions, whose primary focus was to beautify the face…

The spa is a global vision for prevention within the domain of health and well-being, to which an element of luxury and elegance has been added. Spas also offer a large bouquet of treatments, which benefit from the effects of aromatherapy, heat treatments, water treatments and an environment that has been fitted out with quality materials such as wood and stone, which help to create an atmosphere hat puts the client at ease.

It has been five years since the creation of our first spa, which occupied a floor area of 200 square metres. It incorporated a traditional Japanese bath, a hammam and five treatment cubicles. Obviously the treatments must be administered with the highest level of care and expertise but this is certainly not beyond the scope of beauty therapists. Rather than build a 250 square metre establishment with only the most basic fittings and services offered, it would be more judicious to create a 150 square metre space offering quality service and a warm, elegant ambiance.

Beauty therapists understand the field of beauty better than anyone else. If they are prepared to invest in training – which will teach them about things like energetic massage techniques and relaxation of the body and mind – as well as the décor and ambiance created by their establishment, there is no reason why they should not be able to launch themselves into the spa industry.

Through this minimal investment in training, beauty therapists will be able to attain new dimensions and open the door to a new arena, which is driven by high consumer demand. Finally, their operating procedures must be as authentic as possible. Crossing over into the spa market is not simply about adding a few techniques or hat tricks but about adhering to certain protocols and investing in one’s own understanding about the techniques required to achieve equilibrium, in order to be able to successfully convey these to the client..