Rescue Rittenhouse Spa: I Wanna Be Sedated

Lately, it seems like I’ve been around the world and I I I, I can't find my sanity. So I decided to visit Philadelphia’s famed Rescue Rittenhouse Spa for some R&R wrapped up in a little TLC. Rescue Rittenhouse has some amazing summer treatment specials* going on right now, so I opted for the Massage plus Sugar Scrub.

Since it was a two-fer, I assumed it was going to be a rushed rubdown with a smidgen of a scrub- a-dub tacked on to the end. Quite the contrary...it was a marathon massage session so relaxing that, at one point, I had to catch myself from drooling. Seriously, Massage Therapist Alycja will put you in a comatose state.

Everything about her technique was just perfect – from the pacing to the amount of pressure to the amount of massage oil to the temperature of the hot towels…it was Goldilocks' dream come true. And I swear that when I closed my eyes, Alycja sprouted more fingers, because it was like her hands were everywhere at once.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the sugar scrub as much as I did because exfoliation isn’t usually a relaxing experience. But as she rubbed the grapefruit/lemongrass/peppermint-scented scrub over my body, I slipped into a deeper level of sedation. The sugar crystals sloughed away months of dead skin and I emerged from the treatment with a brand new epidermis. I can’t stop touching my skin because I can’t believe it’s mine. No exaggerating...it hasn’t been this soft and smooth since 1978.

*Rescue Rittenhouse Spa's summer beauty specials ($100) are good through 8/31 and include:

1. Buff and Bronze and Designer Eyebrow Shaping
2. Massage and Salt or Sugar Scrub
3. Brazilian Bikini Wax and a Perfect 10 Manicure and Pedicure
4. Classic Rescue Facial and Designer Eyebrow Shaping

Visit rescuerittenhousespa.com for other spa services.

Rescue Rittenhouse Spa
255 South 17th Street
Second Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Spa Concierge: 215.772.2766

RESCUE’d!!!!!!

Cele Deemer, winner of the Spoiled Pretty facial giveaway, sent me the following recap of her appointment with The Skin Diva:

My new BFF, Linda Harding, has wonderful hands and fingers. I may repeat that phrase about a bazillion times during this recap of my Zoom Facial experience at RESCUE Rittenhouse Spa, but I only say it because it is true.

When the elevators doors open on the second floor of 255 South 17th Street, you enter into the calming experience known as RESCUE Rittenhouse Spa. Soft peach walls, beautiful hardwood floors, candles glow, and aromatherapy scents abound. I was shown to a small lounge, where I had a short wait before meeting Senior Esthetician Linda Harding. She is a delight, and immediately put me at ease. I was shown to the facial room, where I undressed, donned a terry wrap, and slipped in between heated sheets onto the massage table. I was on the verge of napping when she came in to begin the treatment.

Don’t ask me to remember each and every product that went on to or into my face, shoulders and neck. Because, believe me, I was pretty much floating on air under the influence of Linda’s magic fingers, the little steam machine, the ever-present wonderful new age music, and those fabulous heated sheets! I know if I had asked what each and every procedure was, she would have explained it to me, but I was in la-la land, and happy to be blissfully unaware of anything except how good I felt.

At the end of our time together, I had a glowing face, a lilt to my step that wasn’t there earlier, and a bottle of Lotion P50 V Biologique Recherche so I can continue my exfoliating adventures at home under the watchful eyes of my golden retrievers. I highly recommend a visit to RESCUE Rittenhouse Spa, and when you go, please give my regards to Linda!

PS – it’s not too early to drop Valentine’s Day hints! How about his & hers facials, massages, or pedicures? What a great gift!