If you’re looking for a spa with a uniformed doorman, don’t go there… According to owner, Lisa Murphy, spas can be very different in terms of services offered as well as overall ambiance. “Some spas are so pretentious. I don’t get it.” she said. You can relax at The Sanctuary. And isn’t that the point?

In addition to a warm, friendly welcome and calming atmosphere, The Sanctuary serves up a menu of professional services like no other spa in the area. According to Murphy, the quality and effectiveness of the products and treatments set The Sanctuary apart.

Murphy came to Hilton Head Island from England where she underwent three years of rigorous training to become an aesthetician. In the business for 21 years, she has owned and operated The Sanctuary for the past 10 years. “I own the spa, but I give my job title as aesthetician,” she said. “Whereas some spa owners tend to look at the bottom line first, I am always looking for treatments and products that work. It’s really important to me that what we’re offering gives results.”

The Sanctuary is a true European day spa, not a medical spa. “We don’t recommend any invasive treatments, because there are less aggressive treatments that achieve the same results with no down time,” said Murphy.

Elite products and services
The Sanctuary offers a unique facility to accommodate a variety of services, including customized facials, specialized massages and body treatments, nail services, hair removal procedures and more. Some of the less common equipment includes a vichy shower, which gives the effect of a warm downpour on the body, an infrared sauna which provides a gentle heat experience, and an alpha environmental capsule which uses gentle heat to relax the mind as well as the muscles—great for body wraps or before a massage. Exclusive treatments include ionithermie cellulite treatments to slim, firm and detoxify; Shirodhara raindrop therapy, a classic Ayurvedic treatment to calm the body and mind; and LED light therapy facials which help stimulate collagen production. Additional services include semi-permanent silk eyelash extensions, Brazilian waxes and old-fashioned electrolysis (for those whom other hair-removal methods are not suitable).

The Sanctuary is also proud to offer Guinot products and services. The line is popular in Europe but less common in the U.S., Murphy explained. It’s a very high-tech line. “People who have facials all over the world say it’s the best facial they’ve ever had,” she said.

Product lines sold in the spa are limited so that clients are not overwhelmed by the choices, said Murphy. While staff members often suggest appropriate products for home care, clients are never pressured to buy. One particularly popular product line is Bare Escentuals natural makeup. While it’s true that you can order it on TV or online, according to Murphy, there is an art to applying it. “We teach people how to use it,” she said.

The people who make it happen
While atmosphere, equipment, products and a great menu of services are all essential, according to Murphy, the real key to the success of the spa is her staff of professionals. “I’ve never worked with so many people who are so good at what they do,” she said.

Murphy attracts the best by paying well and providing a positive atmosphere in which to work. Each technician has his or her own specialties and style and is encouraged to use those individual talents to best serve the clientele. “We’re in this industry because we like taking care of people,” she said. “This is a spa where everybody loves what they do.”

Ho! Ho! Ho!
Hints for Santa and other interested gift-givers

It’s no secret that every woman loves spa services. But men are catching on, too! Why not give your loved one the gift of relaxation and personal care? It’s easy at the Sanctuary. For those occasions when presentation counts, drop by the spa and pick up a re-loadable gift card, packaged in a pretty pillow-top box with a bow, filled with spa samples and chocolates.

How do you spell relief?

Sanctuary clients are finding a brand new source of relief from a new product called Sprayology®, a line of natural homeopathic oral sprays that promote beauty and well-being from within.

Research has proven that vitamins and other nutrients sprayed into the mouth and under the tongue are more readily absorbed into the bloodstream than the same substances ingested into the stomach. The Sprayology line consists of 20 homeopathic FDA regulated sprays and four vitamin sprays, including formulas that provide relief of allergies, colds and flu, digestive distress, sleep problems, and jet lag. But the one that is currently flying off the shelf is Party Relief—a formula to prevent and relieve hangovers. Stop by and stock up today!