How to Offer Natural Nail Spa Services

These days, an increasing number of your clients do yoga, guzzle kale smoothies, and put meditation at the top of their to-do lists.They’re also concerned more than ever before with the impact their choices as beauty consumers make on their carbon footprint and overall health. That’s why so many are seeking alternatives to salons that rely on chemical-laden products and rushed services, and seeking instead bastions of solace that can not only give them stylish, pretty nails, but also cater to their need for a healthy and peaceful experience. Here are a few ways various salons and companies are keeping up with the contemporary client’s demand for all things natural. Borrow their ideas and turn your salon into a spa-like retreat your clients will look forward to visiting.

Gloss Nail Bar
When Sanda Weir’s teenage daughter started to frequent nail salons, she ended up with brittle and broken nails, so Weir inspected product ingredients. What she found was a laundry list of potentially harmful chemicals, so she decided to create her own eco-friendly polish line. Weir launched GLOSS Naturals in December 2013, and her organic salon GLOSS Nail Bar just one year later.

“Our eco-chic nail spa offers fresh organic products in a setting where luxury meets wellness,” says Weir of her Miami-based salon. “It is our mission to provide each client with a unique, luxurious sensory experience that is respectful to the wellbeing of the individual and of the environment.”

The Beauty Lounge
The Beauty Lounge is an Elmhurst, Ill.-based nail salon that specializes in natural nail services. Owner Jennifer Veremis says that before she opened her first salon in 2003, she would experiment with making her own scrubs, soaks, and masks. “At the time, organic and natural products weren’t nearly as popular or as mainstream as they are now,” Veremis says. “But in 2014 I hired a new nail stylist, Natalia, and she had the same vision I did, so we co-created our Herbal Scrub Bar. Our Herbal Scrub Bar combines natural ingredients, essential oils, and hot stones for a therapeutic pedicure experience.” The Herbal Scrub Bar menu changes seasonally. Some of the scents include Hot Toddy, Tuscan Wine, French Cream & Lavender, Citrus Spice, and Chocolate Cake. Veremis is careful to incorporate brands that are made in the U.S., and strives to use locally made products, often making her own in-house. She also uses aromatherapy diffusers to scent the air, and essential oil blends are sprayed onto the hot towels used in all services.

Blooming Nails
Jennifer Lentini’s Blooming Nails is located a few miles south of Santa Barbara, Calif., in Summerland, a picturesque little community with a population of about 1,500. “My clients are mostly women who are looking for a more private, quiet, and relaxing experience,” Lentini says. To cater to this demand, she wanted her salon to offer a tranquil, spa-like experience. With that in mind, she went to work, going so far as knocking out the front wall of the building and adding glass doors to infuse the salon with natural sunlight. She also added a large deck where clients can sip herbal tea and just be outside.

You may not be able to remodel your own building, but you can do what Lentini did with her salon interior: She painted in soft neutral tones, used natural textiles such as rattan and wood, added an indoor fountain, and kept the rest clean and simple, adorning the space with  mirrors, plants, and candles. The result is a peaceful spa atmosphere that keeps her clients coming back as much for a soothing respite as for beautiful, natural nails.

Gallery Salon
Open since 2005, Gallery Salon in Rochester, N.Y., has always been known for offering only natural nail services. “Our nail techs are known for maintaining the health of our clients’ nails, and we focus on building relationships with our clients based on that,” says owner Erika Sorbello.

Every gel manicure that Gallery offers includes Artistic Nails Correction Gel. “This product creates a strong base coat that helps promote length for our clients who desire long nails,” says Sorbello. “We also use Young Nails products — both Caption and  Mani Q —  and we love the healing properties in the select Footlogix products we use professionally and offer for retail.”

All of Gallery Salon’s pedicures and manicures are performed with On Hand lotions, with each formula customized to a client’s specific needs. The aromatherapy lotions offer superior anti-aging benefits, and they are made with only the finest, organic, locally-sourced ingredients.

“With the help of social media, word has spread about our services, and we are gaining clients weekly who want a more natural approach to long nails,” Sorbello says.

Spa-Wonderful Products:

SpaRitual

A great way to begin transforming your salon into a spa is with the products you use, and SpaRitual offers four convenient sets to get you started. Each set includes Sugar Scrub, Body Lotion, and Nail Lacquer, and the certified organic ingredients are grown without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or GMOs. Close Your Eyes (shown) is made with soothing Egyptian geranium essential oils; Look Inside is made with rejuvenating Indian frankincense; Infinitely Loving is made with Chinese jasmine essential oil, which settles the mind; and Instinctual, made with Indonesian ginger essential oil, energizes.
For more information, visit www.slowbeauty.com.

BCL (Bio Creative Labs)

Help your clients balance both body and mind, and naturally treat common health and mood concerns using rich therapeutic BCL Essential Oils. Choose the oil to fit your client’s needs and blend into the fragrance-free BCL Body and Massage Lotion with jojoba carrier oil to create a customized experience.  Essential Oil Roll-On Blends make great retail for your clients to purchase to extend their experience at home. During services, diffuse aromas in the air with the Ultrasonic Mist Diffuser, which runs for up to six hours.
For more information, visit www.bclspa.com.

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