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Walking into Ruby Room on the thriving West Division Street strip of Wicker Park, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The boutique area known as the "Beauty Bar" of this spiritual spa oasis is filled with high-end cosmetics and luxury haircare products from the likes of Weleda, Phyto, Philip B, Bumble and bumble, Vered Cosmetique, Arcona Skin Care, Susan Posnick Make up, Bare Escentuals and Minerals, DuWop, Red Flower, Aveda and Sue Devitt, as well as unique stone jewelry from local designers and handbags by Hobo. But the best was yet to come. My first treatment was Ruby Room's signature facial the Ruby Deluxe ($165). My esthetician greeted me at the reception desk and escorted me past the hair salon area, through glass doors, and into a quiet zone where soft music played and a peaceful, vintage décor of vaulted ceilings, hard-wood floors, cream-colored furnishings and fresh flowers accented the space. Inside the treatment room, she took an extensive health and skin history on which to base my facial. She explained that all facials performed at Ruby Room use Arcona products, a highly effective, organic, Los Angeles-based brand with a fruit-enzyme base that has positive results on just about every skin type and tissue. She detailed how the ingredients are "spun" so that the skin actually "recognizes" and accepts the enzymes and allows them to do their work. The line is serum-based meaning no heavy creams and lotions with large molecules that can actually block oxygen from penetrating the pores. With at-home use, Arcona is intentionally designed to "retrain" skin and exfoliate it every seven days, constantly bringing new skin cells forward. First, my esthetician explained how my history would dictate a fully-customized facial. Then I changed into a half-robe and climbed in between heated, soothing sheets on the treatment bed. The facial proceeded in several tailored steps. First, she applied a Kiwi cleanser to remove any excess make up and cleanse the skin. Using a warm towel to remove the cleanser, she then applied a Cranberry Toner with a milk base to remove any residual product and refresh and moisturize my skin. Next she angled the facial steamer above my face to open my pores as she applied the Enzyme Peel, a combination of pumpkin extract, pineapple activator and other fruit extracts that emitted a fruity aroma that wasn't the least bit overwhelming. Over the peel she applied a light layer of cleanser also. The peel stayed on for 20 minutes, and during that time she gave me a delicate neck and shoulder massage with lightly scented massage oil by Weleda. When it was time to remove the peel, she used cool compresses first to deactivate it, followed by a cold towel. She explained that the cold helped soothe and calm the skin after all the energy that was circulating from the peel. From here she applied the Cranberry Toner again to wipe off any excess and then applied an Herbal Mask to feed nutrients into my skin. The mask was comprised of an herbal solution made up of 87 minerals and herbs that soaked in a gauze cloth which was placed lightly over my face. While the mask soaked in for ten minutes, she massaged my feet and legs with Aveda Hand Relief and Beautifying Composition. When it was time to remove the mask, she actually applied a second anti-oxidant mask that would continue the cooling and hydration process. At this point, she massaged my hands and arms while this mask sat for another ten minutes. She removed the second mask with a warm towel and completed the treatment with a Hydrator application of Chamomile Balm on my face and Eye Serum around the eyes, which included a caffeine boost to help eliminate dark circles and puffiness. The entire treatment was so relaxing I felt like I had been transported to another world. In my warm cocoon, the esthetician's delicate fingers and the product's soothing properties put me into a trance-like state. The centerpiece of the Ruby Deluxe facial is the Arcona Enzyme Peel, which involves active enzymes penetrating deep into the skin, breaking up congestion (like blackheads) and eliminating the need for manual extractions. The result is a great exfoliation with much activity happening deep beneath the skin's surface. Afterward, she said my skin was very glowy, soft and breathable with a lot of circulation resulting from the peel's stimulation. The surface of my skin felt absolutely fabulous, and she remarked how its texture would continue to be soft and smooth in the coming days. She concluded the service with a detailed five-step regimen for at-home care with the Arcona products that are for sale in the retail section. At this point, my esthetician led me to the quiet reception area where a massage therapist was waiting for me for my next treatment, the Enerssage ($100), a massage with an extensive focus on the body's chakras or energy centers. First we sat down in the treatment room where she explained to me what her "energy work" was all about. She detailed how she and her colleagues are extensively trained to look for energy blockages in the body that go beyond the physical self. "It's all about how one's biography becomes one's biology." For example, emotional blockages that manifest themselves as pain or physical ailments can be reactions to childhood or family experiences, professional performance, relationships and any issue in between. Her goal, she explained, was not to diagnose any psychological issues, but rather to give a relaxing, stimulating massage that promotes healing on many levels and finds a path for stagnant energy to flow. She showed me a diagram of the body's seven chakras and how these energy centers correlate with emotions. For instance, the area between the shoulder blades, that corresponds to the "heart chakra" which is where we hold opinions of our selves. She remarked that many patients see colors or feel flushes of color during the enerssage or even experience releases of tears and laughter. For further advice on the body's response to an Enerssage, she suggests visiting the Healing Sanctuary on Ruby Room's second floor where trained energy healing specialists can work with clients to further explore their energy blockages and heal them. The treatment itself was like a regular massage. She began warming up my body with light pressure and hand strokes, then applied Aveda's Calming and Beautifying compositions, massage oils that offer high-quality nutrients. She utilized a combination of clinical, Swedish and deep tissue techniques all along my back, neck and shoulders. She found my sore spots immediately and proceeded to apply isolated pressure to break up these build ups of fibrotic tissue (what we call "knots"). At certain points, she only had her hands placed delicately on my head and back, taking in my energies. Throughout the Enerssage I drifted in and out of a dream-like state where I actually saw imagery and colors. Enerssage is not only a wonderful physical treatment, but an emotional one that is quite an interesting place to explore. As we wrapped up the session, she showed me some exercises to do at home that would help unleash the tension in my back and shoulders, and I noted how nice it was of her to offer the extra advice. Ruby Room offers two massage rooms, two facial rooms and a couple's suite in the Rejuvenation Spa. That's in addition to the hair salon, the Healing Sanctuary on the second floor and the Yoga Lounge next door. Other specialty treatments here include ear candling, acupuncture, make up lessons, reflexology, waxing, yoga and cosmetic dentistry.
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