Self-care is any activity we do to help improve our mental, emotional and physical health. As the author Anne Lamott has written, "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” Thankfully, there are a number of excellent Bellingham and Whatcom County spas that offer a wide variety of therapies and treatments to help people take care of themselves.
Whether you're on vacation, getting yourself a well-deserved birthday present, or are just overdue for a break--there's a spa that's right for you. For travelers, a trip to the spa can be the perfect way to begin a vacation, reducing neck and back pain from traveling or just clearing the mental slate before activities begin. Facials, wraps and other skin treatments can also leave your skin looking healthy and fresh for photos.
Here are a few Whatcom County spas to help you recharge. Treatments and prices change regularly, so be sure to visit the spa website for the latest information before booking your appointment. Many accept walk-ins to fill cancellations, but you're better off booking in advance to ensure you get exactly what you need. Also watch for sales, special offers, and off-peak discounts.
Named for the protecting covering of a butterfly or moth, chrysalis is also a name for a sheltered state or stage of being or growth. Located within walking distance of Fairhaven, the beautiful Chrysalis Inn & Spa is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton and open seven days a week.
Arrive early to enjoy the tea lounge, steam room, showers, and relaxation lounge overlooking the outdoor ponds and waterfalls before your treatment. Try a scrub and a peel to get that youthful butterfly glow. Or try their LED light therapy, massage, makeup, waxing and nail care services.
Much more than a spa, the Chrysalis Inn also has beautiful rooms, many with a view of Bellingham Bay. You can grab a bite after your treatment at their restaurant and bar, Keenan's at the Pier, which offers fresh, delicious Northwest fare.
Check Facebook for monthly and seasonal specials, which can include affordable add on services. They recommend booking your appointment two weeks in advance.
Literally surrounded by water, Semiahmoo Resort & Spa is located at the end of a tranquil spit in Blaine, Washington. Semiahmoo Resort is just 25 minutes from the Peace Arch at the U.S.-Canada border.
The resort and spa are open seven days a week and often offer discounts on weekday facials and massages. Visit their specials page for a list of discounted services.
Semiahmoo Spa is just one piece of this impressive resort. Surrounded by the beauty of Semiahmoo Bay, you can also enjoy award-winning golf, spot wildlife while you stroll the beaches of nearby Semiahmoo Park, and have an amazing meal at Great Blue Heron Grill or Packers Kitchen + Bar.
Treat yourself to an overnight stay at this magical place and leave feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready for whatever's next.
Flow Motion is Ferndale's only healing spa and yoga sanctuary, perfect for a solo getaway, an outing with friends, or a group retreat.
Flow Motion is a Whatcom County pioneer in infrared hot yoga and halotherapy. Relax in their Himalayan salt cave, or unwind in their therapeutic amethyst crystal cave. Unique to our corner of the PNW, these healing experiences are well-worth a day trip or overnight excursion.
The spa also has the area's only infrared salt sauna, zero-gravity massage lounge, and traditional spa staples like massage therapy, reflexology, AromaTouch, and Vibrational Sound Therapy. Yoga classes, including hot yoga and aerial yoga, are also available.
Located in the beautiful, historic Fairhaven district, Bella Body and Sol offers massage, scrubs, and wraps as well as a range of facials. What makes them unique is their D-Light Therapy tanning units.
According to Bella, “D-Light Units break down our body's cholesterol and convert it into much needed Vitamin D through pure UVB Rays. These units also use Infrared Light Technology that encourage our bodies to produce Collagen to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and Blue Light Therapy helps with many other skin irritants like acne and eczema.” Their units are noted as EMF Radiation-free.
Their services also include waxing, spray tanning, brow and lash and makeup services. They also offer their own line of locally made, all natural and organic skin care, cosmetics, and body care products.
Arrive early at Blessings Salon Spa in Fairhaven Village to sit in the steam or dry sauna before your treatment.You can also sit and relax in their bay-view fireplace retreat room (closed until further notice - check the website for updates!).
As an Aveda salon, the spa also has a hair salon on-site and offers waxing, nails, makeup and wedding packages. Try their Aveda Aroma Massage, customized with Aveda body care products and aromas.
They're open seven days a week (except for certain holidays) and share special offers on their Facebook page.
If you have time after your treatment, shop for a book at Village Books/Paper Dreams, grab a deli lunch at Avenue Bread, or enjoy a cocktail at Galloway's Cocktail Bar.
This beautiful salon in Downtown Bellingham features exotic Middle-Eastern inspired décor, creating an oasis where you can escape the everyday. The spa also only uses biodegradable cleaners, recyclable products, and serves organic coffee and tea.
As both a salon and a spa, Sandalwood offers complete hair care, licensed massage, facial treatments, body treatments, hand and foot treatments, healing therapies, waxing, and makeup artistry.
For deep relaxation, enjoy a 60-minute Rosemary Mint Awakening Body Wrap. The Aveda Elemental Nature Massage includes an aroma sensory journey, hot towels, foot reflexology and a variety of massage techniques.
Follow up your visit with a stop for fresh fare at nearby Brandywine Kitchen.
Get away from the downtown hustle at this unique, relaxing retreat located on the outskirts of Bellingham. Kara’s Beauty Barn uses advanced skin care treatments and quality products to help people feel beautiful by improving skin health.
Their services include permanent cosmetics, waxing, sugaring, electrolysis, facials, microdermabrasion, microcurrent, peels, microneedling, revitalizing body treatments, and sunless tanning.
The Beauty Barn team is dedicated to ensuring you feel at home in a peaceful escape.
To find true escape, try something new and give float therapy a try. Although they've been specializing in massage since 2002, this business added the "and Float" to their services in 2015 with a move to the lovely Bellwether complex.
In addition to traditional and therapeutic massage, float therapy is a relaxing and fun way to reduce tension and stress accumulated in the body. It's a way to experience ultimate stillness, reaching a level of relaxation you may have never experienced before.
To make a trip of it, you can stay at the beautiful Hotel Bellwether next door, walk the nearby marina and Zuanich Point Park and enjoy Anthony's Hearthfire Grill.
Open daily, Still Life also accepts a range of insurance for injury-related therapy.
