An anti-aging treatment takes clients away while giving them the results they crave.

When Denyse Peterson moved from Miami, Florida to a small town outside Chicago, Illinois called Crystal Lake, she saw an opportunity. Not being able to find an adequate salon in the town led her and a partner to eventually open Distinction Salon and Day Spa in 2003 in downtown Crystal Lake. Five years later, it remains a success, especially on the spa side. Since opening, the spa has only carried the Sothys line, and the products have proven so popular that the retail-to-service sales are greater on the spa side than the salon side, says Peterson. Part of that success is attributable to the company and the line itself. Peterson says Sothys has partnered with them from the very beginning, working hand in hand—even helping at a spa event last fall to help launch new body lines, Orient Essence and Secrets de Sothys. The line has also been good for the type of clients the spa brings in. “The clientele we draw expect results,” says Peterson. “Sothys stays on top of the market, they know what the trends are and their customer service is great.”

The spa staff has worked equally hard on their end, with a focus on educating clients on the products and treatments and providing them with samples to take home. “We sell more facial products than anything and we get a lot of repeat business,” says Peterson. “There would typically be some resistance to the prices, but once they are educated and see the results, there is no price limit.”

Part of the draw for clients is also the serene atmosphere of Distinction, especially on the spa side. Walking through the threshold that leads to the two treatment rooms and spa lounge, clients are immediately whisked out of the Midwest and straight into the warmth of a foreign and exotic locale. The colors in the spa pick up some of the same warm reds from the salon side, but flickering candles, a fountain in the corner of the lounge and hand-painted murals in each room and in the lounge complete the relaxing effect. For a day spa, Distinction offers up the best of both worlds: results clients can see, plus a warm, relaxing treatment experience. 

Info

Therapist: Anna Piekunko
Spa: Distinction Salon and Spa, Crystal Lake, IL
Products: Sothys
Snapshot: A multi-sensorial treatment to restore radiance and youthfulness while fighting the signs of aging.
Contraindications: none
Duration: 120 minutes
Price: $170 - $220 recommended pricing

Recommended Home Care:
Morning: Normalizing Beauty Milk, Normalizing Lotion, Global Anti-Aging De-Stressing Serum, Secrets de Sothys Global Anti-Aging De-Stressing Cream;
Night: Normalizing Beauty Milk, Normalizing Lotion, Global Anti-Aging De-Stressing Serum, Noctuelle Night Cream

Ingredients Insider

The core of the new Secrets de Sothys treatment relies on the belief that for skin care to be effective, it must be holistic and treat all five senses. To maximize wellbeing, the treatment appeals to each in these ways:

Hearing: Custom music is in-sync with the massage movements.
Taste: Clients are offered a custom-blended tea for post-treatment relaxation.
Sight: The room is set-up in a specific way to appeal to the client.
Touch: The products were developed to feel like luxury textiles: velvet, satin and cashmere.
Smell: The service utilizes two fragrance notes created specifically for the treatment. The head note is relaxing and reduces stress, while the heart note is suggestive of happiness and helps soothe the mind.

How-To