Wellness Review: Hand & Stone
Written by Lila Mabanta
I’ve been dealing with acne since puberty, aka, middle school. At around sixth grade, my mom taught me how to use concealer, and signed me up for a monthly teen facial membership at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. All my friends and their moms thought that me, at age 12, getting facials was quite peculiar. I’d be invited to things, and I’d have to hit them with “Sorry, I have my facial” and either be late or miss the hangout overall. I’m now 21, in my last year of college, and I’m still getting monthly facials from Hand & Stone. So, that’s approximately ten years of monthly facials, give or take, at the same spa chain. Here’s my experience…
For starters, Hand & Stone is a chain throughout the United States. As evident in the name, they provide mainly facials and massages, as well as hair removal and cryoskin (although to my knowledge, less emphasis on). They offer a membership program where you pay a reduced rate of $74.95 each month for an hour-long massage or signature facial. When I began my membership, the rate was cheaper (oh, inflation), but it’s still cheaper than the regular price of $79.95, which is still less expensive than most. There are also options for paid upgraded services, for example, upgrading the signature facial for a detox-focused facial or microdermabrasion for a $20 upcharge. Also, your services can target different areas, for example, you can get a back facial for bacne (I’ve done it once years ago, it was like a facial meets massage). Through your months in the membership, you rack up points, which can be used on those upgrades, so around every 3 months I receive an upgraded service for no additional cost. Now, it’s important to note that out of all the years I’ve been going, I’ve maybe only strayed away and gotten a massage once, so my perspective is based on facials. My mom, though, started her membership with me as well, where she’s had many massages which she believes is completely worth it, relaxing, and well-done, as well as facials for different skin concerns than my own.
Most of my experience has been at their Stony Brook location on Long Island, however, now, I go to their new Brooklyn location while I’m at school, but I’ll say more about that later. Since the majority of my time there has been at the Stony Brook location, its long-term receptionists knew me quite well, which was very sweet. I’ve been through a lot of estheticians, first having one based on loyalty and familiarity with my skin, then after she left, having them based on who can fit in my schedule. It can be quite personable, as about a year ago one of the long-term receptionists advanced to the esthetician level, and I had booked with her. When I arrived, she expressed how happy and excited she was to work with me after knowing me for so long, and gave me many many travel-sized freebies. The estheticians are always very professional, timely, kind, welcoming, knowledgeable, and skilled. However, I view it similarly to a therapist, you need to find the right fit for you, such as if you prefer an esthetician more talkative or quiet during your session. I always prefer silence, which hasn’t always been what I’ve experienced, but even when there is more talking, there’s usually a lot of helpful information I learn about my skin, the products, and the routines.
So, let me describe to you what my normal experience is like, at the Stony Brook location. After parking my car and walking into the building, I’m immediately greeted by the receptionists, usually with, “Hi Lila!”, without me even needing to introduce myself or say, “Hi, I have an appointment”. After they sign me in, I make a routined b-line to the bathroom. The bathroom is situated in the back of the hallway that branches off to all the private rooms, so it’s always dark-lit, quiet, and playing soft, relaxing, nature-esque music. The bathroom is always nice and clean and usually has a picture framed describing their latest new featured service. After, I head back to the waiting room, which consists of large gray cushioned chairs, a table with candies, a water dispenser usually providing coconut or lemon water, a smaller decorative dripping water fountain, and their organized wall of Dermalogica and ClarityRx skincare products (the two skincare brands they sell and use in their services). Soon, the esthetician comes out through the hallway, calls my name, and escorts me to a private room. The room always consists of a mirror and hooks on the door to hang your clothes, a chair in the corner of the room where I usually lay my stuff, a clean strapless buttoned towel to change into, a warmed spa bed that has a knee pillow, blankets, and head towel, a spa mister, lamp, and a table filled with products, a sink, and a disinfectant fridge. The esthetician will always leave for a few minutes to give me time to change into the towel, get myself situated in the bed, and then knock on the door to make sure I’m ready. After going over any new or recurring skin concerns and any options/points for upgrades, the 60-minute facial begins. It typically consists of massaged cleansing, serums, creams, exfoliation, masks, a massage of the arms or scalp, extractions (which can be painful, but unfortunately very necessary), salicylic acid, and moisturization. I’ll always close my eyes, and either focus on the soothing music, the massaged motions on my face, or fall half-asleep. I won’t lie though, the extractions can hurt, often making my eyes water, but they’re essential for unclogging your pores. In the end, the esthetician will leave the room to give me a few minutes to open my eyes, situate myself, and get ready to leave the room, often waiting with coconut water in hand for me. I’ll let them know if I’m out of any products or if they have any recommended free samples for me to try. The service itself is already paid for within the monthly billings, so out-of-pocket expenses are usually just the tip, and if I bought any upgrades or products. I always book my next appointment at this part as well and feel nice, relaxed, clean, and refreshed when leaving. My skin is always glowing, soft, and a little red, but nonetheless in great refreshing shape. I always look forward to my facial appointments as it’s an hour of doing something purely for myself and my skin’s health, where I can just close my eyes and lie down in the middle of the day.
What’s great about their membership is that it’s very flexible. For instance, for my first three years of college, I couldn’t maintain my monthly appointments, first because at the time they didn’t have a NYC location, and then I spent the year abroad. During these times, I’d freeze my account, meaning for a fee I wouldn’t be charged for monthly services but none of my points or rates would be lost. During these times I’d notice some more buildup of clogged pores, reminding me of how beneficial the monthly appointments are. When home for breaks, I’d unfreeze my account, get a facial, and then repeat the freeze. Luckily, though, they added a new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn which I’ve been going to for the past four months. The location transfer is very simple, where I can still easily go back to my original location when needed, and nothing about my membership changes. The Brooklyn location is very nice, relaxing, and clean, and it’s in a great lively, youthful area of Williamsburg right near the water.
As mentioned, Hand & Stone carries and uses only Dermalogica and ClarityRx products, which have greatly influenced my skincare routine since its beginning. My products have evolved a lot throughout the decade, either through incorporating more outside products or learning new product recommendations from new estheticians. For years I’ve used Dermalogica’s Active Moist moisturizer, many of their face masks, acne treatments, SPFs, exfoliants, and ClarityRx’s cleansers including their Cleanse Daily Vitamin-Infused Cleanser, Cleanse As Needed 10% Glycolic Cleanser, and Return To Calm CBD Facial Cleanser, as well as acid-based solutions including their Fix It salicylic acid and Brighten It lactic acid. Now, with my new Brooklyn esthetician, my products have changed a lot again, as she’s recommended newer products that deeply dive into my skin concerns. From her recommendations (and free samples), I’ve been loving Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel that I’ve seen keeping my acne at bay, Breakout Clearing Liquid Peel as a chemical exfoliant for acne-prone skin, and Deep Acne Liquid Patch. I’ve been noticing an improvement in my skin, largely due to my esthetician’s knowledge and advice. She sometimes even recommends outside drugstore products, which makes me fully believe her recommendations as those purchases wouldn’t get her any monetary benefit.
Overall, I love Hand & Stone. I’ve experienced facials from other spas maybe once or twice, but I’ve always stayed loyal to Hand & Stone because of my membership, its price, and my history with it. Yes, the products and the whole experience are expensive, and sometimes when I go I’m shocked by how much I’ve spent afterwards on products. However, even the non-membership price is usually less expensive than other spas (in NYC under $100 is a bargain). Ultimately, I consider my skin an important investment for my well-being and confidence, so, at the end of the day, it’s always worth it to me. Consistency is key (as they all say) with services like facials if you're trying to address a specific skin concern like acne. So, it’s both a short-term self-care indulgence, but as well carries great long-term benefits both with your skin and financial aspects. So, if you’re searching for a facial or massage, I highly recommend Hand & Stone if there’s a location near you!
Be Well,
Lila
