There was something about the ISPA Conference in Phoenix that was pure magic. This year marked the 34th annual gathering of spa professionals, and there were over 2,200 attendees and 208 brands exhibiting—many first-timers on both counts.
The New Stats & Award Winners
The 2024 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study brought smiles to newcomers and old-timers alike: Revenue is up nearly 6 percent at $21.3 billion; there were 182 million spa visits; locations numbered 21,840; revenue per visit equalled $117.20, and total employees numbered 370,100.
Justin Wren, ISPA Alex Szekely Humanitarian of the Year
“It felt like the industry has finally come out of the pandemic,” shares spa industry veteran Nancy Griffin, Principal of Contento Marketing and 30-year ISPA Expo attendee. “The conference started day one with the theme of resilience and ended with the theme of purpose and giving back with keynote Justin Wren. It was very inspiring.”
Wren, founder of the non-profit Fight for the Forgotten, received the 2024 ISPA Alex Szekely Humanitarian of the Year Award. Michael Tompkins, Managing Director and Executive Recruiter at Hutchinson Consulting, took home the ISPA Visionary Award, and Tammy Pahel, Vice President of Spa Operations for Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, earned the ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award.
For the second year running, ISPA celebrated exhibitors’ creativity with its ISPA Conference Expo Awards. The recipients this year were: Acrely Farms for Best Inline/Linear Booth; Dazzle Dry for Best Split Island/Island Booth, and aescape for Superstar Team. Eminence Organic Skin Care and LEMI Group tied for Best Sponsor Experience.
The Best Brands Across Three Categories
One of the best things about the ISPA Conference is reuniting with old friends—and meeting new ones. I barely had enough time to cover the entire show floor, and I’m happy to report that I came away with a number of noteworthy new products from established brands, as well as some fantastic newcomers. In fact, I found so many wonderful products to share, that I can’t possibly fit them all into one readable story. So, I’m splitting up my treasure trove into three separate round-ups, beginning with Insider’s Guide to the Best ISPA Expo Skincare that you’ll find here.
Next week, I’ll unveil Insider’s Guide to the Best ISPA Expo Fashion & Accessories (I found some great brands), which will be followed by reports on the four spa and wellness properties I visited during my extended Phoenix visit. Stay tuned!
Best of ISPA 2024 Beauty for Face
72k eye Cream, 72k face Cream, 72k face Serum, 72k multi-talent spot serum
72k This Swiss cosmetic line, founded by Pei Angela Willimann, prides itself on its active herbal ingredients. While all of the plants used in 72k are organically grown in the Swiss mountains and harvested by hand, the superstar ingredient is the antioxidant-dense Artemisia Annua plant. The unique Artemesia C-08UC Complex provides a natural source of strength for the skin and a protective shield against skin aging. Formulated to regenerate, nourish, and repair and clear the skin, 72k is suitable for all skin types, and is particularly beneficial for sensitive skin and any skin condition related to inflammation, shared Julie Andrews, Vice President of Sales.
Akar Skin A welcome addition to this year’s ISPA, Akar Skin is a lovely plant-based line where every formulation is screened by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to meet strict standards for transparency and health. The brand uses CO2 and cold-pressed extraction methods for the purest and most effective plant oils and extracts and partners with sustainable farms for its raw ingredients. Akar Skin favorites include Restore Eye Serum and Soothe Face Oil.
BABOR introduces Doctor Babor Cure Cream—a noteworthy launch from this family-run German skincare brand. A rich multi-tasking formula created to help transform compromised, fragile, and dull-looking skin, The Cure Cream is comprised of a number of powerful regenerative ingredients to aid in repairing, renewing, smoothing—and protecting—the skin. The proprietary Biogen Plant Extract blend counts nettle, bladderwrack, and ginseng among its star ingredients. Shares Tim Saunier, President and CEO Babor Americas, “The Biogen Plant Extract is one of the first ingredient complexes that our founder Dr. Michael Babor researched and created in the 1950s. It is still one of our most powerful ingredient complexes for overall skin health, which is why we have decided to integrate it into the entire relaunch of the Doctor Babor line.” The brand can be found at spas that include Mii amo, Omni Grove Park Inn, and Encore Boston Harbor.
Formulae Prescott Founder Pauline Prescott was running a multi-million-dollar division of an international company, living in Hong Kong, with a home office in New York, and a family in London. Like so many business travelers, she wanted to streamline her skincare routine but couldn’t find high-quality skincare that offered combined skincare functions and benefits. So, she decided to do something about it and launched Formulae Prescott, a seven-product collection of multitaskers that are nutrient-dense, sustainably sourced, and composed of natural ingredients. A standout is Tribalm, her first formulation that’s a triple-action balm cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer. Formuale Prescott is a leader in the growing “skinimalism” movement, and one to keep an eye on.
Sleek and contemporary, Codage offers unique personalized formulations.
CODAGE An innovative French skincare brand, CODAGE is rooted in the spirit of a contemporary apothecary and was founded in 2010 by siblings Amandine and Julien Azencott. CODAGE, which translates to “code,” was created with a particular objective—to offer the best of active cosmetology in a targeted and personalized way. Case in point: myCODAGE, a unique service of made-to-measure formulations. The brand has a sleek, contemporary vibe and uses no less than 120 active ingredients. “We believe in a care approach that places the client at the center of the experience,” explained the founders. “With CODAGE, each client benefits from a unique and personalized care journey tailored to their specific needs. From tailor-made formulations to customized skincare routines, we offer a highly individualized experience that exceeds conventional expectations.” CODAGE may be found at spas that include Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection, Chateau Elan Spa, and Conrad Los Angeles. Inquiries may be directed to Laura Gerchik, Founder & CEO, Wellness Curated.
Hommage Simply put, this is a stunning men’s line that is exclusively made in small batches and “tailor-made to target the areas you care most about.” Insider’s wrote about this luxurious line a while back, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover the Hommage booth at ISPA this year. More spas need to take note of this sophisticated men’s brand.
Monika Heiligmann Paris One of my favorite new finds at this year’s show, this elegant luxury lip treatment collection was a real stand-out, as was its chic and cheerful founder, Monika Heiligmann. “This is the first and only science-led couture-inspired lip-care brand, created to set a new standard in luxury lip-care cosmetics,” stated Heiligmann. The Lip Perfection Set includes Elixir de Volume—Lip Volumizing Serum in Nr 3 (the pretty Rose de Paris); Lip Perfecting Overnight Mask; and Deep Regenerating Lip Balm. This beautiful newcomer is one to watch.
Nelly De Vuyst There are so many reasons to love this brand, from its Ecocert certification to its Nelly Gives Back Program, not to mention its efficacious product lines. I love the brand’s simple and elegant new packaging, as well as its new moisturizing BioSolar Tinted Sunscreen SPF 30. The sunscreen offers a refreshingly light formula and comes in two universal shades that leave a nice radiant glow. Learn more about Nelly De Vuyst here.
Lip Color Bar
Jane Iredale This beloved brand understands retail, and this time around, I discovered two noteworthy items. The Lip Color Bar is a nicely done tester bar and retail display that features Jane Iredale’s full lip line in top-selling shades, including ColorLuxe Hydrating Cream Lipstick. This is an interactive display that welcomes clients to engage and discover the newest lip products. Smart move to separate lips from the main makeup display that can oftentimes be overwhelming for spa guests. After Glow is also noteworthy—this is a Jane Iredale signature post-service makeup application that gives the client skin-soothing, lightweight mineral coverage with SPF. This nicely done turnkey offering provides a backbar display for in-treatment room that pairs with a clever After Glow To-Go Retail Kit (HydroPure Tinted Serum, PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation, HydroPure Hyaluronic Acid Lip Gloss, and Calming Lavender or Pommisst Spray) for an at-home skincare makeup routine. Jane Iredale can be found at locations that include multiple Sego Lily Spas, Omni Grove Park Inn, and Basalt Day Spa in Salt Lake City.
YON-KA Paris This venerable French skincare brand, founded in 1954, has an answer for the stressed out and sleep-deprived among us—YON-KA Serum CBD. This new phyto-aromatic solution is especially formulated to fight skin damage caused by stress and lack of sleep. How, you may ask? With active natural ingredients that include 300 milligrams of pure CBD derived from hemp grown sustainably in Colombia, native cells of Sacred Lotus, and adaptogenic Reishi extract. The pros at YON-KA have even developed a new treatment around it, the CBD Sleep Therapy Treatment—a 90-minute ritual for face and back that aims to destress and reharmonize.
Best of ISPA 2024 Beauty for Body
CauseMedic is a sustainable farm-to-bottle brand based in Colorado
CauseMedic Last year, this Colorado-based CBD brand, co-founded by Hugh Huffaker, underwent a gorgeous rebrand, placing CauseMedic at the forefront of consciously created, sustainable luxury brands. Standouts in this farm-to-bottle line include the CBD Body Balm, the Cold-Pressed CBD Oil, and the CBD Dead Sea Salt & Lavender Bath Soak. CauseMedic not only has all the right ingredients (starting with the soil), it has the right intentions—including a pending B Corp status, a membership in 1% for The Planet, and an organic off-the-grid farm where it lovingly grows its high-quality hemp. Huffaker, who created a patented micro-encapsulation method, is a true-blue Renaissance man with a real passion for spa and wellness.
Charme d’Orient There’s so much to discover about this French brand that describes itself as “The Parisian beauty brand that celebrates the Orient.” Founded by Yasmina Zerroug, who opened her first wellness center in Paris in 1994, Charme D’Orient pays homage to the beauty rituals that she grew up with. It was a pleasure spending time with Sofiane Djadri, General Manager, who walked me through a variety of products. Of special note is the Scents of Hammam Black Soap, an aromatic vegetable paste made with saponified olive oil and eucalyptus essential oil. Charme d’Orient can be found at World Spa in Brooklyn, among many others.
Kusum I’m surprised that more spas haven’t discovered this thoughtfully formulated luxury line. Although I’m highlighting the body products here, Kusum gets high points for its clean and luscious haircare and skincare products, as well. Based out of San Francisco, Kusum Cosmetics was founded by Nehal Ghevariya who believes that, “There is nothing better than keeping the earth beautiful for our generations.” She has succeeded in creating formulations that are light, elegant, and smell divine. In order to preserve the effectiveness of the top-of-the-line ingredients, all products have a one-year shelf life. Kusum’s best body products include Peppermint-Lemon Shower Gel and Night Ecstasy Body Lotion.
Palermo Body I had been wanting to meet up with Jessica Morelli, Founder and Formulator of this gorgeous brand ever since my dear friend Anna Moine connected us by email last November. As luck would have it, Morelli decided to “dip our toes as a small brand” and show at ISPA in the Emerging Brands section. Palermo was all the buzz on the show floor and signed on a number of spas, including The Global Ambassador, Phoenix’s newest hotspot. It’s easy to see the appeal of this brand: clean, soulful botanical formulations that have depth and character. I’m addicted to the scent and feel of the gentle Revitalizing Body Scrub (geranium, rosehip oil and pink clay) and the Repairing Body Oil (bergamot, lavender, coconut and cucumber seed)—and I’m in love with the soothing softness of the Milk Bath, a beautiful blend of coconut milk, oatmeal, honeysuckle, and aloe. Morelli draws her inspiration from a childhood spent growing up with her Sicilian grandmother who believed that selfcare was an integral part of everyday life. Palermo Body is named after her grandmother’s hometown, and is made by hand in Brooklyn.
Knesko Founder Lejla Cas announced the launch of her highly anticipated Gold Repair Body Collection. She developed the body line because she saw a need in the spa marketplace for high-performance body products that segue seamlessly from treatment room to retail boutique. Included are hand and feet masks and advanced clinical body cream and serum for signature protocols, treatment enhancements, and retail. The Knesko body collection can be easily implemented into a spa’s menu with protocols for a co-branded body treatment, massage enhancements, nail services, salon services, and lounge experiences. Knesko is carried at numerous properties, including 1 Hotels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and Montage Hotels & Resorts.
Project Reef Sustainable Suncare The mission of this Maui-based Certified B Corp brand is “to go all-in on creating suncare that feels good, does good, and leaves good behind.” The mineral-based suncare brand counts non-nano zinc oxide, vitamin C, aloe vera, and raspberry seed among its main ingredients. Bestsellers include Project Reef Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, SPF 50 Sunstick, and (non-aerosol) Aloe Cooling Mist; each purchase prevents one pound of plastic (equal to 22 plastic water bottles) from entering the world’s oceans.
Malie Organics Tiare is the newest aroma collection from this Hawaii-based beauty brand. The dreamy scent is a botanical blend of coconut, vanilla, and tiare flower, and the seven-piece collection includes the Beauty Oil, Body Gloss, Body Polish, and a Luxe Cream Soap. Also worth mentioning are the innovative Butter Buns (featured in photo at top of page), a super-hydrating in-shower moisturizing treatment. “Malie is inspired by the natural beauty and healing powers of the Hawaiian Islands,” shares Dana Roberts, Founder. “My commitment to using pure, organic ingredients resonates with spas seeking to provide authentic, rejuvenating experiences that nourish the body, mind, and spirit.” Spas that carry Malie include St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, One Hotel on Kauai, and Oahu’s Aulani Disney Hotel.
Madame Lemy Another winner in the Emerging Brands section, this is an all-natural collection of powder deodorant that caught my eye with its pretty vintage packaging that can be refilled and repurposed. Founder Holly Eve, a longtime celebrity and television makeup artist, shares that Madame Lemy, which launched in 2018, was inspired by the loss of a close friend who died from breast cancer. With the help of a neighbor who just turned out to be an Oxford-trained chemist, and with the help of a former Vice President of R&D for Elizabeth Arden, Eve perfected her formula that began with the simple lemon. This is a lovely multitasking product that may be used as a dry shampoo and body powder. Le Petit Powder Gift Set, featuring travel-size minis in the four signature Madame Lemy scents makes a great little retail item; the powders may be found at Murietta Hot Springs and select Waldorf Astoria properties, among others.
Shankara I finally found the perfect hand cream that does double duty as a nourishing foot cream. Shankara’s new Hand and Foot Cream is rich and thick and does the trick. It’s also one of three new products in the just-launched Gheesutra line, formulated with ghee. “Ghee has powerful anti-aging and renewing properties,” shares Gina Preziosa, Vice President of Sales. “Ayurvedic texts state that ghee washed one hundred times can penetrate the seven layers of skin to help increase collagen.” The process of making these products, explains Preziosa, takes almost a week to complete “while Vedic chants are recited to infuse positive, uplifting energy into these products.” Shankara can be found at spas such as The Breakers, La Costa, and Red Mountain.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. She is a pioneering spa journalist, most recently honored by Medika Life as one of the "Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness." She is an inaugural recipient of Folio's Top Women in Media Award, and was honored by ISPA with its distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. In 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, and in 2007, Mary co-founded Organic Spa magazine. A pioneer in the sustainable spa and beauty worlds, Mary is co-curator of Cosmoprof North America's Discover Green Pavilion. She is a Global Wellness Day Advisor, and a co-founder of the Washington Spa Alliance.
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