By Ashley Galicia

Julie Bovenzi-Dame, owner of the Spirit of Wellness spa in Grafton, is breaking boundaries with her outlook on how massage and esthetics affect both women and men.

Spirit of Wellness is an all organic spa that focuses not only on personal enjoyment of facials and massages, but also an overall goal of well-being for its clients. Julie has been an experienced esthetician as well as massage therapist for over 20 years now, and every day she strives to learn the newest and best ideas to incorporate into her spa.  Her decision to go all organic happened when she realized it is not only better for the environment, but also for our bodies. With all of the inorganic things we use, eat, and subject ourselves to on a daily basis, Julie wanted to find a way to nourish people’s skin (and souls!) and leave them feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated.

Julie chose the organic line “Eminence” as the brand to carry in her spa; it is handmade from organically grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs and other natural botanicals from Hungary. The reason Eminence is so desirable  is because it is so rich and continuously nourishing for the skin, whereas everyday skin care products made up of 80% water, are soaked up by one’s skin only a few seconds after application. Eminence leaves the skin supple and healthy, without the use of harmful cosmetic chemicals such as parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate. People have been turning to all organic food and lifestyles for years now, and with the help of Eminence they can expand that  lifestyle to include skin care as well.

A few months ago, when I decided to research Spirit of Wellness and all the great things Julie is trying to do within the esthetics world, I had to see for myself what all this organic business was all about. Julie and her staff were kind enough to give me an experience of a lifetime. First, Jo-Anne Gaulin, a massage therapist at Spirit, gave me the greatest, most invigorating massage I have ever had.  She used all organic massage oils and creams with fruit scents, including grapefruit, that left my body smooth and hydrated. Then Sarah Morin, the spa’s manicurist, gave me an incredible manicure and pedicure with the spa’s all organic nail polish line, Zoya. Not only is Zoya free from typical every day nail polish chemicals, it also lasts much longer than other brands found in drug stores: I had chip free toes and hands for longer than a week. Last but not least, Julie indulged me with her all organic facial, and after analyzing my skin and determining that it is on the dryer side, she gave me a customized facial using the Eminence products that smelled like lemon, grapefruit, grape, and strawberry. All the products were used to revitalize and restore my skin’s proper balance, and that they did. When I left the spa my face felt so hydrated and moist I could not believe it, and the feeling remained for days.

My experience, of course, will differ from the next person’s, but ~ regardless of your skin type or what kind of products you use now  ~ it’s absolutely worth checking out the spa for yourself. Who doesn’t deserve a few hours of pampering in this hectic world!  Plus, you just many find your new favorite skin care line in the process.

On the bottom of the brochure for Spirit of Wellness it reads, “When Heart and Hand Work Together, Expect Miracles.” That tagline is meant not just to be catchy, but also to reflect  what Julie, Jo-Anne and Sarah strive to accomplish every day when they go to work and treat their clients.

202 Worcester Street, North Grafton, 508-839-6466, www.graftonmassage.com

Pictured: Julie Bovenzi-Dame, owner of Spirit of Wellness spa, Jo-Anne Gaulin, massage therapist.