Natural Beauty

Earth-friendly skin care treatments get you glowing

Carolyn Patten Health & Wellness

The Body Deli’s Crème de la Rose face cream blends Bulgarian rose with macadamia nut oil and goji berry.
Photo by thinkstockphotos.com

In honor of Earth Day, celebrate the glamour in green at these Coachella Valley spots with skin care that’s raw, organic, and gorgeous.


The Body Deli got its start in Palm Desert in 2002 when “cosmetic chefs” David Parker and Margaret Skarin whipped up a line of “superfood” skin care that has garnered raves from such diverse sources as InStyle and Vogue Japan. Using fresh, raw, organic ingredients — many from the Coachella Valley’s renowned agricultural fields — The Body Deli has found its niche with sophisticated clientele.

“Our customers are very well-educated and aware of what they put on their bodies,” Parker says. “They demand real products with real results, and they demand quality and luxury.”

A customer favorite is Crème de la Rose, an ultra-rich, anti-aging face cream made by hand in small batches, blended for three hours using Bulgarian rose, goji berry, and macadamia nut oil. It’s recommended for mature and aging skin and is a big hit with sun-lovers.

Some of the most delicate goodies, such as the sea cucumber moisturizer and glacial mud masques, need a place in the refrigerator, but the rest of the more than 175 goodies are shelf-friendly. Body products are scented with a collection of 13 aromatic blends, including the newest — Las Palmas, an addictive perfume of grapefruit, citrus, ginger, and jasmine.
73910 Hwy. 111, Ste. B, Palm Desert.
760-340-3731; thebodydeli.com

Arcona Studio in Santa Monica has long attracted celebrities queuing up for treatments that rely on live, active ingredients to get that porcelain, no-makeup look. In the desert, the go-to place is Agua Serena Spa at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, where Arcona-trained aesthetician Tsege will purify, plump, and protect your precious epidermis.

The creams, oils, and masques are whipped up in small batches with “chirally correct” enzymes — antioxidants and amino acids engineered to link up with skin cell receptors for better absorption and more visible results. They contain no harsh chemicals, perfumes, or dyes, they smell heavenly, and results are cumulative and significant.
44600 Indian Wells Ln, Indian Wells.
760-341-1000; indianwells.hyatt.com

Studio M sources a lineup of luxury organic products that run the gamut from nail polish to serums to makeup. Priori is a 98 percent natural, anti-aging skin care line packed with patented CoffeeBerry, a powerful antioxidant aimed at dramatic, visible benefits for aging skin. Salon treatments deliver immediate gratification and glow, and simple at-home rituals add to that over time. SpaRitual nail and body products and Jane Iredale mineral cosmetics are the final flourish, gilding the lily with glossy vegan nail colors and cosmetics renowned for healthy coverage of rosacea, acne, and hyperpigmentation.

Jane Iredale is often called the “skin care makeup,” and it’s a favorite with plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Try the organic brown sugar lip exfoliator and plumper, followed up with a shea butter and peptide lip tint — a combo guaranteed to transform dry desert lips.
2465 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Ste. 1025, Palm Springs.
760-327-9000; studiomsalonandspa.com