Soak in the fabled waters.
Known as California’s Spa City, Desert Hot Springs harbors a rich underground aquifer of natural hot and cold mineral water that’s used to feed the pools at area hotels, spas, and resorts. The midcentury-modern ambiance of The Spring Resort & Spa, built in 1957, sets the scene for services such as body buffs and mud wraps; book a treatment (or a hotel room), and you’ll have all-day access to the temperature-controlled soaking pools. A day pass at Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis provides access to two outdoor and two indoor pools as well as morning yoga and a menu of blissful spa packages. (One mineral water pool is so large, you can swim laps.) The award-winning Two Bunch Palms property has nine newly constructed private treatment houses with custom teak soaking tubs; here, a spa day might consist of a sage cleansing and CBD-infused massage followed by a mineral water float.
Try a nontraditional remedy.
While this spot offers all the standard menu items you’d expect at a spa/salon — from massages and facials to hair, lashes, waxing, and spray tans — Grounded Bodyworks in Palm Springs is notable for its holistic approach to these services and other wellness offerings such as sound bath healing, reiki, and cupping. Live Well Clinic in La Quinta also specializes in energy-focused reiki therapy in addition to acupuncture, IV nutrient drips, and vitamin B injections (plus a wealth of medical programs). The recently expanded Desert Serenity Float & Spa in Palm Desert got its start as a flotation center, where your worries will melt away in an Epsom salt bath; treatments now include an infrared sauna, said to clear and tighten skin, as well as massages and facials.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIELA STALLINGER
The Body Deli.
Bring home the radiance.
Feed your skin with the fresh nutrients it needs, and support small, locally owned businesses at the same time. Founded in Palm Desert in 2001, The Body Deli serves up a plethora of face, body, and hair products made with potent raw and organic superfoods. Many items require refrigeration. Equally clean salves, oils, and balms crafted by Palm Springs–based apothecarists Desert Supreme celebrate indigenous ingredients like creosote and juniper. The latter is stocked at Rancho Relaxo in Rancho Mirage and Mojave Flea Trading Post in Palm Springs and Yucca Valley.
PHOTOGRAPH BY VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS
Sunstone Spa.
Book a spa treatment.
Slip into total relaxation with a custom massage, facial, or body wrap infused with locally sourced ingredients. Most area resorts include expansive wellness facilities. A few to try: Sunstone Spa at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Spa Desert Springs at JW Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, Agua Serena Spa at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, St. Somewhere Spa at Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs, and The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Rancho Mirage. If you’d rather your masseuse come to you, book an appointment with Quality Massage & Facials Mobile Spa.
ask an expert
Wellness in Greater Palm Springs
The Coachella Valley is often cited as a destination for healing. Why is the hot, arid climate so beneficial for our health?
“For one, research has shown that warmer weather can reduce mortality rates. In the heat, you sweat! Sweating releases endorphins, which relieves stress, making you feel happier and more relaxed. It also naturally detoxifies the body, preventing illness, and aids in reducing body aches and pains. To top it off, it helps clear skin by opening pores ... just don’t forget to stay properly hydrated.”
—Daniel Spencer, director of spa, Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa