The Spa at Ballantyne Resort (Charlotte, NC) offers an organic Blueberry Sensitive Skin Facial ($90, 50 minutes), incorporating a fruit that grows in the region.

Today's constant focus on eco-awareness can sometimes seem like overkill. But with new studies released practically every day that identify the health risks and environmental dangers linked to a host of chemicals, it's no wonder more and more manufacturers are creating toxin-free alternatives. And not just where food is concerned; as consumers, we've finally figured out that what we put onto our bodies has just as much of an effect on our health as what we put into them, which explains the demand for organic everything, from clothing to cosmetics. For spas, which are typically viewed as places that offer healthy, holistic healing, getting in line with this demand simply makes sense. Going organic and offering eco-conscious treatments is just the next step in natural spa services.

The Spa at Ballantyne Resort (Charlotte, NC) offers an organic Blueberry Sensitive Skin Facial ($90, 50 minutes), incorporating a fruit that grows in the region.

Though many mass marketed skincare and cosmetics brands are suddenly touting new formulas that are loaded with botanicals and herbs, natural ingredients are far from new in the spa skincare world. Spa guests have all but come to expect that their skin will be treated with effective products that also include pure, often botanically based ingredients. But "natural" ingredients are definitely different than those that are "organic." Organic ingredients are grown without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Around the world, various certification organizations (such as the California Certified Organic Farmers group in the U.S. and Ecocert in Europe) have been established to ensure that farmers and products that claim to contain organic ingredients meet certain standards. "We have already seen the benefits of organic foods, which work from the inside out," says Karen Torres, R.M.T., an esthetician at the Wellness Spa at The Crossings (Austin, TX). Why not take it to the next step and apply natural organic products, which work from the outside in to bring out our natural, healthy beauty?" At the Wellness Spa, the In Season Organic Facial ($115, 50 minutes) uses products from Éminence Organic Skin Care that are chosen based on each client's skin type. All Éminence products are made with sustainably harvested, organic botanicals and are free of synthetic preservatives and other chemically based ingredients.

The Well Spa at the Miramonte Resort & Spa (Indian Wells, CA) uses flowers from a local farm for its Organic Lavender Escape ($170, 75 minutes) treatment.

Though organic spa products are now much easier to find than in past years (check out page 58 for a guide to just some of the brands available), there are other difficulties spas face when greening their menus. Cost can be an issue, for example. "Organic products do have a higher cost, but that cost goes toward improving quality, and that's what is going to keep your guests coming back," says Bill Toth, spa director at the Spa at Ballantyne Resort (Charlotte, NC). Toth explains that his spa decided to go organic after conducting focus group meetings with several regular guests and finding that they wanted the spa to take an even more natural approach. "We really wanted to be able to handle the expense of organic treatments ourselves, without having to pass it on to our clients," adds Toth. Spa-goers can now reap the rewards with the spa's organic Blueberry Sensitive Skin Facial ($90, 50 minutes), which incorporates blueberries, a fruit indigenous to the resort's locale.