New Spa Menu at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Los Angeles

The only way to enhance the already-sparkly spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles? Roll out a brand new spa menu with exciting, unique products and treatments.

And we don’t mind if they do.

Launched this month, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Los Angeles’s latest offerings include the Champagne & Shimmer signature body treatment, which includes an açai sugar scrub infused with 24K gold and Champagne, as well as a 24K gold, ultra-rich firming shea & murumuru butter créme. Murumuru, you ask? It’s the nut of a palm tree from the Brazilian rainforest, prized for its moisturizing properties.

You’ll also find the Fire & Ice body treatment, featuring products from the healing waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon that, in the entire United States, can only be found at this spa. The Eastern Infusion Massage offers stressed city-dwellers a combination of Shiatsu, Thai and Polarity techniques to stimulate, balance and revitalize the body’s energy.

The PRIORI skincare line is used in the sublime Fountain of Youth Facial.

The new menu includes two product lines unique to the Spa: a custom line made specifically for the Spa by L.A.’s local LaRocca Skincare Collection, made with 24K colloidal gold to stimulate cell regeneration and minimize the signs of aging; and PRIORI® Idebenone Complex line, which uses a coffee berry extract and other minerals to perfect any complexion.

The latter was used in my truly transforming Fountain of Youth Facial. Delivering myself to the Spa’s open arms after a long week of jury duty, in-laws and too much sun, I was looking for a miracle; my skin looked ashy, bumpy, dry and red. After 80 delicious minutes in the care of the delightful Daniela, I was buffed with a high-speed complexion brush (designed to get your face 6 times cleaner than merely washing your face); given a three-process peel that left my face smooth but not peeling or irritated; and gently buzzed by a cool, space-age NuFace facial toning device. Between each cream and potion, I was treated to a shoulder, hand, foot or scalp massage, which wiped away the week’s stresses.

By the time I was brushed up with some PRIORI® mineral powder and sent on my way, I looked like I’d had 12 hours of sleep and a beachside vacation.

My take? Skip the Botox, L.A., and try one of these babies, instead.

In addition to new treatments and products, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Los Angeles now offers an expanded selection of manis and pedis, including Shellac nail treatments and a Gentleman’s Manicure & Pedicure. You can get your face made up with Jane Iredale’s full line of mineral-based “skincare make-up” and a full array of hair salon services, from blow-outs to red carpet coiffures.

You can make a real day away pf your time here: guests who book any 80-minute treatment (like, say, the Fountain of Youth Facial) from Monday -Thursday or any Spa Day Package from Friday – Sunday can enjoy expansive views of L.A. from the hotel’s rooftop pool and whirlpool. And in the Coed Spa Lounge, treat yourself to late afternoon Champagne and snacks during The Happiest Hours.

For more information on The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Los Angeles, call 213-763-4400 or visit www.ritzcarlton.com.

– Melanie Waldman is a correspondent for The Spa Gals. She makes her home in Los Angeles and blogs about her travels around the world at Travels with Two.