New York spas: where to go to relax in Tribeca

I generally apply the same grit-my-teeth-and-get-it-done mentality to pedicures as I do to bikini waxing—I don’t enjoy it, but I withstand the process for the results. But within seconds of dunking my feet into the warm water of the enamel tub at this retreat, my toes unclenched as the bath’s eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils began to calm me. My technician, Soni Shrestha, cleansed my achy feet with Saipua’s softening rosemary soap, then massaged my lower extremities with a skin-softening eucalyptus butter made exclusively for the salon each week by staffer Jen Forman. By the end of the hour, as Soni painted on the last stroke of a deep-purple Zoya polish, I felt refreshed, recharged—and, for the first time ever, looking forward to my next appointment. Regularly $68. Mention TONY when booking for 20% off this service through Feb 28.

Chemical straightening, color and a flatiron addiction had left my hair in serious need of salvation. Stylist Stella Winkelmann nodded sympathetically and got to work, combining a Shu Uemura scalp treatment ($25) with the salon’s custom five-step reconstruction treatment, a deep-conditioning process designed to rid hair of impurities from the inside out without stripping color. After a luxurious rinse and blowout (which must be booked separately), Winkelmann sent me home with a protein pack she explained would prolong the shine and last for one applications on my shoulder-length tresses. At a happy hour that night, my mane was still turning heads and resulted in compliments from a handsome stranger. A week later, and I’m back to the flatiron, but my hair’s still glossy instead of the faded, frizzy mess it once was. Scalp treatment regularly $25, reconstruction treatment regularly $70. Mention TONY to receive a hair reconstruction treatment for $40 when booking a full-priced haircut, or 40 percent off eyebrow shaping, through Feb 28. 212-274-0079, pasdedeuxsalon.com

Upon entering this glam but low-key spot, I was whisked past the bustling mani/pedi stations and down the stairs to a serene subterranean hideaway that holds the rooms for the salon’s face and body treatments. I initially thought the half-hour express appointment would be more a tease than anything else, but my aesthetician, Elene Gngoryan, made the most of every minute with military efficiency. While applying steam to my face to open up the pores, she milked the tension from my shoulders with strokes that sent shivers down my spine in the best way possible. Even without extractions—not performed during express appointments—the combination of massage, heat and Dermalogica hydrating mask made me look glowy and well-rested for the next week. $40 plus tax. 212-385-0280, adaspatribeca.com

In the past, it’d been a point of pride when I heard massage therapists sigh about how much tension I hold in my back. I thought a stress-carrying spine was a sign of a well-lived New York life. Then I turned 30 and my back became something to bitch—not brag—about. Feeling every ache from a recent cross-country flight and the pains that come from hauling laundry around the block, I was eager to put myself in the capable hands of my masseuse, Era Minkovich. She began with my shoulders, releasing a series of pop-pop-pop sounds around my scapula that reminded me of bursting Bubble Wrap. As she kneaded my midback muscles with her forearm, my eyes were on the brink of hurts-so-good tears. After the one-hour massage, I was escorted to the wet treatment room, where Minkovich polished every inch of my skin with peppermint-infused salt scrub. After hopping in the shower, I was briskly rubbed down with shea butter cream, and I left the salon—after dawdling in the large downstairs sauna—feeling like my muscles had taken a much-needed minibreak from urban abuse. Regularly $170. Mention TONY when booking to receive $25 off this service through Feb 28. 212-343-2376, tribecabeautyspa.com