Beauty destination: Local haven, WHITE Spa

“WHITE is positive and mindful beauty, tailored treatments and restorative floats…”

There are a plethora of beauty therapists in our neighbourhood doing amazing work  - think high performance, effective and brilliant facials that leave skin looking as smooth and clear as a baby’s proverbial.  There are not many that provide that within a truly relaxing, spa-style venue though, an element that many of us need from time to time alongside skincare that does what it says.

Add the mantra “mindful beauty” to all of the above however and you have the very unique WHITE Spa, situated down an unassuming arcade in suburban Herne Bay.

Led by the knowledge and passion of both Lani Allard (owner and senior therapist) and Emma Robins (owner and Holistic Health Coach/Healer), WHITE believes in positive mindful beauty therapy solutions and in taking a holistic approach to inner health and beauty for all of their clients. All beauty therapies are adapted and tailored for what they term as “each client’s truth”,

because “the truth is, the condition of our skin reflects the condition of our whole selves, not just our beauty products. Our levels of stress mirror what we allow ourselves to hold onto,” says Lani.

After careful analysis, one of their skilled therapists will create a treatment – either as a one off or as part of a programme – that will best effect positive change in your skin. Floatation therapy is an exciting addition to the range of treatments available, and further evidence of the team’s mindful contribution to their clients’ wellness.

All of the products used at WHITE  - from anti-bacterials to body butters and even cleaning products - are as organic and as clean as they can source.  Beautiful refreshments have also been chosen with great care, and are available for enjoyment in the WHITE lounge, including ionized Water, Kombucha tea and tea infusions. The place is also awash with some of the most beautiful crystals I have seen in a long time if that’s you’re thing – I know it is mine and I got serious gem envy at every turn.

I had my first WHITE Spa experience in the form of a one-hour facial with Kosha Richardson Johnson, Senior Therapist/Senior Facialist. I was told that Kosha’s knowledge of skin and its response to WHITE’s bespoke therapies is inspiring, and I was definitely in magic hands.

After listening to their clients over the years, and learning what’s best for their skin, Lani and her team made the call to remove the jargon and over-the-top adjectives from WHITE’s menu of facials, and they are merely advertised in increments of time i.e. WHITE 30, WHITE 45, WHITE 60 et al, up to the WHITE 100 super facial at an amazing 110 minutes in length. This means that once you’ve chosen the time your schedule and budget allows you, your WHITE therapist will create a bespoke facial just for you.

They also offer body treatments incorporating beautiful NuMe coconut body butters, lotions oils and sugar rubs straight from the islands that are both natural and paraben free, and manicures, waxing and spray tanning to tick the more traditional beauty boxes.

Salon owner Lani says the new Herne Bay location gave her a unique opportunity to reset, and create a more holistic approach to beauty and body care in an environment more conducive to restoration and relaxation. When we speak I ask if the spa is always as busy as it was on the Saturday morning I visited, when the place was humming with clients well before the clock had even hit 9am! “It actually has,” she says with a laugh, “I guess we have been around a while in Three Lamps and people love the new space even more.” The move was motivated by a need for more space and a more atmospheric feel, as well as a need for ground floor space as the recently arrived float tanks are so heavy.

They new space also allows Lani and her team to stock only products that they truly believe in, which are free of nasties and able to deliver results without any necessary trauma to the skin via microdermabrasion and the like. “We are getting amazing results with Osmosis and Environ and we’re all about reversing damage and ageing,” she says, “and I love getting reports from clients of people quizzing them about what they’ve done to their skin, because they look so great!”

She is also really excited about getting the float tanks up and running seven days a week, “as for me it brings together the whole mind/body relationship in such a perfect way. It de-stresses, replenishes the body’s magnesium levels and works incredibly on a restorative level.” I for one can’t wait to try one – bring on a summer of floating!

Last up, Lani says, "WHITE has been a long time coming for me. I’ve watched the market and seen a gap appear. People need more to believe in. A facial isn’t enough to affect the kind of change they’re seeking. And they need to be an active part of that change.  We can do that now”.