What you see isn’t always what you get. Salon Jean looks like a typical suburban hair salon. Tucked into a Cabin John strip mall, the salon has front rooms devoted to hair and nails. The spa treatment rooms are small; don’t expect a spa waiting room with dim lights and waterfall sound effects.
But there are skilled estheticians at work here and great treatment of clients. My $90 aromatherapy facial included a head, neck, shoulder, arm, leg, and foot massage.
I had signed up for a Signature Facial but said that I wanted to consult with the esthetician to see what she recommended. After examining my skin and asking me questions, my facialist, Sima Troncone, suggested a gentle aromatherapy facial using all-natural Dr. Hauschka products. She proceeded to apply one wonderful-smelling balm after another to my face and neck, alternating applications with facial massage. There were extractions and exfoliation, but every step was gentle and designed to soothe my sensitive skin. While the treatment mask worked, Sima massaged the rest of me. Not once did she suggest that my skin was a disaster when I came in or that I was in dire need of the products she used. The whole experience was delightful. I emerged glowing, with none of the red blotches that harsher “treatments” often cause on me.
While I got my facial, my daughter, Meredith, was down the hall getting a Lymph Drainage Massage ($120). She too was in gentle hands: Her massage therapist, Al Winh, used light pressure to help her body get rid of toxins and ease stress points. She felt very relaxed and loved every minute. Troncone told us that Winh is trained in medical massage and some patients have prescriptions for his treatments. For my stressed-out daughter, it was just what her “doctor” mother ordered.
