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La Choza Day Spa celebrates fourth birthday with new services

La Choza Day Spa celebrated its fourth birthday by adding new services, redecorating and renovating the salon and with a ribbon-cutting that included officials from the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce.

La Choza Day Spa celebrated its fourth birthday by adding new services, redecorating and renovating the salon and with a ribbon-cutting that included officials from the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Among its new items is a new lineup of teen services including the Apple Blast pedicure and Fruitie manicure, both $20 for 25 minutes. There also is a teen facial that’s specifically designed for younger skin needs. The facial is deep cleaning but gentle with anti-bacterial extracts and a medicated mask. The facial comes with at-home care tips to minimize problem skin. The price is $65 for 45 minutes. The teen facial is done in a specially decorated room with butterflies and other paraphernalia specifically designed with teenagers in mind.

The teen services are run by Kirstin McCoy, owner Angelica Carr’s daughter, who used to be the receptionist at the spa. McCoy graduated from high school, studied for and received a license from the Monterrey Academy. Three others including Socorro Lopez, Kathy Ramos and Rosa, who all are licensed to do massages, facials and manicures and pedicures, join McCoy and Carr.

La Choza does not use foot spas for its pedicures. Instead it offers clients separate bowls of warm water to soak each foot, some containing rose petals. Bowls are thoroughly cleansed after each pedicure.

The spa has its own nail room with easy chairs for manicures and pedicures. Its massage and facial rooms are designed to ensure relaxation. It also has a new waiting room off the reception area that is quiet and offers low lighting to enhance the de-stressing experience.

Other new services include a holistic heated herbal massage during which Carr uses holistic compresses made of lavender, ginger, lemongrass and green tea, which are heated. These compresses help detoxify the body and relieve tension and improve circulation. Once the massage is over, clients can take home the compresses for use as potpourri or for bathing. This unique one-hour massage costs $120.

Another new massage is called the bamboo. It uses heated bamboo rods and aromatherapy oils to treat people with excessive neck and shoulder stress. It costs $100 for one hour. Couples can take advantage of a romance package with a massage for two complete with rose petals and candlelight and an invigorating spa pedicure for two. The nearly two-hour package is priced at $250.

A spacious waiting room is between the reception area and the massage/facial rooms. Clients can de-stress in this relaxing area.

Other massages include a Pure Relaxation Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Thermal Heated stone massage, prenatal massage and reflexology for hands and feet. These run from 30 to 60 minutes and are priced from $55 to $115.

La Choza also offers a number of adult facials including a Vitamin-C skin brightening facial, ANA Glycolic facial, Rejuvenating collagen facial, pore-purifying facial and a mini and men’s facial. Except for the 30-minute mini-facial at $65, the others all are one hour and range in price from $95 to $115.

Besides make up and waxing services, the spa also has four body treatments. These include Surrender, which begins with a fully body polish that is massaged into the skin followed by warm mud and a warm water rinse. There’s a light massage that restores moisture and purifies the skin.

The Chocolate Delight body treatment starts with a full-body dry brush exfoliation. Then a chocolate scrub is rubbed over the body and then covered with a creamy chocolate mask before being wrapped into a soothing cocoon. While the body mask is working its magic, the scalp is massaged and the treatment ends with a light massage with chocolate oil. The spa also offers a salt glow and a deep cleansing back treatment. These treatments last up to one hour and range in price from $90 to $115.

Manicures and pedicures range from basic, 30 minutes for $25, to luxurious. There are four other pedicures ranging from Citrus Splash to Rejuvenating, which are 40 to 50 minutes and range in price from $35 to $50. A three-step, 50-minute Luxurious spa manicure costs $45.

Fully stocked locker rooms with showers, towels, robes and slippers are available for all customers.

La Choza also offers a range of packages including princess and bachelorette parties and is working on wedding packages. Walk-ins are welcome, but to ensure the time you choose you can always make a reservation.

There is a 15 percent-off coupon for all services in this issue of the Times. There is also a 15 percent discount on Tuesdays for services to seniors, 55 and over. Gift certificates also are available.

La Choza is located at 1451 Foxworthy Ave. at the intersection of Foxworthy and Cherry. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, phone (408) 448-0573 or visit the Web site at www.lachozadayspa.com.

Tired of stressful days? Want to find a place close to home where you can be pampered and well taken care of? Visit the new La Choza Day Spa at 1451 Foxworthy Ave. on the border of Willow Glen and Cambrian Park.

Angelica McCoy and Kathy Ramos discuss a facial treatment for a client at La Choza Day Spa.

The four-month old spa is the brainchild of Angelica McCoy, an esthetician who decided it was time to go into business for herself. She decided to find a place where it wouldn’t be hard to park and create additional stress when her customers left, hence the spacious spa at the strip mall on Foxworthy and Cherry avenues.

She left her job as an esthetician at the Dolce Hayes Mansion’s spa and started her own business. “I like to take care of people. I like to make them feel better. I came here [to this shopping area] because there are a lot of moms who can’t afford to get babysitters. We’re close to where they live and the dads can take care of them so the moms can get away for awhile and relax,” says McCoy.

Massage therapist Merissa Candelarea agrees. She worked with Angelica at the Hayes Mansion and is now a contractor at La Choza. “I’m here and I like what I do because it let’s people get out of the normal daily stress. It helps them relax and get away from their every day tensions.”

“I like making people feel and look better. When they feel that way they are more confident about themselves, “ says Kathy Ramos, an esthetician who also works at La Choza.

If you arrive at the spa in the afternoon or on weekends, you’ll be greeted by Kirstin McCoy, Angelica’s daughter and a sophomore at Willow Glen High School. Her quiet demeanor and pleasant manner sets the tone for the spa, once you walk into the sunlit lobby, you begin to relax.

A full suite of luxurious rooms is available for the spa goer. La Choza offers a number of services including massage, facials, makeup services, body services and special treatments as well as waxing, manicures and pedicures. Guests can determine their services from the spa’s brochure, which includes single services such as a facial or a massage and various packages. Or a client can create her own spa package and the services will be tailored to the guest.

Facials run from $65 for a mini facial to $115 for an hour. Among the different facials offered are an ANA Glycolic, hydrating, rejuvenating collagen and pore purifying as well as a men’s facial and the mini, which is tailored to the guest’s skin type.

Merissa Candelarea prepares to massage a client at La Choza Day Spa.

Massages range from $55 for a 45-minute reflexology for hands and feet to $115 for a 60-minute hot stone or deep tissue massage. There’s also body treatments to detoxify a guest’s system and restore and renew the body. These include a purification body mask and a salt grow. The La Choza Surrender, 60 minutes for $115, starts with a geranium sage scrub, warm mud and warm water to wash away tension. A light massage finishes the treatment or a pedicure.

Speaking of pedicures, La Choza does not use a spa chair. All pedicures include a foot soak in silver bowls filled with rose petals. The spa pedicure is followed by exfoliation, a peppermint mud masque, warm booties and an aromatherapy neck and shoulder massage. Finally, toenails are filed and finished. The treatment is safe and sanitary, says Angelica. The 50-minute procedure costs $45. Basic manicures and pedicures cost $25.

The spa also offers makeup services, with custom blended foundations, and makeup applications. It suggests a range of packages including a romance or doubles package for two, a total body package and the La Choza Package. The latter starts with a Salt Glow treatment and a pure relaxation massage followed by a mini facial and basic manicure and pedicure. The more than three-hour service costs $275.

Other specialized treatments include eye care, lip care and deep cleansing back treatment. Other services include waxing, from eyebrows to full leg waxing.

Walk-ins are welcome. Angelica notes that both Starbucks and George’s Restaurant have referred clients. A number of people see the spa while out walking or running errands. Ann Ivie who lives on the border of Cambrian Park and Willow Glen walked in and made an appointment for an hour later. It’s great to have a spa close by, she says, especially one that allows you to make same-day appointments.

La Choza also offers a number of specials every month. During February, spa goers can take $10 off all facials, body treatments and massages. This month, the spa also is offering a Valentine special of $50 off a side by side special for massages and spa pedicures.

To find out more about La Choza Day Spa, call (408) 448-0573. La Choza is located at 1451 Foxworthy Ave. in San Jose. For more information, visit the Internet at www.lachozadayspa.com.

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408-448-0573 www.lachozadayspa.com

1451 Foxworthy Ave, San Jose CA 95118