Nestled in the bustling Heartland Plaza located on a busy stretch of US-50 in Union is Essence Salon & Spa, a local woman-owned business that provides clients with an opportunity to experience a bit of tranquility through its variety of salon and spa services. The business features a salon, located at the back of the space, along with rooms dedicated to massage and other spa treatments. The services include massage, esthetics like facials and waxing, as well as salon services including haircuts, color, style, and beard trims.
Inside the space, guests are greeted by the pastel hues and soft seating in the waiting area. For clients wishing to receive spa treatments, the private rooms are inviting, with warm lighting, calming music, and neutral toned decor to help keep guests relaxed during their visit, while the salon space features lots of colorful accent pieces.
Owner Ashley Wycoff opened Essence Salon & Spa seven years ago, and previously worked in the ER and Mercy Physical Therapy department and for some time as a first responder. Ashley’s a licensed esthetician, and has been a licensed massage therapist for almost twenty years. Throughout her time in the industry she’s used the skills gained through continued education to add to the ways she can use massage to help others.
Some of the massage methods she’s focused on since starting her journey include lymphatic drainage massage, psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) massage, and her most recent modality is hospice massage, to aid in decreasing pain levels and increasing peace and relaxation during this time.
Since massage treatments can often be looked upon as a way to relax, Ashley’s goal is to remind people that massages, and even facials, can be right for everyone and it’s about more than unwinding, although that can be a significant side effect.
“Some people think it’s just pampering or relaxation, but it’s also for job related muscle stress, mental stress, and physical ailments,” Ashley says of the massage treatments.
A client can add to those experiences by adding on various elements like warm towels and aromatherapy, or adding hot stones or warm bamboo sticks that are rolled over various points of the body during a massage session.
A mission to provide services for all
Getting a massage, facial, or even a new hairstyle can seem like simple ways to reduce your stress, help alleviate pain, and improve your confidence, but these services can often come at price points that not everyone can afford. Although they provide different services to their respective clientele, Ashley and Essence salon stylist Magan Matthews operate with a shared mission in mind.
“We have both dug ourselves out of hard times, and neither of us thought we would have come this far as we are now,” Ashley explains. Since she and Magan have experienced tough times first hand, they believe in keeping their prices low, yet quality high.
But that commitment to providing quality experiences extends beyond making services available to people from as many financial backgrounds as possible. Guests may take note of pieces in the business that share details about Ashley’s Christian faith. Whether that’s the hand painted nativity scene that adorns the storefront windows during the Christmas season, or the large painting depicting Jesus in one of the massage rooms, providing a welcoming, judgement free space to all is a way she feels she can live out her beliefs everyday.
And, by building a rapport with clients, she can modify the massage experience for clients who don’t wish to fully undress when receiving a massage due to religious beliefs or modesty reasons, or by providing a space that’s welcoming to any couple that comes in for a couples massage or couples facial sessions at Essence Salon & Spa.
Giving back
The team also believes in giving back to the community in both big and small ways. With her background in the medical field, during the height of the pandemic, Ashley and her lead massage therapist Amber Camp preformed massages for staff at Mercy Hospital in Washington, as well as the staff at Mercy Hospital in Jefferson County. They have previously offered massages for the Union School District Staff and Magan annually does free hair cuts during the back to school fair for the Union School District.
The salon and spa team also helps raise money for St. Jude’s Research Hospital, through volunteering their hours and offering their services at a discounted price for one day, with all proceeds from that day going to the non-profit organization.
Essence Salon & Spa is located at 709 US-50 in Union. To learn more about the business, follow its Facebook page, visit it on the web, or reach out by phone at 636-744-1770. Or drop by the Health Fair happening at The Ridge Church in Villa Ridge Sunday, May 4, where Ashley and her team will have a vendor booth.
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