Where to Day Spa Chicago: The Best Self-Care Spots to Treat Yourself

Last Updated on April 21, 2020 by JaimeSays

These days, we are all so busy with work and never ending to-do lists that it can be easy to forget that we need to take care of ourselves sometimes. Sometimes, I like to cook at home to decompress. Sometimes, you need a post-marathon rubdown, or sometimes you just need to treat yourself! Chicago is full of wonderful spots for self-care and I explored some of the best this spring. All four of these places fulfill a different form of self-care and I cannot wait to visit them all again.

Day Spa Chicago Facials: Scratch Goods

1046 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

day spa Chicago | Chicago Day Spa | Self Care Chicago| JaimeSays Blog | Chicago Blogger| Travel Blogger | Quiet Travel — The tonics and potions of Scratch Goods Day Spa Chicago.

Customized facials. If you want to day spa Chicago, you’ll want to make sure your face gets the TLC it needs. Started in 2015, Scratch Goods produces food-grade skin care products. all handmade in-house in small batches. I can’t say enough good things about their products, but the best self-care thing you can do at Scratch Goods is their mask bar. With instruction, you mix your own personal clay mask and following an oil cleanse and lash/brow treatment, apply it. After removal, you treat your face with skin drink, face oils and finish with a warm jade roller.

The various mask options have different benefits. I mixed their sea mask, matcha mask and charcoal mask powders with a brightening carrot juice, but all can be used at home with water. The staff at Scratch Goods is incredibly knowledgeable about their products and so friendly. The entire experience is luxurious and great to do with friends or solo. I have been to Scratch Goods twice now and they are getting ready to make a move to a new location in the West Loop in the coming weeks. I cannot wait to go back to check out the new space and try a new mask!

Day Spa Chicago Sensory Deprivation: Float Sixty

303 W. Erie Street Lower Level, Chicago, IL 60654

Float therapy is a form of self-care in Chicago I have only recently started. It helps with relaxation, sleeping better and general muscle relief. At Float Sixty, guests float in 10 inches of body-temperature water solution with 1000 pounds of Epsom salts dissolved in it. You can opt for a Wave Cabin (size of a tiny pool), Float Pod (similarly sized to a tanning bed) or a Samadhi Tank (significantly smaller). I chose the Wave Cabin for my one-hour sensory deprivation experience.

At Float Sixty, all guest get their own private suite with a private shower and float space. For the sixty minutes of float time, you can be in total darkness (optional colored lights in the Wave Cabin) and silence. The best way for me to describe this feeling is that of a “mermaid in space.” Despite being in a small space, I found myself almost getting lost as if the pool expanded around me. And when I truly got “in the zone,” I realized I totally lost track of time. I never fell asleep but it felt like the time was over in a snap. If you are looking for a day spa Chicago experience in the ultimate meditative state, Float Sixty is for you.

Day Spa Chicago Soak: AIRE Ancient Baths

800 W. Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60642

AIRE Ancient Baths is new to Chicago. While it’s less than six months old here, Aire has offered the Roman Bath relaxation opportunity since 2001 in Europe. This self-care spot was the one I was most excited to try out. It did not disappoint. Right from the moment I stepped inside, the full experience was lush and lavish. AIRE has multiple pools to soak in as well as various massage treatments available.

When you arrive at AIRE, you are provided a robe and slippers for your pool usage – the only thing you need to bring is a swimsuit. My favorite pools were the Caldarium, which was the warmest of all, and the Palestra, which was an indoor/outdoor pool with an outdoor waterfall. I visited the Palestra twice to contrast it when it was light out and warm with when it was dark out and the temperature had cooled. It’s hard to believe you can get such a peaceful experience right in the middle of the city. I also did the Holistic Treatment massage which included a 15 minute green-tea scrub on heated marble, followed by a 45 minute oil massage and hair wrap. This treatment defined luxurious. I would recommend visiting AIRE Ancient Baths either solo, for pure relaxation, or with a significant other – there is no denying the romantic vibe.

Day Spa Chicago Rubs: Yamato Foot Massage & Bar

152 W. Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60654

The concept of reflexology can be traced back to ancient Chinese medical treatments. It uses pressure on specific parts of the foot to produce positive effects on other parts of the body. There are several places in Chicago for reflexology, but Yamato is one of my favorite self-care spots. I stumbled on this River North spot a few years ago and now try to visit quarterly.

Yamato’s traditional reflexology treatment starts with 15-20 minutes of tension work on your neck, scalp, arms and shoulders while your feet soak. This is almost diagnostic for the work that follows on your legs and feet. The rooms display a chart of the right and left foot and what parts affect which part of the body and the staff use pressure and hot stones on the different parts to alleviate different strains and stresses. Every time I visit Yamato, I find myself leaving with a physical sense of lightness and clarity. Their various rooms hold different quantities of guests making it a great place to go alone, with friends or host private parties.

There are so many amazing self-care spots in Chicago – I recommend all of these, but am always looking for more. What are some of your favorite places? Let me know in the comments!