ESPA are a brand whose holistic philosophy aims to care for their customer’s entire wellbeing rather than just their skin. Aiming to help people look and feel the best possible version of themselves, through both naturally beautiful skin and a renewed sense of inner calm, they were one the first brands to combine natural ingredients with the knowledge of science.
But who are ESPA? Here’s everything you need to know about one of the world’s leading spa brands…
The Philosophy
Found in over 700 spas in over 52 countries globally, it’s fair to say the brand is something of a giant in the wellbeing world. Founded 25 years ago by Susan Harmsworth, ESPA have made it their mission to help people achieve naturally beautiful skin as well as a renewed sense of inner calm.
Susan created the brand after becoming increasingly frustrated that she couldn’t find the type of treatments women were yearning for. After moving to Toronto whilst working as a writer for Vogue, she quickly became intrigued by the beauty traditions of the city’s Eastern European community.
“I’d come from a country where salons dealt only in beauty. Here though was a group of therapists who’d all studied medicine first. It was there that my vision – of combining health and beauty, the mind and body, the natural and the scientific – was born.”
“When I create a product, it has to be sensuous in texture and smell. Scent is crucial to mood.” – Susan Harmsworth, ESPA Founder.
What sets ESPA apart from other brands?
Working together with the world’s dermatologists, biochemists and aromatherapists the brand have developed a stellar product formulation. Known for their ‘Tri-Active™’ formulation, ESPA’s products combine three essential components that work harmoniously to create the most effective results. These are:
Plant Active
The plant active, such as Aloe Vera and Cucumber, work on the superficial layers on the skin and has an immediate effect on the skin.
Marine Active
Marine actives, such as kelp and seaweed, are made from much smaller molecules. This means that that they are able to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, helping with hydration, tone and remineralising the skin.
Aromatherapy Active
Aromatherapy actives have an even smaller molecular structure. This allows them to work systematically via the olfactory (smell) and transdermal (skin) absorption. It is this that allows aromatherapy products to penetrate much deeper than the skin – allowing them to create a calming effect on the body and the mind.