Skoah Boston

I was super excited to find out that Paulo was moving to the Boston location. Not only does he continue to do a phenomenal job at his craft, but he always trains his staff to be just great! I love everything about Skoah and the wonderful products that they offer. As long as Skoah is around, I will continue to support this fine business. Two thumbs up!

Update: I have a better-​paying job now and go see Sophia every 2 months. My skin has never looked better! I’m 36 and regularly get mistaken for my 20s and complimented on my skin. I also use Skoah products at home now. Highly recommended!

pros
*results
*ambiance
*location
*customer service
*staff
*deals (usually monthly? via email)
cons
*products kiiiinda pricey
*I can only afford monthly detoxes instead of facials, but they have helped my congested skin tremendously (see above)!

«Wherever you go/​whatever you do/​I’ll be right here waiting for you» Richard Marx couldn’t have said it any better.
When I found out that Paulo was moving to this location (from Chestnut Hill) I knew that I would follow him and continue to be a loyal Skoah client.
I received the same amazing facial and was super relaxed and taken care of. Paulo and his staff really know how to treat your skin and give it the TLC and advice that you need to look and feel fabulous. I brought my mom in for a facial and he literally worked magic and she looks so much younger that I can’t even believe it.
Another thing that I admire about Paulo and his staff is the deep engagement and product knowledge that they share with you. I have purchased about 6 or 7 products and use them faithfully everyday and continue to see amazing results.
I’m at the point where I don’t really even need to wear makeup if I don’t want to because my skin is glowing and super radiant. It’s not good enough to buy over the counter/​drugstore skincare anymore because I’ve learned it does nothing for me and doesn’t give me the positive results the way Skoah’s customized products do. Your face and skin are very precious so it’s important to treat them like so.
I love all things Skoah and will continue to come once every few weeks for my lovely Fitskin facial and products.
Other notes:
The owner Pete is super friendly and cool.
2 hour metered street parking.
Open on holidays.
Comfortable rooms with heated beds.
For all skin types and ethnicities.

I’m writing this review purely because I think Maureen is awesome! The facials are nice, the space is really clean and relaxing, but Maureen makes the experience for me. Her shoulder massages as you wait for your mask to dry are heavenly! I seriously look forward to them all day. The front desk attendants are also great, especially Jay. He’s friendly and he knows the products. I was skeptical of going someplace that uses natural products, as I usually blast my poor skin with salicyclic acids, etc, but their products work!

Minimalist «spa» with great facials. Went for the first time today for a facialicious facial (75min), which included a foot, hand/​arm, and shoulder/​head massage. I loved that she did a lot of extractions and really tailored the facial to my needs. Only con was that it was 88 degrees outside and there didn’t seem to be any fans or AC inside Skoah. Coming from the heat outside to laying in a heated bed was a little uncomfortable. My skin looks great though and I bought the toner so i’ll see how that goes.

Another thing just to add real quick as to why this place is the
!, after buying my facialicious package, I missed an appointment and they didn’t hear from me for like 3 months. When I called yesterday, the owner Pete remembered me by name and let me know I still have all my sessions available whenever I am ready! Seriously I have lost big money missing and forgetting expensive appointments. Although of coarse I don’t plan on making this a habit of mine, its incredibly reassuring that in case shit does hit the fan, the good people at Skoah DO NOT just pocket my money! (Ahhhumlizgradyughmnpfh) Even if it is my fault. Lol. Anyway, I’ve been to a few other spots in boston and I really love this place. Laura is so skilled at what she does, I’m sure the others are great too!
Keep up the awsome work!
Returned here once again after like years! Pete remembered me (again) and is super nice. My facial pro Sophia is the
! Her massages were perfect, facial was informative and extractions efficient yet quick. When u find someone better than good it makes all the difference. Thanks again Skoah!

I just got their signature facialicious facial tonight with Maureen. The service was awesome and Maureen was great. I arrived over 15 min late to my 6:30 pm appointment and they didn’t cut my facial short because of it. The neck and shoulder massage was incredible. I specifically asked for more rigorous extractions and Maureen delivered. My nose was a little bit pink afterwards, but that’s expected. I’m definitely going back.

Don’t give this business your money. I had been a customer and enjoyed their facials. My family had purchased some items for me along with a gift card for my birthday. Today I went into the store to exchange some of the items. A man who claimed to be the owner was behind the counter. I’ve never seen him before. When I explained what I’d like to do he told me I would need to come back. I asked if I could just make the exchange. He said he was the owner but he couldn’t help me and I’d need to come back another day. I asked if he was the owner why he couldn’t help me. To which he shouted at me «Get out of my store you C*NT.» I was shocked. He kept screaming that word at me, told me he knew I was a problem when I walked in. I told him I was shocked at his language and he walked me out of the store.
I am appalled beyond belief. I called the police and filed a complaint. I will never spend a dime at skoah again and I will let all my friends in the area know about this.
Nobody should support a business owner who treats people like this. Worst customer experience I’ve ever witnessed.

Went to the one on Newbury Street. Absolutely amazing! Becca was fantastic. Super personable and knowledgable. Clearly loves what she does. The whole staff is great and we chit chatted afterwards for about twenty minutes about real estate (my work).
I had bought a gift certificate and they gave me a coupon for a sweet skin facial. It was a short one (about twenty minutes) but was lovely and included a shoulder and scalp massage. Officially hooked on this place and will definitely be going back for a facial ASAP!

I’ve had 3 facials here so far… this last one was by far the best… I had Melissa… she rocked the party that rocked the party… I’ve read a few reviews on here and I would agree a bit on the lack of extraction… I was a bit disappointed the first couple times… I love extractions… you can’t squeeze my face enough and honestly this is one of the main reasons I get a facial… to get unclogged and get my skin cleaned out… so I made a point to tell Melissa that this was important to me and she completely listened it went to town on my face… if you aren’t getting something speak up… I think they are totally capable here… I love it and will only go back to Melissa from now on… definately my new girl… I got some product to and it was a bit over 200… but for quality service and great skin care I’m down.:)

Awesome little store!
Tried their signature facial, which was $ 120 for 75 minutes. It included extractions and 3 masks, during which you get massages on your feet, arms, neck and scalp. (The massages are relaxing with light pressure… Standard facial massages.)
My beautician was very professional and attentive. She clearly knew what she was doing!
Overall, very relaxing facial. My skin was glowing after! I especially liked how they do NOT hard sell. They give a small free sample and inform you of the products used – that’s it! I bought the whole range because I liked their products a lot and they’re affordable. Definitely going back.

Nice and relaxing facial but I wouldn’t really call it ‘therapeutic’. I had the 75 minute facialicious facial and it was a nice experience but I probably wouldn’t go back. It has three masks, and during each mask, you get a massage on a different area of your body — first your feet, then your hands and arms, and finally your shoulders. The massage was more like ‘gentle rub-​down with cream’ and did not exert any pressure whatsoever.
The music is nice, the décor is modern, and the beds are super duper comfortable.
I really didn’t appreciate the hard sell for products at the end.

Fantastic facials, reasonably priced. Skoah products are also reasonably priced and seem great so far — I am using the eye candy and face kream. There is no aggressive sell on the products, which I really appreciate. Thanks Skoah!

It’s sad we had to break up, but a long distance relationship with a facialist doesn’t really stand a chance. But in my mind Skoah will always be my number one.
I used to live a block away from this place and I guess I took it for granted till I relocated to DC from Boston. As the website says, this Vancouver based spa offers «personal training for your skin» with customized facials without the typical whale music and general pretension. Laura Small, who by the way is adorable, is a guru of all things skin related. Her ultra-​calm demeanor combined with some serious talent was responsible for keeping my skin sane despite the terrible weather in New England. I highly recommend that you see her, and I feel like I’m cheating on her every time I go to another place. And gentlemen — they also offer mancials to help you clean up your act while keeping your masculinity intact.
I’m a huge fan of clean lines and minimalistic décor, which is the first thing that you will notice at Skoah. Their heated beds are luxurious, and at some point in my life, I need to get something like that in my apartment.
Skoah also uses their own line of products which smell delicious, are natural and non-​aggressive and work very well, especially if you have sensitive skin. Plus you can order them online if you can’t actually make it to the store.
Their prices are reasonable and at about $ 85 for a «fit skin» facial, it’s definitely cheaper than what I pay in DC. I believe this is their basic offering, and of course there are plenty more to choose from at higher prices.
Pete — if you ever decide to take me up on my offer to open up a store in DC, call me. You guys are outstanding, and I think we need a Skoah here.

Very Scandinavian– simple, brightly lit, efficient. It’s hard to tell exactly what it is as they purport to be ‘personal trainers for your skin’. that doesn’t exactly conjure up a relaxing experience or something that would be good for a relatively fragile part of your body. But they get the job done.
Facials are reasonably priced and effective– you don’t get a lot of lovin’ like you do at some places, but my skin looked great right after and stayed that way for a week. They have great deals occasionally — and book up quickly. The folks who work there are also very responsive to your skin concerns and helpful with suggestions.
The best part? Their products. They have made my skin so much better. It’s amazing.

I went back for my second visit and it was meh. I didn’t really see the difference in my skin the second time, unfortunately.
I had scheduled another visit, but had to cancel and they haven’t called back to ask me back at all! Guess they have enough clients…

The dude’s on-​again/​off-​again love affair with his beard was wreaking havoc on my face so I turned to my trusty Unilocal search and stumbled upon Skoah. Further investigation led to uncovering of the $ 60 Summer Sizzler special so I booked an appointment with haste.
I arrived a few minutes early and was greeted warmly by the man behind the counter. Laura, the uhh… skin care personal trainer (i.e.: facialist), provided me with a form and some water. Minutes later, I was downstairs in a private room laying in a heated bed.
Laura was fantastic — skilled and friendly — I felt totally at ease. She explained each step, including key ingredients and how I could benefit from them. She made suggestions about things I could do going forward and told me things I should stop doing. Extractions were quite easy to take. The shoulder, scalp, arm and hand massages were incredible whilst different masks, tonics, serums and lotions worked their magic on my neck and face. After a little over an hour, I was armed with optimism and some serious skin knowledge. Laura let me relax for a minute and said she would meet me upstairs.
Now. The moment of truth.
I know that post-​facial your skin is likely to be a bit sensitive and pink and puffy. But… I didn’t look that bad when I surreptitiously ducked into the bathroom to check myself out. Consider me pleasantly surprised.
Upstairs Laura met me with a personalized skincare regimen. She suggested products that would help me achieve my skincare objectives, but without the pressure to buy from their line. In the end, however, I purchased a product. I also booked my next appointment on the spot. I am pretty sure this will become a standard routine for me, although it could get a bit pricey if I followed their schedule of every 4 to 6 weeks.
Over a week later and my skin looks great, if I do say so myself. I definitely credit Laura and her suggestions for this.

Every once in a while, when I’ve had a rough week or month, I like to diverge from my usual beauty/​skin maintenance routine (cheap, effective, no frills — see: Beauty Spa, Coco Beauty) and indulge in something a little more bougie. That’s how I ended up getting a Power Hour facial with Meghan at Skoah. Odds are, I won’t go back.
Why? The facial was solid, but not skin-​changing enough to warrant paying the extra $ 25 – 40 more than I would at Coco Beauty in Chinatown. I was lured in by the sexy/​cheeky minimalist branding and über-​pleased by the heated beds and friendly Skoah staff, but my skin and the experience weren’t measurably better than I’d get at Coco Beauty. On the plus side, a) the people here are wonderful, and b) the skincare recommendations that come at the end of your facial are fantastic. A great, unpretentious place if you can afford it.

My sister bought me a Rue La La to Skoah in the South End for a holiday facial and foot treatment. I was excited to give it a try, since I hadn’t had a facial in forever. Skoah is a spa that basically only does facials– they also do some foot treatments, etc. but their main focus is on facials.
I had an appointment at 6pm on a Tuesday. Upon entering, I was happily greeted upstairs by Meghan, who was to be doing my facial. She offered me a big glass of water while I filled out my new patient forms. She also gave me a free smallish sample of body cream, which made me happy.
Upstairs, there is store area with products for sale. While I didn’t browse around too long, it looked like they had a solid array of products– not just face products– that were moderately priced ($ 15 – 45). According to the product paper they gave me, they also have a product pledge– if you don’t see results you want within 60 days, you can return the unused portion to get a refund or replacement. Pretty awesome.
The facial rooms are downstairs, and there are 3 of them. My room had an amazingly comfortable heated bed. Meghan was so friendly and we had some good talks during the facial. Before starting, she took the time to talk to me about my skin and my skin routine. While performing the facial, she explained each product, why she was using it, and what it was doing. Everything smelled delicious and I definitely had no complaints about any of the products. I was most impressed/​amazed during extraction– normally I find it incredibly uncomfortable. However, it didn’t hurt AT ALL. Either this is because Meghan had great skills (she told me she’s been doing facials for 5 years), or because Skoah use a facial mask to open your pores instead of steam… or a combination of the two.
After the facial, my skin felt smooth and amazing. Meghan wrote up some of the things we discussed for my beauty routine and suggested 3 products I might want to try. I originally wasn’t going to purchase anything, but the toner ($ 20) and face scrub ($ 30) were much needed, so I went for it. :-)
I don’t usually get regular facials, but next time I get one, I will schedule it here. Their quickie facial is $ 45, and their regular facials go from $ 85 – 160. They also sell packages of 6 or 12 facials at a discount.