The best affordable spa treatments in NYC

New Yorkers are low on time but high on self-care. Luckily, taking time for yourself and upkeeping your appearance doesn’t mean spending hours at the spa anymore. Silver Mirror Facial Bar, which has locations in Flatiron, the Upper East Side and most recently, near Bryant Park, has created a space that’s easily accessible but offers meticulous facials you would expect at a traditional spa. The facial bar is actually a space with semi-private rooms that exude a casual atmosphere, easy for popping in and out of after work or on your day off, with plush (heated) tables that offer a cozy experience while your esthetician gives you a thorough facial. By that, we mean each esthetician walks you through exactly what products they’re using, why they’re using them and how to use them if you choose to. They also ask about your current skincare regimen to pinpoint areas of concern or where you could improve your texture. They even follow up each appointment with a summary of your visit and the products they’d suggest for your skin based on your discussion. It feels like you have a close friend who happens to be a skincare expert. 

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It’s tough to keep a fresh face when it’s hot as hell, but it burns more to drop almost $200 on a skin-care service. That’s why minimalist facial bar Heyday offers a deal that fits into your schedule and budget (minus the annoying wind chimes). Consider this NoMad spot an anti-spa. You can choose a 50-minute — the Classic, The Sweet Spot or The Monthly Maintenance for $145 (members can take advantage of discounts). The skin-care therapists will customize the session to your needs (like getting rid of pesky dry spots or pimples). If you want something more specialized, Heyday also does Gua Sha, light therapy, microdermabrasion, and professional peels. Better yet, this place opens early and closes late on weekdays, so you can pop in before or after work rather than sacrifice your weekend of beaching and boozing.

Note: This spa is not super-luxurious, but for doting and soothing salves, booking a mini facial treatment (40mins, $35) is totally worth it. The aesthetician will usher you into a small room with an unexpectedly comfortable bed and proceed to mollycoddle you with cleansers, creams, toners and moisturizers that will soothe your mug. Shell out a little more dough for an extraction and combo facial-shoulder massage followed by a 15-minute mask ($55).

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The mini facials (30mins, $110) are European-style at this quaint spa, meaning they consist mostly of massages in order to create a glowing complexion. The specialist will use several firming scrubs, working them into every pore. But once the lavender mud mask hits your skin, you’ll drift off for 10 minutes, then wake up (without any red blotches or puffiness) and be ready to hit the bar.

Brooklynites don’t want for anything these days—not even a luxurious day spa. Located in Greenpoint, this small spa offers a full-size menu of indulgent services: facials, body scrubs, massages and reflexology, all at comparatively gentle prices. Try a detoxing facial for $50 or a “Pure Qi Detoxifying” package for $180 which includes a 60-minute body wrap, a 60-minute anti-stress massage and a 40-minute reflexology session. You can add hot stone massage to any service for just $10.

Cosmetics company LUSH has a new book-a-bath experience, that includes access to a petite pink-and-white bathroom with a clawfoot tub. Staff members prepare the water with a Snow Fairy bath bomb, which creates glittery pastel pink water. Plus, they’ll offer a fresh face mask tailored for your skin, a curated playlist and a cup of vegan hot chocolate. The luxurious book-a-bath experience runs about 30-45 minutes, and it costs $50/session. It's available through Valentine's Day.

Other experiences include two facial options—the 30-minute Fresh Facial ($80) and the 60-minute Validation Facial ($150). The spa also offers a service called Tangled Hair, a 25-minute Japanese-inspired experience with massage techniques focusing on the scalp, face, neck, chest, shoulders and arms ($60). 

If it’s absolute relaxation that you’re after, look no further than these viral head spa sessions: not only will you not have to worry about washing your hair that day—which, as anyone with long locks can attest to, is a to-do list item akin to a chore—but you’ll feel weightless, at ease, the proprietor of a head filled with dreams and ambitions. Head massages, it seems, are the antithesis of the New York hustle. The experience at GuiFei Spa kicks off right as you enter the basement at 136-89 37th Avenue. Amy, the vivacious owner of the space, will immediately start conversing with you despite a language barrier, advising you on what treatment you should indulge in, a 40-minute one or an hour-long session, both which include a deep scalp cleanse and massage with a specialized tea tree oil based shampoo, a shampoo and scalp massage with products “unique to your hair type,” a light neck and upper back massage, a rinse, a blow dry and a scalp inspection. It was $48 plus tip for the 40-minute session.

This Brazilian spa is an oasis for Astorians looking to get some primping and relaxation done. Located on busy Steinway Street, once you step into the salon-spa, you’re whisked into dark, private rooms where you can enjoy incredible facials (from acne relief to microdermabrasion), massages (Swedish to sport) and several beauty care services, including waxing, eyelash extensions and more. Its mini-facial is $75 and includes cleansing, exfoliation, high frequency, mask, and light massage to brighten and hydrate your skin. It’s a clean, contemporary and professional one-stop-shop you can count on when you need some me-time.

Struggling with kinks and knots? This joint will knead them till they’re gone, guaranteed. After discussing your target areas with the therapist, sink into a heated bed for a basic Swedish massage. The therapist will massage your oiled back with constant pressure, then move on to a brief foot, neck and head rub (30mins, $70).

If you’re looking for a really great deep-tissue massage, then this is the place for you. Best of all, the service costs $48 per hour, which may be the best deal in town (it’s just $28 for a 30-minute session). During the rubdown, clients are treated to a private room (with a door), and by hour’s end your tense muscles will be raising the white flag.

Rego Beauty Spa is beloved for its incredible massages, including its hot-stone, shiatsu, Swedish, Ayurvedic massages, for singles and couples. This high-demand spa is both affordable, clean and comfortable and has a friendly staff and receptionists. Make sure to book in advance as appointments fill up quickly!

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This Williamsburg spa is basically a yoga studio, but also offers excellent massage services for prices that won’t necessarily ruin your bank account. A one-hour Swedish massage runs for $100, deep tissue massages clock in at $110 for an hour and hot stone massages run another $10, but there are also half-hour massages available. Plus, the spa frequently runs Groupon deals and offers bulk massage packages to keep prices down, though the therapists’ hands will keep you coming back for more.

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Walk into this small but uncluttered spa, where your therapist will lead you to a relaxation room complete with Celtic-sounding music and incense. The therapist will give your bod a traditional rubdown using unscented oil on your back and legs, while working efficiently to de-kink your troubled areas. For $58, you can totally justify spending a small chunk of change for 30 minutes of peace with a Swedish massage.

When you just need to escape for a few minutes, book a session in the Himalayan salt cave at this Hell’s Kitchen spa. Bricks of pink salt line the walls of the room, and a mild, infrared heat keeps it pleasantly warm. The salt particles in the air are purported to have detoxifying benefits, but if nothing else, the silent room works as a relaxing form of sensory deprivation. One session is about $45.