In Los Angeles there are so many day spas that they all start to look and feel alike, but that’s not the case with Carasoin. From the moment you enter the waiting area you notice unique touches and real character. Immediately one notices the regal blue hand-printed wallpaper, imported from England, and the eclectic display of antiques, such as a genuine steamer trunk and vintage typewriter, that establish the mood of true old-world Europe and a sense of home.
From the first “Welcome†you hear from proprietor Tom Rann, with a glint of a genteel British accent, you feel transported to another place far away. Then you meet his lovely partner in life and business, Carasoin founder Lena Stephanie Bratschi, whose charm and warmth are only eclipsed by 
her glowing skin, which immediately made me think, “I’ll have what she’s having.â€
A duo in which both members equally possess beauty and brains, Tom and Lena opened Carasoin a few months ago to realize their vision of a creating a spa that would set a new standard in the Los Angeles day spa experience. The name Carasoin, which combines the French words for “caress†and “treat,†says it all.
As Tom explains, “I handle the business side, and Lena handles the beauty side.†When he is not at the spa, Tom works as a sound editor on major studio blockbuster films. Previously Tom owned a public relations company in England, hence his business sense.
Lena brings 13 years of beauty training to the spa. She grew up in Switzerland, the land of spas, then later reloca
ted to London where she received the best in skincare education, starting at the prestigious Steiner Beauty School in London, where she attained the coveted Comite International d’Esthetique et de Cosmetologie diploma, the highest internationally recognized certification for beauty and aesthetic therapy.
Prior to opening Carasoin in Los Angeles, Lena was beauty manager and head therapist at the world-renowned Joshi Clinic in London, whose loyal clients included celebrities and royalty alike, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Ralph Fiennes and Princess Diana.
Spending about a year’s time to build out Carasoin, in a space once occupied by a floral boutique, Tom and Lena installed the very best in spa technology and full conveniences in each of the five treatment rooms, including showers in two of the rooms, oysgen facial machines and the Computer Aided Cosmetology Instrument (CACI) for non-surgical facelifts.
While the latest machines and top-shelf products, including an array of skincare formulations by Intraceuticals and Glo Therapeutics among other lines, make Carasoin a spa of high caliber, it is the personal touch that distinguishes Carasoin. I felt as though I was treated not just as a customer but as a friend by Tom and Lena.
The personal care that Lena exudes is also part of her professional philosophy, whereby she prescribes a personal, individual skin care plan for each of her clients, as she explains, “I set goals for my clientele and offer them the appropriate treatments for the season and their personal skin condition, which changes constantly.â€
With its location adjacent the star-magnet Ivy restaurant and nestled amongst the premier boutiques of Robertson Boulevard, Carasoin is sure to draw the same kind of celebrity clientele in Los Angeles that Lena attracted in Europe. For Lena though, it is clear she values making every client feel like a VIP.
My treatment of a 60-minute Carasoin spa massage at the hands of Lena herself was pure relaxation. It began with a choice of fine essential oils, scented and blended to promote stress relief and calm, and a choice of techniques to achieve the desired benefit. My stress melted away as soon as I lay on the bed itself, a state-of-the-art Range Living Earth Crafts Bed padded with a plush body-contouring memory foam mat and featuring sound technology, so that the bed resonates to low frequencies in the ambient music.
I chose the massage regimen designed to release tension and re-energize a tired and aching body, and it worked. While not necessarily a connoisseur of massage, I have had my share of treatments as a travel writer often invited to experience spa amenities, and I was pleasantly surprised at some of the refreshing therapeutic techniques. One technique included a new twist on the old-fashioned chop massage, with light and fluid-feeling chops that made my back tingle as muscles unwound, and a painless neck stretching and manipulation that relaxed even my tight neck muscles where I hold all my stress.
As I left the spa I felt rejuvenated and refreshed, but more importantly I felt I had been to a spa that cared. After all, when you go to a spa you are trusting your wellbeing in mind and body to your caretakers, and you should feel you have been treated well, in the full sense of the word, and not just provided a service. My experience at Carasoin lived up to the spa’s name, and it was just the kind of place I would want to take friends, to not only experience the superb treatment but to meet Lena and Tom.
As I was leaving the spa and turned to say goodbye, I again experienced the personal touch that makes Carasoin stand out from the rest. Lena gave me a kind, warm hug. Until next time, my friends.
Carasoin is located at 120 N. Roberson in Los Angeles. The spa is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday and Monday by private appointment only. For more information please call 310-855-0105 or visit www.carasoin.com.
K. Pearson Brown is a travel writer and mommy blogger living in Los Angeles. You can follow her at www.outwithmommy.com.
