Tao Day Spa — Attraction in Richmond

I was very excited to try this spa and it was so hard to make an appointment. I called several months ahead and finally made an appointment close to my birthday. I even had to adjust my work schedule to accommodate for this appointment. In the beginning I was impressed. The staff was friendly and the decor was cute. Thai inspired little place. I arrived on time at 10 am for my 1 hour organic facial. I double checked with the lady at the front desk that I was indeed booked for an organic facial. She said yes and that the aesthetician will adjust it to my needs as well. Great. Sounds good to me. I was not looking for anything more than the organic facial. But anyways I wanted to proceed.

I met Winnie my aesthetician and she was very nice. She’s started my facial with some cleansing and said she will see what products to use afterwards depending on how I react to the cleanser and exfoliation. I was thinking that was very precessional. But after that it went downhill from there.

After the cleansing and exfoliation Winnie said that my skin was not very sensitive and that I have a few options. She mentioned the AHA and paprika treatment as well as some yam peel. All the information was over my head. Too much info that I barely understood. Neither of those options were the organic facial that I asked for. I asked about the organic facial. She said, and in her exact wording “no the organic facial would be a complete waste of money. I am very result oriented so I would not recommend it”. Ok if it’s a complete waste of money why are you offering it on the menu. I’ve had an eminence facial before elsewhere and enjoyed the regular facial. It was not a waste of money in my opinion because it was relaxing and hydration. It may not be as drastic as a enzymatic peel but I never asked for it. Winnie basically hard sold me into getting the ones she suggested. She would say oh whatever you’re comfortable with but when I said I’m comfortable with the organic facial she would not proceed with it. She would still try to say it’s much better to have the yam this and paprika this. Honestly why would you do that to the client in the middle of the facial. I’m already in the bed with 2 steps in. It’s not like I could refuse to have this facial anymore. I felt soooooo pressured and I hate that kind of sales tactic.

Second thing that I hated was she wasted so much time trying to persuade me to upgrade. When I get a facial I like to relax. I don’t like to think. You’re taking the relaxation out of this process. Also you’re wasting my time just talking. So I felt like it was money wasted.

Third thing that really annoyed me was she did not tell me that the facial would take longer than 60 minutes. I booked this appointment before work and timed it so that I could be at work in time with a little bit of a buffer. After all the talking and persuading and also the facial was longer according to the website, I did not leave till after 11:30am. It was over 1.5 hrs. I got out of there, drove like a maniac to my work in Burnaby and was late for work. When I’m late for work the time that I’m late for is unpaid. So who’s going to compensate for that?

I had my facial yesterday and was checking to see if my skin was any better than before. I was hoping that at least all that extra money, time and hard selling was worth it. It was not. I am utterly disappointed and will never ever go back. The only reason why it was not 1 star was because of the decor. Tao day spa is very pretty and if the other staff are less pushy I am sure there’s a reason for their high review.

Tao day spa. If you get to read this review I hope you could get back to me or at least tell you staff to cool down on the pushing. We will get what we are comfortable with and after that...

I apologize this is long-but please read!

I have struggled with acne since age 12, and have tried many different treatments and home remedies (even went to a dermatologist and took medication as a teenager). However, it wasn’t until I met Winnie about 3 years ago, for my skin to receive noticeable results and I can honestly say she changed my life.

I remember my first appointment with her. At this point, my acne had become quite cystic and painful. Winnie was so welcoming and genuine, and approached my skin from a holistic perspective. So when I say Winnie is knowledgeable, I mean it…Winnie is damn knowledgeable! She guided me in introducing supplements that my body was clearly lacking. Yes, I wont lie, at first I was really nervous because supplements and skin care is not cheap, however I went with it as I felt like I had tried everything else. Not only did the supplements make me feel better, there was a difference in my skin with just that and I continue taking them until this day.

In regards to the services I receive/received, I am beyond shocked by her humility. She recommended me to try certain products, but also provided me with loads of samples so I did not feel pressured to buy anything out of pocket right away (I was a fresh graduate at the time with pending student loans, and she even took that into consideration). Since then, she always does a skin analysis, and asks me how everything is going and gives me her suggestions, and allows me the time to express any concerns I may have. My facial is always based on both of our opinions and I appreciate that so much.

Lastly, Winnie as a person is beyond admirable. Of course, we have built a strong rapport over the last three years, but I genuinely felt this upon my first interaction with her. She really cares about her clients and I see that whenever I am in the spa. I see her as a Coach in many arenas. For me, it is skincare (and many other things), but she has helped individuals dealing with diabetes and/or pain, or serious foot conditions/infections, or others that just want to come in for a relaxation experience. I have seen this all at Tao. The rest of the staff is respectful as well, and their work should not go unnoticed. They answer voicemails and emails back in a prompt manner and I am always welcomed with water or tea by the receptionist (thank you).

For anyone reading this that is suffering from acne, trust me it gets better! Because of Winnie, I go without wearing makeup…something I haven’t done since I was 12, and thought I wouldn’t be able to do due to scarring. My friends and family have also noticed a huge difference, and that’s major to me, because my skin is something I reaaally struggled with for a long time. I wish I had ‘before’ and ‘present’ pictures to share, but I was embarrassed at the time, so I hope this review goes a long way. So yes, Winnie changed my life and I will continue being a Tao advocate because I feel absolutely amazing and at ease every...

Over the past few years, I have attended Tao Day Spa at least fifteen times for numerous different services and have constantly been impressed with the quality of service that this company provides. Each time I have visited the spa, the staff have surpassed my (already high) expectations with their impressive attention to detail and care for their customers. I have found great improvements in my skin after using the facial services and products the staff have recommended to me (bonus: they are big on natural methods). It is also worth a note that the spa has a fantastic atmosphere: very calming and well decorated. The spa is also free from the smell of acetone or other chemicals, who is great for those who are sensitive to that.

Recently, I brought in a party of friends for a bachelorette party and the staff were incredibly welcoming and kind to the big group. Every woman in the party agreed that this was the best pedicure they had ever received and that it was well worth the extra penny.

Tao Day Spa has been the most consistent (and my favourite) spa out of several I have attended across the country. It is always my go to for recommendations for gift cards, gifts or...