Spa excellence

IT'S NOT that we Scottish women don't take care of our appearance – more that vanity is not one of our defining national characteristics. But when Scottish salons scooped a remarkable seven out of 17 titles at the prestigious British Beauty and Spa Awards last week, we had clear evidence that Scotland is ahead of the game when it comes to business of being beautiful.

The awards saw Scottish business take the titles of best destination spa, salon, and facial therapist in the UK, among other accolades.

So what exactly is going on? Are Scottish women investing far more in our looks than we let on to each other, or are we simply unaware of the beauty talent on our doorstep? And how has Scotland developed such a talented cache of salons and spas to more than rival London's big names?

Jayne Lewis-Orr of the awards' sponsor, the trade magazine Health & Beauty Salon, says there's something of an obsession among Scottish beauty businesses about being the best.

"The Scottish salons had tremendously high standards and were very clear about meeting all the criteria (to be a top spa). There's very much a sense that they want to prove their beauty treatments are the best and the Scottish salons have tremendously high standards in what they do.

"I think there's a particular awareness in Scotland of the importance of keeping up with the latest treatments and staff training. Salon owners are very, very good at training and ensuring that's ongoing and providing it in a creative way."

Lewis-Orr says this determination to be at the forefront has less to do with particular colleges or courses in Scotland, than a combination of competitiveness and an awareness of the importance of offering value for money.

"Rainbow Room International Beauty and Spa in Glasgow has won big awards over several years and now Zen is doing extremely well in getting up the league table, so I think there's awareness among everyone else that there are high standards to live up to and they are working hard within their own market.

"Also at a time like this, when everyone is aware of their spending, people are spending their disposable income wisely and getting value in return. So all the little extras make a real difference."

Ah, now that sounds more like the traditional image of frugal Scots. Perhaps our notorious demand for good value for money means our beauty salons have been forced to go the extra distance and as a result are now ahead of many competitors south of the border.

But can it really be that Scottish women are so much more devoted to beauty that salons and spas here face higher customer demands than many of their London rivals?

"I have friends in Edinburgh so I am up here quite a lot and the thing that strikes me is how full the salons always are. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day it is or whether it's during the week, they're always really busy. There certainly seems to be a lot of demand," says Lewis-Orr.

So could it be the case the Scottish women are happily booking themselves in for treatments regularly, but keeping quiet about it to friends and family?

Fiona Fowley, owner of Zen Lifestyle in Edinburgh, which picked up three awards and will now gain a place in the British Beauty and Spa Awards hall of fame, says a lot of clients are quite secretive about what they're having done.

"There's been a change in the industry and nowadays treatments are much more about corrective work, whether that's ageing, acne or weight loss. People see these as necessities. We do still do the relaxing facials and treatments, but a lot of women – for example those in business – feel they have to look good for their work, so it's not a luxury. And Edinburgh is a very cosmopolitan city, people expect the best treatments. There is such an obsession with looking good. I think people even prioritise it over buying clothes.

"But a lot of people prefer others to think they look good without any help. Some of our clients even have separate credit cards, so their husbands can't see the payments. Particularly with the more corrective treatments – especially Botox – some people don't even tell their closest girlfriends. It's not like America; I think women here prefer a much more subtle look. We're extremely aware of preserving client confidentiality."

Fowley agrees with Lewis-Orr that competition in Scotland has helped raise the bar in beauty standards.

"When I started Zen, I'd been abroad for a few years and a lot of the things I brought back were quite advanced, but then people come along and copy that or they travel themselves and take back different ideas, so you always have to be bringing in new things to keep ahead of the game."

Debra Bell, owner of the Haven on the Loch, a Loch Lomond-based salon where Lynn Daniels has been named Facial Therapist of The Year, says an obsession with keeping up to date with research has played a big part in their success.

"Lynn's very dedicated. She loves the science side of things and spends a lot of time studying. She and the other therapists who work here go on courses at least one month. She has a real thirst for knowledge and is always wanting to expand what she offers."

Interestingly, unlike many salons, which offer a vast range of facials, the Haven offers just one. But it can be tailored to suit any number of skin needs, meaning that the treatment is picked by the professional rather than the bemused client, typically sitting at home trying to work out from a brochure what skin type she has.

Fowley is also passionate about the need to keep up constant training and, with the Revival Retreat Salon in Glasgow claiming the Training Award, it seems Scottish salons' investment in staff education is paying off.

But it's not just Scotland's salons that are setting industry standards. Jamie Pagan, spa director at Gleneagles, which was named Destination/Hotel Spa of the Year, says the Scottish spa market changed dramatically after One Spa at the Sheraton opened seven years ago, gaining recognition at the time as one of Europe's best spas.

"The impact of that is well documented," says Pagan. "Gleneagles perceives ourselves as being the market leader, so we needed to be able to offer something that would equal or better that."

A new spa at Gleneagles opened in March this year, as part of an 18 million development programme. Not only has it won the British Beauty and Spa award, but earlier this month it received the Cond Nast Traveller's Readers' Award for favourite UK Hotel Spa.

According to Pagan, hotel guests are increasingly coming to expect top-level spa facilities on site.

Of course, Scotland is blessed with beautiful countryside, which makes an attractive and relaxing setting for destination spas that London, for example, could never hope to rival. But there's another factor that makes spa facilities a very sensible area for Scottish hotels in particular to invest it – our weather. Enjoyment of a spa is totally unaffected by the rain and wind that can dampen other experiences in Scotland.

"The design of our spa includes a lovely area with a fire. It's a lovely place to be at any time, but particularly on a bad day," says Pagan.

So it seems Scotland's beauty success is down to three key factors: competitiveness; an obsession with education and keeping up to date with the latest science and technology; and a nation of women who are prepared to invest more than ever in looking good – even if they don't like to shout about it. Add to that a climate that makes it all too tempting to escape for a while into the sanctuary of a spa or salon, maybe it's not that surprising after all that the nation's beauty industry is burgeoning.