Local fruit, herb farms supply produce for the massage table in latest spa treatment trend

Locally grown fruits latest trend in spa treatment

LOS ANGELES — There’s a new trend in the locally grown food movement.

Following in the footsteps of upscale restaurants, spas are starting to put produce from nearby family farms on their menus. They’re incorporating the fruits and herbs in skin treatments and massage therapies.

Southern California’s Ojai Valley Inn offers a $145 treatment that uses halves of tangerines from a nearby farm as applicators for a sugar-based exfoliant. A treatment at Spa Hotel Healdsburg in Northern California features a salve of wine and honey from a local vineyard.

And the Aspira Spa in western Wisconsin uses local elderberries in facials and other offerings.

Atlanta-based spa consultant Mark Wuttke says demand for such treatments is driven by a desire for authentic experiences tied to spas’ location.