There’s a cottage on Greens Farms Road where Kataryna Parciak, founder of Skin by Kataryna, is quietly offering world-class, celeb-loved facials and skincare treatments. Heal Spa, where Skin by Kataryna is located, is her temple, and a place nearly 20 years in the making. Growing up in Poland, a culture that values skin care at all ages, Kataryna was always interested in aesthetics. “This has been my passion since I was young,” she says. When she moved to the U.S., she became an aesthetician, working at The Peninsula Spa in New York. She has experience in injectables and lasers, and she’s also a registered nurse. At Heal Spa, she has combined her experiences to tie the medical field and the aesthetic field with a holistic approach, inspired by her travels in Bali. The result is a skincare spa unlike anything else in town.
Kataryna moved to Connecticut and opened her business seven years ago, but it was in just the last two years that Heal Spa and Skin by Kataryna have expanded to their current footprint. Her signature facial, rather than being a by-the-book treatment, is uniquely tailored to each client and their skin’s needs. “I just look at the skin,” she says. “I talk to the clients about what they are looking for, and when I see their skin, I just go with the flow.” She employs all types of technique, from piano-like facial massage to LED light therapy to microneedling and radiofrequency. Some appointments, she says, are more zen and restorative, while others use stronger approaches for targeted results—it all depends on the person and their needs that day. In addition to her extensive menu of facials, she also offers anti-aging hand treatment, back facials, chemical peels, and more.
She also carries a vast array of skincare products from all over the world, which she researches on her extensive travels. She is an ambassador for Forelle’d, out of Japan, and Valmont, from Switzerland, as well as Italian, South African, Polish, and Korean skincare brands. She also carries a line of German fragrances, all made from natural ingredients, and Japanese supplements. (And Westport is represented too: you’ll also find MDSolarSciences, a local company). Having such a large arsenal of products on hand helps her further customize her offerings for each client: “At the end of the facial, I’ll say ‘you should use this according to what your skin needs,’ and then I prepare the products for them and mix them together,” Kataryna explains. Thanks to her medical background, she has a deep knowledge of the science behind the products she carries. “You have to know the chemistry,” she says. The regimens she makes for her clients take that into account.
Kataryna has loyal fans who have followed her from N.Y.C. to Westport, and with good reason: her treatments are simply best-in-class. Luckily for us, we have her right in our backyard.
Heal Spa / Skin by Kataryna is located at 243 Greens Farms Rd. For more information or to book an appointment, visit heal-spa.com