Considerations when giving a massage gift certificate
If your wife is very ticklish, she may enjoy more other type of service than a spa.  If your wife has never been to a spa and feels uncomfortable being touched by a stranger, you might be better off giving other services so that first she can get used to being in a spa.

Facials
This is probably the safest bet as a gift certificate. It is very relaxing, great for the skin and does not involve some of the issues of the massages for first times. There are many types of facials. Some of the considerations are the duration of the facial. The regular facial lasts from 45 minutes to one hour. There are also the so-called mini facials.  Depending on your budget, you may want to give a 90-minute facial.  There are many types of facials based on the masks and peels applied to the skin. If your wife does not plan to have a series of treatments, the regular facial is best. The masks and the peels, most of time, work after several treatments.

Body treatments
Body treatments are relaxing, but they have specific objectives. Some of them are designed to have immediate results such as exfoliations, salt glow and some body wraps such as seaweed and fango. If you want to give a gift certificate for a body treatment, think of the need of your spouse’s skin, such as, is her skin very dry? Or does it have pimples in the back? You will be able to read the treatments descriptions on the websites of the spas or on the brochures. We encourage you to look around many spa websites so that you may pick accordingly.   Every spa tends to have its own exotic names for the body treatments; so you may need to do some research to identify the best spa gift certificate for you wife.

Hands and feet
These are manicures and pedicures. Most spas offer these services and more sophisticated versions are usually called spa manicure and spa pedicure. In most spas and day spas, these services are designed not only to give beautiful nails and toe nails as in the nail salons; these treatments are also very relaxing. Therapists take time and the serene, upscale environment helps to relax and create a special ambiance.  They make a great gift certificate. You may want to read the descriptions of the services to determine which is best for your wife and your budget.

Spa packages
These are the most popular spa gift certificates. Depending on the spa, duration, and location they can vary from close to a hundred dollars to hundreds of dollars. Duration wise they go from 2 hours to a couple of days in a day spa to many days in a destination spa.  The most common is called “day of beauty” and includes massage, facial, manicure and pedicure, hairstyle and makeup application. The shortest may include a facial and makeup application or massage and manicure. The normal day of beauty is probably the best choice for a gift certificate for most people, because it is very complete and not too long.