Spa Owner Creates Acrylic Medical Barrier for Spa Professionals

It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention, and even as local governments begin giving spas the go-ahead to start re-opening, many spa professionals and their clients are naturally still apprehensive about returning. In an effort to ease those anxieties, one spa owner developed Plexi-Face, a medical-grade barrier designed to protect both therapists and clients during spa treatments. “My concern was the dealing with being human,” says Angela Rafferty, a licensed esthetician, certified massage therapist, professional makeup artist, and creator of Plexi-Face. “We all accidentally sneeze and cough for many reasons, and we just never know when or if the client is unknowingly ill.” 

Rafferty, who owns Chakra Esthetics Day Spa (Palm Desert, CA), which is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, was inspired by neonatal intensive care unit incubators while looking for a solution. She immediately began working with a local plastics manufacturer to design Plexi-Face. The ergonomic design of the medical-grade acrylic barrier allows professionals enough access to provide services to their clients while keeping any exchanges of breath to a minimum. While nothing is able to give complete and total protection, the barrier is designed to lessen the risk of exposure and could be useful during annual flu and cold seasons. Rafferty is also currently developing a second product for the line. “Obviously, nerves of people are pretty raw from being quarantine and clients want to come back to the spa, but they want to be assured we’ve taken every precaution to make the environment as safe as possible,” says Rafferty. “I now have a waiting list of new clients that want to be the first to experience a safer service and appreciate the effort I’m putting into the ‘new normal’.”

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