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The Cocoa Spa Dolores between Ocean and 7th, Carmel www.cocoaspa.com 831/250-5414 T he newest and cer tainly most innovative spa in town is The Cocoa Spa, the cre- ation of Maren Muter, "That Chocolate Lady." The spa's philosophy derives from her exten- sive research into the proper ties of the prod- ucts of Theobroma cacao, or the cocoa tree. She operates a cocoa plantation in the Dominican Republic with a par tner who is also a physician and biologist and has spent the last seven years studying with she calls "the theory of chocolate magnetism." "The Cocoa Spa is all about pampering you inside and out with chocolate," Muter says. Upon entering, clients are given a choco- late mousse and a plate of fresh fruit before being escor ted to a treatment room. There, patrons receive facials and massages that uti- lize chocolate in a number of different infu- sions and lotions. "I like to think that when people come in I'm giving them a touch of a fairy tale," Muter says. What's not to like about that? Cinq Mondes Spa The Crossroads Shopping Center, Carmel www.cinqmondesspacarmel.com 831/625-4410 F ormerly affiliated with Yon-Ka and in their Crossroads location since 1993, Chantal and Philippe Tourtin chose to become the only flag- ship Cinq Mondes ("Five Worlds") Spa in North America in 2013. "Cinq Mondes was 10 years ahead of the rest of the industry," says Chantal Tourtin, explaining the switch. The parent company's treatment phi- losophy is based on founder Jean-Louis Poiroux' global search for beauty and healing traditions. "We treat customers with natural products using ancient recipes," says Tourtin. The facility is surprisingly large: 3,500 square feet spread over two floors. Since clientele is "90 percent local," the spa sees a lot of loyal, repeat customers and that enables therapists to cus- tom-tailor treatments for specific clients. In the ultimate compliment for the Tourtin's expertise, the Carmel location is also a training center, where other operators are sent to study Cinq Mondes methods. Continued on page 120… 118 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6 T h e C o c o a S p a C i n q M o n d e s S p a