Today we’d like to introduce you to Yolanda Rosenthal.
Hi Yolanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started on my 21st birthday when I got my first facial. The feeling was so incredible that I instantly knew this was my calling—if I could make people feel that good, that’s what I wanted to do with my life. My parents wanted me to finish my AA degree at City College first, so I did, and then jumped right into their Esthetician program, graduating in 2005.
As I started working, clients kept raving about my “healing massage hands” and asking if I offered full massages. That feedback was a clear sign to go back to school for massage therapy. It made me a far better esthetician and allowed me to offer a complete hands-on experience.
After honing my skills across Santa Barbara (including a medical spa), I opened Spa Escape in 2009. By 2014, my clients kept telling me, “You’re too good to be hidden!” So I moved us to our current home at 3022A De La Vina Street in central Santa Barbara, right across from Trader Joe’s.
Today, Spa Escape is a cozy sanctuary where you can truly check out from the world. We offer everything from lash extensions and hair removal to custom facials, microdermabrasion, skin peels, therapeutic massage, deeply grounding sound healing, and Reiki. It’s a space where you are the sole focus.
Earlier this year, in 2026, I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream by launching YA 2 Art, merging Spa Escape with an upcoming art gallery and my own studio space in the back. My original plan back in college was to get a degree in art, so bringing wellness and fine art together under one roof feels like coming full circle. It’s a warm, creative environment where people can care for their body, mind, and spirit all in one stop.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road—like any true small business journey, it’s taken resilience, adaptability, and an incredible support system.
Building Spa Escape from scratch with zero money and no loans was a massive leap of faith. My fiancé James at the time (now my husband) has been my rock through it all, keeping me grounded and supporting my dreams every step of the way. He even helped me find our very first location at 409 Old Coast Highway, a hidden gem of a commercial space tucked into a residential unit. We made it work from the ground up, utilizing tools like Groupon to get our name out there and hiring help when I became pregnant with my first child in 2011.
Finding the right setup took time. Moving locations in 2014—just a month before my daughter was born—was a whirlwind, and by 2018 I made the pivotal decision to run the spa as a solo practitioner so I could maintain complete control over the quality and management of the client experience.
Then, COVID-19 hit. In an industry built on physical touch, social distancing felt like an impossible hurdle. Luckily, a local business owner, Donn Robert of Donn Roberts Construction, offered me the use of his outdoor deck just 100 feet from Spa Escape. Working outdoors allowed me to safely keep serving my clients and kept the business afloat during an incredibly difficult period. I am so grateful for Donn and the Roberts family for helping me out when I needed it most.
Balancing life, passion, and business has been a continuous learning process. For the past two years, I served as the JV head softball coach at San Marcos High School in the springs. While I loved coaching, splitting my energy slowed my business down significantly. This year, I chose to step down from coaching to focus 100% of my energy on Spa Escape and launching my new venture, YA 2 Art, alongside my friend and business partner, Arleth.
YA 2 Art offers pop-up art classes at popular Santa Barbara spots—like The Red Piano, Validation Ale Annex, and Draughtsmen Aleworks—designed for everyone from complete beginners looking for art therapy to seasoned creatives building confidence. Balancing two passions isn’t always easy, but I only offer services and experiences I genuinely love. When people ask what my favorite service is, I tell them the truth: I don’t offer anything I don’t love doing!
We’ve been impressed with Spa Escape & YA 2 Art, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Spa Escape is a full-service wellness sanctuary in Santa Barbara specializing in personalized skin and body care. We offer custom facials, microdermabrasion, skin peels, eyelash extensions, body hair removal, therapeutic massages, deeply grounding sound healing, and Reiki. We are best known for providing a truly one-on-one, undisturbed escape where every detail of the treatment is focused entirely on the individual client.
What sets us apart is our holistic, intuitive approach and our expansion into the arts. Being a dual-licensed esthetician and massage therapist allows me to combine advanced skincare techniques with deep bodywork. Furthermore, in 2026, we brought fine art and wellness together under one roof by launching YA 2 Art, featuring an in-house studio, an upcoming gallery space, and pop-up art classes throughout Santa Barbara alongside my business partner, Arleth.
Unlike typical step-by-step painting classes that feel rushed or rigid, our YA 2 Art sessions are three hours long because we believe real art and creativity should never be hurried. We create a judgment-free environment where participants can break away from the pressure of perfectionism, comparison, or trying to create a “masterpiece.” Instead, we guide attendees to drop into a therapeutic flow, express their feelings, and let their unique creativity emerge. Every class offers something new—from exploring techniques like palette knife painting, sponge techniques, and decoupage, to painting on canvases, clothing, or unique items. We provide guidance, technique, and prompts for those who want it, while giving everyone the space to create something authentically their own.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of building spaces where people can care for their mind, body, and spirit. Whether you visit us for skin rejuvenation, healing energy work, or an art class, everything we offer is designed to help you relax, escape, and connect with yourself.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by vibrant seasons and nature, I was always an outgoing, driven, and highly visual kid. As an adopted Ecuadorian child with a brother three years older than me, I didn’t physically look like my parents or my brother. Being petite with darker skin, full lips, and thick hair, I was teased often for my appearance and made to feel like I stuck out. Navigating ADD and dyslexia added another layer of challenge. School required extra grit—I worked tirelessly, staying up late to finish assignments and pushing through obstacles. That determination built my work ethic, and art and sports became my safe spaces.
I was extremely athletic, playing soccer, basketball, and varsity softball at Wilson High School. But my true creative turning point came at age nine when I visited my Aunt Shanon in Santa Barbara. She took me to the SBCC campus and the Sunday art walk, and I instantly felt a sense of home and belonging. I returned to Portland and told my parents I was going to move to Santa Barbara, attend SBCC, play softball, and pursue art.
I manifested that exact future. I moved out, made the SBCC softball team for the 2002 season, and worked as a makeup artist and barista at the Mesa Starbucks to pave my way. Learning to love my own unique features eventually inspired my passion for esthetics and skin health. Looking back, overcoming those early insecurities and learning to envision a better path has been the driving force behind everything I build today.
Pricing:
- Facials: Range from $90 (30-min Aloha Facial) to $225 (Ultimate Dream Facial); 90-min specialty anti-aging facials are $200.
- Therapeutic Massages: $90 for 30 min, $150 for 60 min, and $180 for 90 min.
- YA 2 Art Pop-Up Classes: $55 per person for 3 hours ($45 for youth ages 12–18 on select classes).
- Original Art & Commissions: Pricing varies; available at Spa Escape or view artwork pricing and inquire about custom commissions on ya2art.com.
- Full Service Menus: Visit spaescapesb.com for all spa pricing and ya2art.com to view upcoming art classes.
Contact Info:
- Website: Spa Escape: spaescapesb.com | YA 2 Art: ya2art.com
- Instagram: Escape: https://www.instagram.com/spaescapesb?stkn=a2o1dWZvdms2YzNr&utm_source=qr | YA 2 Art: https://www.instagram.com/ya.2.art?stkn=bGcwMmdpZm52NDBq&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spaescapesb?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/SURn6k-NOA
