OASE Spa Brings Scandinavian Style To Overbrook, Greenville

A spa in the Overbrook neighborhood of Greenville celebrates its owner’s entrepreneurial spirit – and her Danish heritage.

Karen Weaver even chose a Danish word for the spa’s name: OASE, pronounced “oh-AY-suh,” which means oasis.

“It’s a Scandinavian-inspired day spa, a nod to my Scandinavian heritage. My dad came from Denmark; he's a first-generation American,” says Weaver, who opened OASE Day Spa in 2020.

The décor was inspired by a trip to visit family in Denmark.

“We stayed in a resort with a spa that was so beautiful, and I wanted to bring that aesthetic back here. Simple, clean lines. But not too stuffy. Very open and airy,” she says.

“I took a lot of pictures, and the colors reflect that. I knew what I wanted. I knew what would appeal to people.

“People ask, 'Who is your target audience?' It was me.”

Weaver says she visited spas all over the United States and also abroad.

“Whenever I would go, there was a little voice in my head that whispered, ‘You will own a spa one day.’ I can't explain it. I just know it was there,” she says.

Weaver gave in to that whisper in 2016 and completed the esthetician program at Greenville Technical College.

Afterward, she began offering esthetics services in a 600-square-foot location on Wade Hampton Boulevard.

But Weaver says she wasn’t fully satisfied.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I love working with a team. I was PTA president for three years at League Academy. I enjoyed the camaraderie of working with women toward common goals,” says Weaver, who moved to the area with her family in 2012.

So, she bought a building to renovate at 1617 E. North St. and built a team and a spa.

“I felt like it was a spa experience that we were missing in Greenville. My goal was to build a place where busy women could take time to recharge and be the best version of themselves,” she says.

Weaver says she and her staff of 10 – estheticians, nail technicians and massage therapists – work to make their guests’ experiences perfect.

“I don't take it for granted that people have a choice about where to spend their money,” she says.

“The team I have is highly trained. That's part of our competitive advantage. We take care of each other. The guests feel it when they come into the spa. Our team members enjoy being here, enjoy being around each other.”

Guests are greeted with a glass of cucumber water before moving on to the service they’ve chosen.

The services and the prices are straightforward – no add-ons, Weaver says. What that means, she says, is that the technicians, who don’t work on commission, answer clients’ questions and make suggestions to address their concerns but won’t pressure clients into unnecessary services.

“You get the price from the start. I think that's a big deal. When you look at our service menu, we do a few things very, very well. We don't have a menu of 30 different items. We have two manicures/pedicures. We have several facials. And we have a 60- or a 90-minute massage,” she says.

Then guests can head to a room made for relaxing – another specialty at OASE Day Spa.

“At other spas, after I received my services, I just got up and left because there was no place to relax. We have relaxation rooms that guests can enjoy before or after services. When we opened, that amenity was not offered in Greenville. That's what made us different,” Weaver says.

One relaxation room is full of plants and sunshine; another is cozy, with a fireplace.

“The sunroom is my favorite place in the whole spa. It's just such a beautiful space to sit in and relax,” she says.

The rooms are stocked with snacks and drinks ranging from coffee to mimosas.

“There's no need to hurry out,” she says. “So, bring a book or a journal and take an extra 30 minutes. It makes a big difference.”

The spa is also toxin-free. No Botox. No fat-freezing. No artificial fingernails. Rather than placing guests’ feet in a basin of water, OASE wraps them in clean, hot towels.

To address the effects of aging and sun damage, Weaver says, the spa uses microcurrent – a machine that provides low-level electrical stimulation. “For the face, it helps create collagen and elastin, making your skin function at a younger level. And for the body, it's contraction. So, you're working those muscles, but it's also detoxing your fat cells. It’s not weight loss, but it’s inch-loss,” she says.

The facial treatment is painless and feels like a vibration; there is no downtime, she says.

Weaver says the spa’s massage and skin services are relaxing, but personalized and results-driven.

“We target aches and pains. It's a holistic approach and a restorative approach. We customize our massages to provide the relief our guests are looking for,” she says.

“We listen to our clients. What are their concerns? We are problem solvers. That's what we do in all of our departments.”

But it’s also important, Weaver says, to be a part of the community.

Several times a year, she closes the spa so that the team can pamper clients from organizations like the Julie Valentine Center and Jasmine Road – both of which help women who have survived sexual abuse and other trauma.

She says she is thrilled to be part of the Overbrook neighborhood. “It’s just perfect.”

But Weaver also wants her business to inspire other women, especially women her age.

“We’re such a youth-focused society. But we’re never too old to get started. Let's enjoy the wisdom that we have. Women are beautiful. I didn't go to esthetic school until I was 46. And I opened this business at 48,” she says.

“Succeeding later in life and becoming your own woman, whether it’s business or personal … if you listen to the little whispers and if you are courageous, it does lead to beautiful places.”

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: OASE Spa Brings Scandinavian Style To Overbrook, Greenville