For a woman who spends long hours working to contribute to the family paycheck, what they want is a place where they can escape from the everyday pressures of work and home and enjoy a little indulgence and pampering.

To fill this niche, founder of CRES Total Women Treatment Spa, Chew Wai Ming, created a sanctuary where women can discover the simple pleasures of life like enjoying a rejuvenating facial, indulging in a relaxing body massage or benefiting from a foot reflexology treatment.

An abbreviation for Confident, Relax, Elegant and Sophisticated, CRES provides every beauty treatment a cosmopolitan woman would want, under one roof. Covering three different market segments, CRES Wellness, CRES Slimming and CRES Moment, Chew says it was important to separate them because the approach is different for each.

"The first involves pampering treatments while slimming requires teaching women to look after their diet, changing their mindset and advising them on nutrition. CRES Moment targets tourists and focuses solely on foot reflexology and body massage. But all three offer the same promise – customer-driven and professional."

Treatments are carried out in a spa environment providing women with result-oriented therapies in a pampering setting. From facials to rejuvenating therapies and detoxification body massages, CRES caters to the body and soul. Soothing music, calming scents and a relaxing environment makes it the perfect place for women to discover beauty, peace and wellbeing.

Rather than hiring celebrities to endorse products and promote the store, CRES banked on renowned American bio-medical brand, Cellnique, and the latest therapies to deliver results.

"We introduced guasa therapy, ultra sound treatments and complemented western technology with Asian treatments to create regional products with an international appearance," explains Chew.

As women become busier with work, Chew says they rely on CRES to inform and update them with new information. Therapists and nutritionists are given adequate training to answer questions, provide consultation and offer invaluable advice. The personal touch is no longer an extra service but a necessity to keep up with the competition.

A pioneer in the beauty industry, Chew has introduced many revolutionary ideas including offering comprehensive beauty treatments at RM49.90 nett with no hidden charges. "Previously, the price was not transparent. It would start at RM38 but once you added other treatments, it could come up to a few hundred," he says.

Chew also initiated CRES Slimming’s Money Back Guarantee Program, the first in South East Asia, paying a full refund to customers who didn’t achieve their desired weight loss.

The emphasis for CRES Total Women Treatment Spa has always been on giving women the best care and treatment they deserve. As Chew says, "It’s tough to be a woman. There’s pressure from both home and work. Women need a place to relieve stress and relax."

The first CRES outlet opened in 2003 and has grown from strength to strength. As CRES celebrates the opening of its 13th outlet in The Gardens, Mid Valley, Chew says the company will continue to upgrade the client’s experience and revamp the outlook of their outlets.

The beauty experience no longer ends at CRES. It lingers in the mind as a pleasant memory and draws the customer back for another pampering and rejuvenating experience.