A Tribute To Yolanda Owens, The Visionary Behind The ‘iwi fresh’ Spa Experience

Located in Southeast Atlanta, iwi fresh Resting Spa is a full-service spa that offers massages, reflexology, body scrubs and their popular, veggie facial.

A $50 day pass allows all-day access to the spa’s many amenities that include a steam room, mediation room and a Himalayan salt room which, according to research, can be beneficial for people with respiratory problems. Visitors can escape to the plant therapy room where a soothing aroma with hints of vanilla and sandalwood permeates the space. The soft yellow walls and the lush greenery create the feel of an island oasis in the heart of Atlanta. In the back of the room there is a wooden shelf with several mini Polaroid photos of the spa’s founder, Yolanda Owens.

The business has been the site of birthday parties and honorific celebrations for the likes of Dionne Warwick and Sheila E.

The iwi fresh brand consists of the spa and a line of plant-based skincare products. Owens credits her grandmother for inspiring her to create the brand. The Atlanta native spent summers with her grandmother in Louisiana where she watched the matriarch make medicinal concoctions from homegrown herbs and vegetables. 

When the mother of three sought chemical-free remedies to treat her son’s eczema, she decided to go back to her roots. Owens, who also suffered from eczema as a child, remembered that she would find relief in the garlic-, onion- and collard green-infused baths her grandmother would prepare for her. Owens decided to become an esthetician and took classes in both herbology and nutrition and iwi fresh was born.  

Iwi, which stands for “it is what it is” speaks to the plant-derived ingredients used in its skincare product line, such as the popular face toner, Lettuce- Face-It.  

“There’s no mystery behind my products,” Owens told the New York Times. 

“They are simple, raw ingredients like my grandmother’s remedies.” 

The Albany State University graduate once had a lucrative career as an engineer.

In her appearance on the web series Made In America, she said her family often referred to her as “successful” because of her job. But Owens said she didn’t feel like a success because she had other aspirations. The visionary took a leap of faith and left corporate America to pursue her passion. 

With the help of funds from her 401(k), she opened iwi fresh Farm To Skin Spa 2010. Owens admitted that starting the business did not come without hardship. In the beginning, she sometimes struggled to pay her mortgage.  But things soon turned around for the business owner.

Located in the Castleberry Hills neighborhood of Southwest Atlanta, the spa began to grow in popularity due word-of-mouth marketing and innovative customer engagement efforts such as the annual Green Party, where guests are encouraged to wear green as they enjoy free entertainment, vendors and giveaways.

In February 2020, the spa moved to a larger building in the nearby Lakewood Heights neighborhood.  But the COVID-19 Pandemic forced the business to temporarily close its doors the following month.

Owens pivoted her business. The savvy business woman sold take-home spa kits and hosted spa parties via Instagram live where she taught viewers how to make masks from items in their refrigerators. She also convinced grocery giant Whole Foods to carry her products in three of its Metro Atlanta locations. This helped to keep the business afloat until the spa reopened its doors in June of 2020. 

Owens was intentional about choosing the locations for her business.  The entrepreneur said she wanted to create a space that was accessible to the inner city community where she grew up. 

“I’m very passionate about helping young Black girls, Owens said on Made in America.  

 “I get teary-eyed talking about it because I really want the little girls to know that they can do it and they can be just like me.”

Owens was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2020. Although devastated by the news, she continued to serve customers while undergoing treatment.

“What kept me going was my staff. I had to be there for them. I think about their families,” she said.

Yolanda Owens passed away in January 2023. Her legacy lives on through the iwi fresh spa, which is now operated by members of her family. 

To learn more iwi fresh skincare products and the iwi fresh Resting Spa, click here.