Where are the best places in Santa Cruz County to take care of yourself? Readers voted, and these 2026 Lookout List Health & Self-Care winners and runners-up are their picks, from dentists, chiropractors and physical therapists to hair salons, massage, spas and yoga instructors. Whether you’re overdue for a checkup or a pedicure, start here. Find more Lookout List winners here.
Find your favorite…
Favorite Acupuncture
Winner: Ava Zack Acupuncture Inc
1537 Pacific Ave., Suite 300-H, Santa Cruz
Patients say Ava Zack listens closely, treats each person with care and brings “extensive knowledge and excellent diagnostic skill” to every visit. One called her “the best acupuncturist I’ve tried,” adding: “I always walk out feeling 10x better.” Another said she “does safely bridge the gap between Chinese Medicine and what we call ‘modern medicine.'”
Runner-up: Points For Wellness
5161 Soquel Drive, Suite C, Soquel
Patients say Beth Dorsey “treats the whole person,” helping clients make small adjustments that add up. One credited the practice’s acupuncture and lifestyle changes with getting “all my labs to read in normal range.”
Favorite Chiropractor
Winner: Golden Chiropractic
9053 Soquel Drive, Suite A, Aptos
Patients say Dr. Goldi Jacques-Maynes “takes time with each patient, you never feel rushed,” and one wrote, “She’s the only one I trust with my spine and neck.” Fans also praise the care, kindness and “all around good vibes.”
Runner-up: Rhythm Health & Performance
3912 Portola Drive, Suite 13, Santa Cruz
Patients say Dr. Joe Thompson is “thoughtful, passionate, informative” and a “calming presence.”
Favorite Dentist
Winner: Dientes Community Dental
Clinics at 1830 Commercial Way and 1500 Capitola Road, Santa Cruz
Patients praise Dientes’ “amazing care + staff” and its mission of “affordable, lasting oral health for all.”
Runner-up: Raffo Dental — Dr. Michael Raffo
2185 41st Ave., Capitola
Patients say Dr. Raffo and his team are “pleasant, punctual, attentive and best of all, competent!”
Favorite Esthetician
Winner: Waves to Woods Skin Care
312 Capitola Ave., Suite E, Capitola
Clients say Andrea’s quiet, soothing studio and expert skill leave them with “fresh glowing skin” and a better understanding of how to care for it between visits. “At 76 I have had many facials and Andrea is really the best,” one wrote. “How lucky we are to have her services in Capitola.”
Runner-up: Yoso Wellness Spa
740 Front St., Suite 110, Santa Cruz
Clients say Yoso’s facials “go beyond just the skin” to become “a whole body experience,” using organic products in a beautiful, calming space. “I always leave feeling so refreshed,” one wrote.
Favorite Full Service Hair Salon
Winner: Urban Groove
575 Seventh Ave., Suite A, Santa Cruz
One client calls Rezo Smith “the best hairstylist in SCC!”
Runner-up: Faust Salon Scotts Valley
219 Mount Hermon Road, Suite A1, Scotts Valley
Favorite Group Exercise Instructor
Winner: Toadal Fitness — Carina Reid
Teaches at Toadal Fitness, which has six locations around the county
Fans say Carina Reid is “full of energy,” keeps every class “fun, safe, and effective” and “plays great music.” As one put it: “Motivation Central!”
Runner-up: CrossFit Up — Aaron August
2724 Soquel Ave., Suite C, Santa Cruz
Members say Aaron August is “always positive, has great cues, and makes every class fun,” and that he gets to know every athlete, even in a big, rowdy class.
Favorite Hair Salon for Curly Hair
Winner: Dang Suite Hair
1220-A 41st Ave. Suite 7, Capitola
Clients say Stacie Keil knows curly hair and color, really listens and teaches clients how to care for their curls. One Lookout reader who voted for Dang Suite called Keil “a sweetheart!”
Runner-up: Ritual Curl Studio
303 Potrero St., Santa Cruz
Clients say owner and hair specialist Noelle Weatherwax “truly has a gift.” One wrote: “Noelle is the best I’ve ever had, and I am 81 years old!”
Favorite Hair Salon for Vivid Color
Winner: The Nook
920 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
Clients say the Nook’s talented stylists “do a wonderful job with color, whether it is an avant guard look you’re going for or just some highlights.” Several gave a shout-out to stylist Aisha Brown.
Runner-up: Lavish Salon
602 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
Favorite Manicure / Pedicure
Winner: Tracy’s
1420 41st Ave., Capitola
“They know how to take care of me,” one client wrote, recommending Amy for nails and a great neck massage.
Favorite Massage
Winner: Five Branches University
200 Seventh Ave., Suite 115, Santa Cruz
“They know what they’re doing,” one voter wrote of this university clinic specializing in traditional Chinese medical massages.
Runner-up: Aurea Bodywork
5905 Soquel Drive, No. 3, Soquel
Clients say Ashley is intuitive, thorough and compassionate. “She is one of the best things I do for myself,” one monthly client wrote.
Favorite Medi-Spa / Health Center
Winner: Yoso Wellness Spa
740 Front St., Suite 110, Santa Cruz
Fans say “it just feels so good to walk in the doors” at Yoso, a full-service health and wellness center with amazing staff and treatments.
Runner-up: Nurture Women’s Health & Fertility
5161 Soquel Drive, Suite C, Soquel
Patients say Nurture is warm and welcoming. “I never feel rushed or like I’m just a number,” one wrote. “Every visit feels personal, comfortable, and genuinely caring.”
Favorite Naturopath
Winner: Points For Wellness
5161 Soquel Drive, Suite C, Soquel
Patients praise the “warm, informative, comprehensive care” from Beth Dorsey and Gabby, and one said simply: “They gave me a health plan that has worked!”
Runner-up: Nurture Women’s Health & Fertility
5161 Soquel Drive, Suite C, Soquel
Patients say Nurture’s “approach to patients and their needs is unparalleled,” with great staff and individual care.
Favorite Optometrist
Winner: EyeQ Optometry
1101 Pacific Ave., Suite E, Santa Cruz
Patients praise EyeQ’s excellent optometrists, calm atmosphere and great selection of frames, and note that “they give back to the community through an amazing amount of charity care.”
Runner-up: Plaza Lane Optometry
1537 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz
Patients praise Plaza Lane’s “quality, thoughtful eye care,” its best-in-town selection of frames and a practice that’s great with kids and families. “Dr. Jen is cool,” one added.
Favorite Orthodontist
Winner: Sea Glass Orthodontics
824 Mission St., Santa Cruz
Families say Dr. Sophie Logan and her team bring “top-tier professionalism, incredible warmth, and crystal-clear guidance to every single visit,” and work to keep treatment affordable. One parent says the office’s playlist and cheerful staff make visits feel “kind of like a fun social gathering.”
Runner-up: Hedrick Orthodontics
550 Water St., Santa Cruz
Patients call Hedrick “professional and quick.”
Favorite Physical Therapist
Winner: DeWitt PT
2724 Soquel Ave., Suite B, Santa Cruz
Patients say DeWitt’s therapists “are the best in town, bar none,” offering one-on-one time that finds the real cause of a problem. One knee-surgery patient called them “the standard that everyone else is trying to reach,” and several praised owner Ryan DeWitt for setting the tone.
Runner-up: Precision Physical Therapy
Four locations across Santa Cruz County, in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Aptos and Watsonville
Patients praise Precision’s “great results” and a well-run system of PTs, PT assistants and group classes.
Favorite Physical Trainer
Winner: Toadal Fitness — Carina Reid
Teaches at Toadal Fitness, which has six locations around the county
Clients say Carina “pushes you just beyond comfort” with “powerful badass positive energy.” “She is making me stronger while avoiding any injuries,” one wrote. “Best decision ever.”
Runner-up: CrossFit Up — Aaron August
2724 Soquel Ave., Suite C, Santa Cruz
Clients say Aaron “really knows how to meet you where you are at physically and safely take it up a notch without peer pressure,” always with careful attention to form and a sense of humor.
Favorite Solo Self-Care Day
Winner: Well Within
417 Cedar St., Santa Cruz
Fans love Well Within’s private outdoor onsen tubs and saunas and the “nature feel of the rooms.” As one put it: “Bathing is life and we need this business to stick around.”
Runner-up: Points For Wellness
5161 Soquel Drive, Suite C, Soquel
Clients say the Points for Wellness office is “a place of rest, relaxation and healing.”
Favorite Spa
Winner: Well Within
417 Cedar St., Santa Cruz
Voters say “each room is so personal and all you’ll need is there,” and that “everything about this place leads to a special kind of calm.”
Runner-up: Sage Float Spa
1395 41st Ave., Capitola
Fans say Sage’s floats, saunas and massages “always leave you feeling restored.”
Favorite Therapist/Counselor
Winner: Be Present Therapy — Eddie Smith LMFT
59 N Santa Cruz Ave., Suite Y, Los Gatos
Clients describe Eddie Smith as “thoughtful and intentional,” offering a “kind, gentle, warm, and safe space.” One wrote that he’s “never judging, just being present with me in every conversation.”
Runner-up: Shine a Light Counseling Center
700 Frederick St., Suite 103, Santa Cruz
Voters praise Shine a Light’s skilled, caring therapists and its commitment to access. It “serves those in our community who often can not afford mental health care,” one wrote.
Favorite Yoga/Pilates Instructor
Winner: Santa Cruz Athletic Club — Kate Giampapa
901 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
Students say Kate Giampapa is “the ultimate yoga instructor”: kind, motivating and talented, with great classes that push them.
Runner-up: Yoga with Robin
Beach yoga classes in Santa Cruz
Students love Robin’s beach yoga classes and her positive, welcoming energy. “I seriously plan my schedule around her class each week,” one wrote.
