Building on the success of its Chelsea spa, Naturopathica is moving on up, with a second location debuting on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Providing a whole-body approach to skin health and wellbeing, Naturopathica Madison Avenue Holistic Healing Center (New York City) offers a host of personalized treatments, nourishing products, healing teas and tinctures, and wellness workshops to put guests at ease and help them to achieve optimal health. The new Upper East Side location opens to a retail space with 25-foot walls and cathedral-like windows that infuse the entryway with natural light.
The new healing center features a signature herbal library, with herbs used in the products and those that can be recommended and customized by the spa’s on-staff herbalist. “Unlike traditional spas or facial bars, Naturopathica’s holistic approach to beauty cares for the entire body, inside and out,” says Emma Froelich-Shea, president of Naturopathica. “Visitors to the new center may simply browse the brand’s professional-strength, highly efficient skincare products or work with the brand’s wellness concierge to design bespoke, multi-step programs. Known as practices, these combinations of therapies, ingestibles, topicals, and classes are tailored to the specific needs and lifestyles of the individual guest.”
In sync with the brand’s holistic philosophy is its focus on results and environmental impact. “Efficacy and sustainability go into every choice we make,” says Tim Simmons, senior vice president of creative services at Naturopathica. “I was inspired by theatrical set design to use light, texture, and sound to create different moods. Each room can be used for any of our services, and the entire downstairs area can fold out to a single larger area for group activities. Productivity wasn’t the only goal; we were determined to minimize our actual footprint and environmental impact.” Featuring sound-tested drapery, the treatment areas provide a tranquil cocoon from the busy city streets above.
Catering to active Manhattanites, Naturopathica Madison is a respite thanks to its personalized treatments and talented healers. “Upper East Siders, like all New Yorkers, try to get 120 seconds out of every minute,” says Froelich-Shea. “It’s the same for new moms, newly graduated associates, and soon-to-retire corporate executives. New Yorkers, in particular, suffer dreadfully from the physical manifestation of achievement addiction: toxic stress levels, premature aging, tension headaches, poor sleep, dull skintone, hormonal acne, and tight muscles, to name a few symptoms. So, I’m thrilled to open Naturopathica’s latest health center. I know we can help our guests find balance and deeper beauty as we support them on their paths to wellness.”
With a host of experienced estheticians and therapists, the spa employs five full-time and six part-time staff members who can accommodate up to 24 treatments in a day. “When creating the Madison Avenue menu, we focused on evolving our holistic healing treatments to enhance their efficacy,” says director of spas Devon Lodge. “All therapies are based on healing but now feature targeted enhancements that will provide a specific and lasting result for individual concerns.” One of the spa’s most popular treatments is the Defy HydraFacial ($230, 60 minutes; $320, 90 minutes), which involves a moisture-boosting cleanse with Manuka honey and the use of HydraFacial technology to exfoliate and plump the skin. The 90-minute version also includes iontophoresis, which passes a weak electrical current through the skin to increase product penetration, and LED therapy to help reduce the visible signs of aging. Chill Body Therapy ($200, 60 minutes; $280, 90 minutes), another fave, taps into the popular CBD trend. It relies on the brand’s Chill Full Spectrum CBD & Kava Balm, helping to relieve aching and overworked muscles. Naturopathica Madison also offers alternative therapies, such as IV Infusions (starting at $199, 30 minutes), a Holistic Health Consultation ($150, 80 minutes), and Energy Work ($150, 60 minutes).
A welcome addition to the New York City wellness scene, Naturopathica Madison and its team is focused on empowering spa-goers in their wellness journeys. “Our greatest challenge is to offer clients the relaxation and amenities of a resort spa within the footprint of the Madison Avenue storefront,” says Lodge. As for the future, the plan is to continue to look for ways in which to develop the menu for more specialized treatments in skincare and beyond, such as acupuncture and cupping. Spa-goers can also look forward to more wellness programming involving events, workshops, and classes that help bring their wellness experience full circle.
SPA STATS
- Owner: GF Capital Management & Advisors
- Spa Director: Devon Lodge
- Opened: December 2019
- Client Base: 80% female; 20% male
- Space: 1,900 square feet; 4 treatment rooms
- Products & Equipment: Bio-Therapeutic, Booker, Earthlite, HydraFacial, Icoone, Naturopathica, NuFace
- Interior Designer: Tim Simmons, senior vice president of creative services, Naturopathica
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