On any given day, spa-goers at the country’s best retreats—from the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Oregon to the Lodge at Woodloch in Hawley, Pennsylvania—are slathering on Naturopathica’s vitamin-rich lotions and inhaling its herbal potions. Founded by Barbara Close in 1995, the New York-based operation began as a single spa and healing center in East Hampton and has blossomed into a consumer shopping experience (most recently in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood and online) and a wholesale operation that partners with dozens of spas.
Along the way, Close has become an evangelist for the wellness-enhancing wonders of green coffee energy tincture, the healing properties of echinacea and aloe throat spray, and the sheer yumminess of lemongrass mimosa body scrubs. “My great aunt Eleanor, an expatriate who lived outside of Paris, offered me my first vision of the benefits of natural health,” she says. “Europe has a strong ancestral knowledge of herbal medicine, which sadly we have lost in America with the rise of the pharmaceutical industry.” Viewed by many as a bit of an eccentric, Eleanor eschewed prescription drugs, Close remembers, preferring to visit the herboristerie where they would prepare tea to assist with sleep or recommend a natural salve to help with dry skin. They regularly visited mineral spas together, too. “Through her, I began to understand the benefits of holistic health,” she adds.
It’s no surprise then that Naturopathica was one of the first brands to receive the Ecocert seal, a natural and organic cosmetic certification body. That cachet has appeal to today’s spa guests, who, Close believes, want more than just a pretty face. “They are seeking innovative and customized experiences,” she says. “Most of our new clients, especially Millennials, have done their homework before booking a treatment to learn more about our values, our sustainability efforts, and our expertise. They don’t ask ‘What can I buy from you?’ but ‘What can I achieve with you?’”
Close knows that a savvy customer can quickly become cynical, so she encourages hoteliers to look beyond labels like natural and organic. “New-ingredient technology is constantly emerging, allowing us to push the envelope with formulas that have more powerful ingredients, such as peptides, stem cells, and retinols, but in clean, non-toxic formulas,” she says. Education, too—whether at the company’s own spas or at the resorts that carry its products—is essential. “For example, rather than just laying an aromatherapy bath salt by the tub, explain the benefits of hydrotherapy with a ritual card that illustrates how to take a contrast bath (alternating hot and cold water) in the shower with an Arnica oil to relieve muscles,” Close suggests. “Wellness isn’t a trend for Naturopathica. It’s an empowered approach to self-care.”
