Hospitality Design - November 2017 - 136

the herbalist

Barbara Close
Naturopathica
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

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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, nontoxic 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."

Photos courtesy of NATUROPATHICA and by LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY

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