Pollution-clogged pores? Eye bags from the relentless grind of the city? Too much sun on the beaches of Montauk this summer? From eye drops favored by Amazonian hunters to a space-age, zero-gravity bed in which molecular hydrogen is pumped into your nose, New York certainly has the luxury wellness treatment market cornered, offering an array of zany, brilliant, rejuvenating spa options for every beauty-related quandary one could possibly have. And, for the “do it at home” crowd, or anyone unwilling to shell out the dough required for complex, personalized treatment regiments, we’ve provided a list of at-home alternatives as well.
A Full-Body Recalibration for the Lazy: 113 Spring
In 113 Spring’s Recalibration Room, the spiritually sluggish can collapse onto the NASA-inspired zero-gravity bed and let the spaceship-esque Ammortal chamber do all the work. As molecular hydrogen is piped in through a nasal cannula, the entire body gets saturated by healing red and NIR light, vibroacoustics, and grounding electrical PEMF waves. Follow it with a visit to the in-house Silver Root Apothecary, where an herbalist will work with you to create a personal tea blend. (113 Spring keeps the recipe on file for future visits.) During an Aromatic Charm Workshop, grind herbs and other ingredients to stitch into a small, silky pouch to create your own xiang nang, a Chinese protective amulet.
Su Casa: Inara’s mind-altering aromas pair fragrance notes with a guided meditation and a soundtrack of specific binaural beats that, according to the brand, shift moods.
The Best Laser Right Now: Dr. Robert Anolik, MD
In a Venn diagram of people who know faces (photographers, casting agents, plastic surgeons) and people who know skincare (aestheticians, beauty editors, other dermatologists), the one thing they all agree on, dead center, is Dr. Anolik. People love his light touch with filler and ’tox, but it’s because he’s a genius with lasers and other energy treatments that everyone keeps coming back. (He’s also married to a genius, the writer Lili Anolik.) At the moment, “for the patients who misbehave and got too much sun in the summer,” Anolik recommends damage-erasing Fraxel FTX, an upgraded version of the original “gold standard.”
Su Casa: “After a Fraxel FTX treatment, I send most of my patients home with the Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar,” Anolik says. “It’s formulated to support the skin’s recovery and remodeling process—through support of collagen and elastin renewal—while calming post-laser redness and strengthening the skin barrier.”
The Everything Facial: Brittany Blancato
At her SkinLikeB studio at WSA downtown, Blancato’s intricate, in-depth 90-minute facials are more epic poetry than haiku. Each session addresses texture, tone, and pigmentation with a roster of high-tech solutions, including hydrodermabrasion, electroporation, EMS, and even a few passes with an Aerolase laser. “My signature visit is a stack rather than a single modality,” says Blancato. She doesn’t like to do one-off facials, preferring a multi-month plan combining at-home and in-office treatment. “That is the whole difference between a temporary glow and glass skin that holds.” No one will ever be more obsessed with your skin in a non-creepy way.
Su Casa: “The best home care is the one someone actually uses, and Aesop has always understood that the ritual matters as much as the formula, which is why the Aesop Resolute Facial Concentrate sits so naturally alongside the corrective work I do in the studio,” Blancato says.
Perception-Shifting Eye Drops: Sacred Origins NYC
Amazonian hunters used sananga—eye drops made from the root of the bëcchëte plant—to sharpen their sight; shamans prize it for bringing similar clarity to the soul. The healers at the BIPOC wellness collective Sacred Origins NYC use it for both. Devotees say that they walk out of a Sacred Origins session seeing the world more clearly, literally and spiritually. Each hapé and sananga experience starts with sacred tobacco snuff—hapé—blown into each nostril via a special pipe. Next, you’ll recline on a comfy pillow, and the healer will squeeze two drops of sananga in each eye. Your nose and eyes will burn a bit after each step, but it’s worth it. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose! (P.S. Sacred Origins also offers kambo—an Amazonian tree frog secretion—for a more intense metaphysical reboot.)
Su Casa: Hapé at home with a Sacred Origins kuripe, a personal pipe that allows you to puff the powder solo.
The Luxury Lift: Kobi-Dior at the Dior Spa
Inspired by kobido, the famously rigorous Japanese facial-massage tradition, the Kobi-Dior treatment at Dior Spa goes far beyond a basic clean-steam-squeeze-leave, incorporating dry brushing, microstimulation, and extremely fast, precise massage to depuff, sculpt, and lift the face. The Light Suite, developed with sleep specialist Dr. François Duforez, reboots circadian rhythms with four multisensorial protocols—recharge, recover, rest, and the only-in-New York happiness—that utilize light, sound, vibration, and a scent designed by Dior perfumer Francis Kurkdjian to reduce systemic stress, balance the nervous system, and, according to Dior, stimulate serotonin and dopamine.
Su Casa: Stay lifted with Dior Prestige La Crème, followed by a Dior Prestige Le Pétale Triple Rollers massage.
The Magic Hour Facial: Amity Murray at the Spa at Hotel Chelsea
Known as “Magic Hands,” Amity Murray makes a strong case for the low-tech facial. At the Spa at Hotel Chelsea, she reads the skin, then customizes each session with exfoliation, extractions, lymphatic stimulation, hydration, and a lot of facial massage. There’s no rigid protocol and very little machinery; nearly two decades of experience guide what happens on the table. The spa also offers themed treatments, including the Marie Veronique-powered Barrier Balance facial and Mānuka honey reparative cures created in partnership with Anua and Activist.
Su Casa: Bring the magic home with Murray-approved Monastery Rei Gentle Retinol Cream and Monastery Gold Restorative Face Oil.
The High Church of P50: Biologique Recherche Residence
Fans of Biologique Recherche’s infamous P50 speak of the acid toner in religious terms, calling it a “holy grail,” “holy water,” even “Jesus in a bottle.” So it’s little surprise that the new Biologique Recherche Residence in SoHo feels a bit like a temple to skincare. (There’s even a section called the “altar of serums,” showcasing a selection of the brand’s 30-plus serums.) Every facial starts with the Skin Instant Lab, which measures hydration, elasticity, pigmentation, and sebum to inform a personalized treatment assembled from the brand’s exhaustive arsenal of masks, serums, and techniques. Our favorite? The innovative Seconde Peau facial, which incorporates electrospun patches made with pharmaceutical-grade hyaluronic acid.
Su Casa: P50, P50W, P50V, P50 PIGM, 400 P50T: with the original now available in six versions, there’s an option for everyone.
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