Thirty Is the New Twenty at NATUROPATHICA, 30th Anniversary this Summer

NATUROPATHICA, the iconic East Hampton skincare and wellness brand, is celebrating 30 years in the Hamptons this summer. 

Thirty years in the Hamptons is impressive; they’re an East End icon. Wellness, health, beauty—these are serious here, and you wouldn’t make it 30 days, let alone 30 years, without knowing your stuff.

NATUROPATHICA quietly opened its doors in 1995 as a small herbal apothecary and healing arts center, rooted in old-world remedies and a modern vision of holistic skincare. It all began with founder Barbara Close, an herbalist, esthetician, massage therapist, aromatherapist, and plant-medicine master’s graduate, who crafted tinctures, teas, balms, and facials right off Montauk Highway.

Over these 30 years, NATUROPATHICA has grown steadily—six company‑owned spas today (including a second Hamptons location at Topping Rose House), over 270 partner spas nationwide, and a sweep of botanical offerings that feel curated, not formulaic.

Barbara’s path to founding NATUROPATHICA reads like a beautifully simple yet deeply dedicated story. Born and raised on a 500-acre farm in rural Virginia, she learned early from her mother and grandmother about the healing simplicity of nature. Her family grew herbs and gardened by necessity and wisdom—long before “self-care” became a buzzword.

Summers with her great-aunt Eleanor, an expatriate with a taste for the unconventional, took her across Europe to apothecaries and thermal spas. Calendula creams, linden teas, and mineral mud wraps became early lessons in nature’s remedies, filed away for a future she didn’t yet know she was building.

After a stint in social work and time spent studying massage, herbalism, and aromatherapy in Santa Fe, Barbara returned home when her mother’s cancer diagnosis inspired her to act. She started crafting lemon-balm and calendula salves in her kitchen, the kind of remedies that soothed both skin and spirit. In 1995, that urgency and know-how became the NATUROPATHICA Healing Arts Center & Spa in East Hampton—part apothecary, part teaching space, part sanctuary.

There’s nothing superficial about NATUROPATHICA. Their signature cobalt-blue bottles are elegant, but the focus is always on substance. Like great skin. Two originals still stand: the Carrot Seed Soothing Facial Oil and Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream—products born of intimate necessity that remain best‑sellers, rooted in care and efficacy.

At their 30‑year anniversary celebration this summer, their showroom buzzed. Not just with long‑time fans but with people born after NATUROPATHICA opened. That quiet energy was a reminder that a brand built on real warmth and authentic goodness—not hype—can resonate across generations.

Cassie Pahel (VP of Spas) walked me through the space with such grounded enthusiasm. She wasn’t selling; she was sharing. And that’s exactly the point: you don’t need ostentation when everything you’re offering comes from honesty (and brilliantly formulated botanicals).

I have to say, I’m LOVING the under-eye cream with caffeine and peptides. The ceramic tip helps with lymphatic drainage, and I like to think the peptides give me that extra “pep” (but, you know, ask the experts). ALSO, the Oat Cleanser is the best! It’s hydrating with just a little bit of exfoliation – love it!

They’re not just about skincare, either—NATUROPATHICA’s massage therapy is the real deal. My fiancée swears by their bodywork and she is a private chef who is on her feet approximately 25 hours a day. In her world, physical strain is just part of the job, so when she calls a massage “transformative,” I pay attention. 

Under current leadership, the brand—and its caring ethos—has matured gracefully into the future. Chairwoman Cathy O’Brien joined in 2022, bringing her brand-building chops to reshape NATUROPATHICA’s digital presence, spa partnerships, and product accessibility. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, she became even more committed—expanding the brand’s oncology care program, offering massage therapy tailored to patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. She’s also working to develop more affordable lines so that self-care can be available to more people.

“As we celebrate 30 years of NATUROPATHICA, we look back at two products that are foundational to our brand as they were crafted by our founder Barbara Close right at our East Hampton spa: the Carrot Seed Soothing Facial Oil and Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream. Both products were created in an effort to soothe Barbara’s mother’s skin while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment, thus inspiring our Oncology Care program, which is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. As a breast cancer survivor myself and someone who has undergone chemotherapy, I understand firsthand the benefits and comfort of massage therapy, which has pushed us to continue to expand the program. Our brand takes great pride in making these treatments more accessible to cancer patients as a supplementary healing modality,” O’Brien says.

After 30 years, NATUROPATHICA looks great! But, its not the appearance that impresses me the most, its how grounded the brand remains, Natropatica’s human side. Thirty is the new twenty—because they’ve aged into relevance. They’ve kept their spirit, evolved without losing soul, and created a timeless space for health, wellness, and beauty.