Your Comprehensive Guide to the Beauty and Wellness Membership Plans Worth Buying Now
In 2019, there is nothing buzzier than the notion of self-care. What beats a good massage or a perfect face mask to make you feel that much better? And it’s no longer just a once-in-a-blue-moon situation; today, people are making self-care part of their daily routine, on par with working out. So if you are signing up for a gym membership to address your fitness goals, why not sign up for a monthly plan to tackle the other end of wellness? Rest assured, there are plenty of new memberships, whether for acupuncture, facials, or anything in between, that will give you a regular fill of beauty—without breaking the bank. From fillers and facials to acupuncture, massages, and meals, here are the seven best beauty program to invest in now.
WTHN
The lowdown: In Chinese medicine, acupuncture is considered preventative, not reactionary, which means that going regularly is necessary for results. This is the idea behind WTHN, a health, wellness, and healing center in New York’s Flatiron District. To make it easy to stay on top of regular treatments, WTHN offers a membership that includes unlimited sessions. The concept comes from Dr. Shari, an acupuncturist and healer whose clientele includes Yoko Ono, Sting, and Christy Turlington.
The cost: $75 a month for one session, complimentary cupping, and LED light therapy. Plus, 10% off WTHN herbal blends.
The fine print: Must use at least one session per month.
Heyday
The lowdown: Getting monthly facials sounds like a luxury, but thanks to Heyday it’s a no-brainer. The skin sanctuary, which has locations throughout New York and Los Angeles, treats facials like a gym membership. Its approach to self-care makes it easy to sneak in some stress relief and skin rejuvenation during your workday. The best part? The products are as hypercurated as the Instagram-worthy spaces, and include artisanal natural brands like Naturopathica, Grown Alchemist, and Shaffali. If you’re lucky enough to visit the Los Angeles location, you can try a range of Mowellens CBD products as part of the calming, anti-inflammatory CBD facial.
The cost: Memberships range from $76 a month for alternating 50-minute and 30-minute facials to $130 a month for 75-minute treatments. As a bonus, memberships also include 10 percent off all products.
The fine print: You must join for at least six months; then you can go month-to-month and, if necessary, freeze your membership for up to three months once a year.
Squeeze
The lowdown: What Heyday is to facials, Squeeze is to massages. Instead of looking at massage as a once-in-a-while luxury, the brand views it as a monthly necessity. Squeeze, which launches this month in Los Angeles’s Studio City neighborhood, is totally customizable, from the music in your room to the temperature and lighting. It also provides massages without the hassle of having to pay or do any paperwork that will get in the way of your post-massage Zen; all payments and preferences are done in the Squeeze app or on its website ahead of time. If Squeeze sounds like the Drybar of massages, that’s because it is—literally: Its founders also started the blow-dry salon chain. One more reason to join Squeeze: With each membership, Squeeze donates to the nonprofit Canine Companions for Independence, giving a day of canine support to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities.
The cost: Memberships range from $79 a month for 50-minute treatments to $99 a month for 80-minute treatments. As a bonus, you can add deep tissue, aromatherapy, and heat therapy to your treatment for no additional charge.
The fine print: If you miss a monthly treatment, you can give it to a friend and it will never expire.
Sakara
The lowdown: Eating clean can often cost more than going out and require twice the work. But if you’re looking for results, what you eat has a greater impact than any exercise, as medical studies have shown us, per The New York Times. So instead of prioritizing your gym membership, why not put the same focus on your meals? That is the thinking behind Sakara, one of the few meal-delivery services that you will look forward to receiving each week. The meals are filling and even pretty.
The cost: Delivery programs start at $69 a day and can be customized to your preferences. There is also a Detox program for $80 a day and a Brides package that retails for $1,395 for 20 days. Subscription delivery programs cost $349 for a five-day week of three meals a day.
The fine print: With the subscription model, you get free delivery and 15 percent off other programs. You can pause or cancel with no penalty after the first week.
Skin Laundry
The lowdown: If laser facials are more your vibe than traditional ones, Skin Laundry offers a subscription model for monthly treatments. Instead of one treatment a month, the skin center offers two. It has locations across the United States and in London and Hong Kong, in case you want a tune-up while traveling. The signature treatment takes just 15 minutes, so you can get one on the go.
The cost: Membership includes two laser and light facials a month for $130. Plus, you get access to $25 enhancements.
The fine print: You can cancel at any time without penalty.
Alchemy 43
The lowdown: It’s no secret that fillers are a commitment that last longer than the treatment. Once you start, you have to maintain. The maintenance, however, can add up, which is why Alchemy 43 created a subscription model for frequent customers. The aesthetics bar, based in California, with four locations across the Los Angeles area, offers a subscription that can be used for any of their treatments, from lip enhancements to lines and the collagen-boosting procedure micropenning.
The cost: $99 a month.
The fine print: The membership fee also acts like an accruing balance you can dip into whenever you go to Alchemy 43. Plus, it comes with discounts on units and products and a complimentary $650 microtreatment on your one-year anniversary. The membership is month-to-month, so you can cancel whenever.
Ritual
The lowdown: Sure, you can pile on the skin treatments, but good skin (and good health) comes just as much from within. The only thing? Navigating the world of vitamins and supplements can be overwhelming. Ritual is taking away most of that work. The startup vitamin service offers only the nutrients you need, taking into account those you already get from food. And you don’t have to deal with restocking on your own—Ritual will send more as you run out. The vitamins are taken two at a time, once a day, in the morning or night, with or without food. They are also vegan friendly, gluten- and allergen-free, non-GMO, and have a no-nausea capsule design.
The cost: $30 a month.
The fine print: You can cancel any time.
