When you enter a new day spa, you almost always know what to expect. Except for EvolvE in Austin…where you will be amazed at the cutting-edge spa treatments that can have you feeling like a new person after only one visit.
By Lance Avery Morgan Photography courtesy of EvolvE
There’s something about a wellness venue that seems so full of light and promise…a far cry from the harried world we all live in now. Let’s face it: each of us wants to be pampered now and then. Consider EvolvE the newish go-to destination for wellness devotees. “At EvolvE, we are working with the body’s natural abilities through holistic therapies to accomplish a goal. Whether it be better sleep, reduced pain, more energy, or recovery. Holistic services work with our intrinsic healing powers,” shares the founder, Shannon Maddalena. For years I have been well aware of EvolvE’s therapeutic benefits. In prior visits, I have enjoyed Cryotherapy, the sub-zero treatment to enhance one’s immunity system, which it does almost immediately. EvolvE is devoted to applying an integrative approach to overall health, pain management, recovery, and aesthetic enhancement that has set them apart in the Austin market. There are leg and arm compression sleeves, massages, and more. Recently I popped in to experience the Infrared Sauna and Regenerative Massage.
Then, drum roll please; there is the Liquid Facelift with a luxuriant formula that is the ultimate in anti-aging, brightening, and hydration. This is the facial of all facials. In fact, this treatment includes Bio Energy, Nanotechnology, and Stem Cell Treatment, which incorporates a combination of vitamin infusions and anti-aging properties that are simply unparalleled. The service incorporates more than 50 botanicals and over 100 vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, to properly nourish and hydrate. To say that after 80 minutes of the facial, I felt 10 pounds lighter and 10 years younger is an understatement. EvolvE uses only the finest and freshest botanically based skincare products. According to EvolvE, green beauty takes a tremendous amount of time, attention, and awareness to create, but it reaps amazing rewards in terms of both results as well as our health. While products with these standards are slightly more expensive, so are quality ingredients to procure and produce, and they are well worth the investment. “At EvolvE, every product is vetted thoroughly before making its way into our Austin’s state-of-the-art Wellness Center,” continues Maddalena. “We house a myriad of services for Austinites and travelers alike, since our core principles are focused around the whole health of the human. After all, we only have this one body. In order to thrive, we need to make great choices for ourselves, our families and our future.”
For those interested in future-thinking wellness, EvolvE also offers IV Therapy, which infuses essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids into the bloodstream with Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Zinc, Lysine, Glutathione B Complex, Magnesium, Biotin, Taurine, and more.
It’s easy to see that there is something for everyone at EvolvE once you try it. For more information, visit EvolvEATX.com.
By Lance Avery Morgan Photography courtesy of EvolvE
As we think past COVID-19, we definitely have some luxury health treatments in mind for the near future, don’t you?
Treatment at EvolvE Cryo + Wellness
In a world run with autoimmune diseases, allergies and chronic pain, it’s not surprising that in Austin, a city known for its propensity for health, is making great strides in the arena. EvolvE has become a sanctuary free from harmful toxins and brimming with holistic services. “I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s nearly 10 years ago and didn’t feel medication was the best option for me,” says Shannon Maddalena, one of EvolvE’s founders.
“So, I consulted my nutritionist who put me on a healthy path to recovery. She has a Ph.D in Biochemistry and I trusted her guidance immensely. We’ve had great success working solely through nutrition. People are looking for alternative options to medications, options that don’t include treatment that can create other conditions. That’s how EvolvE was born as a destination in Austin: we are working with the body’s natural abilities to accomplish a goal, whether it be better sleep, improved immune function, reduced pain, more energy or recovery. Holistic services work with our intrinsic healing powers.”
A treatment room at EvolvE Cryo + Wellness
At EvolvE, every service and product is vetted thoroughly before being added into Austin’s State-of-the-art Wellness Center. Housing myriad services for Austinites and travelers alike, their core principles are focused around the whole health of the human. “We only have this one body. In order to thrive, we need to make great choices for ourselves, our families and our future,” says Shannon Maddalena, as we caught up with her to learn more about creating more health in our lives…
LANCE AVERY MORGAN: What is your favorite motto for yourself and the way you live your life?
SHANNON MADDALENA: In order to care for our loved ones, we have to have our own basic needs met first. Self-care is significantly underrated. Please place the mask over your own nose and mouth before assisting others is what parents are instructed on flights in case of need. We often don’t take enough time for ourselves.
LAM: What inspired you to open a wellness center?
SM: After I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, I decided to embark on a journey to find real answers. I worked with a nutritionist to avoid medication and to keep my health intact. We have had great success through diet alone, but avoiding toxins is part of the plan to keep me thriving. While I was on a non-toxic path prior to my diagnosis, I pay much more attention since then and employ it in every aspect of my life now.
LAM: How has your diagnosis changed how you look at products?
SM: We don’t typically learn what we’re putting on and in our bodies until we get sick. When our members tell their stories, they resonate with me because I’ve been there. I think the take away is to share our experiences more. We should be on our own path to become and stay healthy, rather than working to correct sickness.
LAM: How do you choose which brands to carry?
SM: We curate brands based on various guiding principles. I look for botanically rich skincare, sourcing organic or wild crafted ingredients without fillers, synthetics and toxins. It’s important to us that the brands we carry are mindful about ethical and sustainable sourcing, as well as avoiding animal testing. Green beauty takes a tremendous amount of time, attention and awareness to create, but reaps amazing rewards in terms of both results and, more importantly, our health. While these products are a bit more expensive, it’s important to understand that quality ingredients are more expensive to procure and produce.
LAM: What does ethical beauty mean to you?
SM: For me it starts with passionate founders of companies wanting to create products that are not only great for the people who use them, but foster a positive work atmosphere, and offer fair pay. It also means keeping the environment in mind when producing and manufacturing the ingredients in their products, and making decisions about how to test their products.
When it comes to purchasing products, it means understanding that we put our guests’ health first and helping them learn how to source great products in everyday life. In supporting companies that avoid toxins, we are not only improving our health, but that of our environment as well. As sales of organic, sustainable, ethically oriented companies increase, sales of dirty products decrease and large companies take notice. Your best vote is with your dollar.
LAM: How do you apply this to your business?
SM: We thoroughly vet all vendors to ensure their philosophy is in line with ours. We look for companies who refuse to use harmful ingredients on principle, and foster meaningful relationships with companies who share our core values. We often have events where we can spend more time with our guests answering questions and helping them make the best choices for where they are in life. Clean options are not the least expensive, but they are worth the purchase. We help guide people within their budget.
LAM: What beauty services do you provide?
SM: The skin division of our Wellness Center offers corrective BioEnergy, Nanotechnology and Stem Cell treatments as well as Hydrating Treatments and facials to get acne under control. Utilizing nature’s most nourishing ingredients, we can get the response we are looking for with our skin. Our products are botanically rich, nutrient dense collections housing peptides, vitamin c, hyaluronic acid, and superfoods.
The Cryo chamber at EvolvE Cry + Wellness
LAM: Plus, I personally love the Cryo chamber treatment. There’s nothing like it that I have ever experienced as a treatment for reducing inflammation, which also is a leading cause of disease. Why is it important to stay away from toxic ingredients?
SM: Toxic ingredients age your skin and are absorbed into the body. It isn’t a one-off application that makes a difference, it’s the combination of the products we use all day, every day. It makes a big impact over time. In fact, everything at EvolvE is clean, from no VOC paint to the laundry protocol. Our entire facility is curated with health in mind. We clean the facility with the same ingredients I use in my home, Tea Tree and Peppermint Oil. Our Massage Oils are certified organic or wild crafted, and our products are vetted for purity, sustainability and ethical practices.
LAM: How do you source the brands you offer at EvolvE?
SM: We procure everything from organic skincare to products for everyday life. Most products on the market today contain toxic ingredients. The key is to learn which ingredients to stay away from and read labels, or find a trusted source for your daily needs.
