Soul2Sole Bounce Fitness
Photograph by Jeff Fusco Some forms of cardio can be dreadful — and pretty rough on your body. That’s why we love buckling up the rebounding boots for Soul2Sole’s low-impact, out-of-the-box group workouts on all kinds of surfaces, from pavement to vinyl floors. You’ll be jumping like a kangaroo — while supporting your heart health and muscles, bones and joints — and loving every second of it. Goodbye, aching knees.
Noel Davis
After a car crash left her with chronic back and leg pain, Noel Davis rehabilitated herself with resistance training. Now she’s helping others get stronger thanks to her Old City gym, Paris Fit; pop-up workouts throughout the city (including an annual National Fitness Day event); an app for personalized training plans; and at-home gear like bands and sliders. 221 Vine Street, suite B, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Vibe Fitness Studio
When Freehouse Fitness closed during the pandemic — a dagger to the heart — we all wondered if there’d ever be another studio like it. Three years later, our wishes came true when Vibe entered the chat, bringing owner Dana Auriemma’s sorely missed rebounding, resistance training, and Pilates-inspired workouts to Collingswood. Praise freakin’ be. 1028 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108
All + None
Philly-based queer personal trainer Anna Claire (AC) Loper was on a mission to find new workout shorts — ones that were lined, supportive and gender-neutral. Fed up with lackluster options, Loper created All + None, an activewear brand with size-inclusive and non-gendered pieces — a compressive bodysuit, a full-coverage muscle tee, and the boxing shorts Loper envisioned — meant to make all bodies feel good, especially when they’re moving.
Vision Plus Fitness
You’ll find everything at Charles Knowles’s Conshy gym: a robust schedule of group cardio, circuit and resistance training; results-driven trainers who’ll kick your ass but leave you smiling; one-on-one coaching; an open gym for solo lifting or treadmill running; a new active-recovery space with hot yoga and mobility; and a community that’ll uplift you, whether it’s a 5 a.m. or post-work sweat sesh. 701 East Elm Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428
Stacey’s Surf & Paddle
Photograph by Natalie Chitwood This surf school, from Margate native Stacey Alper, trains newbies of any age to use balance, focus and strength to catch their first wave. Options range from private lessons to kids’ and teens’ surf camps to adult community nights — including a weekly meetup specifically for women. Opt for a sunset or full-moon stand-up paddleboard session if you want to float amid golden-hour rays or moonlight sans catching a wave. 9511 Amherst Avenue, Margate City, NJ 08402
Physique 57’s Express Power Sculpt
This 45-minute glute-busting, ab-challenging, thigh-quaking combo of barre and free weights will help relieve the stress of chaotic mornings and spike endorphins, so you can push through groggy afternoon slumps. Cardio lovers, prepare to be humbled. 1625 Walnut Street, floor 2, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Philly Girls Who Walk
When Fairmount resident Bianca Solari founded Philly Girls Who Walk last May, she was looking for a way to get outside and socialize without alcohol. (She wasn’t alone — more than 100 women showed up for the first outing.) The low-key weekly walks, which cover about three miles near locations like the Art Museum, the Ben Franklin Bridge and Schuylkill River Park, are perfect for making new friends and exploring the city, one step at a time.
Formation Sauna + Wellness
This dreamy plant-filled space has been a mainstay for Nordic-inspired sauna sessions (solo and group!) and rejuvenating massages since opening in 2020. Formation continues to evolve, with bodywork featuring CBD and cupping, DIY facial treatments, herbal foot soaks, a brand-new cold-plunge pool, and monthly sound-bath meditation events to boot. 305 Brown Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Wash~Day
When two of the area’s top natural-hair experts teamed up to create Wash~Day, curly girls all over Philly squealed with joy. Here, Tori McCutcheon deploys her deep knowledge of curl pattern and technique to bring ringlets and waves back to life with her clever cuts and treatments, while Ruth Mullen skillfully applies multi-dimensional color to make it all pop. 736 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Kári Skin’s 24-Karat Golden Hour Facial
Designed by Kári Skin founder Tirzah Blair and introduced this past January, the Golden Hour facial stamps a 24-karat gold serum into your upper dermis (it doesn’t hurt!) for firming and plumping, then maximizes your red-carpet-worthy glow with a gold-leaf hydration mask. Move over, Botox: This is the new royal face-lift. 325 Cherry Street, second floor rear, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Be Bare Face + Body
Minimalist vibes, subtly scented products, perfectly warmed wax and gentle techniques set the scene at this Society Hill hair-removal studio. We left our wax with buttery, ingrown-free skin that stayed smoother way longer than we could have imagined. 401 South 2nd Street, suites 4A and 4B, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Rebel
This chic salon on East Girard beautifies with cruelty-free, vegan, non-toxic polishes and gels that are gentler on your nails. Plus, Rebel employs low-waste methods — like using metal cuticle pushers instead of disposable wooden ones — for all treatments. Hot tip: Spring for the Prime pedicure, which includes an exfoliating, skin-softening sugar scrub and a super-soothing sunflower-seed oil calf-and-foot massage. 535 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Note to Self
The vision behind Note to Self — the women-owned mini spa that opened in November? Slowing down with your wellness. That’s why there’s a menu of restorative services (relaxing massages, nurturing facials, acupuncture, an energy-healing experience) plus beauty services from waxing to makeup sessions. You’ll come in for one treatment, then add on another and another and another until before you know it, you’ve passed the whole day in pure bliss. 1401 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Winsome
Winsome's Alex Brenard with a client / Photograph by Courtney Apple Things you won’t find at Alex Brenard’s Callowhill barbershop: photos of steely razor blades and motorcycles; aggressive machismo. Things you will find: skilled barbers doling out sleek cuts (they specialize in short styles); planted pothos and hanging ivy; fresh-cut flowers for sale on the weekends; and, after hours, music- and art-centered events and a book club. 448 North 10th Street, suite 100, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Rescue Spa
Danuta Mieloch’s impressive new space inside the former Barneys is the stuff of beauty dreams. The opulent 9,700-square-foot haven offers luxe facials and massages (natch) but also nail and hair salons, a makeup counter, a brow room, a “Relaxation Room” complete with an infrared sauna and a hydrotherapy shower, and a shop full of 100-plus brands, including Mieloch’s new clean-beauty line, Danucera. Consider your movie makeover sequence handled. 1811 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Muscle and Flow Massage
You’ll walk in like kiln-dried pottery and walk out like a lump of clay thanks to the deft hands of owner Dorinda O’Donnell, who spent a decade building experience in a variety of techniques at the now-closed (sniff, sniff) Terme Di Aroma spa. Whether you’re in for reflexology, a Thai yoga massage, or deep-pressure therapeutic work, she isn’t afraid to target any back lumps or tight hamstrings from multiple angles until they’re ahhhhh. 1318 West Ritner Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Kortnie Wetherall
She cut her teeth in makeup artistry in New York City, doing editorial looks for brands like Bobbi Brown Cosmetics before moving to Philly in 2019. Now Wetherall’s a mobile artist specializing in bridal and event makeup, highly coveted for her skill in creating minimal yet glowy looks.
Callo/whill Greens
Nearly four years ago, former Miss Haiti Universe Christie Désir set out to create a space in Philly where people could feel good from the inside out. At her Spring Garden cafe, there are smoothies packed with superfood ingredients like lion’s mane mushroom and goji berries, sure. But Désir also hosts skin-care workshops where pals create their own serums and creams while sipping good-for-your-gut-and-skin beauty elixirs (from Désir’s Callo line) and discovering what “beauty from within” really means. 1800 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Ashley Span of Idle Hands Esthetics
She has some serious cred: trained with the top names in brows, like Anastasia Beverly Hills; was featured in Allure; certifications and experience galore. But there’s zero ego at her first solo spot on Antiques Row, where the architect-like Span lays out blueprints for the best shape and color for your face, then puts her plans into action. You can finally say goodbye to out-of-control brows — and your tweezers. 1116 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Jewellee Williams
Photograph by Jillian Guyette Williams isn’t just an aesthetician extraordinaire, Hydrafacial pro or lash whiz — though she humbly showcases these talents and more at her Rittenhouse med spa, Crown Jewel Esthetics. She’s a serious educator, teaching clients how to best support their skin health with custom services and recommended regimens and mentoring beauty-industry folks through one-on-one coaching, global pop-ups, and her just-launched second biz, Beauty Pros United. 255 South 17th Street, suite 2407, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Nyambi Naturals
Whether you want natural soaps, scalp serums, face washes, body scrubs or creams, all Nyambi Naturals products are made with ethically sourced — and often locally grown — ingredients and packaged in 100 percent recyclable containers. Don’t sleep on the original whipped body butter — a silky moisturizer made from shea and cocoa butters — or the community soap-making events.
Bucky Body Center
Noted plastic surgeon Louis Bucky saw how the newest, über-effective technologies — micro-suction, compression, lasers, cryo — could optimize the work he’s done on patients; assist with recovery, maintenance, and the effects of aging; and offer solutions to problems people were presenting. (Hi, excessive sweating.) So he opened this innovative center in 2020 that’s more wellness-focused than a med spa but can still do something about that stubborn tummy pooch and cellulite. 1915 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Morphia’s Special Touch
Nestled in a strip mall, this modest Drexel Hill salon is truly a hidden gem for Delco-ers and beyond: Think $10 for a cut, $5 extra for a shave — and $20 a month for a tanning membership, if you’re feeling extra-special. 2220 State Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
Resort Nails
Ardmore’s Resort Nails lets you channel vacay vibes without ever having to book a flight. The luxe “spa-cations” feature nail treatments and foot scrubs or soaks inspired by bucket-list spots like Bali and Hawaii. You armchair travelers out there can opt for a single-service manicure or pedicure, a polish change, crystal application, or wow-worthy designs from the press-on bar, the first in the area. 46 Greenfield Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003
Jiana Murdic
Murdic blazed her own trail in health and nutrition education after working for orgs including the Food Trust and HipCityVeg. Since 2017, she’s been running and growing Get Fresh Daily, a social enterprise focused on supporting Black Philadelphians’ plant-centric living, mindfulness, culture and community ties through youth camps, wellness workshops in a West Philly garden, farm-fresh produce boxes and more.
Arrowroot Farmacy & Cafe
Photograph by Jillian Guyette Arrowroot is like a playground for the health-conscious: an apothecary full of natural supplements and homeopathic remedies, shelves stocked with clean beauty products, and a cafe serving vegan, organic and gluten-free smoothies, salads, lattes and cookies. And with a newly opened upstairs space for cooking classes, herbalism workshops, facials, massages, and nutrition counseling, we can’t think of any reason to ever leave. 825 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Forte Faces Inc.
Even the most injectable-wary will feel comfortable in the capable hands of nurse injectors Miranda Webb and Sara McLaughlin, founders of this year-old med spa. They’re endlessly patient in their consultations and refreshingly conservative in their approach. (No overfilled duck lips or frozen faces here.) Still on the fence? Book a facial with aesthetician Amanda Divergigelis, who’ll leave you with plump, glowy, 10-years-younger skin. 101 East 8th Avenue, suite 210, Conshohocken, PA 19428
Prepped by Carly
Registered dietitian Carly Foglia’s mission is to share the healing power of nutrient-dense, balanced food. Every Sunday, from her West Chester-based kitchen, she’ll deliver plate-clearing dishes — teriyaki shrimp, Snickers overnight oats, better-for-you crispy chicken snack wraps — made with whole, recognizable ingredients right to your door. Bonus: Bulk poultry, fish and veggies, protein balls, and Paleo desserts from the Northeast’s Ferry Good Treats are menu mainstays.
Laura Jenkins
A visit to Jenkins’s Massage Studio of Philadelphia will immediately affirm her 14-year bodywork cred. In her Old City space, she’ll knead your muscles like a baker would dough, intuitively working out all your kinks (and then some) with deep-tissue, trigger-point and cupping therapies, for optimal mobility. Next appointment: booked on the spot. 219 Cuthbert Street, 4th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
The Veda Den
Learn how to silence your mind and look within at this plant-laden oasis. The Veda Den runs workshops and mini retreats in various techniques — like guided meditation, yogic breathing, and primordial sound meditation, an ancient tradition that incorporates personal mantras — plus teacher trainings to help you deepen your practice. Click here for meditation tips from founder Nicoli Sinclair. 1115 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002