LA Wellness Report 2023: From Social Clubs to Psychedelic Chic

In Los Angeles, wellness isn’t a supplement—it’s a lifestyle. And in 2023, it wasn’t just about looking good or detoxing post-Coachella. This year, we saw a seismic shift in how Angelenos approached well-being: less performative, more personal. The air was thick with sage, magnesium spray, and big existential questions.

Here’s what defined the LA wellness scene this year—an elegant mix of ritual, rebellion, and rewilding.

1. The Rise of the Social Wellness Club

Forget solo self-care. In 2023, healing became social.

Spaces like Remedy Place and Othership pop-ups turned wellness into a collective experience. Think cold plunges with strangers, group breathwork under LED ceilings, and curated conversation salons about burnout, masculinity, and emotional fluency.

What these spaces share: minimalism, matcha, mood lighting, and a curated crowd of high-functioning seekers. They’re the Soho Houses of nervous system regulation, designed for people who are tired of small talk and ready for something that actually shifts energy.

And they work. There’s something potent about being witnessed in your healing, even if it’s just someone sitting silently beside you while you plunge into 39°F water.

2. Psychedelic Chic: Microdosing Meets Modern Luxury

From private mushroom ceremonies in Topanga to ketamine-assisted therapy in Beverly Hills, psychedelic wellness is no longer underground.

Companies like Mindbloom, Field Trip, and The Nowak Society are leading the charge—offering guided journeys in clinical, beautifully designed environments. Think less Burning Man, more Byredo-scented biomorphic lounges where you emerge from a ketamine nap into a sound bath.

The stigma is dissolving, and with it, a new wave of intentional, medically supported consciousness exploration is taking root. It’s not about escaping. It’s about integrating.

3. Facial Sculpting as a Spiritual Practice

We used to call it aesthetic. Now, it’s energetic.

Alessandra Richizzi, LA’s go-to face whisperer, took the concept of facial work to an entirely new level this year. During award season, her Beverly Hills pop-up drew in editors, models, and global stars—Dua Lipa among them—for buccal massage and sculptural lifting facials that did more than de-puff. Her touch accesses the nervous system, fascia, and deeper emotional layers—unblocking what’s held in the jaw, cheeks, and even breath.

You don’t just leave glowing. You leave reset.

4. Biohacking—But Make It Beautiful

This year, the tools of biohacking finally caught up to the LA aesthetic.

Gone are the clunky cryo-chambers and sterile IV lounges. In their place? High-design spaces offering PEMF mats, red light facials, NAD+ drips, and hyperbaric chambers—often paired with essential oils, adaptogenic tonics, and spa playlists. Think Pause Studio, The Hydration Room, or Next Health—spaces where longevity meets interior design.

Because even if you’re optimizing your mitochondria, it should feel like a luxury, not a lab.

5. Back to the Earth: Ancient Wisdom Returns

Despite (or because of) all the innovation, LA circled back to what’s always worked: rituals rooted in the Earth.

Ceremonial cacao, sound healing circles, women’s new moon gatherings, and herbal medicine workshops came back strong. These weren’t about performance—they were about presence. Emotional fluency. Energetic hygiene.

And they didn’t just happen in Topanga. They showed up in West Hollywood lofts, Venice gardens, even rooftops downtown.

Because the most powerful medicine doesn’t always come in a vial. Sometimes, it comes from a drum, a voice, or a plant.

What’s Next?

In 2024, we’ll hear more about somatic mapping, trauma-informed movement, and spiritual minimalism. The trends will shift. But the throughline will stay:

People don’t just want to look good. They want to feel safe—in their bodies, in their relationships, in their nervous systems.

LA isn’t just following the trend. It’s shaping the future of modern wellness—one plunge, one protocol, and one ceremonial circle at a time.

And I, for one, am here for it.

Photo Courtesy of Remedy Place