Interview: Caroline C., SPA Manager and creator of the Chakra Balancing new treatment

NGOLD is collaborating with the multi-award-winning luxury hospitality group ULTIMA COLLECTION on a personalized stone treatment named "CHAKRA BALANCING", which is now available at the ULTIMA Gstaad boutique hotel. The NGOLD line is also available for purchase at the ULTIMA Gstaad SPA.

In the context of this collaboration, we wanted to talk to Caroline Charbonneau, SPA Manager at Ultima Gstaad and creator of the new treatment.

Presentation

Caroline Charbonneau

Hello everyone,

I am Caroline Charbonneau, Spa Manager at ULTIMA Gstaad, a high end boutique hotel with 17 suites and ultra luxury residences, located in the heart of the Swiss Alps. First of all, I would like to thank Naomé, founder of NGOLD, and Simon Le Cossec, my general manager, who immediately agreed to this project.

As for me, I have a rather atypical background since I have a more commercial background with a specialization in perfume. In fact, I could talk about perfume for hours, just as we talk about oenology. But I also did my apprenticeship in a Spa, more than 10 years ago and the world of well-being and massage has always been an obvious choice for me, since I was very young.

I have nurtured my skills all over the world, having had the chance to work for the most prestigious Houses such as Lancôme, Guerlain, Givenchy, L'occitane en Provence etc... I have an excellent vision of the different brands in the luxury cosmetics and spa market. Over the years, my affection for the more natural and holistic brands has been revealed, mainly thanks to my travels.

They have shaped who I am today, both professionally and personally, especially in terms of spirituality. I am one of those who are ultra-sensitive to the energies that surround them. This can manifest itself in so many different ways: crystals, Reiki, massages etc.

The idea of creating the Chakra Balancing massage came to me quite quickly. I was tired of the usual "aromatherapy" massages, I wanted to go further. Indeed, the competition is quite tough and it pushes you to be creative to stand out from the others. Today, people want to live new experiences but at the same time, we feel a global need for reconnection, for a return to the essential and even more so with, or I would say "thanks" to the current health context.

For me, this massage makes sense in the search for balance and truth that we want to offer to ourselves. I met Naomé at the right time because I was in the middle of creating a project when she came to present me NGOLD. I immediately agreed with the concept, it turned out to be the culmination of my idea. There is no such thing as chance, only appointments. So we quickly decided to work together.

Ultima Gstaad x NGOLD Gstaad
Interview
1. How did your passion for stones come about?

My passion for stones came quite young. I remember my older brother collecting gems. As children, we had a whole display case full of crystals at home. I always used to pick up the stones that called to me during my vacations and keep them preciously because they were pretty or evoked a sweet memory, without ever being aware of their power. It was during my trip to Australia in 2016, where I began to take a closer look at lithotherapy. Australia is still a very wild continent that was once meant for the "Konvicted".

When you leave the big cities and go to meet the history, especially that of the Aborigines, you feel a powerful energy that emanates from the land. It is still exploited today for its minerals and gems. It is really there that my curiosity towards all their virtues started.

Ultima Gstaad x NGOLD Gstaad

2. What is the place of stones and crystals in your life?

Stones are an integral part of my daily life. I like to use them in jewelry as a protective amulet, I also leave them in my house to purify and protect. In the spa, we are in close contact with people and it is important to use the stones to safeguard one's vital energy, at the risk of exhaustion.

It is not uncommon to find spa practitioners with a stone around their neck or in their pants pocket. Crystals can tell a lot about a person, "tell me which stone you choose and I will tell you who you are". You may need a stone all your life or just at a given moment, to help you recharge your batteries.

It is not you who chooses it, it is the stone that chooses you because you need it.

3. What is the vision of the spa at Ultima for today and for the future?

At ULTIMA, we want to offer our clients a unique experience. We believe in the duality of ultimate luxury, state-of-the-art technology and reverie. We work in close collaboration with an aesthetic clinic and a niche brand Swiss Perfection, an anti-aging expert, which ensures the best results in terms of care. But what we want to promise to our clients is above all a total disconnection, a moment suspended and out of time.

For the future, the spa is moving more towards a more holistic vision where we will treat both the body and the mind.

4. Can you explain to us the concept of the treatment Chakra Balancing and the experience you are creating in collaboration with NGOLD?

The concept of the treatment is to rebalance the chakras through lithotherapy and aromatherapy. It is a personalized relaxing massage that will help you find harmony of body and mind.

Each one of us is guided all his life mainly by a chakra. Often we find blockages that are present on one or more of these, the idea is really to be able to work on them. The person will be asked to choose several crystals from a selection. Obviously each of the stones presented will correspond to a chakra family. The body being made up of 7 main chakras, we have 7 different families of stones, as well as 7 different cocktails of essential oils which will act on them.

NGOLD proposes the same concept but with another idea. For me, the NGOLD is really a continuation of our "Chakra Balancing" massage.
 

5. What would you like to offer to your clients with this new treatment?

What we would like to bring to our clients with this treatment is simply a reconnection to oneself, relaxation but also an awareness of the environment that surrounds them.

We want to share with them an experience that opens their minds to the magic and beauty of the world.

6. What made you want to collaborate with NGOLD?

The original concept, the same vision of lithotherapy and of course the "local" aspect since we are in Gstaad.

7. What place do you think stones and crystals will take in the hotel, wellness and beauty sector?

In my opinion we are only at the beginning of a beautiful story. The virtues of crystals have been echoed more and more in recent years. In the past, these practices were marginalized, but today we are witnessing an awakening of the population to this subject. Especially with the new generations who are sensitive to travel, to the respect of the environment, to what they put in their plate and on their skin.

Lithotherapy is becoming more and more popular, including with celebrities who swear by it. There are many brands that surf on the trend of jade or Quartz rolls, Gua Sha... etc. I could also mention Gemmology which incorporates in its cosmetics precious stones for their numerous virtues on the skin.

Lithotherapy still has a lot to offer in the field of cosmetics and well-being!

Ultima Gstaad - SPA
8. What is your favorite stone? Your stone of the moment?

I would say that my favorite stone is Rose Quartz but I dream of finding a beautiful Rhodochrosite! :) 

A warm thank you to Caroline and the entire ULTIMA Collection team for this superb collaboration!

Find this new treatment Chakra Balancing and the NGOLD Gstaad bottles and straws at the ULTIMA Gstaad SPA now. 

Ultima Gstaad: Official Website
Ultima Gstaad: Instagram
Photos Credits: Ultima Collection

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