12 Health and Wellness Shops in Boulder

Boulder is more than a hub for health and wellness businesses. It is the hub.

This entrepreneurial and ultra-healthy city has all kinds of health-centered chains, like Prana, lululemon and Lucy Activewear for yoga clothes and gear. And of course, you can buy yoga clothes in regular sports stores, which are around every corner.

For wellness shops, you can find alternative medicine at Pharmaca, many grocery store chains and marijuana dispensaries, depending on what you are looking for. Boulder also has health stores for pets; vitamin stores, like GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe; and health food grocers, like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Lucky’s Market, Alfalfa’s, Trader Joe’s and Natural Grocers. Yes, Boulder’s got them, not one, but them all.

Boulder also has an impressive number of locally owned and operated health and wellness businesses.

It’d take all day to introduce you to all of the notable health and wellness shops in Boulder, but here’s a peek at a few that you might want to add to your shopping list.

1. Boulder Body Wear, 2850 Arapahoe Rd. #104, Lafayette

Independently owned Boulder Body Wear is located just outside Boulder, in a shopping center in Lafayette. But this long-standing Boulder County business originally opened in the ‘80s in Boulder. It has had several locations in the city, before moving east.

The shop was initially geared toward dancers but has expanded to offer a variety of yoga and activewear as well. This is a great local place to get a tutu, yoga pants and even fashionable clothes that you can wear when not working up a sweat.

2. Umba Love, 2043 Broadway St.

Umba, in downtown Boulder, isn’t specifically a fitness shop, but so many of its comfortable, locally made clothes are ideal for yoga and dance that it has to make the list. Umba is a unique, quirky collection of local designs and crafts, fair-trade imports and accessories. There is no other shop quite like Umba.

Further extending the wellness angle to include the Earth, many of Umba’s clothes are made with eco-friendly material. Not only is this shop local, but its products are, too. This is as Boulder as Boulder can be.

3. Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary and Supply, 1227 Spruce St.

Rebecca’s Apothecary is all about botanical medicine. Here, you can purchase herbal products made right on site in the commercial kitchen, other handmade products, bulk herbs, books, containers and raw materials to make your own natural medicine. Browse the wall of dried herbs or look through the shelves of herbal sundries.

You can also buy bath and body products, aromatherapy paraphernalia and essential oils, teas and herbal blends, alt medicine (to treat everything from aches and pains to first aid to cold and flu), mom and baby, gifts, herbs (like bulk herbs, seaweed, hennas and smudges) and ingredients (like butters, carrier oils and salts).

Not sure what you need? Rebecca’s is staffed by herbalists who can help.

4. Only Natural Pet, 2100 28th St. #1C

Pets get health and wellness shops in Boulder, too. Only Natural Pet is one of the handful of natural pet shops. This store sells organic cat and dog food, eco-friendly products, vitamins, supplements and products formulated or approved by the company’s holistic vet, using scientific evidence.

Shop the online store to see what this Boulder-based, holistic pet store has to offer.

5. Colorado Nutrition Boulder, 1933 28th St. #102

Colorado Nutrition Boulder is one of Boulder’s many places to get proteins and supplements. It’s locally owned and operated, with a second branch in Fort Collins.

One thing that sets this supplement store aside is the on-site certified fitness nutrition specialists. You can get personalized nutrition consulting and support to help you pick the right products to move you toward your goals. Also, all supplements sold here are high quality, U.S. made and contain no fillers.

6. Veda Life Ayurveda, 2877 28th St.

Veda Life is the grocery store to shop for Ayurvedic food and herbal supplements in Boulder. Veda Life was opened in 1999 by immigrants from India who are experts in Ayurveda.

Shop for quality, organic, natural herbs, spices, “health support kits,” supplements, dried food and holistic health products based on Ayurvedic principles, which aim to balance the body and bring it to its natural state. Products are free of heavy metals, allergens and GMOs.

7. ArOmis, 6871 Hunter Pl.

ArOmis, based in Boulder, sells aromatherapy products online, including what it claims is the best aromatherapy diffuser on the market. ArOmis only sells this one type of diffuser, because it claims it is the top option and a second option is not necessary. This small, family-run business also says it sells the highest quality essential oils.

8. Hanna’s Herb Shop, 5684 Valmont Rd.

Hanna’s Herb Shop claims to be one of the first ever health food stores in the United States. It opened in 1957 by Hanna Kroeger, a master herbalist.

Kroeger made more than 350 different products and wrote more than 20 books, which you can buy in her virtual herb shop more than 50 years later. Shop this legendary family business online.

9. LifeSpa, 6662 Gunpark Dr. #102

John Douillard’s LifeSpa claims to be the top resource for natural health and Ayurveda in the nation.

Douillard started his natural health clinic in Boulder in 1996, and its online products store sells all kinds of herbal supplements, skin care products, classes, media and at-home cleanse kits.

10. The Ananda Apothecary, 4735 Walnut St.

Ananda, based in Boulder, has been selling medicinal-grade essential oils since 2004. This apothecary was founded by an “eco-scientist.”

The essential oils here are both 100 percent pure and affordable, according to the company. Many oils are certified organic and distilled from wildcrafted plants, made by artisan distillers around the world. The products remain reasonably priced because they are sold at wholesale, to every customer, even if you are buying just for yourself.

11. In Clover pet supplements, 3131 Indian Rd.

This is another health store for pets, specializing only in supplements. No food, treats, grooming or other pet products are sold here. A biochemist founded In Clover in 1996. She designed a full line of dog and cat supplements to address common health problems. Even today, all products are formulated in-house.

12. Six Persimmons Apothecary, 728 Pearl St.

Six Persimmons Apothecary is a Boulder-based shop that sells natural products for overall health, inside and out, using principles of Chinese medicine, classic homeopathy and functional medicine. Products here are all chosen because they are clinically successful.

Find organic facials (by the Dr. Hauschka botanical line) and natural remedies, like Chinese herbal formulas and supplements, and more. Need advice? The founders can offer suggestions via email, phone or Skype.