Color Up Wellness Center | By Lexi Reich

Last Updated: March 17, 2020By

Community. Giving. Care. These three words come to find as I reflect on my experience at the Color Up Wellness Center located in Denver, Colorado. On February 22, the center celebrated Color Up Cares Day, a quarterly event that offers free massages and facials to cancer patients, survivors and their caregivers.

“Today is our day to say ‘we’re here,’” says Shauna Blanch, co-founder of Color Up and the wellness center.

Founded in 2015 by Shauna Blanch, Bryce Conley and Will Parker, Color Up Therapeutics is an education-based CBD brand whose products are infused in each of the wellness center’s treatments. Their products are active and effective, but pure and clean.

Bryce Conley, Shauna Blanch and Will Parker

The Color Up Wellness Center is a CBD lover’s heaven, featuring a Cannabis Master Program, in-house laboratory, aesthetics, massage and body work, nail care and more. The 12,000 square-foot space is adorned with plants, a yoga and meditation community space, nourishing teas and CBD samples galore.

The center is the only place in Denver where therapists are oncology approved by Oncology Spa Solutions (OSS) to offer treatments that are safe for those who have cancer. Plus, Color Up’s CBD products are the first from a CBD brand to be approved by OSS.

So many people going through cancer treatment feel like they can’t get any services done because of product safety and therapist experience barriers, explains Blanch. Plus, expensive hospital bills make it difficult to justify self-care costs.

“So we thought, let’s have a day where we donate our time and products and get people in here,” shares Blanch. “If we make the day and set the time, it’s there, it’s happening, it’s available. People will come. It grows every time we do it.”

Blanch believes it’s special for cancer patients, survivors and their caregivers to be able to come in for a wellness experience and not have to worry. The Color Up team’s goal for this day was to make the space feel safe, which is why they brought a community together to collectively welcome everybody inside. Service is at the core of their mission.

Emily Davis, holistic integrative esthetician specializing in cannabis skincare, is the owner of Stratum Aesthetics, which operates in the Color Up Wellness Center mecca. She says she is grateful that through Color Up she found a deep love for oncology esthetics.

“When I was in school, we were taught that cancer is a contraindication to any facial service, and you can’t touch them because you will make it worse. This misinformation is spread widely through esthetics training,” Davis explains. “People with cancer are turned down at the spa for treatments and that human touch that they may want and need at that time. I learned that cancer is not a contraindication for a facial, far from it. Facials are amazing for those who have impaired skin as a result of chemotherapy and radiation. I was able to learn how to safely, and with compassion, treat those with compromised immune systems.”

Davis added she was grateful to donate her time in the hopes of making a difference for someone going through treatment by making them feel and look beautiful.

Her facials are yogic in nature, beginning with breath work. According to Color Up’s website, their logo “represents triangle breathing, a form of Pranayama that focuses on relaxing the mind, body and spirit. The triangle leaf is cut into seven intentional spaces to represent the chakras; it is a symbol of health and wellness, a way to find balance and harmony, and a way to stay connected to mother earth and all of her colorful offerings.”

From there, Davis delves into a relaxing and rejuvenating facial experience. Similar to all services at the wellness center, the focus is on leading with the heart and providing a safe space to learn about the benefits of CBD and cannabis treatments. The facial I was given that day ended with my body being decorated with flowers and healing herbs — embracing and absorbing plant medicine from outside to within.

Color Up offered 16 treatments on Color Up Cares Day. Clients lingered in the lobby following their treatments to share their experience and chat with the Color Up team. The energy was bright and light.

Near the entrance you can purchase earrings made by 16-year-old Gabby to help cover her high medical costs from having osteosarcoma, or attend one of the many community yoga classes, like the monthly fundraiser for Colorado Breasties.

Anyone can enjoy the treatments offered at Color Up. To learn more about CBD and the center’s offerings, visit: colorupco.com.

Tip: If you’re looking to test out one of the treatments, try booking with a student from their school to receive a discounted price.

Photos courtesy of Color Up.

After experiencing a yoga ashram nestled in the mountains of Colorado, Lexi became enthralled in the practice of yoga and meditation, and earned her yoga teacher training at the sacred space. Originally from Chicago, Lexi loves the holistic lifestyle she found in Colorado, and combining this passion with her writing is what makes her truly happy. Outside of earning a degree in Journalism and English at the University of Colorado Boulder, Lexi spends most of her time reading novels and writing poetry. Besides this, you can find her hiking or traveling. Follow her @lexi_reich.
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