Wellness has a new home in Carpinteria. The Longevity Lab, a wellness storefront, hosted its grand opening on November 2. Located at 5036 Carpinteria Avenue, the business welcomed the community with open arms, inviting visitors to experience their saunas, cold plunges, yoga, and much more.
Gary Binkow, one of the founders and the current operator of the store, previously launched the online wellness website, The Swell Score, three years ago. The term “swell” refers to the “science of wellness,” as Binkow describes it.
For his latest venture, Binkow decided to deliver the wellness products directly to the hands of customers by opening up the brick-and-mortar shop. “We hope to be a great beacon for people to come find alternative holistic health solutions,” said Binkow. Customers are invited to explore a range of products, from organic mattresses to sample-sized versions of items like shampoo and laundry detergent — perfect for trying before committing to full-sized products. The store also offers water and air filtration systems, supplements, as well as beauty and skincare products. The portable saunas and toothpaste are two of the biggest sellers so far.
What’s more, Binkow strives to provide an educational experience for visitors by sharing the benefits of the products — something that was missing when the business relied solely on its online presence. “Being able to talk to people about what the benefits are of some of these products is something I craved,” he said.
Entering the wellness space can be overwhelming, as it demands time and effort to inform oneself on the variety of products available. According to Binkow, he aims to help individuals save their time by offering “health products that have been vetted, tested, and verified.” The Longevity Lab works with a toxicologist and medical review team to curate the best line of products with the lowest toxic load. For their collection of personal care items, the team works alongside environmental toxin specialists to identify the most harmful ingredients in products in order to avoid them.
The Longevity Lab also provides customers with a screening service where individuals can bring in product labels to be scanned for the presence of harmful ingredients using an AI system. Binkow aims to ensure that individuals know exactly what ingredients are in the products they use. Specifically, in the cosmetic industry, he warns about the prevalence of “greenwashing,” where companies use misleading labels to falsely claim that a product is eco-friendly or “green.” In the event that The Longevity Lab is unable to process a screening in-house, the team offers to send the label to another facility for testing, ensuring that the customer is well-informed on the ingredients of their product.
Looking ahead, The Lab plans to offer educational classes and events where individuals can learn somatic healing techniques and how to make their own products at home. Binkow also looks forward to hosting prominent wellness experts to do book signings.
The Longevity Lab, 5036 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. See theswellscore.com.
