Equinox and Kiehl’s Broke Up, and People Are Losing It

“The front-desk people can’t even talk about it, and we’re just supposed to lay down and roll ourselves in mosquito candle?”

You should expect certain luxuries when paying $300 a month for a gym membership. For Equinox members, one of those luxuries was skin care: an abundance of Kiehl’s products in the locker room. Kiehl’s foaming aloe-infused body wash was a post-workout shower indulgence, along with its hydrating body lotion and Ultra Facial Cream, a lightweight but rich moisturizer beloved by beauty lovers and Equinox members. But last week, their treasured Kiehl’s products were replaced with Grown Alchemist, a biological beauty brand that blends advanced plant-based and biotech ingredients into its skin care. Change is always hard, but Equinox members are not pleased.

Kiehl’s products were available at Equinox for 13 years, until last week, when they were snatched away from members without warning. One member, who claims she’ll cancel her membership, went to TikTok to express her frustrations. “Tuesday, I enjoyed a gorgeous yoga class followed by a steam and shower; moisturized to the gods with Kiehl’s products. Wednesday, I go in and everyone is appalled, the front-desk people can’t even talk about it, and we’re just supposed to lay down and roll ourselves in mosquito candle? I’ll be damned,” she said in a video. The “energizing” scents of Grown Alchemist products, like their body cleanser with notes of tangerine and neroli, are quite powerful.

Members who took their concerns to Reddit complained about sensitive-skin concerns with such fragrant products. In a thread titled “Grown Alchemist is trash,” members complained not only about the scents but also about the nonabsorbable lotions, which they claim are hard to rub in, and the body washes’ lack of lather. “Someone said it felt like they showered in tea,” a Reddit user commented.

Another user, hikkomori27, wrote, “Absolute trash product vetted by some New York–based eggheads seeing dollar signs. Kiehl’s is one of the main reasons to pay $300+/month — everything is just to a certain standard of quality. We are not a captive audience to grow a shitty skincare brand, we want what we’re paying for. I hope everyone on here raises hell.”

According to Equinox, the products that will now be in the locker rooms include Grown Alchemist’s Energize Body Cleanser, Restorative Body Cream, Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser, and Hydra Care Shampoo + Conditioner. Later this spring, Equinox will be “revolutionizing” its spa programming and extending the partnership with Grown Alchemist for “elevated spa experiences” including custom treatments.

While many members are beyond upset with this change, other members are fine with the switch but not 100 percent sold that the locker room is seeing the same products sold to retailers, claiming that they were changed: “The products in the club are not the same as the retail GA products,” Reddit user Puzzleheaded-Pride71 wrote. “They smell the same, but they’ve swapped Aloe into the facial products to fill the bottle.” While we can’t check the validity of this claim, it’s clear that people are paying attention.

Another user said, “People losing their minds over the soap and lotion switch, but still walking around the showers and locker rooms barefoot.” Perhaps members are being selective with their health and beauty choices at the gym. Still, when paying $300 per month, they should have a right to some say in the daily gym experience they want. And for many, what they want is an ultrahydrating facial cream.