Sue Benzuly – and her shop – is invested in a healthier you

Providence finally has a shop that is dedicated to promoting health and wellness through body and home-care products. And who better to run such an enterprise than a nurse?

With an understanding of both the delicacy and vitality of skin, and knowledge of pharmaceuticals, Sue Benzuly, of Providence, had the tools to make the career change of her dreams. After more than a decade in pediatric nursing at Rhode Island Hospital and per diem nursing roles, she made the move to small business owner with the opening of  Evolve Apothecary and Spa, at 769A Hope St., in November 2015.

Benzuly, a member of Providence’s Temple Beth-El, says over the years she had become interested in “how we take care of ourselves and the products we use … what we eat, how we care for the environment.”   At Evolve, she says, “In some ways, I feel like I’m doing more wellness here than I’d ever done before.”

Some 90 percent of the products sold at Evolve are vegan, says Benzuly, and many are locally sourced. The shop sells body, hair and home-care products, makeup, coffee, tea, candles, and other items. One product is a candle that melts into a body lotion. Another is a hand balm developed by rock climbers, who are notorious for having dry skin. Evolve, which is co-owned by Yolande Muoio, another registered nurse, also offers facials and waxing.

In keeping with its name, Evolve will soon be changing by adding massage services in a small room attached to its fragrant storefront.

Benzuly says that while conventional Western medicine has helped many people, her focus at Evolve is to provide an alternative method of healing.

“We have a lot of ways that we can really help people, but we also have to expect that Western medicine will not solve all of our medical problems,” she says. “We have a certain responsibility for our own wellness – we can do that by how we eat and how we take care of ourselves.

“We need to look responsibly at the medical industry as a whole and go back to our roots.”

Another way that Benzuly is helping people is simply by opening a business. She has found creating jobs and building an “exceptional team” one of the most fulfilling aspects of her new career.

“We’ve already created jobs and will build more, and that’s very cool,” she says

“Our guiding principle is that [Evolve is] owned by RNs, and we care deeply about the ingredients we bring into the store,” says Benzuly. “We owe it to ourselves and to our children to be mindful of what we’re using.”

ARIEL BROTHMAN is a freelance writer who lives in Wrentham, Massachusetts.