HAMPTON -- Tucked into Depot Square in Hampton Center is Youngevity Spa, bringing a unique twist to the Seacoast spa scene.

Nancy Ducharme, a former real estate investor turned spa director, discovered new treatments for youthfulness and good health, following her own journeys through family illness and postpartum depression.

Ducharme said she felt that there had to be a better way for people to care for themselves and prevent disease, leading her to consider that many common diseases could be prevented if we "feed the right kind of nutrients to the body, detoxify the systems on a regular basis, and increase the intake of nutrients and antioxidants."

Following the birth of a healthy baby girl, Ducharme suffered postpartum depression. While seeking an alternative to the drugs commonly prescribed for depression, Ducharme discovered a Nashua spa that offered what she was seeking: a gentle and comforting way to detoxify her body, along with a system to infuse her body with nutrients.

"After my first visit, I felt so much better, much more relaxed," she said. "I went twice a week and improved steadily, right back to my normal self -- or even better!"

Ducharme's husband suggested that she bring these beneficial therapies to the Seacoast. Soon she opened Youngevity Spa in the space vacated by The Hampton Union in Hampton's Depot Square.

Youngevity Spa is focused on anti-aging and wellness on the cellular level. The treatments offered are noninvasive and relaxing -- so relaxing in fact, that "snoring is expected!" she said with a smile.

At Youngevity Spa, the journey to health begins with a calming experience for all the senses: simple, Asian décor, soft music combined with a Zen fountain, atmospheric lighting, aromatherapy and a warm cup of tea -- followed by the therapies that Ducharme found so helpful in her own healing process, such as Soli-tone light therapy.

Based on NASA technologies, Soli-tone has been found to reverse the effects of aging, sun-damaged skin, minor acne, redness and uneven pigmentation. Men, as well as women, come for the Soli-tone treatments, and a few clients have discovered that it has helped alleviate problems with seasonal affective disorder.

Another noninvasive treatment, called "Ionithermie," was a favorite of Ducharme's when she was improving her own health. Created by a French physician in 1979, Ionithermie is both a slimming and detoxifying treatment currently used in more than 3,000 spas across Europe and Asia. It promotes healing as it detoxifies and re-mineralizes the body, reduces the appearance of cellulite while also toning the skin, and increases circulation while raising the metabolism.

"Other popular 'anti-aging' therapies tend to be invasive, chemical based and even painful. They are also extremely expensive. We want to keep our therapies affordable for the average person," said Ducharme.

"Since everything you put on your skin is absorbed through your pores, it's also a good way to add nutrients," she said, speaking of her choice for a "wrap."

MoorSpa therapy is a nutrient-rich "mud" harvested far below the Earth's surface in Austria. It draws toxins out of the body, helps balance hormones, reduces inflammation in muscle tissue, and infuses the body with nutrients. Ancient Romans and Egyptians used moor mud in the healing of wounds and other injuries.

At Youngevity Spa, beauty is not just skin deep. It also offers nutrition and wellness classes, as well as personal consultations with Karen Faye, "the wellness woman." A nurse and wellness educator for more than 25 years, Faye has been interviewed on the "Today Show" and featured in Prevention magazine.

Like Ducharme, Faye makes it very clear that wellness is all about feeding and cleansing cells. When it comes to weight loss, she also teaches from personal experience, "If you eat right, you lose weight; it has nothing to do with dieting."

New to the Seacoast area and Youngevity Spa, is licensed acupuncturist Ardys Roemmelt.

Ardys studied acupuncture in California, where acupuncturists are considered primary health-care providers. She had an established practice there for the past 10 years, while also apprenticing with Master Koji Ichihashi, who hails from a 500-year tradition in Japanese acupuncture techniques. In this technique, the needles are thinner and are often moved around to effect change. There is no pain. Treatments are designed to enhance a patient's own healing potential.

Other therapists at Youngevity Spa include esthetician Maryann Beaulieu, who spent four years at The Cliff House in Ogunquit and longtime cosmetologist Kim Tsan.

For information, visit the Web site: www.YoungevitySpa.com or call 601-0420.