K8 Shelton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
K8, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Honestly? The name. After 20 years of Tonic Spatique, I’ve heard every delightful remix imaginable: Tonique Spatonic, Tonic Spa-tah-kee, Tonic Spa-tah-nique, and the classic “Is it Spa-tik? Spa-teek? Spa-tique?”
But here’s the truth:
No matter how you pronounce it (or creatively reinvent it), people often assume we’re “just a facial place” or “just a massage studio.” In reality, Tonic Spatique is a whole world of botanical skincare, customized treatments, aromatherapy, herbal knowledge, deeply trained hands, and genuine care.
So whether you call us Tonic Spatique or Tonique Spatonic (extra points for flourish), the heart of what we do stays the same:
Thoughtful, effective treatments in a space made to help you feel human again.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m K8 Shelton — esthetician, spa therapist, aromatherapist, herbalist, and the creator of Tonic Spatique, a boutique spa I’ve been lovingly shaping for the past 20 years. My work blends plant-based skincare, hands-on bodywork, and a deep care for creating a space where people can soften the moment they walk in.
Tonic Spatique leans fully into a granny chic vibe: cozy, handmade, nostalgic, and utterly comforting. Think soft lighting, crafted details, warm blankets, and the kind of unhurried atmosphere that feels like visiting the world’s most nurturing auntie. Treatments include customized facials with hot towel steams, massage, waxing, tinting, and pedicures — all done with intention and never rushed.
What makes my work unique is how personal it is. Every treatment is shaped around the person in front of me, what their skin needs, and what their nervous system needs. My goal is simple: help people feel like themselves again, in a space that feels gentle, grounding, and human.
I’m continually refining our botanical skincare line, deepening the quality of our treatments, and tending to the details that make Tonic Spatique what it is — intimate, intentional, and quietly magical.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a young girl completely in love with flowers — the kind who stopped to look, touch, smell, and study every petal like it was its own tiny universe. I believed whole-heartedly that nature whispered secrets to anyone patient enough to listen. My favourite quote was, “She who hath power gathers wisdom from a flower,” and I took that as literal truth.
Before the world had opinions about who I should become, I was simply a kid collecting blossoms in my pockets, learning tenderness from gardens, and trusting that beauty and wisdom often show up quietly, one petal at a time.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Imposter syndrome — hands down.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was younger, and ever since, I’ve had this tiny gremlin in my head whispering, “Are you sure you belong here?” Meanwhile, I’m out here running a whole spa, formulating skincare, and folding towels like a champ.
The funny thing is, dyslexia also came with a full toolkit: coloured overlays, tricks for reading, little mental workarounds, and a lifetime of creative problem-solving. I’ve basically become a master of “getting it done… just not in the standard expected order.”
But that fear — that someone would discover I was secretly making it all up — held me back for years. Now I’ve learned that having tools doesn’t make me an imposter; it makes me resourceful. And honestly, anyone who can run a business and decode a paragraph with dyslexic eyes deserves a medal… or at least a hot towel steam.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They’d say I care deeply about creating comfort, creating beauty, and creating connection — all wrapped in that unapologetically granny-chic way I do things. I’m the friend who will notice the flowers on the table, the texture of the blankets, the vibe of the room, and your emotional temperature before you even say a word.
But they’d also say this: I love connecting people. Introducing one person to another and watching something good bloom between them is basically my hobby. Someone recently called me a pollinator, and honestly? I’ve never felt so accurately (or flatteringly) described.
At the end of the day, what matters most to me is that the people around me feel cared for, welcomed, and linked to one another in meaningful ways — like a little community garden growing wherever I go.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I made the world softer — that I created little pockets of comfort wherever I went. That I noticed the small things: the flowers, the warmth of a towel, the way a person felt when they walked into a room.
I’d love for people to say I connected them, that I brought the right people together at the right time.
But above all, I hope they remember that I was funny. That even in serious or quiet moments, I could make people laugh, smile, or roll their eyes in recognition — leaving the day just a little lighter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tonicspatique.com/
- Instagram: @tonicspa
- Facebook: TonicSpa
Image Credits
Interior Spa photos Credit – Claire Pipher
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
