Words: Sarah Strang
The past few years have been turbulent to say the least. And in the post-pandemic world we find ourselves in, taking time to care of ourselves is no longer seen as an indulgence; it’s a necessity. Wellness is more than just an ideal. It’s becoming second nature that we consider our mental wellness as important as our physical health. From the power of super herbs to a focus on sleep hygiene, brand founder of Tea & Tonic and wellness expert Sarah Strang gives us her insight into the top wellness trends for 2023.
ADDED VALUE WELLNESS
When faced with stress and upheaval, consumers look to find ways of uplifting themselves and getting through the everyday demands – and the holistic beauty and wellness industry are increasingly being turned to for supporting us with this. As the rising cost of living impacts consumers, the ‘value’ of these wellness products and services becomes ever more important.
According to Mintel self-care is evolving with a new purpose: incorporating mental health management, care for the planet and communities, and taking an individual holistic health approach. ‘How good we feel directly motivates our behaviour, mood and overall functioning, not to mention our appearance’, explains Sarah Strang, founder of holistic wellness brand Tea & Tonic. ‘Holistic practices and turning to nature for cures and remedies (for mind, body and skin) are being increasingly embraced and recognized as essential parts of wellness and beauty. As the gap closes, 2023 will open the doors to more brands taking an inner-outer approach, with ingestible and topicals working in synergy’
PROTECT AND DEFEND
In a post-pandemic world, our immune systems are more important than ever. Building natural resilience to improve our health is set to become critical for skincare and wellness in 2023 Sarah tells us more about the increasing importance of our skin, gut microbiome and immune systems to nurture, protect and rebuild;
‘I believe we’re going to see a significant rise in skin sensitivities as a result of the misuse or overuse of retinols and skin acids in particular. The overuse of topical products that disrupt and damage the skins natural microbiome and processed foods that disrupt our gut microbiome will be of utmost concern’. She also cites the impact our external surroundings on our skin and body too; ‘We can’t ignore the importance of our skin as a first line of defence especially today where we’re seeing the hard hitting impact of the environment whether it be from climate change to super bugs. These external stressors leave us needing to nurture, protect and build our resilience if we want t achieve optimal skin and holistic health long term’.
THE POWER OF ADAPTOGENS
Adaptogens are best described as herbs that adapt to the needs of our bodies when faced with various stressors. Sarah predicts that this year, adaptogens are going to be more popular than ever. ‘As ashwagandha and panax ginseng become wellness staples for everyday living, the daily benefits of using lesser known but equally beneficial adaptogens will grow in popularity’.
These less common adaptogen include schisandra berry, amla (Indian gooseberry), gotu kola and eleuthero (Siberian ginseng). ‘Adaptogens, nootropics and CBD will become more widely understood as people want to delve deeper into the health, beauty and wellness benefits of smart supplements’.
SUSTAINABLE AS STANDARD
As the wellness and skincare market becomes increasingly more ecoaware in its sourcing and packaging, consumers are becoming more demanding of transparency from their favourite luxury wellness and beauty brands. Sarah explains ‘Refillables will become commonplace in people’s weekly shop and as consumers seek out more sustainable alternatives, brands with a higher price tag will be expected to lead the way in advanced sustainability practices too’. Sarah goes on to say that consumers of luxury brands expect more from what they purchase, and brands must step up to these growing expectations; ‘People aren’t going to accept that simply offsetting carbon emissions or adding recyclable packaging is enough to be sustainable. Brands need to do more to satisfy a more discerning audience’.
FEELING RIGHT
Sleep hygiene has been hitting the headlines, with more of us spending time on our pre bed time routine than ever behavior. Sarah sees the idea of ‘clean sleep’ evolving more in 2023 to focusing on the daytime behaviors and activities which impact how we feel, look and function acknowledging the cyclical impact of sleep and daytime wellness. ‘The truth is that a brighter self motivates healthier choices. The difference for 2023 is that people are facing harder time that will natural impact this ‘brightness’. With this in mind, we’ll be identifying ways to improve our brightness during the day, which will include products and services that bio-hack our way to brightness. I expect to see fast growth in functional beverages, smart supplements, smart skincare, breathwork and GP’s ‘prescribing’ time outdoors in nature. All of these things can help improve our brightness during the day which naturally improves our sleep quality too!’.
Leave feedback about this