Aligning with the trends of recent years, wellness culture is continuing to shift away from restriction and opting instead for the addition of health-promoting products and practices in 2023.
The new trends emerging from this additive nature of wellness ladder up to core themes of minimalism, comfort, connection and personalization. Across all sectors of this $4.4 trillion industry, we are seeing consumers look for ways to enhance their health through pared-down, comforting practices that not only allow them to feel more connected to their peers and community, but also provide a personalized experience in doing so.
Golin’s team of Nutrition and Wellness experts have identified ten trends we anticipate will continue to evolve this year, with topics spanning nutrition and physical fitness to cognitive health and sustainability. The culture of wellness is shaping consumer decisions across a variety of industries, and we predict the sector will continue to expand in the years to come.
Learn more about the trends and topic areas of interest from this year’s report:
- Brain Health is the New Gut Health: Stress is a common American ailment, with one-third of the population reporting stress levels so high “they can’t function,” according to the American Psychological Association. Whether eating for long term cognitive health or foods to alleviate anxiety, food trends are focused on brain-boosting nutrition, while beauty and sleep trends are tapping into brain health benefits, too.
- Micro-dose to Maximize Wellness: Evidence shows even small investments in health can pay off and consumers are taking note. Wellness seekers are now adding in small steps to their routines by “micro-dosing” wellness as seen across, fitness, nutrition and even moments of
micro meditation. - Nature Infused Practices: Research shows connecting with nature can boost happiness, positive emotion, and kindness as well as have physical and mental health benefits. As more people prioritize this connection to nature, we are discovering new ways to boost wellness with products and practices that go well beyond an outdoor hike or bike ride.
- Culturally Informed Wellness: There’s a reason many cultural traditions and rituals have been around for centuries. From traditional foodways explaining how and what we eat to skincare and home design, cultural practices are informing individuals’ everyday wellness habits.
- Tech Forward Health: As physical and digital worlds continue to converge, brands must anticipate shifts in consumer behavior to create ‘phygital’ experiences that influence the way they discover, shop and connect with products, including in the wellness world. The gap many consumers face between aspirations and action opens an opportunity for accessible monitoring tools and products that make mental and physical health changes easier than ever before.
- Small Steps for Sustainable Living: Wellness seekers are taking smaller steps toward sustainable lifestyles – a shift from the previous”all-or-nothing” perspective and a call to action from Climate Optimists. This more accessible approach is influencing everything from cooking and consumption of food to product packaging decisions and more.
- Getting to the Root of It: Beauty has long blurred the lines of aesthetics and wellness with this year’s trends focusing on products that address consumers preferences from the inside out. Skincare takes on a minimalism while haircare approaches are catching up with skin-focused counterparts thanks to the “skinification” of the scalp.
- Return to Work-Out – Community Fitness: Now on the other side of COVID-19, people are leaving the living room and heading back to gym and community. The return to in-person fitness not only promotes physical well-being but also social connection, which is an important factor in longevity, according to recent studies.
- A Passion for Personalization: Customization in wellness and nutrition reminds consumers that we’re all unique and therefore our approaches to health and fitness shouldn’t be one size fits all. While this trend isn’t new, the expanding body of research and new technology has taken the potential of personalization to new heights.
- Ready for Take-Off – Wellness Travel: Whether seeking a hard-core wellness commitment, a week of reflective mediation, or even an itinerary to support the grieving process with on-site therapists, the travel industry is ready to support every wellness need. Elevating the guest experience through activities and menus that promise to support proactive, and sometimes even reactive, health outcomes.
This year’s wellness trends open an opportunity to tap into a wider more diverse consumer audience as the industry begins shedding its exclusive and elitist persona. Instead, today’s wellness consumer can – and should – include almost anyone. This provides brands with an opportunity to expand offerings to meet wider consumer needs.
For more information about Nutrition and Wellness offerings at Golin, feel free to reach out to Amanda Baker Lemein, MS, RD, Registered Dietitian and Vice President of Nutrition and Wellness, at alemein@golin.com.