You only need to take a walk along your local beach on a Saturday morning to realise that being fit and healthy is becoming a priority for many. After manoeuvring around the women jogging in pairs and the men counting their pushups, you enter your favourite café - where the girls next to you are busy styling Insta pics of their healthy brekkies.
In the true #fitspo ethos of “if you can’t beat them, join them”, BD chats to experts in the field of health and wellbeing to discover the biggest trends of 2015 (so you can be one step ahead of the pack)...
Holistic approach
“People are looking at health and wellbeing in a more holistic sense, realising they need to eat well and exercise - a pill won’t fix everything! We are seeing more interest in food, where it comes from and what it delivers in terms of nutrients.” - sales and marketing manager Sue Millinchip
“Wellbeing is a state of being healthy and happy and has become a status symbol in modern society. While we can't all get rich and live in the coolest suburb or have the flashiest car, we can all get healthy - or at least try. The phenomenon starts with food, nutrition, and exercise but is actually an all-encompassing lifestyle and has been incorporated into Blackmores’ latest brand campaign: Be a Well Being.” - PR manager Amy Wagner
Superfoods
“The explosion of superfoods is one of the most recent developments in the area and we expect it to continue to grow for some time, given its continued success in the United States for a number of years now. People are busy and constantly looking for foods that will not only assist in their health, but may offer a shortcut. Superfoods offer consumers two or three benefits in one hit!” - Blackmores PR manager Amy Wagner
“Using our diet to potentially treat and provide health benefits beyond just basic nutrition is a growing trend. There are many foods with functional benefits that help to promote optimal health and reduce the risk of diseases such as foods high in antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins and minerals.” - creator Narissa Harvey
The power of social media
“In terms of social media, it has been growing exponentially over the last few years and has become an essential tool of communication, education and engagement in the health and wellbeing space. Social media and social networking is not only very popular, but an integral part of everyday life – not only for consumers, but for brands seeding their content and offerings. People are now looking to sites like Instagram and Pinterest for recipes and workout tips and tricks.” - Blackmores PR manager Amy Wagner
Gut health
“We are learning that a healthy digestive system will help with a healthy immune system, as a large part of your immune system is involved with your digestive system. Understanding how foods have an effect on your digestive system and then on your overall health and wellbeing, particularly your immune system, is a big trend.” - Swisse dietician Simone Austin
“Probiotics is a rapidly growing area, with good gut health being recognised for its many benefits, including aiding with digestion, supporting a healthy immune system and assisting nutrient absorption.” - Blackmores PR manager Amy Wagner
Wearable technology
“Monitoring ourselves is ever so popular. How many steps, what heart rate, what did I eat and how well did I sleep? As humans, we like feedback and results. With more feedback and monitoring, more positive changes may result.” - Swisse dietician Simone Austin
Natural remedies
“People are becoming more aware of what they put into their bodies and how they treat any illnesses. The trend is towards natural prevention rather than going straight to the medicine cabinet - often because they have fewer side effects, and cost less. I think as a society, we have just become more aware of what we put in our bodies.” - Royal Skin creator Narissa Harvey
Sugar ban
“Sugar is the enemy, and we are not so keen on artificial sweeteners either. People are trying stevia and other more natural sweeteners.” - Red Seal sales and marketing manager Sue Millinchip
“The world has wised up to the dangers of refined sugars with the concerns around obesity and related health problems. But let’s be honest, we all need some sweetness in our lives and there are several natural alternatives such as honey, date syrup, maple syrup, and rice bran syrup.” - Royal Skin creator Narissa Harvey
Mindfulness
“This relates to mindful eating, where we eat slowly, and concentrate on the texture, taste and what we are eating. Other areas of our lives are also looking at mindfulness, looking for strategies to relax, switch off and be present in what we are doing. Yoga, meditation and general 'switching off' are become more popular in daily routines for good health.” - Swisse dietician Simone Austin
Supplements
“People are looking for higher potency products – they want to see an effect from anything they take.” - Red Seal sales and marketing manager Sue Millinchip
Supplements trending in 2015 include magnesium, digestive support products, brain support products (primarily gingko), sports supplements, protein, meal replacements, and apitherapy - the natural products from the hive and bees.
BD gets healthy
See below for a full list of brands on BEAUTYDIRECTORY offering health and wellbeing products.
Arbonne
CIRCA
Clarins
DermaVeen
Glasshouse Fragrances
Manicare
MOR
Natio
Nude by Nature
Palmer's
QV Skincare
Silic 15
Sisley Paris
SkinCeuticals
SOOV
Swisse
Weleda
