Jessica Turner 2015 has been the unofficial Year of Wellness – and it’s just going to get bigger in 2016. Here Spafinder shares the keys trends that drove the industry this year, and will play even bigger roles next year. Along with burgeoning new trends, of course! 
PERSONALISED BEAUTY: Made-for-me will matter more
Undoubtedly our one-click-away lifestyles have given us so much more control when it comes to how we take care of and pamper ourselves. We are not just consumers. We are collaborators. In 2015 we will see a shift from “this colour looks good on me” to “this colour was made for me”; from “is this moisturiser the best for my skin type?” to “this moisturiser is perfectly formulated for me”. In every corner of beauty care – from makeup to skincare to fragrance, at home and in the spa – we’ll have an increasing opportunity to control and customise our primping and self-care experience.
FOREST BATHING: Mindfulness meets nature
The term “forest bathing” has nothing to do with water, and is more than just a poetic way of describing a “walk in the woods”. This Japanese concept revolves around a deceptively simple practice: quietly walking and exploring, with a mind deliberately intent on every sound, scent, colour and “feel” of the forest. With forest bathing and expert-led “forest therapy,” mindfulness meets nature, and the goal is to “bathe” every physical cell and the entire psyche in the forest’s essence. Pleasurable? Yes. But it’s the science behind the practice that’s now taking forest bathing global, as a growing mountain of evidence indicates there’s strong medicine for human bodies and brains that a forest uniquely dispenses.
SPA ON ARRIVAL: The new post-flight ritual
It used to be that while travelling for business or pleasure, spa treatments were a luxurious add-on, something fitted in between a meeting and dinner, or, perhaps, a treat during a touristy visit to a new city. Now, however, treatments and other wellness offerings are being embraced both on arrival and en route, either to jump start relaxation or to combat travel fatigue and kick start productivity. Our fast-paced world means we all need to hit the ground running, whether it’s for business meetings, sporting events, a romantic getaway or the family holiday – and there is a growing recognition that wellness will get us there faster.
GUT REACTION: The science of the gut can take wellness to a new level
“Listen to your gut” is a phrase typically uttered when it comes to following your instincts, but it’s also one of the hottest trends for 2015 and could be some of the best advice for overall wellbeing. Look for a major focus on the science of the gut and efforts to prove that, by altering the make up of our guts (aka “microbiome”), we can take our health, wellness and beauty to new levels, improving our immunity and resilience,
fighting off serious diseases, reducing our chances for obesity and even creating a happy and healthy mind.
FITNESS – MY LIFE, MY TRIBE: A global cultural shift from fad to life-definer
As trend forecasting becomes trendier – “rowing is the new spinning… hot Pilates is the new Bikram yoga” – fitness fads of the minute garner deserved attention. But these persistent hyper headlines warrant reflection because the big story is that the fitness landscape is shifting permanently, and the new and lasting trend is a colossal socio-cultural evolution within the fitness boom that has been taking shape for more than a decade. Fitness studios and classes have become the important “third place” for the pursuit of health, happiness and social connection, with lifestyle implications reaching far beyond the workout itself, affecting how people dress, what they eat, who their friends are, which celebrities they follow, how they raise their children, where they holiday, and more.
Spafinder Wellness 365: 2015 Spa and Wellness Trends is an in-depth forecast of the most significant global trends that will impact the industry and consumers this year and beyond. Developed under the direction of Beth McGroarty, research director, and a team of research analysts, editors and industry experts, the forecast is based on ongoing surveys of the 20,000-plus spa, wellness and beauty providers in the Spafinder Wellness Network, thousands of travel agents and hundreds of thousands of consumers. This, as well as interviews with industry leaders, an extensive analysis of current market research and visits to spa and wellness businesses by the company’s editorial team. www.spafinder.com
