The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) recently unveiled its annual “The Future of Wellness 2025 Trends” report, the most in-depth forecast on the trends that will shake up health and wellness over the next 12 months. But what do these trends mean for the beauty industry, and what are the most immediate opportunities? Here, CEW unpacks how the year’s wellness trends can affect your beauty brand.
Over the past year, global challenges have reached unprecedented levels, ranging from escalating climate crises, such as the Los Angeles wildfires, to highly polarized elections worldwide. As the coming year promises to be even more complex and demanding, individuals are increasingly turning to wellness and healing as essential coping mechanisms. This growing focus on well-being has propelled the wellness industry to a record valuation of $6.3 trillion, with projections indicating expansion to $9 trillion by 2028.
In its previous report, the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) highlighted the emerging contradictions within the wellness market. On one hand, the industry is becoming increasingly high-tech, medicalized, hyper-optimized, and costly — a trend referred to as “hardcare.” Simultaneously, there is a growing preference for simpler, low-tech, more accessible wellness solutions that prioritize social and emotional well-being, known as “softcare.” As we move into 2025, these contrasting trends are expected to intensify, further shaping the future of the wellness industry.
But how will these wellness trends impact beauty? Wellness trends have already reshaped the beauty industry by shifting consumer priorities toward holistic well-being, sustainability, and personalized self-care. In 2025, beauty and wellness will be even more entwined, with the continued return of the slow beauty movement, a rise in nutricosmetics and neurocosmetics, and a continued focus on Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
The Analog Wellness trend will trigger a spike in slow beauty.
The Analog Wellness trend illustrates the demand for slower, low-tech lives. A “digital detox” may be as old as the Internet, but 2025 will be the year when more people get aggressive about logging off, armed with new tools and destinations to support help them. They’ll also be a rise in retro, pre-digital tech hobbies and experiences, shaking up everything from travel to government policy to home design. Indeed, analog wellness goes hand in hand with the slow beauty movement, one that encourages consumers to disconnect and adopt a more mindful and slow-paced approach to their routines. We will continue to see more consumers focus not just on physical beauty, but mental and emotional health, as well. Beauty products will have a deep emphasis on wellness, sustainability, and mindfulness practices to enhance long-term health, not just short-term beauty fixes.
The Sauna Reimagined trend will lend itself to hot/cold beauty therapies.
Sauna Reimagined investigates the boom in, and incredible reinvention of, one of the most lo-fi, ancient and social types of wellness. While the sauna has been around for thousands of years, it’s currently enjoying a renaissance. From urban saunas in New York City and Chicago, to rustic waterfront saunas in Oslo or Brighton, today’s saunas represent a reinvention of an age-old tradition— and an increasingly younger, hipper crowd is taking notice. Where saunas were once a sad, dark, lonely box in a basement, today they’re lively, social, cultural and entertainment hubs, often with fantastic views and in incredible locations, and people just can’t get enough. With the rise of the sauna comes an increase in hot/cold therapies due to their science-backed health benefits. Heat therapy, for one, boosts blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients through vessels. Modern saunas now incorporate infrared technology for deeper skin penetration, which could spark interest in beauty-focused sauna treatments, such as skin care masks or serums designed for use during or after sessions. Hair care is also embracing heat therapy, with heated masks enhancing deep conditioning and scalp circulation.
The Supplement Paradox will fuel the beauty-from-within way of life.
Science-grounded, high-tech innovations look to dispel the trust issues plaguing the supplement market. Take longevity science, which is creating supplements targeting key ageing mechanisms such as mitochondrial health, telomere preservation, and cellular repair. David Beckham’s new IM8 brand, partnering with Prenetics and the University of Oxford, is studying the accelerated aging that happens in space (aboard the International Space Station) to create unique, science-backed longevity supplements. Supplements are also addressing the unique physiological needs of women, with innovation targeting hormonal health and fertility. The trend also covers new detoxification methods removing microplastics, heavy metals, and pollutants that can hinder nutrient absorption, as well as nanotechnology, which could enhance supplements’ precision by targeting specific tissues or organs, bridging the gap between medical treatment and supplements. The concept of “beauty from within” continues to gain momentum with nutricosmetics that are designed to improve skin, hair, and nails. According to Mordor Intelligence, the global nutricosmetics market is predicted to be worth $11.91 billion by 2028. Supplements will continue being offered in a variety of formats, including gummies, beauty drinks, and even patches, and consumers will continue to incorporate superfoods and vitamins into their diets to enhance skin health. Expect to see this market include more clinically proven ingredients while also targeting other concerns such as protection against UV damage.
Teen Wellness will propel (even more) beauty brands to address this influential demographic.
A shift is underway as the wellness industry opens up to family and intergenerational wellness programming to help teens and their families deal with unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and addiction. From off-grid sanctuaries in Bali that help teenagers deal with the overstimulation brought on by the digital age, to surf therapy retreats in the U.K. and Morocco, a variety of new sources are using powerful wellness tools such as sound therapy, meditation, and nature immersion to fight the rising teenage “diseases of despair.” Last year the beauty industry added Gen Alpha to its must-engage consumer list, right next to Gen Z. But now, rather than creating skin scrubs and hair care, brands will need to prioritize incorporating mood-boosting ingredients into products and help them cultivate a healthy relationship with cosmetics and self-image that prioritizes self-love and authenticity.
Watershed Wellness will lead more beauty brands to implement water-saving techniques.
The spa and wellness industries have been villains in the global water crisis, but the Watershed Wellness trend reveals wellness destinations are now aiming to preserve and renew Earth’s water supplies. As our planet heats, and droughts and water shortages become far more commonplace, it will become imperative for wellness establishments to be more sustainable, reinforcing the idea that wellness is not just about individual health, but also about the health of the planet. True, the beauty industry is guilty of water waste. Both product formulations and manufacturing processes are notoriously water-intensive, and as water scarcity becomes more pressing globally, finding ways to reduce water usage is essential. Over the years, consumers have become more open to waterless beauty. The trend started with solid personal care items, such as shampoo, but the future of waterless beauty is set to expand deeper into skin care and makeup.
Augmented Biology will intersect with the growing focus on cellular health, namely psychodermatology.
A fundamental redefinition of the nature of human capability is underway and a new fusion of body and machine that once seemed unreal is today pushing the potential of people’s brains and bodies to superhuman levels. Breakthroughs include performance-enhancing brain-computer interfaces, neurocell wellness, nth-level extreme performance fitness, and wearable robotics with exoskeletons that help athletes endure intense exertion. Rising consumer demand for wellness solutions that optimize cognitive, emotional, and physical states will make the idea of unlocking untapped human potential become a reality. The future will not be defined by our limitations, but by our endless capacity for growth and improvement. As health and wellness converge, the line between medicine and consumer wellness is blurring, creating new categories of products and services. Cellular health has gained significant traction in industries like skin care and supplements, with growing interest in longevity as a lifestyle goal. The growing focus on cellular skin care is intersecting with psychodermatology, an established category that explores the relationship between mental health and skin vitality. This emerging field addresses stress-related skin aging, such as “cortisol face,” by targeting the cellular root causes of skin damage. Neurocosmetics will be a growing trend as it focuses on the brain-skin axis by enhancing our appearance and nurturing our emotional health.
Longevity Redefines Work will influence brands to focus on the 65+ consumer.
Longevity Redefines Work explores the radical changes that are coming to the workplace as the number of young workers decreases and the over-65 workforce explodes, and how the wellness industry will be a key player in helping employees work longer and better. It’s hard to believe, but the fastest-growing workforce age group globally are now over 75 years old. The shift from physically demanding jobs to knowledge- and service-based roles has created more opportunities for older workers to leverage their expertise and experience. Technology has played a transformative role in this shift, enabling remote work, flexible hours and digital tools that support productivity without the need for physical strain. The over-65 consumer represents a rapidly growing demographic with considerable purchasing power. As this age group lives longer, stays more active, and continues to prioritize health and well-being, they are increasingly becoming an influential market within the beauty industry. Beauty brands that tailor their products to address age-related concerns while offering accessible, nourishing, and wellness-focused solutions will be well-positioned to cater to this growing demographic.
Wellness Tackles Addiction could reach and address procedure-obsessed consumers.
The Wellness Tackles Addiction trend identifies a new category in the wellness realm poised to address everything from packaged goods brands targeting harm reduction, to medical treatment programming worthy of five-stars, to new sober-curious retreats. Shopping, food, phones, porn … as addiction has been demystified and destigmatized, it’s apparent unhealthy attachments can be to than just substances. And with the proliferation of obsessive “enhancements” and “procedures” it makes sense that wellness practices could reach this consumer group, as they engage in a modern form of self-harm.
Wellness on the Line will see a surge in beauty services on travel-oriented journeys.
Fueled by a desire for slower, more relaxed travel, both cruises and train travel are surging in popularity. Wellness on the Line is about the explosion of creative wellness experiences on these journeys. Increasingly, they’re also exploring itineraries with a host of holistic wellness programs, resort-level facilities, on-board health experts, and wellness-focused excursions. The latter offers train and cruise travelers the opportunity to explore local wellness traditions. As astrotourism, silent tourism, and “calmcations” grow in popularity, rail and ship travel — which can transport guests far away from light and noise pollution — will capitalize on these trends. Cruises are focusing on everything from longevity programming to more “scientific citizen” expeditions. And residential cruise real estate is also emerging. Next year, Blue World Voyages plans to launch its first ship, entirely dedicated to sports and wellness, and featuring advanced technology like air and water purification systems, circadian lighting and vitamin C infused showers—the kind of amenities seen in the most sophisticated wellness real estate projects on land. There is strong competition between cruise lines to have the most advanced anti-aging treatments for guests, from hightech facials, to Thermage, to microneedling, while personalized IV treatments are designed to hydrate, invigorate, or boost immune system. This opens up more opportunities for brand collaborations and travel-focused products.
The Middle East’s Wellness Ambitions will fuel luxe beauty trends.
Beauty may just have a new region leader: The Middle East. Driven by wellness-focused national “vision” plans in GCC nations, and huge investments in cutting-edge preventative health care and sustainability, areas such as The UAE and Oman are investing in prevention and AI-enhanced clinical care, with the latter creating a genomic database targeting genetic diseases. The beauty industry in the Middle East is experiencing remarkable growth, fueled by the region’s strong purchasing power, a young and diverse population, and the rise of digital platforms. The market for beauty products celebrating Middle Eastern heritage is also growing, with products such as Asteri Beauty’s vegan, “desert-proof” collection, and MZN Bodycare’s line, inspired by the plants of Saudi Arabia. As consumers increasingly seek high-quality, personalized, and inclusive beauty solutions, the market presents a wealth of opportunities for both local and international brands.
