For context. I am, in effect a “wellness teacher”. I frequently hold workshops, community spaces and corporate events, in addition to writing wellness columns. I wholeheartedly see the benefits of mindfulness, self-care, yoga, massage, cold dips, infa-red saunas, and even the boost from a quality beauty treatment.
A visit to a massage therapist/ physio can help you walk again; a gentle aromatherapy session works wonders for those in hospice’, and finding solace in a regular exercise routine can improve mental health in just a matter of weeks.
Did you know ,the reason mindfulness works so well for anxiety, is because your brain cannot process two individual thoughts at the one time? The ancient’s didn’t know this, they just knew it felt good. But in 2025, melting into mindfulness happens in between school runs, meal plans and 9-5s.
The Global Wellness Industry showed Irish market reached 2.3 billion in 2022. And one only has to scroll for just 15mins, before coming across info on “bettering yourself” or purchasing products to help all ails. And while this girl, is applauding wellness recognition from the general public, she can, frighteningly, see some not-so well wellness trends rising in parallel.
I spoke to a friend about our 8 year old daughters Christmas lists, expensive skincare is Santa’s job instead of Barbies nowadays…
The British Association of Dermatologist’s warned the growing trend of children using retinols, acid peels and harsh exfoliators in these skincare collections; that can disturbingly cause skin problems. Product heavy skincare on developing cells can be a more harmful than helpful form of self-care.
Repackaging harmful trends as wellness isn’t new, and we just have to reflect on the swollen-steroid-induced bodies of the 80s; or the heroin chic of the 90s/2000s to know the procuring the epitome of looking in perfect health, sometimes takes drastic and unhealthy measures.
I think we can all agree that life is marred by a vicious cycle a lot of women(and men) identify with. Fad diets and the mindset of “Slimmer is better”.
Losing an extra 15lbs, in our minds, is surely healthier than the method you use to get there…
Exploring this ideal, and the skincare debate, I created a short survey on my Instagram asking: “Have you done anything unhealthy under the guise of wellness?”
An overwhelming 79% of people who answered “yes”, cited dangerous diets as their poison. Some well known diets and most recently, the use of weight loss jabs unethically.. Some well known diets, some extreme bodybuilding cases, calorific starvation, bulimia and most recently, the procurement of weight loss jabs to create the illusion of skinny means healthy.
Others said they used cheap bleach for pearly whites; and one shockingly noted to using cocaine instead of alcohol on a night out to avoid skin dehydration. White lines over fine lines is a scary rationale for even the most seasoned aesthetic aficionado.
Full disclosure, I cant judge these brave anonymous answerers; I too have tried diet deficits in the hopes of losing a few pounds. My own “diet” in my early 20’s was cigarettes and coffee. In fact, of those people that answered my survey; 95% of them agreed that “Wellness” was achieved by incorporating healthy diet, exercise and looking after your mental health(including emotional/ spiritual health).
The question remains the same: Why do we still engage in unhealthy behaviours? Are we all just 8 year olds at heart, asking Santa for retinols for Christmas?
The real check in needs to be done on societal influence and marketing that shapes our pursuit of it. The latest drug, trend or routine might promise quick results, but true well-being and lifelong longevity isn’t found in fleeting fads; it goes deeper, aligning with our core values and individual circumstance, rather than relying on the next trendy fix. Wellness might be well intended, and well marketed; but not all’s well that ends well in this industry…
(Pictures courtesy of Pexels.com)