You don’t need another article telling you how time-pressed, stressed or overwhelmed you feel. Or, that the latest scented candle or bath oil will instantly wash your worries away (because, of course, it won’t). Yet, there’s a tangible shift in beauty, with smarter and more ‘enlightened’ brands dealing as seriously in emotions as lotions. The demand for ‘wellness’ is blurring the lines between vanity and sanity, physical and psychological, meaning our beauty needs are rapidly evolving. ‘Brands have had to become more nurturing and less punishing, more self-aware, less superficial, kinder – making us feel great rather than down about ourselves,’ says Tracey Woodward, advisor to Marks & Spencer beauty. ‘During busy, anxiety-inducing times, we need all the support we can get.’
MEET THE PANEL
Experts and ambassadors are the latest ingredients being added to the ranges that want to really get under our skin. Take Neom Organics, founded by Nicola Elliott, a brand dedicated to supporting women to make time to improve their wellbeing. ‘Real beauty and inner wellbeing needs a holistic but practical approach now,’ she says. ‘A good night’s sleep ritual doesn’t just include a soporific scented candle or bath oil; it also requires the right nutrition, perhaps a Pilates stretch to ease physical tension, or breathing techniques to help us relax,’ says Elliott. She has put together the Neom Wellbeing Board which includes leading authorities in sleep, mindfulness, fitness, Pilates, therapeutic massage, psychology and nutrition – the sort of experts you’d usually find in top complementary health clinics. Their advice is widely readable at neomorganics.com (and the new online Neom magazine), and filtering through into Neom products which will soon all contain lifestyle tips and guidance to better support you alongside the product you have purchased.