The world seems to lurch from one crisis to another these days. From pandemics to economics, stress levels are soaring. As a result, there’s a wellness crisis in the US and around the world. Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a 2022 US Government report. Like work-from-home and so many other emerging trends, covid-19 accelerated the movement.

“The pandemic created a perfect storm of stress, anxiety and uncertainty that led to a surge of interest in wellness to help manage our physical needs, especially immune health, as well as our mental wellbeing,” noted Jennifer Martin-Briggers, PhD, MS, RDN, VP-scientific affairs & education, Hum Nutrition.

While the pandemic certainly exacerbated the issue of wellness, rates of anxiety and depression were already increasing—especially among young people.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) US teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase.

Isolation caused by the pandemic, coupled with social media platforms that keep kids (and adults) clicking, didn’t help an already grim situation. Now, 8 in 10 youth mental health specialists say social media is fueling a health crisis. According to a 2022 survey commissioned by Dove, 1 in 2 girls said idealized beauty content on social media caused low self-esteem. Furthermore, 7 in 10 girls felt better after unfollowing idealized beauty content on social media.

Earlier this year, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told CNN that 13 is “too early” for kids to be joining apps like Instagram and TikTok. These platforms can create a “distorted environment” that “often does a disservice” to kids, he said.

Those comments, and others like it, have state governments imposing age-related bans on some social media platforms. Even some fast-moving consumers brands are urging their customers to cut down on social media consumption. And they’re urging regulators to make social media platforms safer. One bill, submitted by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), would require companies to verify users’ ages and allow parents to sue them if they fail to keep those under 16 off their sites.

Industry to the Rescue?

Rather than wait for legislation, some companies are taking action. Last month, Dove launched the Campaign for Kids Online Safety. It calls for legislation to protect kids’ self-esteem and well-being from “harmful” social media posts. Dove also partnered with singer Lizzo and non-profit organizations Common Sense Media and Parents Together Action to try and advance the 2023 Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that supports updating social media design standards, safeguards and tools to better protect kids’ overall experiences online and limit their exposure to toxic beauty content. KOSA also outlines the need for more transparency on design and black box algorithms, including disabling addictive product features and opt-out of algorithmic recommendations. It also requires platforms to perform annual independent audits to assess risks to minors. The efforts are part of Dove’s Self-Esteem Project, which teaches kids about body confidence and self-esteem.

Also in April, Baby Dove and Carol’s Daughter announced initiatives in acknowledgement of Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17). The week highlights the fact that Black women in the US are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. To help close the Black maternal care gap in the US, Carol’s Daughter launched a “Birthing While Black Campaign” for year three of the Black Maternal Health Initiative, “Love Delivered.” The campaign showcases real-life stories of Black people navigating crisis.

Baby Dove has partnered with Sista Midwife Productions, a birth advocacy, training and consulting agency, to launch a new Black Doula Directory. The directory will provide access to doulas to improve health outcomes during the birthing experience for new and expecting moms.

Of course, the subject of self-esteem is not new for the Unilever-owned brand. Years ago, Dove called for wider definitions of beauty. Its social media campaigns, including #SpeakBeautiful, #NoDigitalDistortion and Reverse Selfie/Selfie Talk, have attempted to make social media a more positive place. Last year, Dove launched the #Detox-Your-Feed campaign to empower teens to define their own beauty standards and choose their own influences by inviting them to unfollow anything that doesn’t make them feel good about themselves.

Register Today for Happi’s Wellness: Beauty & Beyond Conference! Mark Your Calendar! Happi’s Wellness: Beauty & Beyond Conference & Tabletop Exhibition is set for November 3 in New York City. Wellness is an inside job…and outside job, too. That’s why Happi is teaming up with our sister publication, Nutraceuticals World, to produce this new event. We’re still finalizing the roster of outstanding speakers, but here’s how the lineup looked as we went to press: Keynote: Nicholas Perricone MD, The Secrets to Wellness—Inside & Out Beauty & Wellness Market—Facts & Figures, The Benchmarking Company, speaker TBA Beauty & the Microbiome, Marie Drago, Gallinée, a Shiseido Company Biotech & Beauty, Jasmina Aganovic, Arcaea The Role of Gut Health, Dr. Ralf Jäger, Increnova A One-Day Microbiome Friendly Efficacy Study, Lambros Kromidas PhD, Shiseido Wellness Claims, Alexa Meera Singh, Esq, Davis & Gilbert Katarzyna “Katie” Banaszewski, senior director of quality, NOW Foods, topic TBA Nathalie Gerschtein, president, consumer products division, L’Oréal North America, topic TBA In addition to this outstanding lineup of presenters, our Wellness: Beauty & Beyond event will include dozens of leading industry suppliers to the personal care and nutrition industries. To learn more, contact Tom Branna, [email protected], 201-880-2223. For advertising information, contact your Happi representative: Art Largar, [email protected] Tom Frangis, [email protected] Andrew Downey, [email protected]

Unilever’s been banking on wellness for years. The company created its Health and Wellbeing division in 2018. Its first acquisition in the space was Equilibra. In the past four years, Unilever acquired Olly, Liquid I.V., SmartyPants, Welly, Onnit and Nutrafol. Combined, the brands’ sales top $1.1 billion, but Unilever expects sales to exceed $3 billion in the next few years. Looking ahead, Unilever expects to make even more acquisitions in the wellness space, with a focus on ingestibles and sexual well-being.

Researchers agree.

Last year, NPD (now Circana) found that 44% of US consumers place more focus on health and wellness today than they did before the pandemic. The consumer’s need for normalcy at the height of the pandemic was the entry for a mental and physical health focus, according to the study authors. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, more consumers say that the amount and quality of sleep, work-life balance, and managing stress are important factors contributing to their health.

Consumers are shifting their focus toward mental health in terms of managing mental and physical health. For example, consumers say that the top factor contributing to their overall mental health and well-being is the amount and quality of sleep they get. Managing stress levels and relationships with family/friends ranked second and third in the top mental factors contributing to health. Physical exercise was cited as the ultimate physical factor that consumers said contributes to their health, followed by food and beverage choices.

Most consumers consider themselves somewhat knowledgeable (43%), very knowledgeable (37%), or extremely knowledgeable (13%) when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. The remainder feels they are not very or not knowledgeable at all. Acquiring more knowledge about a healthy lifestyle and mental health helped sales of books on these subjects soar during the pandemic. According to Circana’s BookScan, which tracks physical and digital book sales in the US, print unit sales of health and fitness books focused on longevity increased by 150% over the last three years and 145% in the past year alone. Sales for print books focused on mental health have nearly tripled since 2019, growing 150% over the last three years and up 19% in 2022.

“Consumers are actively creating their own dietary and mental health programs. Through self-education and readily available products, they are choosing the best aspects of diets and lifestyles that work for them,” said Darren Seifer, Circana food and beverage analyst. “Food brands can play a role in helping consumers with their wellness goals by innovating and finding new ways for consumers to make better food choices that fill gaps in mental and physical health needs.”

Skin in the Game

Dermatologists and their suppliers are taking a greater interest in wellness, too. Psoriasis affects an estimated 60 million people worldwide. The severity of psoriasis involves both a physical and psychological burden. Almost 77% of patients believe that psoriasis negatively affects their normal daily activities and wellbeing. In addition, psoriasis can significantly affect the general wellbeing of their families and physicians’ satisfaction.

Almirall, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health, last month published results of a study in the British Medical Journal to assess patients’ wellbeing as a primary endpoint. The objective of the study is to capture patients’ overall wellbeing in a real-world setting when in treatment with tildrakizumab, an anti-IL-23p19 biologic indicated for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

“We need to go beyond the clinical endpoints and the current use of the DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) questionnaire, extending our understanding of how the patient is really feeling,” said principal investigator Prof.
Dr. Matthias Augustin, director, Institute of Health Care Research in Dermatology and Nursing University of Hamburg. “We need to switch from just looking at the disease burden and setting up positive treatment goals that promote good health and wellbeing. Therefore, our true goal as dermatologists is to reach the maximum wellbeing of our patients. We are really pioneers opening a large terrain of new options in research with (this) study.”

Perhaps dermatologists can start by rethinking acne. At the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), speakers presented a range of treatments, nearly all focused on pharmaceutical remedies. But there is a gentler, softer option, according to at least one expert.

“The recommendations for acne, seen from the microbiome perspective, seem almost violent,” said Marie Drago, founder of Gallinée. “I can’t wait for the microbiome revolution to happen with derms, too.”

In its guidelines for antibiotics use in acne, AAD recommends systemic antibiotics for the management of moderate and severe acne and forms of inflammatory acne that are resistant to topical treatments. According to AAD, doxycycline and minocycline are more effective than tetracycline, but neither is superior to the other. AAD also notes that systemic antibiotics should be limited to the shortest possible duration.

Drago has been in the skin microbiome space for seven years. During that time, she has witnessed how fast understanding of skin concerns are shifting. According to Drago, atopic dermatitis and acne are being totally redefined in light of the microbiome.

“We now know that the C. acnes bacteria is a normal component of the skin microbiome, with some very interesting antioxidant properties. Only a subset of strains shows some inflammatory pathways,” she told Happi. “So, like a lot of other inflammatory issues, it seems to make sense to work with the rest of the skin microbiome to control the inflammatory strains rather than to wipe out the whole face microbiome and hope for the best.”

Drago predicted that, in the future, there will be a shift from antibacterial treatment to probacterial ones for many skin problems.

“You already see the shift happening for AD, I really think acne is next,” she insisted. “The amazing work of S-Biomedic is a good indication of things to come.”

Beware of Wellness

Not every company should jump on the wellness trend.

Anna Kavaliunas, chief strategy officer, Smakk, a branding and marketing agency, told Happi that the term “wellness” has become a catch-all word for products that suggest effectiveness without needing to prove efficacy.

“While more brands may be adopting wellness messaging, it’s those wellness brands that offer a unique aesthetic and, more importantly, focus on proving their worth that will find a lasting audience,” she advised. “Know what you stand for as a brand, and then reflect that in all your touchpoints—from your packaging to your messaging.”

Hum Nutrition is doing just that. When consumers purchase a Hum product made from post-consumer plastic, they prevent the equivalent of 2-4 plastic water bottles from entering the ocean. Ahead of Earth Day last month, the supplement brand highlighted its sustainability efforts. The company’s goal is to prevent the equivalent of more than 50 million bottles from entering the ocean. Moreover, Hum plans to eliminate all single use plastic by 2025 altogether.

Of course, what’s inside those bottles is important, too. Hum’s SOS PMS gummies are said to help relieve PMS symptoms including hormonal acne, bloating, mood swings, discomfort and breast tenderness. The hero ingredient, chasteberry, supports a healthy hormonal balance, while cranberry supports urinary tract health, according to Hum. Meanwhile, vitamin B6 helps support overall mood, so user can get back to feeling like themselves during period cycles. Hum’s Hair Sweet Hair gummies feature a new strawberry flavor and texture. The ingredient list includes: biotin, zinc, folic acid and Fo-Ti, which is described as a root used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for healthy hair. With regular use, Hair Sweet Hair promises fuller, strong hair.

To keep stressed customers calm, Hum revamped its Calm Sweet Calm gummies. The new Ashwagandha Calm gummies have a name more fitting to their ingredients and are now housed in a Prevented Ocean Plastic bottle. Ashwagandha Calm boasts the same active ingredients as its original version, including a patented extract of ashwagandha (Sensoril) and L-Theanine, and same stress-relieving benefits like improved relaxation and healthy cortisol levels. The gummies are said to support stress relief for a “calm, clear mind.”

Hum’s new version of its Beauty zzZz Gummies promise both a restful sleep and digestion regulation. The blackberry-flavored and heart-shaped gummies contain 3mg of melatonin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) prebiotic fiber to help users sleep and regulate bowel movements.

“Sleep is a crucial component of one’s overall wellness and is essential for proper mind and body functioning,” explained Martin-Briggers. “Research has backed this up and has shown how insufficient sleep is linked to poor health outcomes and is necessary for regulating mood, cognition, focus and more.”

Clearly, more personal care companies can do well by focusing on wellness.