If you feel like you are seeing the word wellness everywhere these days, you are not alone. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy is valued at $4.2T and growing at a rate faster than the global economy 6.4 percent annually vs. 3.6 percent. While, in many ways, this is great news more people have access to the resources and information necessary to improve longevity and truly thrive on the other hand, the noise created by this influx is pushing some consumers into analysis paralysis, and preventing them from stepping into the action necessary to create positive change in their lives.

My entire career has been focused on serving others, and working in spa and wellness in my job at Rancho Valencia allows me to share the gift of a healthy lifestyle with others. I still remember my aha moment with wellness years ago I simply started running. Your aha moment can be something as simple as deciding to run two miles a day, practicing meditation, changing one thing in your diet, or any wellness goal that guides you toward better mental and physical health.

When my first aha moment occurred, I felt like I had discovered this magical secret that I wanted to share with the world. The secret is that the steps dont have to be big one change at a time points you in the right direction.

With the boom in the wellness industry has come a corresponding increase in consumer confusion about the right choice for them. Sadly, there is now a term called well-washing, which refers to marketing a product, service, or facility with a wellness orientation when there is no science behind it. Consumers are drawn to these slick marketing ploys without the resources to determine the efficacy or appropriateness of the solution for their unique needs.

There are many conversations happening in our industry about integrity in messaging, but creating educated consumers is equally important. Below are my top tips for determining if a wellness solution is worth pursuing.

Look for licensed practitioners

Each country and state has different regulations around wellness practitioners (massage therapists, estheticians, acupuncturists, naturopaths, personal trainers, etc.) When making my own selections, I look for:

Choose the right products

This is one of the most important areas for consumers to educate themselves in. Personal care and skincare are the largest sectors in the wellness industry, and therefore theyre also where most of the noise is. I frequently hear false claims from well-intentioned salespeople who have zero background in the science of the product. I take my responsibility in vetting the products we sell at my own workplace seriously, but I want consumers to have the same ability to make informed decisions.

I will always ask the following questions:

Ideally, the product is free from parabens, which can cause skin inflammation, and contribute to early signs of aging (counterintuitive to most skincare goals), and the most toxic chemicals such as:

Some skincare lines add their active ingredients to a base made by another company, and have little idea what is in that base formula. It is important for the manufacturer to guarantee the entire product is toxic-free.

This question should not catch them off-guard. The best lines are proud of this, are constantly innovating, and will be excited to share.

Testing by both an independent lab and regular internal testing is preferred.

Cold or cool processing is preferred when possible to maintain the efficacy of the active ingredients.

Wildcrafted methods are preferred, for maximum efficacy of the ingredients, but organic is at least acceptable to ensure that no chemicals were used in the manufacturing process. This is also a good question to ask to determine how much they know about the quality, integrity, and sustainability of the entire supply chain.

Ask them to explain to you how the active ingredients address this need and the exact

biomechanism creating the efficacy.

Facilities

Wellness is all about growth and transformation. We are in our infancy as a formal industry, and there will be growing pains. The above tools should help you navigate your endless wellness resources, but trust your intuition above all. That gut feeling will lead you to your personal wellness aha moment.

More here:
These Are the Health Questions You Need to Be Asking - Thrive Global