At one time a niche product or nice-to-have benefit, today organic and natural beauty is the norm, and consumers have become more insistent that these products be both powerful and safe. Brands and companies have obliged by creating and offering hardworking organic or natural products at a variety of price points, making them accessible to everyone, and for the full spectrum of skin types and conditions. Hot on the heels of the demand for organic/natural beauty is holistic beauty—a category that encompasses the synergy between health, wellness, and beauty.
From embracing organic and natural topical products to being mindful of getting enough clean foods, consumers are looking for a more holistic approach to living, and much of it starts with their beauty routine at home. The drive to be holistic, and feel healthy and look beautiful is so strong, consumers are willing to change their behaviors in some radical (and not so radical) ways.
As holistic treatments gain more mainstream buzz, so too does consumer awareness. In January 2018, The Benchmarking Company surveyed more than 8,000 US women about their awareness, knowledge of, and behaviors regarding holistic living. Respondent answers were reported as a whole, and by age generation[1].
Holistic Awareness
Awareness of activities and treatments most often associated with being holistic such as yoga, Pilates, barre class, and the like is relatively high amongst all consumers, in particular yoga and meditation. On the lower end of the awareness scale are lesser known procedures such as Ayurvedic medicine, Bach flower remedies, colonics, and sensory deprivation chambers, some of which are known by only a handful of consumers.
Figure 1: Holistic Therapies She’s Heard Of
| Therapy | Percentage Overall |
| Yoga | 98% |
| Meditation | 96% |
| Pilates | 92% |
| Acupuncture | 91% |
| Herbal medicine | 85% |
| Life coaching | 77% |
| Salt lamps | 72% |
| Acupressure | 71% |
| Homeopathic medicine | 71% |
| Reflexology | 69% |
| Homeopathy | 67% |
| Sweat lodge | 52% |
| Bath/water therapy | 52% |
| Chakra balancing | 51% |
| Magnets therapy | 48% |
| Cryotherapy | 48% |
| Reiki | 44% |
| Sensory deprivation chamber | 43% |
| Naturopathic health remedies | 39% |
| Therapeutic touch | 38% |
| Flotation therapy | 37% |
| Colon hydrotherapy | 28% |
| Salt chamber | 28% |
| Energy therapies | 24% |
| Ayurvedic medicine | 21% |
| Bach Flower remedies | 8% |
When asked what the term ‘holistic beauty’ means, answers revealed a wide range of thinking from natural and organic beauty (45% and 40%) to nutritional supplements to beauty products without harmful chemicals. However, the largest percent of consumers equate ‘holistic beauty’ with something that is good for overall health, such as embracing alternative therapies that support health and well-being (58%) or the interconnectivity of body, mind, and beauty (56%). Other answers point to a general sense of making healthy choices, loving oneself and remaining positive in mind; beauty without harmful chemicals; maintaining a positive body image; and loving myself, flaws and all! Interestingly, it’s Generation X who most believe accepting flaws and maintaining self-love is a huge part of holistic beauty (26%), above and beyond Generation X and Boomers (17% vs 19%, respectively). At 23%, Millennials are a close second at believing loving oneself flaws and all is a vital part of holistic beauty.
[1] With generation ranges closely matching those considered to be nationally representative…
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