The wellness industry has flourished as more people become aware of the importance of their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. A report from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) revealed that the market for health and wellness was worth an estimated USD 5.6373 trillion in 2023 and is expected to reach 8.6514 trillion by 2027. While the growing importance and acknowledgement of personal wellness is highlighted here, the report also showcases that self-care has become increasingly commodified, losing it’s true meaning as money comes into play. This issue has also been raised by Youtubers Adele Marie and Ashley Viola, who discuss the wellness and beauty industries, and their ties to capitalism.
In 2023, 19.5% of the wellness industry was made up of “personal care and beauty” products, and 1.9% the spa business. Although retail therapy, face masks, beauty products and the overall notion of “look good, feel good” appear to be forms of taking care of ourselves by improving our overall confidence and self-esteem, they are only able to resolve the problem on the surface, treating the symptoms and not the causes. Trips to the spa, bathing with bath bombs and lighting candles only act as new forms of escapism from reality. They create a cycle of burnout, splurging on products, moments of fleeting happiness, and then returning to being burnt out.
It should be clarified that splurging on “self-care” is not necessarily a terrible thing. It can truly give you time to rest and reset, but companies also exploit such endeavours and reinforce the assumption that to take care of yourself you must spend money. These rituals also tie self-care to beauty standards – that one should have smooth, untextured skin, and should look flawless with minimal effort. For example, ASD Market Week continues to push diversity in wellness products, the usage of “self-care kits”, and the following of rapidly changing trends as recommended self-care strategies in a bid to commodify wellness.
The rise of content on social media that companies and influencers use to promote products and services also shows that capitalism has successfully hijacked self-care. This messaging is evidently classist and contributes to overconsumption, with influencers seen hording expensive public relations packages curated by companies. As Youtuber Ashely Viola notes, the public, especially younger girls, are fed that consumption is the only way to achieve self-care, and that if they do not have the means to do so they are letting themselves go and being lazy. Most people are then unable to delve into what self-care truly should be, and its significance to our well-being.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation” – Audre Lorde, writer and poet.
The quote by Audre Lorde is a reclamation of what self-care truly is—that in a society where you are pushed to hustle and be the ideal version of yourself, self-care can manifest in small steps of being kinder to yourself: taking breaks, washing the dishes, a nice shower, a walk in the park; things that some people tend to dismiss when life gets too busy.
Susan Svec, owner of Soaps & More, believes that socialisation can be a form of self-care, as humans are social beings. Even though many may view socialisation as mentally draining, finding and connecting with the right people can lead to longer-lasting happiness and living a more balanced life.
Self-care is so much deeper than what social media and companies want to show to us. Alluring as it sounds, self-care through products and services only scratches the surface of what it could be. Understanding yourself, your boundaries, and taking small steps to be kinder to yourself can create more sustainable and fulfilling forms of self-care.