Grace Belgravia Announce Wellness Industry Trends For 2016

In 2008, Kate Percival identified an upward trend in the global wellness sector. Focusing on the convergence of medicine and the global spa industry, Percival wrote a thesis that would become the foundation for Grace, the UK’s first health, wellbeing and lifestyle club for women, which she founded with Dr Tim Evans in 2012.

Three years on, Grace continues to position itself at the forefront of women’s wellness, with a team of internationally recognised medical experts and therapists – and insights into significant industry trends that shape consumer thinking and the business of wellness.

“At Grace, we are about preventative health and ageing well,” Percival explained at a press morning this week in London. “Since we opened in 2013, the wellness industry has seen exponential growth,” she added, referring to a now $3.4 trillion estimated global valuation.

This, growth, Percival highlights, can be attributed to a number of factors including a rise in lifestyle related diseases and an ageing population.

The key trends for 2016, according to a panel of Grace specialists including Nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, Health Coach and Yoga Instructor Julie Montagu, Dr Rabia Malik and Dr Maryam Zamani, will focus mainly around the future of preventative medicine and anti-ageing.

Trend: Wired Wellness

Montagu explains that in the UK, 21% of people are already using a wearable device or health-related mobile app, a trend that is continuing to rise in relation to the number, variety and users of online workout platforms.

Trend: The Nutritionist Revolution

Model turned qualified Nutritionist, Peacock spotlights supplements as a rising trends for the coming year, with a surge in ‘combination supplements’ which she says is a category forecast to grow 4% annually over the next three years. Part of this, she explains, is a push for more personalised offerings and ‘nutrition programs’ to service the growing number of clients she sees that are time poor and not necessarily wanting to totally clean up their lives.

“There is a new focus on removing nasties as well,” she says, as supplement brands are pushed to produce cleaner products and concerns over product safety and allergies drive the free-from trend.

Trend: Asian Skincare Revolution

Medical innovations in anti-ageing skincare coming out of Asia and in particular Korea, Dr Malik explains, will drive continued demand for non-invasive beauty treatments. Dr Malik, a GP and practicing Cosmetic Doctor, mentions the rise in demand for DIY easy anti-ageing products, as lifestyle demands dictate minimal downtime after procedures. These, she says, include waterless products and fermented products.

Trend: Growth Factor Stimulating Treatments

Launching at Grace in November, Dr Malik also references an increase in demand for non-invasive stimulating treatments like a new Meso PRP treatment which involves taking blood from the arm, and separating the platelets and growth factors. The platelet rich plasma (PRP) is applied to the skin topically and penetrates for 45 minutes which give the plasma a chance to heal, restore and rejuvenate skin. The whole procedure takes 2 hours.

Other skincare trends, identified by Oculoplastic Surgeon and Aesthetic Doctor, Dr Zamani, will include continued demands for topical botox (which has seen a 700% increase since 2000) and various hormone therapies.

“We are being educated around nutrition and exercise,” Dr Zamani says, “but we’re lacking in education around women’s health and particularly hormones.”

With genetic testing also high on the agenda, according to Percival, preventative medicine and ageing will continue to inform every aspect of Grace, from the integrated wellbeing and medical clinic to the spa retreat, gym and healthy food café.