The spa and wellness industry is back and booming! It seems everyone opened their doors and found themselves fully booked in 2022, and we can expect that they will continue experiencing success in 2023. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) even predicted that the wellness economy will reach $7 trillion by 2025, with wellness tourism, thermal mineral springs and spas expected to experience significant growth.
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The spa and wellness industry is back and booming! It seems everyone opened their doors and found themselves fully booked in 2022, and we can expect that they will continue experiencing success in 2023. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) even predicted that the wellness economy will reach $7 trillion by 2025, with wellness tourism, thermal mineral springs and spas expected to experience significant growth.
That being said, overall financial predictions for next year are less optimistic, so it’s important that spas and wellness facilities continue providing guests with innovative treatments and experiences that address their needs—and wants. Following are the top 10 spa and wellness trends that will prove popular with spa-goers in 2023. I hope they will inspire your offerings menu and your sales as we gear up for a new year.
1. Targeted Spot Treatments
A simple and fun trend that has taken over social media and trade shows alike, targeted spot treatments are a great opportunity for spas to customize services according to guests’ needs. Spot treatments can alleviate pain, heal skin, promote relaxation and add a sense of luxury.
A client who books a pain-relieving massage will benefit from a concentrated CBD topical that is worked into their main problem areas, or percussion therapy over those specific pain points. Other targeted options include energy healing for a specific emotional concern, lifting facial massages and other techniques that enhance results.
Mini yet luxe scalp treatments are also popular and can be performed while a face mask sets or when the guest is cocooned in their body wrap. Massage the scalp with a specialized serum, and go the extra mile with a jade comb, acupressure and even high frequency. It’s a relatively simple way to elevate a service and leave a lasting impression.
2. Whole Body Tech
Innovation in wellness technology is always exciting to see, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the array of whole-body pods and treatment tables that offer biohacking and other therapies. The options are endless, with equipment like ozone saunas, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, floatation “pearls,” light therapy pods, individual salt and cryotherapy chambers, and more giving spa-goers an opportunity to optimize their well-being inside and out.
This equipment typically doesn’t require a therapist beyond the initial setup and consult, which gives spas the ability to work around any staffing issues and accommodate busy guests with limited time. Younger clients will also be quick to share such interesting tech on social media, organically promoting your spa in the process.
3. Serene Sound Therapies
Vibroacoustic technologies are making major waves (pun intended) in spa and wellness. Therapeutic sounds and music have been added to devices and entire spa spaces to lower stress, blood pressure and heart rates, ultimately balancing out the parasympathetic nervous system.
Spas are bringing in techy loungers that deliver soothing vibrations while guests listen to music that calms the mind. Plenty of sonic immersion and vibroacoustic tables are available, combining vibrations and music to boost health and well-being. Not only are they in high demand for their biohacking appeal, but these offerings can function as a stand-alone touchless therapy or as an enhancement for other services.
4. Crystal-Infused Products
Energy healing is taking over spa treatments of all kinds, so it should be no surprise that crystal-infused topicals are making their way to the mainstream.
Wellness businesses are stocking face and body serums, cleansers, lotions and oils that contain crushed gemstone powders. These crystal infusions elevate the formulas’ energy as the other actives nourish the skin.
Meanwhile, essential oil rollers containing crystal pieces can address clients’ well-being needs with aromatherapy while balancing chakra energies—and they look absolutely gorgeous on retail shelves and vanities alike. Crystal infusions are even showing up in spa spaces as uplifting frangrance mists and in hand soap dispensers.
5. B-Corp Brands
As we all set our sights on caring for the planet, more and more sustainable products and brands are coming to the forefront of the industry. Look for companies that use sustainable ingredients and farming practices, recyclable packaging and less packaging (i.e., waste) overall.
Many personal care brands are getting B-Corp certified, as well. This is a rigorous process that audits a company from top to bottom, ensuring that it puts people and the planet before profits. It makes good business sense to partner with such brands, because it lowers your spa’s environmental impact and seriously resonates
with guests.
6. Personalized Nutrition
The idea that health and wellness comes from the inside is not a new one, but it has been gaining a lot of steam in the past few years. Consumers are looking to improve their diets wherever they can, and Grand View Research predicts that the nutritional supplements market will reach $620.8 billion by 2030.
Vitamins, minerals, supplements and functional drinks are in high demand among wellness-seekers, and spas are in the perfect position to cater to their needs. Consider offering teas, tinctures and other snacks based around common concerns, including stress relief, gut health, internal hydration, sports recovery and even hot flashes.
These offerings translate seamlessly to retail areas, too, where you can provide supplements and herbal teas for whatever ails your guests.
7. Mastering Menopause
Stigmas surrounding women’s health are falling by the wayside, from reproductive issues to aging bodies, and menopausal care is poised to be a huge opportunity for spas and wellness centers. Not only is it an evergreen client base (in that there will always be spa-goers dealing with menopause), but spas are in the perfect position to address symptoms like body aches and pains, crepey skin, hot flashes and insomnia.
Savvy businesses have already taken note and updated their menus, offering spa treatments that treat physical menopause symptoms, retreats that support guests emotionally, and workshops that educate and empower them. Holistic spa services take center stage, of course, and they include collagen-supporting skin care; aromatherapy and breathwork; hot and cold stone massage therapy; gua sha; reflexology; lymphatic drainage; and teas and herbs that combat hot flashes, poor sleep, low estrogen, breast tenderness and more.
8. Nature Baths
By now, we’re all aware of how important being in nature can be for our well-being—and your guests are fully on board. Properties are elevating wellness programs by offering a multitude of outdoor options to their clients.
This is the perfect way to highlight your property’s surroundings. Beach yoga and meditation are always well received, as is guided forest (or desert) bathing, hiking, running, moon baths and more.
People are visiting you to experience your entire destination, after all, and fitness offerings that get them outside are ideal for doing just that. (This is also convenient for facilities that have limited indoor space for classes and other group sessions.) Destinations are even introducing geocaching experiences that allow guests to get out and explore on and off the property.
9. Lymph Love
Whether guests are looking to slim their waistline, fight facial signs of aging or address their overall health, lymphatic drainage treatments cover all the bases. Moving lymph benefits everyone by reducing fluid and waste retention, and treatments like gua sha massage, cupping and other similar modalities stimulate blood flow to energize the entire body.
Visible results include a sleeker physique and less bloating in the case of body treatments; in facials, the skin is noticeably firmer and more luminous. Those reasons alone will have clients clamoring for anything that gets their lymphatic system moving, to say nothing of the treatments’ general health benefits.
Luckily, spas and wellness centers have plenty of modalities at their disposal. In addition to manual techniques, look for facial gua sha and cupping tools (popular on TikTok), as well as compression therapy suits, boots or pants. There are also full-body devices that can customize lymphatic drainage treatments for optimal results.
10. Future Realities
It has been interesting to watch how virtual reality (VR) and digital platforms have impacted such a high-touch industry. Pre-pandemic, we were already seeing VR experiences in wellness and virtual try-ons in beauty. During the pandemic, our industry was forced to innovate, and virtual meditation sessions, empowerment workshops and more became just another part of doing business. Now, we’re contending with terms like omniverse and metaverse, which boil down to connections within digital spaces.
Across the board, VR is here to stay. For wellness-seekers and spa-goers, that means more access to guidance, classes and experiences—ideally from experts like you and other spa practitioners. Virtual offerings also allow you to stand out and have a broader reach, resulting in new revenue streams that don’t even require you to leave your business.
