I personally grew up in the spa industry having worked in the global wellness community since opening my healthy lifestyle PR firm 30 years ago. It has always been my professional mission to make spas a showroom for a healthy lifestyle.   Attending this year’s annual International Spa Association (ISPA) conference, Sept. 13–15 in Vegas, showed me my dream is coming to fruition. The mainstreaming of spa and the recognition of spa as a training ground and platform of what’s new and cool was everywhere.

The show was a mélange of fringe spa concepts and brands like aromatherapy and gem therapy and halo therapy becoming part of the mainstream vernacular with high-end branded products and mainstream brands edging into spas.

Here are some of the new products and trends I spotted on the show floor.

Formulators Take the Spa Spotlight Formulators, who created the brands we have known and loved (and looked our best because of them) are pulling the curtain so their own brands can emerge in the spa space too.  Names of note include Marianne Griffith of Prima Fleur; YG Laboratories, creators of a large percentage of beauty’s best mainstream brands introduced CelleCles Skin Care, a brand designed by Irena James to combat tech induced health problems and The Cottage Greenhouse, a line of botanicals from Margot Elena who created a brand just for spas guaranteed to be a beloved best-seller.

Beauty’s Best Eye Opener Lids By Design gives your eyes an instant lift with a surgery-free, medical-grade strip that invisibly and safely corrects loose, saggy or uneven skin above the eyes or maximizes your chance for a better surgical outcome

Fragrant Surroundings Scent took the main stage with new ways of experiencing aromatherapy.

Stylish, portable and pure, Petalwell is an aromatherapy diffuser and the way forward for natural fragrance.  It’s a simple method to surround yourself with aromatherapy at home or while traveling

An aromatherapy solution to many health issues, 21 drops essential oils declare inspiring results.

A few of us were wearing COR Pendants, an aromatherapy necklace that allows you to keep scents close to the nose at all times.

Natural Beauty Brands Just Keep Getting Better The spa-goer is also quite often the “naturals” shopper. The spa industry gets to experience the best in naturals first including brands such as PHYT’S, which is known for going beyond the strictest eco standards.

Blue Beautifly captures the power of mother nature through ancient sciences with top quality ingredients without toxins.  The founders, who traveled the world for their formulations, are passionate about education.

Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer does an excellent job of creating fast manicures with less toxins.

The Power of Affirmations and Visual Cues Positivity is everywhere in the spa industry, especially accessories.

Mind in Motion fashions are designed to unlock your inner-strength to become your own greatest champion.

LA Designer Tiffany Lerman’s Pattern LA accessories line has more to say with her motivation messages and exclusive patterns everyone wants on their bag.

Smooth-Outs Leave it to a mom and her dad to come up with the answer to blow-out damage!  DAFNI’s DIY “smooth-outs” make hair straight and sleek in a fraction of the time with none of the damage of traditional straightening.

The Frequency of Frequencies Increase Vibrational Sound Association is doing great work educating us on the benefits of Vibration Sound Therapy VST.  There are more companies proudly showing new ways to benefit from ancient technologies.

For example, Philip Stein's signature Natural Frequency Technology (NFT) is used to tune into nature by canceling out man-made frequencies from the screens and sounds we are exposed to all day. Each watch and bracelet has a metal disc in it that is tuned in to a lower frequency. People who wear it, including Oprah and Madonna, claim that it helps them relax and focus.  Last year, Philip Stein launched a sleep bracelet tuned to help get a deeper, more satisfying rest. A lot of us swear by it! This year, Philip Stein introduced its Horizon Sport Bracelet tuned in to help with performance at the gym, office or anywhere in between at the right price point too.

A more traditional approach to spreading ancient technology are singing bowls from Eastern Vibration.

Healing through Hair So many brands are doing their part to help cancer survivors, patients and research including Bellus Academy for mobilizing the spa world to develop cancer treatments.

Insider Brands The spa industry has its favorite brands.  Informal research showed that beauty insiders favorite personal take home brands is still Dr. Dennis Gross Pads.

 

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Nancy Trent is a writer and speaker, a lifelong health advocate, a globe-trotting trend watcher and the founder and president of Trent & Company, a New York-based marketing communications firm.  Trent & Company grew out of Nancy’s personal commitment to helping people live longer and healthier lives.  A former journalist for New York magazine, Nancy has written seven books on healthy lifestyles, serves on the editorial boards of several magazines and travels around the worc ld speaking at conferences and trade shows on trends in the marketplace. She is a recognized expert in PR with more than 30 years of experience creating and managing highly successful campaigns. Nancy can be reached at (212) 966-0024 or through e-mail at nancy@trentandcompany.com.  You may also visit www.trentandcompany.com.

 

NOTE: WholeFoods Magazine does not endorse any specific brand or product. The opinions expressed in bylined articles are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Posted on WholeFoods Magazine Online, 10/7/2016

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