Every few months, a new ingredient comes to prominence, amid claims that it will cure the ills caused by modern living: matcha for sustained energy, protein for appetite control, peptides for hormone regulation, CBD for anxiety, and so on. Yet, what if the most effective all-in-one method for achieving all the above has been under our noses for thousands of years?

That was what María Cobar asked herself after she was introduced to cacao – the raw, minimally processed bean (the same that chocolate comes from) that has been prized since ancient times for its nutritional and mood-enhancing benefits.

‘The scientific name for cacao is Theobroma cacao, literally "Food of God”, because of its ability to generate physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing,’ says Cobar. ‘In Mexico, there are all these legends about how the gods stole the cacao tree because it was only meant for the gods, but it was given as a gift to humans so they could focus on the arts and be fully nourished. Now, a thousand years later, people are finally getting it.’

With her brand, María Cacao, Cobar is hoping to help as many people as possible get it by hand-crafting ceremonial strength cacao blocks and flavoured cacao pods (like chocolate candy but with cacao) in her Mexico City store. Of course, cacao has been popular in certain circles for years, with cacao ceremonies, rooted in the tradition of Aztec and Mayan traditions, practised around the world, and plenty of wellness retailers selling the product, albeit often an over-processed, questionably sourced version of the ingredient.

For Cobar, starting her own cacao business was a way to bring cacao to a wider audience, while respecting its heritage and supporting local businesses, with an all-female team working daily to craft every cacao product by hand. There is also a family of farmers working to care for and harvest the cacao trees in the Mexican state of Tabasco.

‘In Mexico we say it's vigorizante – it pumps your veins,’ says Cobar. ‘When Hernán Cortés came to Mexico, he wrote a letter to Carlos V in Spain saying, “These people drink this very strange seed that they use as currency, and just a single dose of this beverage can sustain a soldier in battle for an entire day because it's so nourishing”. Then it was taken to Europe and transformed into milk chocolate. In Mexico, cacao wasn't accessible to everyone; it was a divine food, always present in ceremonies: weddings, funerals, all kinds of rituals.'

But the beneficial qualities of cacao have largely been lost to time following the Spanish conquest of the Americas. ‘Cacao became a sweet treat that, in modern times, even became something that carried shame – it’ll give you spots, it’ll make you gain weight, it’s bad for you. [There is] this whole taboo around chocolate, when actually, at its core, it's so healthy; we just changed it into something unhealthy by processing it.’

When unprocessed, cacao is one of the most nutritionally dense foods in the world, with more antioxidants than blueberries and containing a compound that can aid weight loss, phenylethylamine (the same molecule your brain releases when you fall in love). It also contains anandamide, which activates the same receptors in the brain that produce cannabinoids for relaxation (it is known as the ‘bliss molecule’).

María Cacao just opened up its first storefront in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighbourhood, where customers can purchase its cacao products and taste a full cacao menu in a candlelit space. The products are also now available to purchase in London thanks to Vickie Biggs, who retails the cacao blocks and flavoured cacao pods from The Dream Of, an east London holistic healing studio that is a Wallpaper* favourite. Together, Biggs and Cobar are working to get cacao retailed in more locations around the UK, and to make ‘people realise that cacao is not only for wellness obsessives’, says Cobar. ‘Hopefully, one day, [it will be] the norm to enter spaces where instead of having wine or coffee, you’re having cacao, and [we’ll see] what conversations arise from this heart-opening medicine.’

At The Dream Of, Biggs has converted many of her clients – who include Yasmin Sewell, founder of Vyrao; make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench; and Alex Brownsell, hairstylist and founder of Bleach London – to replace their morning coffee with cacao. ‘I tried María’s cacao, and I've tried hundreds [of examples], and was immediately blown away; I knew I needed it in the shop,’ says Biggs.

‘As cacao becomes more popular, and I do think it will eventually be the new matcha, there's a real responsibility around how it's sourced and who profits from it. There's been a big influx of white-owned cacao brands. For me, people with platforms must support those who are genuinely connected to where cacao is from. Maria being Mexican, having a fully female Mexican team, working closely with farmers in Tabasco – that matters enormously. The product literally comes from that place of care and connection. You can taste it.’

mariacacao.mx

It’s 9am on a Sunday morning on Sunset Boulevard and Next Health clinic is busy. A man sits in a hyperbaric chamber, still on his laptop, while pressurised oxygen is pumped into his body. He’s doing a 90-day challenge – one hyperbaric chamber a day for 90 days to track his mental and physical health. Nearby, two young men in track suits, jaded from the night before, fast-track detox shots into their veins in the IV Lounge. They are among the many ‘health tourists’ who come to LA for treatments and innovations they can’t find at home. Think on-the-spot diagnostics, such as brain, liver and heart scans, grip-strength checks, toxin screenings that look for microplastics, IV therapy, and genetic and blood testing.

Near the IV station, a red-light-therapy face mask, which resembles a Venetian carnival mask before it’s been decorated, sits next to a tray of brain-health booster shots and electrolytes. Also nearby are the infrared LED bed, infrared sauna, cryotherapy cabin, VISIA Skin Analysis, InBody Scan and – in its own private room – LA’s hottest treatment yet, the Ammortal Chamber. It may sound like Frankenstein’s favourite hangout, but this space-age boudoir offers red-light therapy and guided meditation alongside four other ‘modalities’ with the aim of improving heart rate variability and mental clarity. ‘It’s great for time-pressured individuals who want relief from an adrenaline-fuelled day,’ explains Next Health co-founder Dr Darshan Shah.

The tech-meets-wellness longevity boom

When Shah opened Next Health in West Hollywood a decade ago, he pioneered concepts such as ‘optimisation,’ ‘longevity’ and ‘biomarkers’ and this personalised and proactive approach to health is now mainstream. ‘A lot of people are doing self-experimentation with how treatments affect their biological age and it’s great to be doing N-of-1 [single-subject] experiments in a medical setting,' Shah adds.

As tech innovations accelerated, other concierge-led longevity clinics followed. Remedy Place opened on The Strip in 2019 offering cryotherapy chambers, ice baths and sauna alongside lymphatic drainage and a VO2 lounge and now has sister sites in New York and Boston. 10X Health, which opened in Beverly Hills in 2021, is in 46 countries including the UK and UAE, and signature treatments include genetic testing and a Superhuman Protocol – a 40-minute session involving electromagnetic pulses, red-light therapy and an oxygen mask (Kylie and Kendall Jenner have the beds in their homes). There’s no shortage of celebrities eager to endorse dream tickets to wellness, youth and vitality.

And what starts in LA has a ripple effect; in 1998 Barry’s Bootcamp was founded in West Hollywood and now operates in 15 countries. Celebrity facialist Ole Henriksen debuted his signature facial on Sunset and concierge-driven longevity clinics are all over the world. (In London, pioneers are spas such as Surrenne and Six Senses London and walk-in clinics such as REVIV and Get a Drip. )

‘Most people (at the clinics) are dabbling with wearables like Whoop and Oura, and they also have devices like bioimpedance scales and continuous glucose monitors at home,' explains Shah. 'We live in an incredible age where we have great data about our bodies and what's going on inside. We should be doing all the right things at the right time.’

But isn’t doing all the right things at the right time a bit… stressful? Tracking and biohacking can be non-stop and exhausting, and often, they fuel health anxiety rather than alleviating it. 'Data anxiety is a real thing, but it's also similar to saying “knowing how much gas I have in the tank gives me anxiety, so I don't want to have a dashboard built in”,’ says Shah. ‘If we turn a blind eye to this data, we can go years, if not decades, suffering from chronic health issues and not even know it until it's too late. If the data gives you anxiety, you don't have to look at it yourself. You can have a medical professional look at it.’

Enter new health spaces, such as Unbound in London; part-café, part-clinic, it combines blood, strength, fitness and recovery testing with an analysis of physical and mental health alongside a buzzy cafe and strong community.

Desert wellness – escape the city

Integratron, Homestead Valley

Nowhere do physical and spiritual health have a better chance to flourish than under the vast skies of the Californian desert. Here, other-worldly landscapes offer an exceptional dose of nature – and some wild imaginings. In 1957, after a ‘visit from aliens from Venus’, late aeronautical engineer and desert dweller George Van Tassel created a dome-shaped ‘Integratron’ to facilitate longevity, time travel and communication with outer space. The 38ft-tall cupola is a masterstroke in acoustics, mathematics and engineering and a metaphysical destination offering sell-out sound baths.

The Spa at Séc-he, Palm Springs

The Spa at Séc-he in Palm Springs is another unmissable stop on any SoCal desert wellness trip. Built on the site where, 12,000 years ago, the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians discovered mineral springs gushing out of the earth at 25 gallons per minute, the spa opened in 2023 and offers a special ‘Taking of the Waters’ ritual. Guests wallow solo in a hot tub for 15 minutes while the skin absorbs a healthy dose of sodium, sulphur, magnesium and more. High-tech add-ons such as electromagnetic blankets, salt rooms and cryotherapy chambers create a spa that is a mix of ancient and modern (Séc-he means ‘the sound of soft boiling water' in Cahuilla).

Spa City, Desert Hot Springs

It may not have the glamour of Palm Springs, but across the Coachella Valley, Desert Hot Springs has plentiful mineral waters too. These gush out of the earth at 132°F (56°C) from one well, and cold, fresh and drinkable from another – hence the area was dubbed Miracle Hill. The San Andreas Fault runs right through Desert Hot Springs, and the waters are rich in more than 30 minerals, among them bicarbonate, said to improve circulation to the extremities and relieve hypertension; chloride, which eases arthritis, rheumatic disorders and post-operative pain; magnesium for smoother skin and better sleep; sodium to diminish swelling, joint pain and aid lymphatic system; and potassium to improve skin health.

Midcentury architecture frames the scene at many of the waters, at Sagewater Desert Hot Springs Spa and Miracle Manor, which also features two Cube Rooms built by LA architect Michael Rotondi to designs by Albert Frey.

It’s all a far cry from 1941, when visitors to the Desert Hot Springs’ first bathhouse would have to sleep in their cars. In recent years the town has suffered an image problem, but two large spa developments have signed contracts on Miracle Hill, and with organisations such as Miracle Hill Spas Association hosting events, visitors are coming back. Look carefully and you can see the LA ripple effect, stirring on the waters.

Rooms at The Sun Rose West Hollywood start from £316/ €366 per night

Rooms at Montage Laguna Beach start from £1,212/ €1,401 per night

Rooms at Thompson Palm Springs start from £200/ €232 per night

For further information, head to VisitCalifornia.com 

Vickie Biggs’ The Dream Of is a new London studio that offers Reiki, reflexology, cacao ceremonies, lymphatic drainage massage and more in a warm, design-conscious space that is a welcome alternative to the more typically New Age trappings that often accompany such treatments. It was a conscious choice for Biggs, whose central aim with the studio is to normalise intuitive healing care, eliminating the doubt she herself once felt around such therapies.

Indeed, Biggs, who was previously running the space out of her studio in Hackney Downs, already has a cohort of devoted clients that includes Isamaya Ffrench, Yasmin Sewell, Alex Brownsell and many other successful creatives in the beauty industry and beyond – essentially, the type of people whose work demands a constant, contradicting and sometimes draining balance between creativity and business strategy. It’s the type of balance Biggs understands well, having worked across fashion and art for brands such as Acne Studios, Ditto Publishing and Vyrao, before a near-death experience forced her to reevaluate her life and explore new methods of healing she never previously considered.

These included Reiki and Reiki Massage, of which Biggs is now a licensed practitioner; she describes her first experience getting it as, ‘essentially a huge, energetic clearing that was the most physically intense, overwhelming physical experience of my life’.

Developed in early 20th-century Japan, Reiki involves a practitioner lightly placing their hands above or on the body to guide energy through the body, in order to promote relaxation and improve overall wellbeing. If that description is raising your eyebrows, I’ll admit I was a bit of the same. But then Biggs offered to give me a session and what transpired, after years of receiving all types of out-there treatments, was one of the strangest experiences I’ve had yet. As I lay down in the studio’s treatment room, Biggs hovered her hands over my body and, even though she wasn’t touching me, I was fully conscious of exactly where her hands were. That was because I could feel a whirlpooling and whooshing of movement around whatever point she was focusing on – almost as if my body had become a thin membrane and tides of water were moving through it. Afterwards, I felt so zoned out that holding a conversation was a challenge.

I can’t say exactly how Reiki works, but now I’m a believer, and that is only one of The Dream Of’s various offerings. The space also hosts female practitioners who specialise in breathwork, facial sculpting and lymphatic drainage treatments, astrology, tarot, and reflexology. Biggs stocks a small edit of brands that includes María Cacao, an artisanal Mexican producer of the superfood known for its mood-boosting, cognition-improving qualities, as well as Alexis Smart floral remedies, Vyrao fragrances, Anima Mundi apothecary products and Monastery skincare; for all of these (aside from Vyrao), she is the only UK supplier, or one of a very few.

For those who are well-versed in such treatments, The Dream Of is bound to be a welcome addition to the city, and for those less familiar, the space offers a wealth of entry points to try something new. Either way, it presents a new philosophy of care that, no matter what you believe, might just be worth exploring.

The Dream Of, 25 Sunbury Workshops, 30 Swanfield St, London, E2 7LF

the-dream-of.com

For all the billions of words, products and pounds the beauty industry has spent in the pursuit of helping people look younger, the basic tenets for success are relatively simple: maintain good skincare, eat healthily, exercise, maybe dye your hair, and try to keep your stress levels at least slightly low. But what if there was one tactic the industry had overlooked for decades? One secret key that could transform your appearance quickly and effectively?

According to our 2026 beauty trend report, this is, in fact, the case. As Nick Axelrod-Welk, beauty expert and co-founder of Into The Gloss, told us: ‘a trend I see coming is Invisalign as an aesthetic, anti-ageing treatment rather than just an orthodontic one. Even if you had braces as a kid, your teeth can still move and become crowded in your thirties and forties. This can affect the quality of your breathing as well as your face shape. Improving your smile – straightening teeth, expanding palate, increasing spacing – can easily shave a few years off of your appearance.’

Why oral care is the new frontier in anti-ageing

But it’s not just Axelrod-Welk who is picking up on the trend of orthodontics as anti-ageing. London’s Nejati Clinic is at the forefront of the trend, offering a menu of treatments that use dental realignment and the resulting facial recomposition to turn back the clock for their clients. The clinic also offers innovative teeth reconstruction procedures, saliva-based longevity diagnostics, regenerative oral tissue procedures to improve the appearance of your teeth, and also, more interestingly, to improve whole-body health.

‘Our philosophy has always been that true anti-ageing dentistry must protect and regenerate biological tissues, not simply change how teeth look,’ says founder Dr. Brandon Nejati. ‘The oral cavity contains highly vascularised tissues and a complex microbiome that constantly communicates with the immune and inflammatory systems. When that balance is disrupted, it can contribute to chronic inflammation and accelerated ageing elsewhere in the body.’

Saliva testing is an essential component of the Nejati method, allowing the clinic to assess a patient’s unique levels of inflammation, oxidative stress, microbial balance and early tissue breakdown so that they can personalise treatments and intervene before visible ageing or disease occurs. Once assessed, the treatments begin, including a Microbiome Rebalancing, which instead of indiscriminately eliminating bacteria aims to restore balance, like a probiotic, to improve overall health. There is also the clinic’s signature Biological Smile Rejuvenation procedure, which uses a Micro-Layering™ technique to rebuild teeth with ultra-thin, biologically respectful layers that replicate the natural stratification and light behaviour of enamel to create a natural-looking alternative to the distractingly fake-looking teeth of so many celebrities and high-end dental clinic clients today. Regenerative LED therapy can also be applied to the oral tissues, supporting cellular regeneration and collagen production like a polynucleotide facial for the face.

Nejati Clinic is just one of a growing number of clinics catering to clients' interest in applying the principles of longevity culture to every aspect of their lives, and applying anti-ageing advancements to every part of their bodies.

Dr Joyce Kahng, the dentist and owner of Orange County’s Orange and Magnolia Dental Studio, offers a ‘VeneerLift’ procedure, which she describes as a ‘lower-third lift’ with all of the benefits and none of the drawbacks of invasive surgery. Using a signature method, Kahng opens the bite for patients with worn teeth and lengthens the front teeth to restore the balance between the lower and bottom parts of the mouth and, consequently, restore balance to the face as a whole. While in New York City, Les Belles Dentistry uses Bio Bonding, a technique designed to enhance the appearance and symmetry of teeth, offering more support to the upper lip and reversing one of the biggest telltale signs of an ageing face – the revealing of lower teeth due to sagging lip and facial muscles.

At the moment, such treatments are mainly limited to large cities and luxury clinics, but, like most beauty trends that start as such, it seems likely that the next few years will see a flourishing of this trend in new locations and at new price points. ‘Dentistry has not fundamentally changed in over fifty years, largely focused on treating disease once it appears,’ says Nejati. ‘At the moment, high-level biological and therapeutic dentistry is considered ultra-luxury and is available to only a few patients globally. That is why we see patients travelling to us from North America, the Middle East, continental Europe, Central Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Over time, however, we believe these methods will become more widely adopted and eventually mainstream.’

Every day of the past year seemed to bring a new beauty launch, making it hard to tell exactly which debuts were worth paying attention to, and which were simply more noise.

Thankfully, after a year of trying, experimenting and then trying again, I’ve narrowed down 25 of the standout beauty launches of the year, chosen for a combination of innovative formulations, pleasing packaging, and the offering up of something new.

From contouring palettes to workout apps, Japanese make-up brushes and fragrance designed for your clothes, we're certain there’s something here for everyone. And, with the festive season looming, it doubles as a handy gift guide – whether indulging yourself or a loved one.

Make-up

Hair and body care

Perfume

Skincare

Wellness

Fortune, it turns out, really does favour the bold; at least when you’re looking to collaborate with Rick Owens. ‘I wrote a story about my daily life in a magazine in which I said: “I brush my teeth with Selahatin toothpaste because I love their font,” which was true,’ says Owens. ‘Then, on Instagram, I saw a Selahatin ad with my blurred face and my quote over it. I thought that was bold. I contacted them and complimented them on their cheekiness. I told them: “We should do a collaboration!” That’s how we got here.’

‘Here’ is a collaboration between the oral care brand and the Dark Prince of Fashion that includes a handmade horn toothbrush, as well as a whitening toothpaste, a mouthwash and a concentrated mouth spray with a flavour and scent inspired by Owens’s bold, brutalist aesthetic. Selahatin’s speciality is creating products for your teeth that are composed with the same rigour and offer the same sensory pleasure as fine food or perfume (think a toothpaste that’s flavoured with lime, salt and peppermint; or a eucalyptus, honey and menthol mouthwash). For the Rick Owens collection, founder Kristoffer Vural was pushed to think even farther outside the box.

‘Throughout the process, Rick urged: “Go harder. I smoke cigarettes, drink coffee and gin – I need something stronger”,’ says Vural. ‘It’s unorthodox – but that’s the point. It’s Rick.’ Rick, as a toothpaste, opens with a potent blend of verbena, Madagascar vanilla, and Sichuan pepper, followed by fresh juniper, dark citrus, and rosemary, and finished off with a black pepper and peppermint base for a slightly metallic finish.’

While it was Vural’s bold marketing tactics that brought the pair together, their real alignment is born out of a shared belief that life's most mundane moments can often be the best opportunities for a ceremonial experience. Vural launched Selahatin after a stroke left him with a hypersensitivity for taste and smell that made even brushing his teeth with traditional minty toothpaste an uncomfortable ordeal.

As he told Wallpaper* in an interview last year, toothpaste ‘tastes so synthetic, so chemical, so strong. It’s got to be the most loveless product with no meaning… When you’re stripped of everything [you realise] it’s the small things that make up 50 per cent of your life. If you can fix the small things, you have a really good baseline.’ Or as Owens says, ‘[Vural] wanted the most essential things around him to be magnified. I also believe in the idea that you don’t need to have many things, but that essential things should be made special.’

For Vural, the collaboration is a full-circle moment, a perfect expression of how he turned the darkest moment of his life into an opportunity for creativity and collaboration. ‘Selahatin was born out of a simple idea: to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary,’ he says. ‘Collaborating with Rick Owens fully brings that vision to life. After a stroke left me starting over, creating Selahatin became a way to find myself again. What began as an attempt to elevate a mundane act evolved into a lifeline that helped me climb out of a dark place. That this improbable journey would lead me here, alongside Rick Owens, is beyond anything I could have imagined all those years ago.’

NordicTrack, together with its affiliated iFIT fitness plan subscription service, is branching out into a new sport. Best known for its range of home fitness gear, including the RW900 Rower, X24 Treadmill and X24 Bike, NordicTrack’s kit is united by the iFIT service, which delivers a tailored, private workout via an onboard 24-inch touchscreen, with app connectivity to track progress and stats.

The ecosystem works well but there was room for another piece of kit. Enter Reform RX, manufacturer of upscale Pilates machines and now newly acquired by iFIT. Co-founded by Yvie McGaffin, who becomes the new director of Product Marketing for Pilates at iFIT, the company will build on its model portfolio with two new versions of the Ultra series smart reformers, the Ultra 1 Reformer and Ultra 1 Reformer RX-S.

Drawing on the company’s experience building commercial-grade Pilates reformers, the new Ultra models are sleek, compact and finished with high-end materials to complement a variety of interior schemes. Naturally, they also feature the signature screen through which users can access the full range of iFIT workouts, training sessions and progress tracking.

According to iFIT’s CEO Kevin Duffy, the new NordicTrack Ultra Reformer Series is ‘about unlocking a new way to move. We are bringing the Pilates studio experience home and expanding what’s possible for our members through expert instruction and workout personalisation on our reformers.’

Wallpaper* spoke to McGaffin about the new machines and what it’s taken to bring them to market.

Wallpaper*: What design decisions had to be made to transform the Reform RX experience into the home?

Yvie McGaffin: When we began designing for the home, our goal was not simply to shrink a commercial reformer. We wanted to reimagine what the experience could feel like outside of a studio setting. In a studio, reformers live in shared spaces filled with movement and energy. At home, it becomes something more personal. It transforms into a space to slow down, connect with your body, and focus on each movement with intention.

Every material, line, and interface was chosen to integrate naturally into a home environment. It needed to look as beautiful sitting still as it does in motion. The Ultra 1 Reformer is quiet, sculptural, and designed with the care you would expect from a piece of fine furniture, balancing form and function in equal measure.

W*: Is it a matter of altering the scale and materials to better fit home studios?

YM: Scale and materials were part of it, but the real change came from rethinking how a reformer should live in someone’s home. When we created the Smart Spine system and push-button resistance, we were not just making it more functional. We wanted to make the experience simpler and more inspiring. These innovations transformed the way people interact with the machine, both visually and physically.

The maple and walnut wood detailing and chrome accents on the footbar and toggles were intentional design choices. They celebrate craftsmanship and precision, showing that performance equipment can also be beautiful. Our goal was for users to feel how seamless and intuitive reformer Pilates could be when thoughtful design meets innovation.

W*: What are the key innovations of the new model?

YM: The Ultra Reformer Series redefines what Pilates equipment can be. The Smart Spine system replaces traditional exposed springs with an enclosed, intelligent design that enhances both safety and aesthetics. It senses and responds to movement through iFIT’s connected interface, allowing every session to adapt to the user in real time.

The push-button resistance feature builds on that same idea of simplicity and control. With one touch, resistance adjusts automatically when the carriage is safely docked. It keeps users focused on movement and rhythm instead of mechanics.

We also engineered the glide to be nearly silent. That quietness helps users find full concentration and connection in their practice. True innovation in Pilates, in my view, should make movement feel effortless and technology should support you without distraction.

W*: How does Reform Ultra fit into the iFIT model? Is there cross-compatibility with other machines in terms of how workouts are structured?

YM: Becoming part of the iFIT family has opened up incredible possibilities for Reform RX. This launch expands the Ultra product line and introduces Pilates as a key part of iFIT’s connected ecosystem.

Each Ultra Reformer session connects to iFIT’s digital platform, adapting to the user’s progress and creating a personalised experience. Pilates now sits alongside iFIT’s most popular modalities, such as treadmills, bikes, and rowers. This allows users to move between workouts while maintaining one continuous and cohesive training journey. It is an exciting step that brings together thoughtful design, advanced technology, and the artistry of mindful movement.

W*: What are the key challenges behind designing a machine for this kind of Pilates in terms of safety, structure, strength, and aesthetics?

YM: Designing the Ultra was about finding the right balance between power and precision. Pilates is such a thoughtful and controlled form of movement that every design choice had to respect that.

Safety was always the first priority, but beauty was never an afterthought. The enclosed Smart Spine, the smooth glide, and the blend of wood and metal were all created to feel stable, supportive, and elegant.

The biggest challenge was making something so technical feel completely natural. The goal was for the equipment to fade into the background so the focus stays on movement. When a reformer moves with you rather than against you, that is when design truly serves its purpose.

W*: Will Reform RX continue to supply commercial machines?

YM: Yes. The commercial line continues under the Reform RX name through Freemotion Fitness, an iFIT Inc. brand. The Ultra 1 Reform RX-S is designed for professional studios and gyms but can also be used in home settings for those who want a studio-level experience.

NordicTrack Pilates Ultra Reformer, more information at NordicTrack.com, @NordicTrack

However gruelling your workout, going to the gym in London needn't feel like a trial. With the right services and surroundings – from inspiring classes to inviting interiors and intriguing recovery options – a gym should be a place that lifts your spirits as well as your fitness levels. Seeking wellbeing-boosting sanctuary from the rush of city living, we’ve sought out London’s luxury gyms most likely to become an enjoyable part of your daily routine. Whether it’s springboard floors and state-of-the-art machines or zero-gravity reclining and really nice toiletries that matter to you, here are our favourite elevated fitness haunts around the city.

The best luxury gyms in London

Pillar Wellbeing

57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX

Pillar Wellbeing, the luxury health club located in Raffles at The OWO, is a full end-to-end wellbeing service provider, with a philosophy built on three pillars: movement, nourishment and recovery. From the moment you enter, the interior is calming and refined. The hallway opens up to an elegant foyer where staff greet you and show you to the changing rooms. These are fully equipped with all post-gym and -swim necessities (including decompression boots for speedy leg recovery). There’s a reformer Pilates studio, overlooking the 20m pool below. The gym, also with a view of the pool, is equipped with Technogym machines, and there is an area for cardio, lifting weights and plyometric movements. Resident personal trainer Matteo Massaini can guide you through a bespoke workout that is fun, while efficiently focused on your goals, from mobility to strength and endurance.

Pillar Wellbeing membership costs £6,250 per year plus a £2,000 joining fee, raffles.com

Surrenne and Tracey Anderson Studio

Located in The Emory hotel, Surrenne is a health club, wellness space and spa. The mirror-wrapped gym features equipment from Technogym, Woodway, Peloton and Hydrow, among others, while the Surrenne Studio, next door, is a space for a wide variety of classes. Centring the latter is a large screen that can be used for on-demand virtual classes – you might fancy being led through Yin Tibetan bowl meditation from a Japanese garden, or a yoga flow from the Agafay desert in Morocco. Recovery is at the heart of Surrenne. Perhaps wind down with a facial crafted by Dr Macrene Alexiades, sweat out toxins in speciality steam rooms, or get rid of delayed onset muscle soreness with Hypervolt massage machines. What sets Surrenne apart, though, is its Tracy Anderson Method classes. Taking place in a specially heated room with a springboard floor, workouts following the LA fitness guru’s principles are designed to balance, strengthen, and transform body and mind.

Individual membership rate £10,000 (plus £5,000 joining fee) surrenne.com

V

Berkeley Square House, London W1J 6BR

V is a health club in Mayfair built on five pillars: the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of wellbeing. Focusing on these elements, the thinking goes, will help you achieve your fitness goals, create a sustainable routine, and keep your mind healthy too. Gym equipment includes Technogym, Watson, Rogue, and Therabody. There are also Pure Strength hip thrust and deadlift machines for targeted strength training for lower-body days, along with Watson’s stainless-steel dumbbells. Classes include a variety of yoga flows, and mat and reformer pilates. V also operates its own running club. The 5km runs, led by Naomi Heffernan, a Nike Trainer, performance coach, and 4x Hyrox World Championship competitor, go through Mayfair and Green Park – fun, social and a chance to refine your running technique. For recovery, choose from sweating out toxins in the sauna, jumping into an ice bath, or perhaps the Therabody Lounger, combining zero-gravity reclining and multisensory sound vibration therapy for total relaxation.

Membership is £250 per month and subject to a £200 joining fee, v-london.co.uk

The Lanesborough Club and Spa

2 Lanesborough Place, London, SW1X 7TA

Nestled in Hyde Park Corner is The Lanesborough Club and Spa. From an almost-hidden entrance, you head down a swirling staircase to get to the facilities. As you enter, the hallway is reminiscent of a home rather than a club, which adds an element of exclusivity and intimacy. There's a Technogym-equipped gym, as well as various fitness classes. These are offered for small groups (no more than four participants per class), and there are around 40 classes per week to choose from, including yoga, reformer Pilates, boxing, HIIT, TRX and conditioning, and circuits. Afterwards, freshen up in the sparkling gold changing room, created in partnership with design studio 1508 London, and enjoy a meal at the adjoining restaurant, which includes a menu of juices and low-calorie, high-energy options – perfect post-workout.

Membership starts from £6,000 per year, lanesboroughclubandspa.com

Studio Fix

42-44 Kensington High St, London W8 4PD

Located on Kensington High Street, Studio Fix is a class-only gym. Inside, the space is split into three studios. Studio 1 is a calming space enveloped by mirrors and a large window letting in natural light; it resembles a dance studio and is perfect for restorative yoga or a barre class, for example. Studio 2 is all red lights and moody atmosphere. This space offers high-intensity, low-impact Lagree Megaformer classes (a spring-based workout machine, similar to reformer pilates). HIIT and boxing classes are available in Studio 3, a vibrant, blue-lit area with lots of room to throw a mean left hook. Studio Fix also has spaces for wheelchair users in its adaptive boxing class. Note that the gym provides boxing gloves, but you need to bring your own hand wraps or gel wraps, and to take part in the barre class or Lagree Megaformer, grip socks are compulsory (all are for sale in the gym's shop).

Memberships start at £25 for one class up to £600 for 20 classes studiofix.co.uk

Equinox

99 Kensington High Street London W8 5SA;
Bishopsgate 8 Clerk's Place London EC3A 8AQ;
E by Equinox at 12 St James's Street, London SW1A 1ER

If you prefer self-guided training, then Equinox is a fitness fanatic’s playground. America’s leading high-end health club chain came to the UK in 2012, first opening on Kensington High Street, followed by an outpost in Bishopsgate. Its Kensington location boasts an art deco design with a marble lounge area, and changing rooms stocked with complimentary Kiehl’s products. The open-plan training floor is housed under a large skylight, drawing in natural light – a refreshing touch in comparison to many basement gyms, with their artificial lighting and nightclub energy. Accompanying the gym are three studio spaces: for yoga, boxing, and cycling, with a variety of classes on offer. There are also options for personal training. Both the Kensington and Bishopsgate locations are home to full-service spas and juice bars. To up the luxury further, St James’s E by Equinox offers a focus on one-to-one fitness. Of course, the gym is stocked with elite equipment not only for your workout but also for recovery, including a cryotherapy chamber, a regeneration room and a compression therapy area.

Memberships range from £185 to £400 a month www.equinox.com

BXR

Marylebone location: Chiltern Street, London W1U 5QY
City location: 22 Bishopsgate – Floor 25, London EC2N 4BQ

BXR opened in 2017 in Marylebone with much endorsement from boxer Anthony Joshua and a membership committee that includes record producer Mark Ronson, hotelier André Balazs, model and actress Sara Sampaio, and boxer Eddie Hear. The club’s principles are rooted in boxing and BXR offers a luxurious take on a garage gym, combining functional space with elite-grade equipment in an edgy, industrial setting. Large tyres, sled runs and climbing ropes are perfect for functional fitness to complement plyometric or calisthenic training. A designated boxing studio includes benches, weights and punchbags. The changing facilities are stocked with Malin + Goetz products, and you can rent a permanent locker. After a workout , relax at the café and lounge and choose from pre- and post-workout menus. BXR is also home to BXR Lab and Clinic, which offers access to a cold water plunge, an infrared sauna, as well as management plans such as clinical rehabilitation, physical therapy, nutrition and specialised strength and conditioning.

Membership starts from £1,800 per year or £180 per month, bxrlondon.com

KX and KXU

KX: 151 Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, London SW3 3AL
KXU:241 Pavilion Road, London SW1X 0BP

Pronounced ‘kicks’, KX is a private members’ health club in the heart of Chelsea, founded in 2002 and offering a holistic approach to health, fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing. It is opulently designed and features a club room, a restaurant and a juice bar. Classes range from Pilates and barre to dance and cardio conditioning. KX is all about creating long-term lifestyle changes rather than a quick fix. In 2017, KX launched its sister venue KXU, located two minutes from Sloane Square station. The pay-as-you-go boutique gym has three sleek studios with a focus on functional fitness, HIIT and strength training, with a designated Hyrox area with a 10m track, sleds, official Hyrox weight plates and kettlebells, along with wall balls and slam balls. The gym also offers yoga, barre and cycle classes. It doesn’t have to be all hard work, as there is also a medi-spa and a nutrition bar at which to enjoy a fresh smoothie or post-workout meal.

Membership starts from from £615 per month plus joining fees, visit kxlife.co.uk; KXU membership is £340 per year, visit kxu.co.uk

Blok

Shoreditch: Principal Place, EC2A 3BL or Clapton: The Tram Depot, E5 8BQ

While Blok is not a luxury gym by any usual measures (you can even pay as you go), we've included it in our round-up for its flexibility and the freedom this affords users (a cool east London crowd). Founded in 2016 by Max Oppenheim and Ed Stanbury, Blok was designed to step away from the ‘hustle’ and ‘gains’ culture of a typical gym, with a design that is the antithesis of a big-mirrored, dimly lit club. With two studios, one in Clapton and another in Shoreditch, a stone's throw from Liverpool Street station, Blok’s principle is to encourage a fitness routine you can sustain. At the Shoreditch location, the reception includes a drinks bar, and a refrigerator stocked with healthy meals and snacks for a post-workout refuel. The changing rooms are equipped with the basics (toiletries, hair dryers and straighteners). Blok is a class-only gym, and there are more than 20 options to choose from, spanning yoga, Pilates, boxing, and barre. In the Clapton studio – an industrial-style space beneath railway arches – Blok now also offers ‘Hot and Cold’, a sauna and cold water therapy to help aid recovery, regulate your nervous system and reduce inflammation.

Pay as you go available; three-month SuperCharge90 membership starts at £95 for the first month, including 10 classes; £110 per month for the next two months, bloklondon.com

Third Space

Locations are all over London

Finally, there is Third Space, perhaps London’s most renowned luxury gym. With sites across the capital – Soho, Canary Wharf, Mayfair, Marylebone, Islington, Moorgate, Tower Bridge, Battersea, Wimbledon and the City (with another opening soon in Paddington) – there’s no excuse to skip a workout. The locations offer an abundance of equipment to avoid overcrowding even at peak times, from treadmills and cardio equipment to strength-training machines, along with climbing walls, cycling studios, and swimming pools. To take your athletic performance to the next level, Third Space has a ‘Performance Lab’ offering a variety of assessments, from endurance tests to body composition, and even sweat analysis.

Membership starts from £210 per month, thirdspace.london

The Rogue Room, the culture-led 21st-century wellness brand founded in 2020 by entrepreneur Rozana Hall, has landed in Shoreditch. This is marked by a new flagship, housed in the dark, cubic volume of what was formerly known as Dirty House, originally designed by Sir David Adjaye (more buildings by the architect in this part of London include artist Sue Webster's home, Mole House).

The new hub has been sensitively and sustainably redesigned for its new use by Studioshaw, aiming to bridge wellness, culture, and east London's unique creative character and heritage.

The Rogue Room

The Rogue Room was designed to offer a range of multisensory experiences. Cross-disciplinary and physical as much as it is atmospheric, the new space will house anything from music-driven yoga to sound healing, dance, and callisthenics. A NOLO (no- and low-alcohol) café service, cultural talks, and live DJ-led sessions also take place within the flagship.

In order to tick all the boxes for this wide range of events, Mark Shaw, director at Studioshaw had to think creatively, working with dynamic lighting that responds to the circadian rhythm, and live music blended with a state-of-the-art sound system crafted in collaboration with AlphaTheta.

'We wanted to honour the building’s place in Shoreditch’s architectural story, while future-proofing it for a very different use,' says Shaw. 'The Rogue Room isn’t just another fitness studio: it’s a culture-driven wellness venue where architecture actively participates in the user’s emotional and physical journey.'

The adaptive reuse approach works with the existing building's strongly minimalist, almost-mysterious character. The original bold, clean silhouette and distinctive black-painted brick façade are maintained. Meanwhile, the interior architecture was retrofitted to adapt to the structure's new social and wellness mandate that outlined a strongly sensorial and human-centred space.

Birch-faced plywood and wood wool form the main material language. A 'compressed', more intimate entrance space leads out to a dramatic, expansive main double-height studio interior at the building's heart. Right above are the café and social spaces.

Rosie Hall said: 'We’re living through a mental health pandemic. Anxiety, disconnection, and burnout have become the background noise of a generation. The Rogue Room is our direct response, an antidote to the clinical, exclusive, and commodified world of wellness. Studioshaw completely understood this brief and brought it to life in every architectural detail, creating a space where people can gather in commune and find connection through culturally rich programming that speaks directly to modern wellness seekers.'

The Rogue Room, 4 Chance Street, Shoreditch, London E1

If Google can offer healthcare, Disney can provide cruises, and Shimano can sell fishing reels, maybe it’s not such a strange leap for Pent –Poland-based maker of ultra-luxury fitness products, from dumbbells to rowers – to start making speakers. With the launch of Pent Audio comes three new lines offering different sculptural forms, made on demand and in-house with electronic components sourced from a variety of high-end producers.

Marcin Rączek, Pent’s founder, concedes that there was much discussion internally about this unexpected sidestep – ‘about no longer being a specialist fitness brand in a specialist fitness sector’. The new speakers include the circular Gulia, cylindrical Chiara and sculptural Aurora and are priced between £3,524 and £6,522. Rączek argues that the range aims to compete less with high-end audio brands, and is more of an extension to the fitness market.

The speakers will only be available through the same distribution network of furnishing showrooms and architects as Pent’s fitness equipment. Pent Audio expects hotel gyms, boutique gyms and yachts to form a large part of its market.

‘Wellness is not just about exercise but also atmosphere, about harmonising a space, and sound is an important part of that,’ Rączek argues. ‘We still care about the sound quality, but audio companies have been relatively closed [worlds] that don’t look beyond the [dedicated] audio customer. This is more about a product appealing to the craft and design sought by the luxury customer.’

The speakers – made of solid woods, leathers, steel and, says Rączek, free of plastic parts, in wireless and wired options – are fully customisable to suit a customer’s interior using the brand’s interactive 3D configurator. And, indeed, Pent’s next move will be the launch in 2026 of home theatre systems and associated comfort-first, connected sofas and armchairs.

‘Again, we don’t see Pent as going up against other major furniture manufacturers – B&B Italia, Minotti and so on – but to be part of the same sector while offering something much more specialised,’ says Rączek. ‘So Pent will be fitness, audio and something more in the future.’

But this blurring of fitness and entertainment – predicated on Pent’s idea of fitness equipment being attractive enough not to be hidden away – has limits, Rączek suggests, not least because tech can quickly date and his vision remains to build products that last, which is why many of the brand’s fitness products (the likes of its treadmill, for instance) are non-electrical.

‘Our competitors [in the fitness space] are all about AI right now, but for us, that could only ever be something that was added to our equipment rather than essential to it,’ Rączek says. ‘I think sometimes people just want to train. They want to be alone, not watch their training as they do it. We don’t want to be too modern.’

PentAudio.com, @Pent_Audio

In New York City, a new wellness craze seems to materialise almost weekly, and the latest obsession for those seeking mind, body and spirit rejuvenation is bathing. Those in the know will be doing it at Lore, a new bathing club opening in NoHo in September 2025.

Founded by James O’Reilly and Adam Elzer, Lore is reimagining New York’s historic and multicultural bathing culture. The city’s bathing roots run deep – from the public bathhouses of the late-19th and early-20th centuries to the schvitzes brought by Jewish immigrants and the hammams introduced by Turkish and Middle Eastern communities.

Lore draws from these traditions and reinvents them for a new era. At the heart of the experience is contrast therapy, the practice of alternating hot and cold exposure. Widely used in physical therapy and sports medicine, contrast therapy is proven to reduce muscle soreness, stiffness and swelling, while improving circulation, mobility and tissue oxygenation. It also feels great.

‘While it’s been around for millennia, science now confirms what tradition always knew: regular sauna and cold water immersion sessions enrich health. The key isn't longer sessions but greater frequency – at least twice weekly,’ explains O’Reilly.

To that end, Lore operates on a membership model, offering unlimited access seven days a week, from 7am to 11pm. Early access pricing starts at $89 per week or $200 per month, encouraging members to visit regularly to fully unlock the benefits of contrast therapy.

Importantly, Lore isn’t a luxury spa – and doesn’t aspire to be. You won’t find high-touch treatments or à la carte add-ons here. Instead, it’s a return to essentials: rhythms and rituals rooted in human history and biology. The goal? Making bathing an intentional, habitual part of modern life. Central to Lore’s model, therefore, is the affordable fee, which is made possible by forgoing the over-programming of larger facilities.

The 6,200 sq ft space was designed in collaboration with Ilse Crawford of London-based Studioilse and realised by New York’s Ringo Studio. Described by the founders as a ‘sensory journey’, Lore uses warm travertine and textured floors to define the cold plunge areas, while rich alder wood and chocolate tones cocoon the saunas, and saturated red corridors create a bold transition between temperature zones. Natural materials and sculptural forms throughout evoke an elemental calm.

Lore taps into a broader cultural shift: the rise of experience-driven social spaces that aren’t bars or restaurants, and which ideally incorporate health and self-improvement. In this way, it captures the essence of sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s ‘third place’ – somewhere that is neither home nor work, and which is increasingly relevant as the boundaries between the two blur.

To call Lore the culmination of a trend is perhaps incorrect. It is a timely evolution of an ancient practice, allowing you to tune out the noise and into the body. As Elzer puts it: ‘In the heat, everything softens and it is easier to listen. And in the cold, everything sharpens, allowing you to surrender and overcome.’

Opening September 2025. Pricing starts at $89 per week or $200 per month.

In Cologne, Ferdinand Stahl and his uncle – architect Thomas van den Valentyn, known for his work on the renovation of the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl – have unveiled a new workspace: Valentyns. This is no ordinary office: it features lighting that mimics natural daylight, acoustic wall and ceiling panels to minimise noise, and swoon-worthy Le Corbusier and USM Haller furniture. Members have access to breath-work and yoga sessions, cold plunges, Finnish and infrared saunas, HydraFacials and IV drips. In short, Valentyns is reimagining the office as somewhere – well – pleasant, reflected in the fact that, since moving in, members have reported a 30 per cent drop in sick days. ‘We create spaces that actively support regeneration,’ says Stahl. ‘It’s not enough to eliminate stressors – we need to create spaces where stress can be discharged.’

In London, a $2 billion mixed-use development, The Round, is currently under construction. It aims to become the UK’s first to achieve the WELL Community Gold Standard – a benchmark for healthy communities. As such, it will feature more than 30,000 sq ft of wellness-focused facilities, including gyms, pools, hot/cold therapy rooms, napping pods, digital detox spaces, art therapy, and classes for breath work, meditation and movement. Buildings will be equipped with water and air filtration systems and a terrace or garden every three floors. ‘Given how much time we spend in our homes – not just living, but increasingly working – we believe that every element of the design should enhance wellbeing,’ says Jasmine Dillon, managing director and head of marketing, community and experience at developer Hines.

These projects reflect a shift sweeping through architecture and design. Wellness is big business: the Global Wellness Institute reported the market at $5.6 trillion in 2023, with growth expected to reach $8.5 trillion by 2027. Young people are largely driving the surge. McKinsey reports that while Gen Z and Millennials make up 36 per cent of the US adult population, they account for over 41 per cent of spending in the wellness sector. As a result, our built environments are starting to reflect their preferences and priorities.

‘The spaces we inhabit shape our lives in various ways. This is the principle behind neurodesign and neuroarchitecture – emerging fields that explore how our surroundings impact us psychologically and physiologically,’ says Isabelle Sjövall, a researcher in these fields and the author of Neurodesign (2016) and Designfulness (2020). ‘By making conscious design choices, we can actively improve health, cognitive performance and emotional wellbeing.’

Below, we explore some of those choices – the factors that architects need to consider when designing spaces that heal rather than harm, as well as the innovative examples of wellness design – past and present – that they might look to.

Let there be light

‘Light regulates our body clock, hormone levels and sleep. It’s one of the strongest environmental cues for the brain,’ says Sjövall. Sunlight also stimulates the body’s production of vitamin D, which supports immune, muscle and bone health. The importance of daylight is such that it’s a standard component of building certifications like LEED and WELL.

Architects looking to maximise light may use passive design methods such as orienting buildings toward the sun, and using large windows, skylights, light wells and clerestory windows. Other strategies include open-plan layouts and transparent partitions, as well as central courtyards and atriums. The Ørestad Gymnasium in Copenhagen, designed by 3XN, for example, has a completely open plan and receives daylight through a central atrium. Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Art Museum in Texas uses skylights and curved ceilings to reflect light, and Tezuka Architects’ Fuji Kindergarten in Tokyo takes on a circular shape, whereby every part is connected to the outdoors.

‘At Valentyns, all rooms receive generous daylight, even interior zones, [thanks to the use of] glass partitions and careful layout planning,’ says Stahl. Similarly, at The Round, ‘natural light is a foundational element of the design’. ‘Dual-aspect residential units and articulated office floor plates with shallow depths and generous glazing ensure deep daylight reach,’ says Kate Fletcher, director of Arup, the engineering and sustainability consultant for the development.

Lisa Sternfeld is the founder of WLLW, which collaborates with architects and developers to create health-first interiors. ‘I believe that good design can restore us every day,’ she says. ‘WLLW helps translate science into design strategies that improve how people feel in their homes.’ One of the key elements that she emphasises to her clients is natural light: ‘We guide [them] through thoughtful spatial planning, sun path awareness and material choices that help carry light through the home.’

Where natural daylight isn’t sufficient, designers can turn to tuneable LED systems or daylight simulation software. The Edge in Amsterdam, designed by PLP Architecture, has automated lighting systems that adjust based on available daylight. At The Round, ‘circadian lighting systems including UV and SAD lamps are integrated to mimic natural daylight patterns’, says Dillon.

Seeing green

Integrating natural elements into built environments is known as biophilic design, and has well-documented benefits to health. ‘Our brains are biologically attuned to nature. Exposure to greenery can lower stress hormones, improve focus and support recovery,’ says Sjövall. In 1984, healthcare design expert Roger Ulrich demonstrated that hospital patients with views of trees recovered faster than those without – data put into practice by Singapore’s Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, designed by RMJM, which employs vertical gardens and water features throughout.

Attention Restoration Theory, developed by psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, posits that modern life overburdens our directed attention. Natural environments, by contrast, engage our involuntary attention, giving the brain a break. This is the idea that informs the Amazon Spheres in Seattle – glass domes housing over 40,000 plants, designed as work and rest spaces for Amazon staff.

‘At The Round, biophilic design principles are embedded,’ says Emily Rix, a partner at Foster + Partners, the project’s architect. ‘Residential balconies, rooftop gardens, office terraces and planted atria as well as green walls and indoor planting create continuous connections to nature.’

Biophilic design can also work indirectly via the use of things like natural materials, fractal textures and nature-inspired colours, patterns and shapes. ‘Curved, organic forms are associated with safety and comfort, while sharp angles may evoke alertness or caution,’ explains Sjövall. As such, Sternfeld advises her clients to use raw wood, natural fibres and textured surfaces, adding that ‘even views of nature, such as trees, sky or water, can help’.

Life in colour

‘Colour is not just a visual preference, it’s psychological input that may influence how we feel, behave and interact,’ says Sjövall. ‘While cool, muted tones such as blue or green support relaxation and concentration, warmer colours can foster energy and social engagement.’

Google offices often employ colour psychology, with vibrant palettes in social zones and earthier tones in focus areas. Other examples of the strategic use of colour in buildings include the Vittra schools in Stockholm, designed by Rosan Bosch Studio, which follows a similar model, and BuroKade’s Dementia Village in Hogeweyk, the Netherlands, where colour schemes help reduce confusion for residents.

‘Through our customer engagement we identified a desire to move away from the glass-and-steel grey buildings that many find a little cold and unwelcoming,’ says Dillon of The Round, which opted instead for a warmer terracotta façade. Inside, ‘energising tones are introduced in social and collaborative spaces’, while ‘quieter areas such as private apartments or focused work zones feature calming palettes’.

Valentyns has also opted to foster a calming environment: ‘We use soft greens in blinds and textiles that offer subtle biophilic references, without overwhelming the mind,’ says Stahl. Similarly, Sternfeld favours ‘palettes inspired by nature’; she also considers the finish of a surface, ‘knowing that a matte finish can calm where a high-gloss surface may activate’.

Tidy space, tidy mind

Have you ever sat down to work only to be distracted by a cluttered room, unable to focus until the mess is cleared? Our brains crave order and predictability; when these are absent, we feel unsettled. Research has shown that busy spaces over-activate the prefrontal cortex, and a 2010 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology linked clutter to higher cortisol levels.

Wellness-focused design starts with zoning – designating areas for work, rest or socialising. The Rietveld Schröder House in the Netherlands, designed by Gerrit Rietveld, demonstrates this with sliding panels that create flexible, purpose-specific spaces.

Clear sightlines and intuitive movement routes help people navigate spaces without decision fatigue, while negative, unfilled space provides mental rest. ‘Smart storage solutions and open-plan layouts reduce visual clutter and support intuitive wayfinding,’ says Rix of The Round.

This notion – that, as Stahl argues, 'when the space is clear, the mind can be clear' – is core to the architectural principle of minimalism, as exemplified in spaces such as Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Illinois and Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye in Connecticut.

Something in the air

Poor ventilation allows pollutants to accumulate, and can even lead to a phenomenon known as Sick Building Syndrome, where people experience health issues linked to a particular space. Natural ventilation, as well as plants and purification technologies, help flush out pollutants.

Sternfeld created WLLW after her son developed respiratory issues, which were found to be linked to her home; she ‘[begins] every project by prioritising air’, specifying ‘low-emission materials and ventilation strategies that support a steady exchange of fresh air’. The Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, designed by Gensler, uses a solar chimney and double-skin façade to circulate air, while, in Winnipeg, Manitoba Hydro Place by KPMB Architects employs operable panels, geothermal systems and solar chimneys to provide fresh air year-round.

The ideal indoor temperature range is deemed to be 20-22°C – the maintenance of this is crucial when designing health-conscious buildings. At The Round, a ‘whole-building approach’ has been taken to thermal comfort and air quality, says Fletcher: ‘We have developed an advanced all-air underfloor displacement ventilation system that introduces clean, low-velocity air at floor level and extracts stale, warmer air at ceiling level.’

Ventilation and temperature control form the basis of tropical modernism, a climate-responsive architecture that developed in hot and humid regions. These buildings often use passive methods of cooling such as high ceilings, shaded verandas, roof overhangs and porous materials. Some of the most compelling examples include Renzo Piano’s Tjibaou Cultural Center in New Caledonia, which uses layered façades and chimney effects to draw and circulate air, and Zimbabwe’s Eastgate Centre, designed by Mick Pearce, which draws inspiration from termite mounds to regulate temperature and airflow, completely eliminating the need for conventional air conditioning.

Healthy cities

Wellbeing extends beyond individual buildings; wellness-oriented design, when applied at scale, has the power to transform communities. People thrive in environments where they can move freely and safely, where daily needs are within reach, and where spaces encourage physical activity and social interaction. These are the principles behind the ‘15-minute city’ concept, popularised by urbanist Professor Carlos Moreno (and which won him an Obel Award in 2021), which imagines cities where everything – housing, work, healthcare, education and leisure – is reachable within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.

We can see the positive impacts of such planning around the world: Copenhagen is a benchmark for pedestrian- and cyclist-first infrastructure, with 390km of bike lanes. Melbourne’s ‘Postcode 3000’ initiative transformed its Central Business District into a walkable, mixed-use environment. Utrecht, meanwhile, has successfully integrated the 15-minute model: 100 per cent of residents can reach essential services within this time.

The concept of The Round, says Rix, ‘begins with the public realm’: ‘a pedestrian-friendly setting where healthy lifestyles are encouraged’. The layout then creates ‘neighbourhoods’ of smaller clusters, which are designed to feel personal and safe. ‘Communal amenity spaces, from children’s play areas to fitness rooms, encourage connection, relaxation and healthy routines,’ she adds.

Urban wellness isn’t just about infrastructure – it’s about how spaces feel. British architect Thomas Heatherwick has spoken out against the ‘inhumanity’ of brutalist and modernist structures (notably in his 2023 book, Humanise), instead advocating for buildings that engage the senses. His own projects surprise and delight with forms that invite contemplation and interaction. Research in environmental psychology supports his ethos, says Sjövall: ‘Engaging with art and creativity is positive for mental wellbeing. Environments that support engagement or playfulness can boost resilience and mood.’

As Gen Z’s influence grows, so does the demand for humane, healthy and emotionally intelligent design. From private homes to public institutions, the architecture of the future won’t just be about function – it will be about flourishing.

At Wallpaper*, we believe that function should never come at the expense of form. You can find design-driven pleasure in the most routine tasks – including taking your medication.

With that in mind, we've curated a selection of the most thoughtfully-designed pill boxes and pill organisers on the market, taking into account everything from intuitiveness and ease of use to portability, discretion and, of course, aesthetic appeal.

Whether you need a box with clearly-labelled compartments to manage multiple daily doses, a discreet design that resembles a luxury accessory, or a smart pill organiser that syncs with your phone to send reminders, these designs prove that elegance and practicality are not mutually exclusive.

The best pill boxes for once-daily medication

The best pill boxes for complex regimens

The best pill boxes for stylish storage

How did you sleep? It’s the first question my partner asks every morning – and the one I dread answering the most, after a night of tossing and turning (and it goes without saying that I’m not alone in this struggle).

Enter Diome, a newly founded wellness brand on a mission to remedy our collective, sleepless plight, with its debut supplement Rested. ‘We would love to live in a world where our brand doesn’t even need to exist,’ says Diome’s CEO Jianne Jamil. ‘But that’s not realistic. Today, we all live an insane and constantly “on” lifestyle – as much as we want to change it, that’s not always possible.’

So, how does Diome’s Rested supplement work, exactly? As Jamil and Emilie Delanoue, the brand’s director of product, explain, Rested takes a multi-targeted approach to address nervous system functionality. In turn, this apparently relaxes the body through reducing stress and anxiety, improving metabolism, as well as promoting digestive health and helping liver detoxification.

It took the brand three years to create its first product. ‘We were never going to just launch a supplement to just have something out there, or for the sake of it,’ Jamil says. ‘It had to be really special, innovative, effective. Something we believed in. We were very clear on what we were testing, and all the samples – and final supplements – were created in collaboration with pharmacists. There was rigour there from the start.’

‘We wanted something safe. We wanted something effective, but also something non-addictive,’ adds Delanoue. ‘We are very proud of what we have created with Rested. The dosage is very adaptable, which we took into consideration when testing the ingredients.’

Said ingredients – 15, to be exact – are packed into a single capsule in meticulously measured doses. This includes chamomile, Californian poppy, lemon verbena and rosemary. Black pepper enhances the absorption in the formula, says Delanoue: ‘Black pepper is very interesting. It's helped with digestion, and also with [natural] melatonin production.’

As well as being free from melatonin and CBD, Rested excludes pesticides, GMO, additional flavours, colours, added sugar, gluten, yeast, dairy, soy and nuts from its make-up. Every ingredient is traceable and grown by local producers, where possible.

The capsules are contained in an elegant, recyclable jar made from violet glass to preserve their potency, with branding that seamlessly sits on my nightstand as I try the supplement for myself.

True to Delanoue’s words, I gradually learned how to adapt the dosage for my own needs. Diome recommends two to four capsules per night’s sleep. I start with two a night and, to my surprise, find a deeper sleep descends quicker than usual. Unlike with melatonin, the next day doesn’t begin in a drowsy haze. But I learn to vary my personal use from 1 to 2 capsules depending on how my body feels.

Jamil and Delanoue are keen to add that Rested is not a one-size-fits-all solution to sleep struggles. After all, a supplement is called a supplement for good reason, and Diome does not shy away from expressing this. ‘With Diome, we wanted to create supplements that help our bodies do what they already know how to do,’ says Jamil. ‘We’re here to help people optimise their sleep, or how they feel in their body, however that may look for them.’

Rested by Diome is available now. £60 for 60 capsules, or £51 for monthly delivery, diome.co

If you’ve visited a typical European spa, you may well be familiar with Aufguss. Meaning ‘infusion’ in German, it’s a 15-minute ritual hosted by an Aufgussmeister in a large, shared sauna. Ice balls infused with essential oils are dropped onto hot rocks as the master wafts aromatic steam over bathers with a towel, often in a graceful, rhythmical dance set to music.

At its best, Aufguss is entertaining, engaging, and the deep sweating it delivers makes you feel cleansed. It can also be emotional and surprisingly bonding, and presents as a liminal space where norms are suspended. The idea of sauna as a ‘third space’ is something Dr Martha Newson, associate professor of Psychology at Greenwich University, and the British Sauna Society mapped during the UK Aufguss Championships at London’s communal sauna, Arc.

Dr Newson has worked with basketball teams, Brazilian football fans, and UK ravers to see how shared physiology in collective spaces can lead to group bonding. Her latest Aufguss research involves gathering data from bathers before and after an Aufguss ritual and assessing how behaviour may change.

‘Sauna is an extreme, unusual environment,’ says Newson. ‘As humans, we have a need to suspend reality and find something meaningful, magical and possibly uncomfortable in the immediate. The variety of sauna rituals and how they might foster feelings of connection are particularly intriguing.’ When our porous borders melt, we channel our individual agency into group behaviour to create what is known as ‘identity fusion’. Highly fused people can develop strong, positive relational and collective ties within a group.

French sociologist Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) called this group high ‘collective effervescence’, and more recent studies have shown how theatre audiences unknowingly synchronise their heartbeats when watching an engaging performance.

Over two days last month (18-19 May 2025), more than 300 bathers came to Arc to watch ‘Show Aufguss’, a gold-sequined, high-octane version of conventional Aufguss, where costumes, lighting, music, and storylines play their part. It certainly offers a spectacle to remember.

Where else do you sit half-naked and sweating, watching contestants in panto-style costumes perform choreographed towel-waving moves around a sauna? Storylines range from Boudicca to the Dubliners, and each performer has to devise an olfactory journey to accompany their show. In Europe and Japan, audiences can’t get enough of its sauna-meets-performance-art ambience, and each session is judged by an international panel of experts.

Arc co-founder Alanna Kitt says: ‘There is a truth to being part of a collective, and maybe when you're watching an Aufguss show, because it’s so ridiculous, you come out of your comfort zone, lose all critical thinking. You suspend reality and let go of cynicism.’

The scent-infused ice balls that are poured on the rocks to create the steam also have a healing effect. ‘Aromatherapy is a key part of the ritual,’ explains Deborah Carr, founder of Anada Aufguss training school. ‘Infusions of rosemary through the hair stimulate the follicles, and inhaling lavender and cedarwood aids relaxation. And Aufguss is a great entry into sauna for those who are new to it, or those who might be unsure what to do and those who like to be guided.’

It also offers huge potential to British spa owners keen to attract new audiences and entertain sauna guests. ‘People are prioritising their health and mental wellbeing by visiting saunas in ever-increasing numbers,’ says Mark Smith, deputy editor of European Spa Magazine. ‘By introducing guided Aufguss sessions, spas can take the thermal journey to another level.’

‘It’s not so much about how long a ritual lasts, but rather that it’s done well,’ adds Newson. ‘People need to be receptive, and reflection afterwards is critical as it can offer the chance to change neural pathways.’ She hopes her Aufguss research might provide further evidence for the ‘Social Cure Theory’, suggesting that if we identify with and belong to meaningful social groups, we can find support, a sense of meaning and improve our health.

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britishsaunasociety.org.uk

The global practice of thermal bathing has been around for millennia. But this ancient activity is experiencing a contemporary boom, as we shun screen time in pursuit of meaningful connection.

As Wallpaper’s wellness report outlined in February 2025, the rise of traditional saunas, onsens, hammams and banyas receiving a contemporary twist are a few examples of this phenomenon, beloved for their communal atmosphere. (In the UK in particular, wellness practitioners such as Katie Bracher even offer ‘sauna master’ training courses, billing her techniques as ‘ancient technologies for modern times’).

The Wallpaper* wellness report: thermal bathing is rising

Outside of the UK, old-school establishments are also updating their offering when it comes to bathing. Even in Scandinavia, where people never stopped enjoying sauna and cold dips, run-down venues are being brought back to life. This spring, the Swedish town of Lanskrona opens a renovated pier and modern bath house inspired by the ‘cold baths’ – or ‘kallbads’ – of the 1800s. ‘These bathhouses played a historical role as a social gathering point’, says Ulf Svensson from Magasin A architects who is creating the new space. With picture windows and saunas leading into the sea, it’s not only a place to swim, but one in which to relax with fellow bathers.

Denmark’s legendary Kurhotel Skodsborg has provided preventative health therapies since 1898 and features a Henning Larsen-designed spa with more than 16 different options for thermal bathing. In 2025, the hotel hosted its first Nordisk Retreat with British breath work coach Richie Norton. Here, activities included sauna and steam rituals, sea dipping, breath work, forest walks and more. ‘Lots of spas might feel dated, and bringing in new practices around hot and cold contrast therapy shines a light on other possibilities,’ says Norton. ‘The more we learn about the health benefits of hot and cold exposure, the more spas are going to change.’

Countries blessed with thermal mineral springs and sea baths are brimming with history, culture and authenticity – all qualities that the modern wellness aficionado seeks. Australia’s Great Victoria Bathing Trail, for example, is developing a series of 30 new bathing spots along a 900km route, including the Phillip Island hot springs. In Iceland, Árböðin – a new spa complex designed by T.ark architect Halldór Eiríksson – will open on the banks of the Hvitá River in Laugarás in the summer, with hot and cold pools on multiple levels. (Guests will even have to pass through a waterfall to move between them).

‘In North America, the bathing movement is on the cusp of a huge wave,’ says Robert Hammond, US president of Therme, a water wellness group offering huge bathing complexes echoing the Roman baths of old, such as AIRE Ancient Baths in London. ‘It’s being driven by renewed interest in and deep desire for real life connections with other people and with nature, and the speed at which it’s moving is palpable,’ he continues. Following this trajectory, in the coming months, hotel group Fairmont is set to unveil a new thermal spa called Basin Glacial Waters at Chateau Lake Louise in Canada. Built by architect Matteo Thun and integrated into the natural landscape, this will be the group’s debut ‘wellness-first’ location and has taken two decades to complete.

The UNESCO-listed spa town of Vichy in France is currently undergoing a six-year, multimillion-dollar modernisation, too, where water from Vichy’s natural springs will provide drinks, baths, showers, mud poultices, thermal ovens and swimming pools. French pharmacy stalwart Vichy is also renowned for its skincare products harnessing the healing and soothing power of this water. (Avène is another, drawing its water from the Sainte-Odile Spring in France’s south for face mists and more).

Hungarian skincare brand Omorovicza, which was founded by Margaret and Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza in 2006, includes a patented healing concentrate in all of their products. Stephen de Heinrich’s family built Budapest’s Rác Thermal Bath during the 1800s, on the site of a hot medieval spring. With new Omorovicza Institutes continuing to crop up, the brand also partners with hotels, including a new venture at spas in the Four Seasons.

So, what next? According to the Global Wellness Institute, thermal and mineral springs – renowned for their healing properties – have now rocketed to more than 31,000 across 130 countries. And the organisation estimates that this is only set to increase by 14.3 per cent a year through to 2027.

This will include Hyatt’s new hot spring brand Atona, which arrives next year in Japan, bringing 30-50 room ryokans (traditional inns with bathing facilities built on hot springs that date back to the 8th century) to three locations in the country. Also in the pipeline is Therme’s $200 million watery oasis in Incheon City, South Korea, which aims to increase global awareness of Korean health and wellness practices, following the K-beauty’s worldwide take off.

Women’s wellness has long been underserved, with hormonal health remaining a blind spot in mainstream medicine. Resort and spa group Six Senses is rewriting the narrative with its newly announced Female Wellness Program, a science-backed, restorative experience curated in partnership with women’s health advocate and author Dr Mindy Pelz.

Six Senses unveils Female Wellness Program

Launching in the coming months at five Six Senses locations (more will follow) – Douro Valley in Portugal, Rome in Italy, Kanuhura in the Maldives, Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam, and Crans-Montana in Switzerland – the experience is designed to recalibrate the female body’s natural rhythms. Guests can choose between three-, five-, or seven-day journeys, each tailored to align with hormonal cycles and centred on nutrition, movement, stress, and recovery.

At the core, there is a focus on hormonal balance and fasting protocols, supporting everything from blood sugar stability to energy regulation and cognitive clarity. A non-invasive Wellness Screening sets the foundation, while biometric tracking and Continuous Glucose Monitoring provide real-time insights into the body’s responses. Beyond the data, the approach is deeply intuitive – morning meditations, restorative movement, and tailored nutrition plans.

Designed for women at any stage – whether navigating perimenopause, menopause, or simply seeking balance – the programme adapts to individual needs. The three-day reset introduces the fundamentals of hormonal health, the five-day journey dives deeper into mood, cravings, and cognitive clarity, and the seven-day immersion takes transformation further, focusing on weight balance, detoxification, and long-term metabolic health.

‘There are life-changing tools within us that are massively underutilised,’ says Dr Pelz. ‘Often, we take our wellbeing for granted until we find ourselves in a state of discomfort or imbalance, such as when approaching or going through the menopause. But when we bring our bodies back into alignment with our biology, we can unlock all that our body is capable of. It’s about enabling women to thrive and not just survive.’

The Six Senses Female Wellness Program will be available all year round. Check for availability at your chosen resort as the programme rolls out. Guests can experience it solo or as part of a group or family trip.

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Many wellness-enthused Brits are saying that the ‘sauna is the new pub’. Or at least that’s what the consensus seemed to be at the opening night of Arc, a new wellness spot in London’s Canary Wharf, which boasts the status of the largest communal sauna in the UK.

Here, more than 150 semi-naked, sweaty bathers were huddled onto benches sipping mocktails, before cooling off in ice baths and noisily congregating on red leather banquettes in a sunken chill-out pit.

The Wallpaper* wellness report: The rise of contrast therapy

It was easy to see why somewhere like Arc is a great alternative to those seeking balance and a sense of wellbeing amid hectic city living. The 5,000 sq m space, built by Finnmark and designed by Cake Architects, is London’s first centre for ‘contrast therapy’, a thermal bathing concept that, in the UK at least, is usually rooted outdoors on beaches or in horsebox saunas.

As Scandinavians have done for centuries, the therapy involves cycling between the hot sauna and cold water, with the rather challenging physical experience creating a sense of camaraderie between groups. Despite any short-term ‘pain’, however, the health benefits of hot and cold immersion are many, including improved mood and focus, pain relief, boosted circulation and better quality of sleep.

Arc plans to bring people together in other exciting new ways, too, with guided classes aiming to ‘reset dopamine’, acting as catnip to the growing tribe of ‘dopaminers’ who seek the hormone high through natural stimuli rather than screens or stimulants. Wellness workshops and Arc After Dark social evenings featuring DJs and soundscapes – along with traditional European sauna rituals such as the multi-sensorial German Aufguss, replete with aroma-infused snowballs – are also on offer.

‘We hope to attract local workers and those who are into optimisation and stress management, along with those who want to connect in a way that is not [in] a bar or restaurant and those who are passionate about sauna and ice baths,’ says Arc co-founder Alanna Kit. With its warm terracotta palette, low lighting, 700-year-old tree stump ‘altar’ and eight custom-designed ice baths set between 1 and 8°C, Arc has echoes of another cult contrast therapy centre Othership, based in New York and Toronto. Not least because it was here that Kit taught breath work for two years. (Her co-founder at Arc is Chris Miller, the former director of Soho House.)

As more and more city dwellers flock to these contrast therapy centres to enjoy the ‘healthy discomfort’ that hot and cold bathing brings, the number of them continues to grow. This spring, US trailblazer Remedy Place is set to opens a 10,000 sq ft site in Boston – its largest yet – and Arc is set to open a second site in Marylebone later this year (2025).

In November, FIX in Manchester opened with a 40-person sauna and two ice baths. FIX founder James Fielding created the 3000 sq m space with his father, providing guided sessions in breathwork, sound healing, meditation and stretching. Like Arc, it has a large communal lounge area for chatting and rehydrating. ‘People enjoy the social aspect the most,’ says Fielding, who got into contrast therapy eight years ago, practising it in Bali for an extended period. ‘It’s a great place to connect with like-minded others. The sober socials on Fridays and Saturdays in particular are packed.’

And creating atmosphere is everything, says Arc’s Alana Kit. ‘Community is so important and so needed right now,’ she explains. ‘We aim to create a safe, welcoming space where everyone can talk to each other and come back to their true nature and essence.’ Such is the welcoming ambience of places like Arc that many feel comfortable enough to come on their own to meet like-minded people with an interest in wellness. Entering Arc’s £25,000 ice baths in newly acquainted pairs is encouraged. Phone usage is limited to a dedicated photo area; not just for privacy but to encourage an ‘IRL’ connection and conversation without the usually ubiquitous distraction of devices.

What’s more, contrast therapy centres offer a relatively affordable, social health fix that can be hard to find in a spa or a gym. This speaks to a recent report published by the hospitality group Accor identifying wellness trends for 2025. ‘There’s a move away from complex wellness regimens towards nature and more accessible practices such as sauna sessions and open water swimming,’ says Emlyn Brown, SVP of Accor wellbeing, strategy, design and development, ‘and a decline in the trend towards over-muscularity. The emphasis is on being fit rather than looking fit.’

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Also read: The Wallpaper* wellness report: Can analogue living cure digital burnout in 2025?

When it comes to wellness, are you a biohacker or a barefoot walker? Do you prefer hyperbaric chambers and cryotherapy to fresh air and cold water dipping? If you’re the former, all manner of concierge doctors are on hand at global clinics such Chenot in Switzerland, plus London’s Surrenne, the Neko Health Centre, Lanserhof at the Arts Club and NAD, where photobiomodulation and IV drips are offered alongside full body scans, brain mapping and epigenetic testing.

Such treatments can also come alongside ‘AI agents’ – or virtual ‘life coaches’ – who interpret your personalised data to create tailored health plans. The belief? That tech can play a key role in the quest for ‘longevity’, identifying risk factors, preventing disease and rapidly unlocking new neural, physiological and psychological potential.

The Wallpaper* wellness report: Can analogue living cure digital burnout?

However, in a world where technology feels inescapable, some prefer to pursue a state of ‘wellness’ with a back-to-basics approach. According to Beth McGroarty, director of research and PR at the Global Wellness Institute, a desire for ‘analogue living’ is set to rise. The likes of detox cabins in the woods and forest bathing, plus mindful walks in nature and wild swimming, remind us that an ‘analogue’ and perhaps slightly more accessible path to feeling good still exists. ‘Alongside this high-tech, costly “hard care” is an intuitive, affordable “soft care”,’ notes McGroarty.

‘In a bid to celebrate JOLO – the joy of logging off – we are embracing Luddite or nostalgic ways of life,’ she adds, explaining that pre-industrial skills such as shepherding and blacksmithing, alongside listening bars, social book clubs, sauna and reading clubs are particularly popular with Gen Z. (A 2023 Mindbody report stated that 25 per cent of Gen Z and millennial demographics in America say they focus on ‘wellness’ to feel connected with others.) Instead of maximising, enhancing and optimising, these digital natives want to log off, disconnect, seek and celebrate ancestral wisdom, spirituality and other esoteric, but fundamental, parts of humanity.

Specific activities sought out by this cohort include breathwork, sound healing, yoga and hiking in nature, all of which can be found at the likes of Off-Season, an Ibiza-based retreat founded by Florence Huntington Whitely in 2023. (Designed to heal burnout, part of her curative method also includes connecting with farm animals near the finca where Off-Season guests stay).

Grounding, mindfulness and meditation are key components in all of the above, considered an antidote to the fact that we now spend half our lives online. ‘I see it as a cry for help, especially among Gen Z,’ says McGroarty, a statement reiterated by the Oxford University Press, which identified ‘brain rot’ as its 2024 Word of the Year.

The cult Dutch movement Sanctum is tapping into an increased desire for the ‘offline’. Like a large, alcohol-free, silent disco, it combines dance moves with kundalini yoga, HIIT, mindfulness and more, and orchestrates ‘communal euphoria’ in evocative, open-air spaces. As co-founder Gabriel Olszewski explains: ‘Sanctum bridges the gap between individual introspection and collective energy, creating a place for people to reconnect – with themselves, each other and something bigger. It’s a space for transformation.’

In 2025, the Sanctum Frequency Festival took place in Amsterdam and Ladbroke Hall in London. Loïc Le Gaillard, co-founder of Carpenters Workshop Gallery, owns the space and counts himself as a fan. ‘Sanctum brings people together in a fun way that is unlike anything else,’ he says. ‘It fits perfectly with our ethos where we look for original ways for people to connect, be it through our Friday jazz evening, classical concerts, food or art.’

When it comes to travel, the new ‘wellness’ voyager wants to take their health rituals home with them, too. In the spring of 2025, Six Senses Place finally opened its first social wellness club in the former Whiteleys department store in Bayswater, London. In a similar vein to Remedy Place in New York, the pioneering sustainability and wellness brand puts a focus on the importance of human connection for optimum health. Subsequently, residents are provided with automatic membership and access to the spa and its facilities in all other Six Senses Places around the world, including Six Senses The Forestias which also opens this year near Bangkok.

Certainly, wellness is following a minimalist maximalist paradigm right now. ‘Perhaps it’s reflective of what we’re experiencing globally, but I see the wellness world becoming this place of extremes,’ says Beth McGroarty. ‘On the one hand, we want to be stripped down, using our own two feet, eyes and ears. On the other, we have biohackers; hyper-optimisation; AI. The difference between the two is unprecedented.’

Contrast therapy, head-to-toe massage and neuroaesthetic interior design form the cornerstones of Hideaway’s holistic ethos. The Singapore-based spa opened up a new bathhouse space late last year (2024) containing infrared saunas by Clearlight and custom-built cold plunge tubs.

While the infrared technology penetrates deeper than conventional saunas to promote cellular repair and detoxification, the cold plunges (which can be set to a brave 4°C, moderate 8°C, or gentler 10°C) offer their own science-backed benefits, from reducing inflammation to boosting immunity. When used in conjunction, the shifts in temperature are said to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, said to improve sleep and reduce anxiety.

Contrast therapy meets neuroaesthetic design at the Hideaway spa and bathhouse in Singapore

These contrast therapies can be enjoyed solo or shared, with four semi-private pods accommodating singles or pairs. There is also a private suite hosting up to four guests. This flexibility speaks to both introverted wellness seekers looking for a solo moment of self-reflection and those who prefer to engage in the social side of bathhouse culture. Massages take place in one of eight mood-lit treatment rooms, provide a deeper therapeutic counterpoint to the thermal extremes, while the tea lounge offers a space for contemplative recovery.

The spa’s location inside New Bahru, a buzzy new lifestyle destination in the River Valley occupying what was once a mid-century high school, provides an intriguing architectural narrative. This is complemented by interior and spatial from local studio Parable, which also count the likes of Hermès among its roster of clients. Founding partner Ken Yuktasevi describes the vision for Hideaway as a ‘meditation on humane luxury’. Here, original glass blocks and handcrafted ceramics create an atmosphere that manages to feel both heritage-conscious and distinctly contemporary. Fabric screens diffuse natural light through the reception area, while terracotta textures and imperfect moulded surfaces add tactile warmth to the industrial bones of the former school building.

‘What makes Hideaway unique is its dual focus on massage and bathhouse,’ adds its founder, Grant Wee. ‘My favourite wellness treatment combines both, starting with hot and cold therapy and ending with a massage. Also, the design really reminds me of my old high school classrooms with their glass blocks.’

The sound playing throughout Hideaway deserves special mention, too. In place of ambient music are tracks by Wee’s favourite bands and artists, including Frank Ocean and Cigarettes After Sex, creating an unexpected – yet equally relaxing – sonic landscape. This curated approach extends to Hideaway's deftly curated retail collection, developed with local artisans, including a signature scent by Postcard, scalp serum by Jing Botanics, and handmade bath products from Savan Baths.

In an era where wellness architecture increasingly recognises the impact of environmental design on mental health, Hideaway’s attention to spatial psychology is noteworthy. After all, the most successful modern wellness spaces – some recently explored by Wallpaper* contributing editor, Emma O’Kelly – understand that architecture itself can be a healing tool. Hideaway exemplifies this principle through its use of layered screens, materials, mood lighting, and texture to create what Parable calls ‘moments that were intentionally framed’ – creating an experience where disconnection feels less like an effort and more like a welcome surrender.

‘A journey of understanding how colour, object, texture, and volume create a tangible part of an oasis for urban well-being formed our neuroaesthetic design philosophy for Hideaway,’ continues Parable’s Ken Yuktasevi. ‘Weaving past and future philosophies of wellbeing into a warm, gorgeous, and present moment for guests, the space is designed to make complete sense for those who are looking for the ultimate rejuvenation.’

That Hideaway happens to be in a converted school feels particularly fitting, considering its erudite and contemplative approach. But goes without saying that this time around, the curriculum is decidedly less tedious and considerably more restorative.

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When Dr Jonathan Leary opened a group of social wellness clubs, Remedy Place, in Los Angeles in 2019, many doubted it would succeed.

Instead of beauty, aesthetics and spa treatments, the 34-year-old chiropractor and concierge doctor would offer treatments with ‘a quick physiological challenge that brings out the most amplified version of ourselves and can build lasting connections’, he explains. Think: ice baths, saunas, hyperbaric chambers and more. Despite the naysayers, it worked. And five years on, Remedy Place has two more locations, one in New York’s Flatiron and another, newly opened club in SoHo.

Are ‘social wellness clubs’ the future of spas? Founder of Remedy Place Dr Jonathan Leary weighs in

‘We are more connected than ever, but we are lonelier than ever and sicker than ever,’ says Leary, who notes that a sharp decrease in social interaction, which began at the turn of the millennium, comes with a drastic impact on health. ‘Remedy Place is a self-care club that allows us to have fun while enhancing relationships,’ explains Leary. The clientele is typically 30- and 40-somethings who come together after work to socialise healthily in the club’s design-driven spaces. Sleek, state-of-the-art ice baths and saunas provide a hot and cold fix, and movement screenings, body scans and blood work are gathered to create custom vitamin blends and personalised care plans.

Remedy Place is also an alcohol-free environment and draws a new generation of the ‘sober curious’. ‘Since the pandemic, there has been a gigantic shift to people who don’t drink, or don’t want to drink, or want to minimise their alcohol intake,’ says Leary, who counts himself among them. (To maintain his wellbeing, he also has a sauna three times a week and an ice bath every day, which he believes is ‘the most impactful thing we can do in the shortest time’.)

Visitors to Remedy Place are encouraged to track key biomarkers, as part of a personalised health programme called Meridian. ‘Understanding your health data, uploading it, storing it over a long period is so important, because the more biomarkers you have, the better AI can treat you in the future.’

So how will AI affect our medical futures? ‘It can make things more affordable and accessible; for example, taking a deep-dive into someone’s blood work currently costs thousands of dollars and takes up to ten hours. It’s a gigantic puzzle. AI can read that in seconds and if it draws on data taken from people using wearables in holistic, nature-based therapies, it can make these things more mainstream,’ says Leary.

With this in mind, Leary is encouraging guests at Remedy Place to share their health data with health practitioners in the name of science, offering up heart-rate and oxygen-level readings, for example, so that ‘these treatments can get the credibility they deserve’. Starting with his own biometric data, Leary has since developed The Framework – a manual of science-backed remedies and routines that help him feel better. ‘Alternative therapies that actually fix things have been around for a very long time, but the lack of studies into their health benefits is crazy,’ he says. ‘And it’s because no one is going to invest in research that they can’t immediately profit from.’

Leary was among the industry pioneers who gathered at last year’s Global Wellness Summit, which took place in November (2024). (Remedy Place also partnered with Kohler to launch an ice bath for the home, in October, which was debuted during Miami Design Week 2024.)

At the summit, he witnessed two major trends; on one hand, the desire to push human potential through optimising, enhancing and augmenting ourselves with the aid of tech. But on the other, a need to tap into primal responses, to preserve and protect the fundamental things that make us human. With its offer of alternative therapies and customisable tech, analogue and digital, Remedy Place caters to both. ‘It’s a movement,’ says Leary. ‘And the focus on self-care rather than fitness is only going to grow.’

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As a workout, Pilates is a notoriously heavy-hitter, targeting minuscule muscles and improving strength and alignment – but the popularity of design-led studios, like East London’s Studio Anatomy, is highlighting a growing desire for fitness which also prioritises mental wellbeing and physical comfort. ‘I wanted to fill a gap for people looking for more than just a place to exercise – they’re seeking somewhere that inspires them, recharges them, and makes them feel genuinely cared for,’ founder Lotti Benardout explains to Wallpaper*.

‘There’s been a growing demand for intentional, mindful fitness, and I wanted to create a space where people could feel strong, capable, and balanced.’ Studio Anatomy opened in 2022 as a dedicated Reformer Pilates space. In October 2024, it expanded to include a Functional Fitness room and an infrared sauna, ‘allowing us to offer a more holistic approach to movement and recovery,’ says Benardout.

A Studio Anatomy Pilates workout offers an ‘intentional’ approach to fitness

Studio Anatomy is located on a busy intersection in the London Fields area of Hackney. When I visited it was a gloriously wet and windy evening during the last working week before Christmas – not exactly the makings of a relaxing time, you might think. But all the chaos seemed to melt away as soon as I stepped up the stairs and into the studio, which is almost Balearic in its design, with gently curving arches and warm neutrals.

Spread over two floors and comprising two workout spaces alongside the sauna room and changing areas, Studio Anatomy is as much a space for serenity as for a muscle-burning workout. Classes leave your body aching in the best possible way. But the lime-plaster walls, bouclé couches and terracotta tiles transport your mind to a place of tranquility. ‘We’ve tried to create a space that blends minimalism with warm, welcoming textures. I wanted it to feel calming, but never clinical,’ says Benardout. ‘We chose raw, organic finishes and added subtle touches like mother-of-pearl into our resin floors, which catch and reflect the sunlight beautifully.’

‘We draw inspiration from designers like Vincent Van Duysen, whose work embodies understated elegance, as well as fashion houses like The Row or Khaite where luxury is rooted in simplicity and quality,’ Benardout adds. ‘That same ethos guided our choices, with the hope of creating a studio that feels timeless and inviting.’

This combination of influences has resulted in a space with a considered blend of materials: pale timber and porous granite, seagrass weave baskets and pearlescent tiles. The front desk features an ever-changing seasonal floral display in a sculptural vase by local ceramicist Lucy Loewenberg. Whilst natural light was a priority for Benardout, there are also stylish wall sconces which keep the studio looking beautiful into the night, perfect for the dinners and workshops which the team love to host.

Classes on the reformer are tiered, from Essentials, to Signature, and up to Power. As a first-timer I was welcomed into the Essentials class and was supported by Kylie, an instructor who explained the mechanics and made occasional corrections to my form. For those considering a new fitness regime for 2025, the Essentials class is an energetic but non-intimidating taster.

‘January is the perfect time to reset and refresh your approach to fitness,’ says Benardout. ‘My biggest piece of advice is to prioritise sustainability over intensity. Start with small, consistent steps and don’t be afraid to try something new. Fitness should always feel good. It’s not about punishing your body but about creating a routine that adds energy and positivity to your life. Let it be something you look forward to, rather than something you feel you have to do.’

Studio Anatomy really does make this kind of approach to fitness feel possible. After a 50-minute session (which I genuinely wanted to last longer) a visit to the infrared sauna was the ideal chaser – a moment to sit and catch my breath while still maintaining a sweat. The space is replete with showers with fresh towels and Hotel, Mike products; the changing rooms are also fully-equipped with hair styling tools, so you can leave ready to take on East London and beyond.

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Incorp took founder Kira Lillie ten years to develop. And, even though producing something truly different in an oversaturated beauty market is a challenge, Lillie has certainly achieved it, through bridging the worlds of wellness, art and fashion through the medium of fragrance.

To do so, she called on the talents of some of the most interesting creatives working today. This includes the likes of artist Sissel Tolaas, jewellery designer Marco Panconesi, production company Torso Solutions and the multi-instrumentalist and composer, Eartheater, who scored the Incorp launch event during Paris Fashion Week in October 2023. ‘The idea was to create a perfume that could ground you [emotionally] through scent using input from different artists,’ says Lille. ‘Incorp is probably the most difficult project I have worked on so far. It taught me a lot.’

Incorp brings together the work of Sissel Tolaas and Panconesi in three unique fragrances

Lillie was born in Santa Cruz to a ‘hippie’ family. Despite her New Age upbringing, at 18 she moved to Italy to pursue a career as a photographer. From there, she was able to sustain a peripatetic life that took her from Milan, Paris and New York to Berlin and Los Angeles, building a network along the way that would eventually help her form Incorp.

For example, Lillie knew from the moment she had the idea for Incorp, that she wanted the scents to be developed by Sissel Tolaas, who she had become friendly with while residing in Berlin. Tolaas describes herself as a ‘smell-artist’ and she is widely recognised as the world’s leading authority on smell – not, it is important to note, perfume. In Tolaas’ view, we have vastly limited our range of experiences by relying too much on sight and sound as our means of experiencing the world. To combat this, the artist created around 1,500 unique words for describing smells and collaborated with museums and fashion brands on a range of projects designed to expand our olfactory perceptions.

This spanned from using David Beckham’s sweat, found in his Adidas trainers, to make cheese (which was then served to VIPs at the London Olympics); perfuming Balenciaga’s runways with the smell of blood, antiseptic, petrol and money; and extracting the human scents left on historic items of clothing and applying them to the walls of the Metropolitan Museum Art’s Sleeping Beauties exhibition.

Yet, according to Lillie, Tolaas said that developing the scents for Incorp presented a unique set of challenges, as they are made solely from essential oils, which are difficult to control and stabilise. But after years of experimentation, Tolaas arrived a three olfactory profiles: I, WE, and YOU. I is the earthiest scent, with notes of thyme, vetiver, myrrh and a touch of lemon balm. WE is slightly brighter, with coriander, orange and Roman chamomile. While YOU has a floral-citrus blend of rose, lime, sandalwood and coriander.

The environmental cost of making perfume from essential oils means that Incorp will never mass produce the fragrances. But this was never Lillie’s intention anyway. For her, the perfumes are best used in a personalised, ritualised way. ‘For example, my friend, the fashion designer Glenn Martens, has [an Incorp perfume] hanging on his wall and he uses it every morning when he wakes up – like a morning meditation kind of thing,’ Lillie says.

The bottles that contain I, WE and YOU were designed by product designer Samuel Reis, who Lillie found working in a converted cereal factory just north of Lisbon. Reis created the amorphous-looking vessels using tree trunks as a glass-blowing mould. The top of the bottle, plus wearable perfume vials, were then added by jewellery designer Ugo Cacciatori, who Lillie met while living in Milan. Cacciatori has a resume that includes Valentino, Giambattista Valli, Marni and Fendi. But he was hesitant about taking on the challenge of designing a bottle top, according to Lillie. ‘I asked him to help and he said to me, “I’m not an artist”. But I just gave him one of the bottles anyway and told him to play with it. Six months later he called me and said: “I’m an artist!”,’ she explains.

Still, Lillie wanted an additional component for the top of each bottle. So she asked Marco Panconesi, who heads up his namesake jewellery brand Panconesi, to help design a gua sha-like tool that could be inserted into the perfume oil and used for application. ‘He had been at one of the crazy, experiential dinners I host all over the world for different artists,’ says Lillie. ‘I told him I wanted something functional for the bottle design,’ says Lillie. ‘I love what he came back with because it looks like an ear or a spoon, but feels like a finger – so it works for acupressure.’

In the future, Lillie has dreams of creating a physical space built on principles intrinsic to Incorp; namely, artistic collaboration and an almost spiritual connection to nature. ‘I would love to find a plot of land and create a community of artists that feels a bit more contemporary than your typical retreat,’ she says. ‘There would be a garden for growing food and rotating chefs. Creatives could come together to question how we move through life today, find support, experiment and play.’

incorp.world

When it comes to home workouts, Onyx believes exercise equipment should challenge the body whilst staying easy on the eyes.

The new London-based wellness brand was founded last year (2024) by ex-interior designer and relationship coach Alison Banks, who now heads up Pilates studio, Re:Form. During the process of creating the Re:Form’s retreat-like ambience, Banks was keen to instil a sense of harmony into the space through its interiors. But soon found that much of the existing high-quality equipment available to fill it was at odds with her aesthetic vision.

Subsequently, Onyx prioritises form and function equally, instantly elevating any at-home fitness routine without compromising your decor. Crafted from sustainably sourced and produced materials such as iron and silicone, various weights (including hand weights, ring weights and bracelet weights) plus yoga mats and blocks, Pilates balls and resistance bands are available in a variety of calming colourways to mimic the soothing effect of exercise on a busy mind. Here, Banks tells Wallpaper* more about her ethos.

Onyx elevates home workouts with exercise equipment informed by interior design

Wallpaper*: Can you explain a little more about how Onyx came to be?

Alison Banks: I’ve been an interior designer for many years, working mainly in private properties. I started doing Pilates about six years ago when I’d put on menopausal weight that I was finding difficult to shift – and I fell in love with it.

One of the properties I was designing had a shop space in it and I talked my Pilates teacher into working with me to set up a reformer studio. But when it came to buying the equipment, I felt that everything on the market fell short. I had a hankering for something more coordinated; equipment that works together whether it’s in a public studio or a home gym. This was the seed of the idea for Onyx.

W*: And how did you land on the name?

AB: For us [Banks founded Onyx alongside her son] ‘Onyx’ means strength. Not only the physical strength you build through your fitness routine but staying mentally strong for everything that happens in your life. That’s an important message for me, as an older founder.

W*: What does your tagline ‘combining fitness with lifestyle and wellbeing’ mean to you?

AB: In itself, Pilates is all about alignment, which the equipment we design will help to support. But it’s also essential for us to think about bringing the different areas of your life into alignment too: your vision for your home and the things you do in it, integrating all of that together.

W*: What was on the mood board when it came to designing Onyx products?

AB: I have quite a monochromatic taste when it comes to clothes and interiors. But I love really interesting art and light too – everything has to have some sort of textural intrigue. The hand weights are sculptural and all our products have this very intentional matte finish. The mood we want to create is one of peace and calm – almost stillness.

W*: Your products are defined by their simplicity. Everything is pared back and minimal. But you do have a range of five signature colours to choose from – how did you arrive at this palette?

AB: We chose colours that are easy to live with – very peaceful, but also very adaptable. They work both individually and interchangeably, so they complement each other if you’re someone who likes to mix and match. But there’s also a practicality to them, as sustainability is a consideration too. It’s quite challenging to create weights in a truly sustainable way, but one thing we can ensure is that these are pieces of equipment that last a lifetime. Not only are they durable in terms of their material, but the colour palette will endure in people's homes too.

W*: I’d love to know what your own fitness regime is like – how do you incorporate Onyx exercise equipment into your everyday life?

AB: Naturally we’ve got all Onyx equipment in Re:Form. I’m there probably four days a week. I’ve noticed what a difference it’s made to my strength outside of the studio too – I feel strong. And, I’m even faster on the tennis court.

onyx-fitness.com

I took the best bath I’ve ever had in my life at Surrenne. Well, it was being bathed, actually, by one of the therapists inside the ultra-luxury London spa, who for 90 minutes performed one of its signature full-body treatments, leaving me squeaky clean and relaxed in a way that defied my predisposition to frayed nerves.

Located inside the RSHP-designed Emory Hotel in Knightsbridge, which opened its doors in April 2024, Surrenne is described as ‘London’s new next-generation wellbeing and longevity members’ club’. The programme and facilities on offer have been dreamt up by Inge Theron, founder of Face Gym and Inge Theron & Associates, the latter being the skincare specialist’s namesake spa and wellness design agency, which counts other Maybourne properties – such as Claridges and The Berkeley – amongst its portfolio of clients.

Surrenne London is the future of luxury spas

‘We knew that Maybourne planned to have an ambitious rollout strategy committed to wellbeing for their guests,’ Theron explains. ‘Once the commitment of a long road ahead to create the best in luxury hospitality alongside a longevity and wellbeing club was there, we started working on a new brand name for the club. Surrenne is a beautiful fusion of serenity and energy, two key states for wellbeing.’

And this is where Surrenne differentiates itself from other spas in the capital. Blending ‘high-end science-based and evidence-backed protocols’, it stands out from the crowd for providing more than just your common or garden facial, working holistically with the brain and body. ‘With Surrenne we decided to go hard: results-driven, data-driven, science-backed,’ says Theron.

The result is, alongside having a pacifying effect on the mind and body, also rather mind-blowing. Surrenne is painstakingly considered, up to the fire sprinklers on the ceilings (leafed in gold, no less), down to the fitness floor, which includes a fully decked-out gym complete with personal trainers, and an ‘interactive digital fitness studio’ with a range of virtual fitness classes on demand.

The continual lullaby of ‘AI-generated soundscapes’, which follow you around centimetre of the 2,000 sq m space, aid in the atmosphere of tranquility. ‘From the moment you walk in, your multi-sensorial receptors are engaged to stimulate the neuro receptors to calm you down or energise you – depending on your need-states,’ says Theron. ‘We chose to work with a team of neuroscientists from Virtusan on the multi-sensorial aspect of the club, which includes the lighting the sounds, the colour palette, and the scent.’ In the medical suite, in-house general practitioners and specialist doctors will tailor-make a bespoke health programme for you. This could include a stint in the medical-grade 2.0 Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, VO2 Max testing, and ‘microbiome mapping’, if you choose.

There are seven treatment rooms in total, including an Ashiatsu room, where a team of ‘massage masters’ perform their magic. Here is where I underwent the Scalp & Body Spa Ritual – which involved lying on one of Surrenne’s solid onyx heated beds (which felt a little like lying on top of a Barbara Hepworth sculpture), and was combed, brushed, exfoliated, and then slathered with various oils, herbs, and clays, from head to toe.

There are additional ‘wet’ areas too, of course: a pool, a custom sauna with a frozen Aloe Vera station for post-heat exposure, a steam room with a unique daily infusion, and one of the UK’s first snow showers. Another UK first includes the arrival of the Tracy Anderson Method, which has a dedicated studio at Surrenne, replete with the Anderson-devised ‘Super G Floor’, a bouncy subfloor underneath a wooden surface designed to minimise impact on joints when performing her exercises, based on Nasa research involving trampolines.

The esteemed list of Surrenne collaborators continues with Stella McCartney, with a signature lymphatic facial treatment using the 99 per cent organic products from her brand’s beauty line, and nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson, who now works as a consultant at the health club and created the ‘micronutrient longevity’ smoothie and drinks menu served in the Surrenne Health Café. Ferguson also spoke to me about her involvement with the programme, in tandem with a consultation where we discussed how to address my sleep (or lack thereof) with diet. ‘It’s great to work as part of a team here at Surrenne, and be able to refer clients to other experts in-house,’ she says. ‘They really take it to another level with medical support, nutritionist support… It’s the future of spas. They’ve done an incredible job.’

‘It's community-driven at the heart of it: the culture, the services, and the programming,’ says Theron, reiterating Ferguson's sentiment. ‘The industry is moving at such a fast pace, so we all already have our eyes firmly on the future, which I believe are long-stay retreats at Surrenne. So for one or two weeks or more, you can stay here to regenerate and renew, before travelling home feeling like the best version of yourself.’

Surrenne is located in the Emory Hotel, Old Barrack Yard, London SW1X 7NP.

surrenne.com

Zoe Ghertner is one of the most revered fashion photographers working in the industry today. Having collaborated with the likes of Chanel, Gucci, The Row, Miu Miu, and Hermès, the American-born image maker and creative director is renowned for her editorial work showing subjects in a naturalistic style. Now, Ghertner has partnered with Fee Steinvorth, an artist and wellness practitioner, to found neoNutritions, a health and wellness-focused brand that has been years in the making. ‘Though neoNutritions launched in late 2023, we planted the seed long ago and it took four years for us to bring our 100 per cent organic, vegan, gluten-free, and high-vibrational nutritional supplement powders to fruition,’ Ghertner and Steinvorth tell Wallpaper*.

Zoe Ghertner and Fee Steinvorth on neoNutritions

These powdered supplements are designed to help build on ‘body, mind and spirit’ through food and vitamins. The two hero supplements the brand has launched with are called The Ultimate Foundation, and a booster named The Ultimate Beauty. ‘I like to call The Ultimate Foundation a liquid lifeforce,’ says Steinvorth. ‘Food is the quickest route to live in this state of flow. This idea has been around for thousands of years. “Annamaya Kosha”, or as we know the phrase today, “we are what we eat“.‘

The Ultimate Foundation is made with seeds, greens, fruits, algae, adaptogens, and restorative roots, and The Ultimate Beauty contains sea buckthorn, birch leaf, and manjistha, which are rich in antioxidants. ‘The benefits are as holistic as the formula, lowering inflammation and detoxifying, improving gut health and digestion, and boosting immunity and energy.’ (These additions to your diet are also said to have effects on your rest, sex drive, and focus.) It is recommended that the powders, which are contained in individual sachets, are added to dairy or nut milk, ghee, aloe vera juice, or water in quantities of eight ounces For the Ultimate Foundation and two ounces for the Ultimate Beauty. They can also be added into smoothies or juices.

The branding and visual identity of neoNutritions are true to Ghertner’s signature aesthetic. ‘[The branding] is minimal and direct but always with a strong connection to both human and technology, science and spirit,’ says Ghertner. ‘Colour is important to us and so is leaving space and breathing room that allows for interpretation. Our photography speaks to the bold possibility of change. It is important to me that our imagery, our packaging and everything we do is open and allows room for contemplation, wonder and breath.’

For the campaign, Ghertner worked with casting director Rosie Vogel, to assemble a crew of models including supermodel Kirsty Hume, skateboarder, entrepreneur and breathwork teacher Alex Olson, athlete and model Jeneil Williams, and dancer and choreographer Vinson Fraley. ‘Each person we photographed was intentionally chosen to represent different aspects of what we stand for. Kirsty, as a herbalist, represents eternal beauty and plant wisdom. With Alex, body alignment has always played a big part in who he is, both through his skating and yoga/meditation practice. Movement is an integral part of neoNutritions, and Vinson expresses this with strength, beauty and honesty.’

For Ghertner and Steinvorth, these initial supplement launches are the beginning of a longer journey, with conscious production methods at its heart. ‘We source all ingredients from responsible producers who use organic farming practices and offer sustainable wages for the humans who care for them,’ the duo explain. ‘It allows us to provide the most meticulous, exceptional ingredients and create thoughtful formulations that feed the mind, body, and soul. neoNutritions takes a no-compromises approach to our formulations and their quality.’

Both neoNutritions products are manufactured in the USA in a TGA-registered, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant facility, which is recognised by NSF International. ‘We maintain entire batch manufacturing records, which ensures all finished products are 100 per cent traceable. We also maintain rigorous independent audits of our manufacturing facility and toxicological reviews that verify product formulation and label claims and prevent unsafe levels of contaminants.’

‘My work and my life are intrinsically linked by an ethos. Everything I create is born out of a set of values I hold, namely trying to put good out into the world,’ concludes Ghertner. ‘This is also the mission of neoNutritions. We want to allow everyone the opportunity to create change in their bodies and whole beings in different ways and learn deeply about themselves.’

The Ultimate Foundation and The Ultimate Beauty powdered supplements are available now.

neonutritions.com.

‘Wellness' is the buzzword of the moment, and its subgenre, 'wellness architecture', is popping up everywhere too; but what do they mean exactly? Is wellness about connecting with nature in ways that amplify relaxation and harmony? Does it mean embracing clean living and a back-to-basics simplicity? Or is it about building resilience and breaking through your comfort zone? It can be all three, but given that studies show that we spend 90 per cent of our time indoors, buildings have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing, and architects are considering all options in their designs of offices, schools, hotels and hospitals.  

‘The role that mental health and wellbeing at the workplace play in our welfare are now better appreciated than before,’ says Italian architect Mario Cucinella. ‘It’s about finding the right balance to live in harmony with the planet and ourselves.’ Cucinella is one of many architects tuning into biophilic design and incorporating natural elements into his schemes which range from high-rise housing in Rome and Vienna that burst with greenery, to hospitals and offices. ‘The way we occupy the earth through our buildings is critical in this equation,’ he adds. 

To this end, medical spas and luxury hotels are emphasising nature and the outdoors, adding guided forest walks, ice bathing and wild swimming to the mix – and a raft of cabin builders have never been so busy, as we equate wellness with retreating into the woods. ‘Natural materials, spaces that are connected to nature and that enable people to feel part of a community are all important,’ says Mikko Jakonen of Finnish architects Puisto, whose retirement homes are designed to be places that are tempting to move into, rather than being ‘a last resort’. Old-fashioned remedies such as fresh air, peace and quiet, and a good night’s sleep have never been so popular.  

Wellness architecture: trend-setting case studies

Paimio Sanatorium, Finland 

Recently, the legendary piece of Finnish modernist architecture that is Piamio opened a handful of its rooms to overnight guests. In keeping with Alvar Aalto’s vision for his landmark sanitorium, built in 1932 as a tuberculosis clinic, most rooms have single beds and en suite bathrooms, and guests eat homegrown food in the canteen. The rooms are the first stage of a renovation that will include a museum, event and exhibition space, and a further 140 rooms. It was a groundbreaking project when it first opened and remains a key example of wellness architecture to this day. 

paimiosanatorium.com

New Hospital of Cremona, Italy 

Ever since Florence Nightingale advocated natural light, ventilation and greenery in hospitals in the 19th century, these important spaces for healthcare and wellness have, more often than not, steadily deteriorated into over-lit, over-heated and even inhospitable places. But the New Hospital of Cremona near Milan changes tack. Featuring a health park, a library and short-term residences for patients and families, along with natural light, greenery and space for ever-evolving high-tech care, it ‘returns to the idea of the hospital as part of the life of the city’, says its creator, architect Mario Cucinella.  

mcarchitects.it 

Luoto sauna restaurant, Finland

Sauna restaurants, where bathers go to heat, meet and eat, are something of a trend in Finland, thanks in part to Helsinki architects Puisto. The firm’s latest creation is Luoto, located on the shores of Lake Kallavesi in south-eastern Finland. Featuring two saunas, a yoga room, a restaurant and a panoramic terrace, access by foot, boat or bike is encouraged (space for cars is deliberately limited) and charred wood, dim lighting and rustic tables ‘avoid clinical aesthetics’. 

Luotokuopio.fi; studiopuisto.fi

Out of the Valley, UK

When Devon-based designer Rupert McKelvie built himself an off-grid cabin on Dartmoor and moved in, people liked it so much they commissioned him to build cabins for them too. Out of The Valley was born, catering to our increasing need for peace and seclusion, as well as immersion in nature. Since 2016, McKelvie has created nomadic shelters, furniture, cabins and saunas that allow skill, simplicity and natural surroundings to shine. The Jōki Elements Sauna, created in collaboration with Koto Design, is one of their latest product launches. 

outofthevalley.co.uk 

Six Senses Japan 

Six Senses lands in downtown Kyoto later in 2024 with an 81-room hotel that brings authentic Japanese décor, seasonal gardens, healing and bathing rituals and Zen culture into an aesthetically charming whole. It is the brand’s first opening in Japan, and in a city famous for its onsen (hot springs surrounded by traditional Japanese inns), the spa will be sure to deliver, bringing together old wisdom and traditions with 21st-century comforts and flair. 

sixsenses.com

Therme Bucharest

At its flagship spa in Bucharest, Therme’s slogan is ‘Wellbeing for All’ and with tickets starting at 14 euros, and facilities that stretch from onsen and hammans to swimming pools, treatments, and dining, it’s an accessible wellness world like no other. And so popular is the concept that it’s on the move; Therme has secured a site in Incheon City, South Korea, and a former site has been demolished and construction of a brand new Therme Manchester begins soon. 

therme.ro  

Juno Vet, Canada

Our four-legged friends make us happy (just look at the queues at the capybara petting parks in Tokyo), and when they’re in distress, we feel it too. Which is why Alda Ly's ALA Studio wanted to create a vet clinic that feels reassuringly safe and soothing – so wellness architecture can work its wonders for our furry companions too. The Juno clinic in Toronto sends the message that pets, ‘pet parents’ and the staff who have to look after both are equally cared for and considered.

junovet.com; alastudio.com

Over her 55-year-long practice, artist Marina Abramović has pushed the limits of the physical body and toyed with the possibilities of the mind. This spans from her controversial early work in the 1970s, titled Rhythm Series, to her collaborative pieces with Ulay, and the renowned 2010 performance The Artist is Present, staged at MoMA, in which the Belgrade-born artist elicited intense emotional responses in audience members by staring at them in silence.

Abramović has since tied the threads of her work together to form The Abramović Method, a series of mindfulness techniques that can be applied to everyday life. This can involve such actions as counting grains of rice, opening and closing a door, or slowly and consciously drinking a glass of water over a 20-minute timeframe. (It reportedly even helped Lady Gaga quit smoking).

Marina Abramović: The Longevity Method

Now (January 2023), Abramović has launched a range of skincare and wellness products that incorporate key principles of The Abramović Method. ‘The Abramović Longevity Method is a lifestyle and a philosophy that emphasises the importance of living in harmony with nature,’ she explains. ‘It is rooted in the belief that true beauty and vitality come from nurturing ourselves holistically.’ Each product has been developed in Switzerland with Dr Nonna Brenner, a prestigious wellness practitioner with a centre located on the banks of Fuschl Am See in Austria, and is inspired by the bespoke, all-natural range of recipes she has developed for the artist over their 20-year friendship (Brenner also had a hand in Marina Abramović’s diet soup, part of our artist’s recipe series).

The product range features a face lotion that acts as a cleanser, exfoliant and moisturiser in one, and has been formulated with hydrating botanicals, essential oils, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, white bread, and white wine. Then there are three different types of botanical drops created for their energising, immunising, and anti-allergenic properties. Respectively, the drops contain fresh garlic bulb, fresh lemon, Shiajit, whole Hawthorn fruit, chilli pepper powder and flower pollen; Mumie (Shilajit) and Liquiritiae root dust; and cranberry concentrate and grape seed flour.

‘My recipes for these all-natural wellbeing products we are launching focus on embracing the philosophy of healing through nature,’ says Dr Brenner. ‘They rediscover forgotten rituals and knowledge of the past associated with beauty and wellness, reimagining them for use today, with longevity at the heart of each product. Put simply, it’s all about beauty inside and out.’

There is a limited first run of each product (2,000 units to be exact) in packaging personally designed by Marina Abramović, featuring the artist’s fingerprints, alongside those of Dr Nonna Brenner. ‘I hope that all of you can benefit from them,’ says Abramović. ‘I think that for me, as an artist, and Dr Nonna as a doctor, this is a unique collaboration.’

The Marina Abramović Longevity Method Face Lotion is available for £199. The Marina Abramović Longevity Method Drops are £99 each.

abramoviclongevity.com

From high-tech facials to marble swimming baths, these London spas offer everything some of the best spa experiences you could ever wish for, in the way of fitness, beauty and wellness.

Surrenne

Surrenne is a members’ club in London’s Marylebone neighbourhood that sets a new standard in growing longevity space. Spanning four floors, Surrenne features a mind-boggling array of cutting-edge treatments and technologies, from a 2.0 Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, to ‘microbiome mapping’ sessions, full-body bathing experiences performed on a crystal bed, purifying scalp treatments, saunas and much, much more.

The team behind Surrenne recruited some of the most respected names in the industry to create a space where members can relax, work out, and improve every aspect of their health– from nutrition to sleep, athletic recovery to mental clarity. Collaborators include Inge Grognard, the Face Gym founder, whose wellness design agency dreamed up the interiors of the space and brought in experts like the nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson.

Surrenne has also become the first UK home for American imports like New York cult-dermatologist Dr Macrene and the Tracy Anderson Method. The dedicated Tracy Anderson studio is even fitted with Anderson’s ‘Super G’ bouncy floor, designed to minimise impact on joints when performing her exercises. The longevity offerings have also been designed in partnership with tech pioneers Virtusan, whose board includes Dr Andrew Huberman, Dr David Sinclair and Dr Shauna Shapiro. Treatments include everything from hypnotherapy sessions to ‘Exomind,’ a brain stimulation therapy designed to enhance cognitive function.

surrenne.com

Arc

Arc reimagines the centuries-old Scandinavian concept of ‘contract therapy’ (i.e. cycling between hot and cold water) for a modern, city-dwelling audience. Located in Canary Wharf and outfitted with the largest sauna in the UK, Arc aims to create a social sauna experience, where guests can join guided classes aimed at improving a particular aspect of their health, or replace their night out at the pub with a ‘sauna party’ instead, where DJs curate energising soundscapes and aromatherapy scents fill the space, over the course of group class.

The classes are designed to address a range of needs, from athletic recovery to improved sleep, mood-boosting endorphin release sessions and sessions dedicated to pure relaxation. Those who would rather experience their sauna solo can enjoy a free flow session, cycling through the hot and cold areas at their own pace.

arc-community.com

The Spa at Claridge's

The first spa in Claridge's history has all the pomp and glamour you would expect from the 200-year-old icon. Excavating five floors below the London streets, Claridge's has created a hermetic wellness sanctuary with a swimming pool, steam rooms, sauna and seven treatment rooms. Interiors are designed by Andre Fu and inspired by his own visits to traditional Japanese temples and Zen gardens in Kyoto to create an enveloping feeling of tranquillity.

Star facialist and former Wallpaper* Design Awards winner, Teresa Tarmey (who counts Julianne Moore among her famous clients) currently has a residency at the spa, offering her signature treatments alongside the Claridge’s exclusive Skinmaster Plus by Brera treatment. Using cutting-edge technology, the ultrasonic exfoliation treatment visibly turns back the clock on skin. The spa also offers Augustinus Bader facial treatments, which leverage the brand’s famous TFC8® technology to transform skin’s appearance in sixty seconds.

If you’re looking for a body treatment alongside your facial, we recommend the two-hour long offering from Budapest brand Omorovicza, which includes a steam, scrub and traditional Hungarian body massage inspired by the movements of the ballet. The experience is capped off with a mud facial that infuses skin with the brand’s patented Healing Concentrate (a potent distillation of Budapest’s thermal waters, created through the process of fermentation and encapsulation).

claridges.com

180 Health Club

Located along the Strand, the 180 Health Club is ideal for those looking for a spot in Central where they can fit a workout and treatment in between their busy schedule. It is located on the top floor of 180 Strand, the London culture centre known for hosting some of the city’s buzziest events and exhibitions, as well as a Soho Works co-working space and the Reference Point library and bar.

The Health Club’s expansive wellness offering includes an infrared sauna (especially great as we move into the cooler months); an ozone sauna designed to detoxify the system and improve metabolism; breathwork practitioners; body rolling classes for a hyper-intense stretch; Brazilian jujitsu; fencing; and ballet classes, not to mention book clubs and gardening workshops, among many more.

Many of the Health Club’s offerings have been curated by London tastemaker Alex Eagle, who, throughout her years in fashion and retail, either discovered classes and therapies through her own research or on the recommendations of friends and colleagues. The result is a unique menu of offerings and practitioners that have an if you know you know reputation.

180studios.com

The Ned Spa

The Ned boasts some of London's finest hotel accommodations, 10 different restaurants, and a state-of-the-art spa with one of Europe’s largest hammams. The Ned itself is located in a former bank, and the spa is in what used to be the vaults.

In addition to lounging alongside the space’s tiled pool, guests can experience the space’s barbershop, hair and nail salon, and physiotherapy centre. Treatments include CBD facial and body treatments, Therabody massages and, our favourite, treatments from skin health specialist Annee de Mamiel.

We particularly recommend the de Mamiel Urban Warrior pollution-proof facial, which has been designed exclusively for The Ned. Intended to brighten, cleanse, and release tension from stressed facial muscles, the facial incorporates biohacking techniques to target inflammation and boost skin cell metabolism. At this time of year, the de Mamiel Seasonal Autumn Oil (£94) is incorporated into the facial – a seasonal remedy that protects and prepares the skin for changes in temperatures while also working to ground emotions during a period when schedules become busier than ever.

To bring a bit of the spa home with you afterwards, purchase a vial of de Mamiel’s cult Altitude Oil, a must-have for frequent travels and a reliable cure for occasional hangovers. The potent aromatherapy oil is formulated to help combat the anxiety and fatigue of flying.

thened.com

Le Petit Saint

Hotel spas are a reliable go-to for a day of indulgence, but for those moments when you need to cram a day's worth of relaxation and recharging into a lunch break, head to Le Petit Saint. The newly opened spot is the first London outpost of Dr Joseph Hkeik, the Australian cosmetic physician known for his innovative work in fillers, who counts celebrities like Eva Mendes and Rita Ora among his clients.

The clinic is one of the best in the city for injectables and cosmetic procedures, and their innovative facial offering is also top-notch (I was so zoned out after trying the Red Carpet Laser Facial that I left all my jewellery behind in the treatment room). But the real secret is the wellness area on the bottom floor of the clinic's enormous Mayfair townhouse. Clients can sign-up for one or all of the clinic’s thirty minute reboot therapies that include a Hyperbaric Hydroxy Therapy, which is ideal for boosting energy and refreshing especially when experiencing jet lag; Pressotherapy suits to stimulate circulation and lymphatic drainage; and Psychoacoustic Energy Pods, which encompass you in darkness and a specially tuned frequency designed to relax you and trigger deep, restorative sleep instantly.

saintclinic.co.uk

In partnership with Technogym

The home gym used to be an annexed, subterranean, closed-off space. Hidden away in a basement, installed adjacent to a utility room or simply occupying a corner of vacant garage floor, its clunky, noisy, multiple pieces of equipment an eyesore, apparently designed for sweaty man caves and sadistic brutality only. This all changed when Technogym introduced its design-led equipment line and redefined the workout into a wellness concept. 

Today Technogym features a complete ecosystem made of equipment, apps and on-demand workout content to allow people to connect with their personalised training experience anytime and anywhere: at home, at the gym and on-the-go.

When it comes to home, Technogym’s design and innovation spearheaded the idea of the home gym environment as part of a lifestyle based on regular physical activity, a balanced diet and a positive attitude, bringing equipment from out-of-sight to front-and-centre of the luxury home. The gym was no longer a secondary space, but a primary one, designed, dedicated and integrated into the house’s living machine

Technogym Run treadmill: gym quality and technology at home

Now in 2023, a new product, Technogym Run, defies conventions of how home exercise equipment should perform and present once again, transforming a domestic space into a theatre of wellness, your house or apartment into the ultimate, all-conditions training environment.  

How did the Technogym get here? By working on the premise that every runner dreams of training at any time of the year, regardless of the weather, enjoying favourite routes, following personal training programmes and running on a suitable and safe surface, day or night – and then replicating those experiences and conditions, responding  to each preference, in as much detail as possible.   

Embracing your every athletic movement with grace and elegance, Technogym Run is a frictionless, intuitive and highly personalised training experience that discloses a new vision of yourself, monitoring and tracking data to build a better, faster and fitter  you. 

Bespoke solutions and the acknowledgement of a wide range of requirements and levels are key. Technogym knows that some people run to keep fit, others to lose weight or to improve their sports performance. In a home occupied by, say, amateur runners, marathon competitors, triathletes and simple fitness enthusiasts, it can prove difficult to find a sufficient variety of training to suit the entire family, whilst also guaranteeing a quiet and socially stealthy, treadmill experience.  

Drawing on Technogym’s expertise in developing and designing an ecosystem of connected, smart equipment, digital services, on-demand training  experiences and apps, Technogym Run is the Italian manufacturer’s newest treadmill experience. 

It offers the same level of quality and technology found in the best gyms, as well as an unprecedented variety of workouts: from running to ‘bootcamp’, the Technogym Run’s 27in Technogym Live console allows users to choose their preferred training experience from a wide range of programmes and modes (cardio, strength, or high-intensity). For the first time ever on a treadmill, you can train all parts of the body that are most important to running performance – legs, abdominals, and glutes. Employing the ‘push’ mode, users can adjust resistance to replicate pulling a sled with a load of up to 55kg (121lb), improving overall  muscle tone, efficiency and stability. 

From a library of on-demand video workouts that includes trainer-led sessions, and routines that follow specific objectives, as well as virtual immersive outdoor workouts that adapt to users’ speed and adjust the incline according to the chosen route, Technogym Live also offers endless entertainment options including Netflix,  YouTube, TV channels, social media, and more.  

In bootcamp mode, the console offers exercises and programmes to perform off-treadmill on the Technogym Bench. These home bootcamp sessions are high-intensity workouts that alternate running, resistance, and floor exercises, automatically adapting to users’ level for the most effective high-intensity session ever.

Developed and designed following Technogym's vast experience as Official Supplier of the last eight Olympic games, Technogym Run also offers the best running feeling underfoot, its specially developed slat-belt technology offering the same reactivity and  elastic response as an athletic track. Technogym Run’s large running surface, suitable for longer strides and the ability to move  freely for better performance, invites users to experience the ultimate Olympic running feeling, in their own homes.  

Available from Technogym.com, Harrods and Selfridges 

Party season is here, which for many means a constant stream of merriment. Whether you find yourself experiencing a killer one-off hangover or are just feeling generally run down from the busy season, our hangover recovery kit is here to get you back in shape just in time for the next event.

HANGOVER RECOVERY KIT

111Skin x Aman face masks 

Luxury hotel group Aman has partnered with 111Skin on the limited-edition Nourishing Gold Algae Mask and the Nourishing Gold Algae Eye Mask that are the ultimate in decadent relaxation.

The masks feature a potent blend of 111Skin’s signature NAC Y2 complex (designed by brand founder and plastic surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides to protect the skin of astronauts) with Aman’s marine ingredients, including Kalpariane, a brown algae found on the coasts of France, which creates deep hydration, skin protection and stimulates collagen, alongside MYFerm, fermented wakame seaweed sourced from Jeju Island, which is intended to inhibit wrinkle formulation, and spirulina, which calms the complexion and leaves skin glowing.

Available at Harrods

Add Vitamins

Did you know Berocca isn't vegan? If that fact turns your stomach even more than your hangover, switch out that traditional hangover cure for Add Vitamins' effervescent tablets. Not only are they vegan, but they are formulated with 14 different vitamins and minerals to enhance immunity and mental performance.

These include vitamin C,D and zinc to contribute to the function of a healthy immune system; B6 and B12 to support normal energy release and reduce fatigue; and pantothenic acid and magnesium to support normal brain function.

addvitamins.co.uk

Omorovicza bath oil and salts

Budapest-based brand Omorovicza has garnered a cult following by channelling the restorative properties of the city’s famous thermal baths into skincare and body products and now, the brand has just debuted its new bath oil and salts.

The oil is formulated with the brand’s 'Healing Concentrate’, composed of minerals from the thermal waters, and essential oils of rosemary, sage, geranium and chamomile, to hydrate skin and relieve tension and toxins. While the Bath Salts blend Hungarian, Dead Sea, Epsom and Himalayan salts to detoxify and relieve aching muscles. Together, they bring a flavour of the ancient baths of the ‘spa city’ into your home.

omorovicza.com

Aromatherapy Associates shower oils

If you are not much of a bath person, Aromatherapy Associates has a a wide range of oils that are designed for baths and showers. The Inner Strength oil was developed by the brand’s co-founder Geraldine Howard when she was undergoing cancer treatment, drawing on her extensive studies in aromatherapy to find the most powerful oils to deliver the comfort she needed.

Cardamom and frankincense are combined to help you recover from feeling run down, while clary sage offers clarity. It is great for moments of high stress when you feel you need to check out and reset, but also for less intense emotional periods when you feel tired and need a bit of an uplift.

aromatherapyassociates.com

Costa Brazil’s Sol Sunlight body oil

Calm your mind and your skin with Costa Brazil’s Sol Sunlight body oil The pearlescent formula immediately skins into skin to create an ultra-soft feeling- bolstered by the brand’s unique blend of rare ingredients from the Brazilian rainforest -without any greasy residue. Its luxurious smell and feel is an instant pick-me-up, ideal for revitalising yourself after a bath or shower.

net-a-porter.com

Perfumer H candle

Whether recovering in the bath, your bed or on your couch, it is always good to have a luxury candle burning nearby to help create calm. The Honey candle from Perfumer H is a particular favourite of ours, with an intoxicating blend of wild herbs and flowers, with pine and cedar wood, and a hint of honey.

perfumerh.com

 The Organic Pharmacy liver and kidney drops

The Liver and Kidney drops from The Organic Pharmacy blend a potent combination of herbs-including dandelion, milk thistle, astragalus, marshmallow, berberis, artichoke and schisandra to support the two most important organs for detoxification. Mix a few drops into water before going out and when you are back from a night out.

theorganicpharmacy.com

Having canvassed the industry for the latest offerings in dental care, we bring you a guide to proper tooth and oral care , spanning from at-home offerings to a new vision of what the dentist’s office should be like. 

Selahatin

Selahatin grew out of tragedy—founder Kristoffer Vural had a stroke that left him paralysed for a year and his senses more responsive to scent and taste. Even brushing his teeth aggravated his senses, so he  created a line of delicious tasting toothpastes with flavours range from the citrusy ‘Of Course I Still Luv You,’ which blends verbena, bergamot, cardamom and pine, and warming ‘Escapist’ which blends cinnamon, orange, and many more.

selahatin.com

Klen tongue scraper

When Dr. Brian Harris launched his comprehensive dental brand Klen this past summer, he wanted to give clients a way to achieve and maintain optimal dental hygiene when a visit to a dentist might not be immediately possible. The LA-based label has not only rethought essentials such as a toothpaste (fluoride-free), mouth rinse, toothbrush, an expanding floss, and breath spray with an all-natural slant, Dr. Harris has also developed several tools, including a medical-grade stainless steel tongue scraper that’s been designed to remove bacteria from the entire tongue at once – a must, especially when dealing with dreaded mask breath or halitosis in general.

klenproducts.com

Vvardis dental kit

Whitening, brightening, and protecting teeth might not be revolutionary demands when it comes to oral care, but the freshly launched dental label Vvardis counts on innovative new technology to get results. Its patented formula, which is sustainably produced in Switzerland, mimics enamel’s natural remineralization process. Added fluoride helps to fight cavities, prevent acid erosion, and also whiten teeth, without any peroxide. Formulated by dentists and sisters Golnar and Haleh Abivardi, the four-piece line is made up of a fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash, a brush-on whitening gel serum (all enriched with its proprietary WX Formula) and a sustainably made toothbrush crafted from Swiss beechwood, designed to prevent over-scrubbing.

vvardis.com

Quip refillable floss pick

When Quip launched its affordable electric toothbrush back in 2015, it became ubiquitous and a staple for any design-forward sink side. Now available in a smart version and kids size as well, Quip has gone on to extends its mission for accessible, high-quality care to other aspects of the oral care realm. Since launching its refillable floss string last year, the brand unveiled a refillable floss pick – a sleek, intuitive and eco-friendly alternative for the non-conventional flosser. Made to house Quip’s expandable nylon floss that are each housed in a 100% recyclable paper refill pod, the floss pick replaces 180 single-use plastic picks at one time. Housed in an equally stylish compact, complete with a built-in mirror, flossing could not be more appealing.

getquip.com

Byte aligners

Teledentistry might still be taking flight, but at the head of the pack is Byte, a doctor-directed orthodontic brand that has developed a kit for invisible aligners, primed for at-home use. For a monthly fee of under $100 per month, clients will be able to get straighter teeth all from the comfort of home. To start, dental impressions are taken from home and sent back to Byte’s LA headquarters. The company’s network of licensed orthodontists then creates a treatment plan and a 3D model that tracks week-by-week progress. The custom-made aligners are then sent back to the client, along with HyperByte, a proprietary high frequency vibration device that helps to increase the rate of tooth movement and cuts down the treatment time by half. 

byte.com

Terra & Co pulling mouthwash 

In search of naturally whitening toothcare, sisters Amra and Azra Hajdarevic developed a line of products infused with charcoal, which naturally absorbs impurities. With over two decades of experience in the beauty business, they combined their passion, knowledge and address books to create a set of products in contrast to those full of harmful chemicals that get absorbed by gums. Their Brilliant Black Pulling Oil, a powerful Ayurvedic blend of coconut oil, activated charcoal, peppermint oil, works to reduce inflammation, bad breath and dry mouth. Plus it looks good on the bathroom shelf.

terraandco.com

Invest in an exercise kit that's as easy on your eyes as it is tough on your muscles with our edit of the best home workout equipment.

Bala bangles 

Bala is an online workout haven that spans workout gear, online workout tutorials, and in-person NYC classes. Their range of chic equipment includes everything from weights, to body rollers, jump ropes and pilates balls. Our favourite are the Bala Bangles, which are designed to be worn on wrists or ankles for an extra strength boost to your typical training. Available in seven colours and wrapped in ultra-soft silicone, these weights are a perfect addition to your yoga, boxing, pilates routine or even just your evening walk home from work. 

shopbala.com

Jaques x Vincent Van Duysen tools 

New York based men’s performance wear brand Jaques has collaborated with Antwerp-based architect Vincent Van Duysen to create a series of minimalist exercise tools that include a Bō Stick for martial arts, a wooden block that can be used in pilates or yoga, a sand bag and, our favourite, an elegant wooden meditation stool. 

The pair are devoted practitioners of meditation and were inspired to create the collection during lockdown when spending unprecedented time at home meant, for many, more anxiety than ever. The final result is a range that is worth the investment even in our post-lockdown era. 

Kenko wall sets

Berlin-based Kenko aims to elevate sports equipment to the level of high design and their range of ‘wall sets’ prove that it’s possible. Wall Set L (pictured here) includes two pairs of dumbbells, ‘Expander Double’ and ‘Big’ resistance bands, a pair of push-up bars, and massage balls to help loosen your muscles post-workout. All the sets are available in either in dark brown American Walnut or beige Canadian Maple, and coated with a special lacquer that makes them resistant to sweat and dirt.

kenkostores.com

Conran Shop jump rope

The Smart Rope from the Conran Shop uses high-tech LED technology to project your fitness data in front of you while you jump. The rope can also be linked to Apple Healthkit, Google Fit and other apps for in-depth fitness feedback. Better yet, its compact storage bag means it can be stored practically anywhere whether that means a five minute jump break in the living room or a cardio workout in the park.  

conranshop.com

Technogym Run 

Technogym has just launched its quietest treadmill yet, the Technogym Run. The treadmill features the brand’s unique 27 inch console which comes equipped with exercises for cardio, strength, and HIIT workouts through on-demand videos or trainer-led sessions. If you need a distraction to get through your run, the console also comes with Netflix and TV.  

technogym.com

Addition Studio marble weights 

Addition Studio is ‘obsessed with designer wellness.’ It might seem like a strange thing to say but for the Australian studio its just a pithy way of expressing their belief that well-designed objects can be an effective tool for enhancing wellbeing. It’s not a radical concept, but it is an idea that Addition has approached with notable ingenuity.

Their Marble Dumbell is a prime example, as an object that is both a functional piece of gym equipment and a decorative sculpture. Available in marbled black or limestone white, the dumbbells are another example of the growing trend for workout accessories that double as decoration.

additionstudio.com

Ergatta rowing machine 

Rowing is a muscle-toning, fat-burning exercise that simultaneously works almost every part of your body. But practising it requires space- a lot of it. Those who want to try rowing themselves will need access to either a large body of water or a significant swath of floor space for an indoor machine. That is, until now. 

Ergatta is a new brand of rowing machines that are specifically designed to be used and stored in domestic spaces. The compact machine, crafted from American cherrywood, can be folded into the space of a barstool and easily wheeled between rooms for storage around the house. The rower comes with a monitor that displays Ergatta’s personalised exercises and gaming-inspired competitive workouts that can be played with other members of the Ergatta community.

ergatta.com

Loro Piana wellbeing kits 

Italian textiles brand Loro Piana has elevated workout gear to the luxury realm with it’s new ‘Art of Wellbeing’ collection. Comprised of a mindfulness kit for low-impact yoga and mediation, a shape kit for more dynamic cardio workouts, and an exploration kit for outdoor activity, the collection sees the brand applying its signature, superlative cashmere to all manner of exercise equipment. Items like weights padded with cashmere, a leather-handled jump rope, and a cashmere covered fitness ball are so soft to the touch that, maybe for the first time ever, you’ll actually want to pick up your workout gear. 

loropiana.com

H-o-tt workout furniture

When it comes to exercising from home, the very act of manoeuvring a yoga mat around your furniture can be its own form of gymnastics, one that's even more exhausting than your actual workout. In response to this dilemma, Amsterdam-based design studio H-o-tt has developed a line of workout equipment that doubles as stylish home furniture. Called ‘Furfit,’ the range includes dumbbells that are also coffee table legs, push-up bars that can be used as stools, lightweight dumbbells that can be turned into a coat hanger, a curl bar that’s also a high stool, and a kettlebell that creates a side-table.


‘Frufit’ is still in prototype stages but H-o-tt is hoping to launch purchasable versions of the line at Salone del Mobile next year.

h-o-tt.com

Work in Use equipment

Rhode Island-based design studio Work in Use designs high-end work out tools intended to be displayed around the home, rather than tucked away under the bed. Furniture designer Wu Hanyen established the studio in 2019 after an accident in the workshop inspired her to create objects that encouraged strengthening movement through elegant design. 

Items in the Work in Use range include an over-the-door pull-up bar crafted from oiled walnut and leather, brass weights stored in a minimal wooden block, and a balance rail crafted from oiled cherry wood, amongst others. If the objects themselves aren’t enough to encourage you to get moving, Wu also offers video workout classes specifically designed for artists through her website. 

workinuse.com

Forme mirror 

Leave it to Swiss designer Yves Béhar to rethink the home gym. Two years in the making, Forme Life is a stylishly integrated piece of equipment that takes the eyesore out of the typical home gym. Comprised of a single six-foot mirror with touchscreen capabilities, Forme transforms into an intelligent gym portal that comes with its own exclusive programming, ranging from interval training and boxing to meditation, stretching, and barre. It also tracks all movements and collects data with every use to encourage progress.

Pulleys and adjustable cast-aluminium arms for resistance exercises can be deployed or retracted from behind the mirror at will, while integrated speakers, camera, and microphones enable users to be guided through their workout interactively by instructors. Any additional attachments and accessories are neatly stored behind the elegant piece, ensuring that it never takes up too much space.

‘Forme sets itself apart from competing systems by not being a single sport or single-use product,’ says Behar. ‘It was developed thoroughly to be a beautiful functional solution that encompasses many wellbeing activities with great on-screen user experience, as well as an industrial design that makes Forme disappear in the home when not in use. It’s the first multi-activity home wellbeing system that can provide a single user or an entire family with the full gamut of activities and world-class trainers.’

formelife.com

Saint Laurent yoga mat

Given how many ways the humble yoga mat can be used, we’re all for this joint effort from Saint Laurent and the Italian activewear label No Ka’Oi. Made using No Ka’Oi’s signature quilted polyurethane and spongy gummed trimming to prevent any slipping, while embracing Saint Laurent’s sharp and glamorous aesthetic, the mat is available as a textured all-black version or in an extroverted leopard print to provide the perfect foundation for your exercising needs.

ysl.com

Equipt weights

The Los Angeles-based fitness company Equipt is behind a collection of hand weights that are worthy of being given pride of place in your home. Equipt’s signature U-barre is an ergonomic piece that combines weight with an element of support so that it can be used in lieu of a kettlebell, dumbbell, yoga block, or a resistance weight while doing high repetition exercises. Available in several sophisticated colours and four different weights (4lb, 8lb, 12lb, and 16lb), the U-barre purposefully cuts a sculptural figure to motivate users to keep it close to hand.

equiptmovement.com

Nike SuperRep Go trainer

Nike brings the outdoors in with its SuperRep Go trainers, which have been specifically designed with circuit-based fitness classes and streaming workouts in mind. Designed with responsive foam cushioning and a soft lightweight mesh that breathes while providing additional support around the foot, the shoe also possesses rubber tread in high-wear areas for added traction and an arc up the outer side of the shoe that supports side to side movement.

nike.com

Winter may be edging towards its bitter end but there are still a few more weeks left of ski season. Those lucky enough to make it to the slopes this year might be dreaming of graceful glides down snowy peaks, but skiing means exercise and it can take a toll on the body if not done correctly. 

Lotti Sorrell, a former competitive ski racer and current trainer at London’s Bodyism, says: ‘Whilst it may not be an ultra-marathon, a ski holiday definitely takes its toll on unprepared muscles. I wish I wasn't speaking from experience, but so many ski or snowboard injuries I've come across have been a result of fatigue or strain, because the muscles, tendons and ligaments simply aren't used to taking on so much all at once.’ 

Below, we feature the best practices for getting fit before your trip as recommended by Sorrell; the Managing Director at London's luxury BRX gym, Alex Nicholl; and trainer Chloe Trigg, who is based at London’s Blok. 

Ski fitness ahead of your trip 

Cardio workout regime 

Trigg recommends building leg strength by focusing on single-leg movements with exercises such as lunges, single-leg deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats. She recommends you keep reps high to build muscular endurance as well as strength and, for movements that are new to you, start off using bodyweight only.

‘Try three to five sets of  ten reps per leg,’ she says, ‘increasing the weight every week. Remember, though, control the tempo and focus on full, quality range before increasing weight!’ 

When it comes to building your core strength, try plank variations such as high, low, and side plank holds. Even better are core exercises where you rotate, twist and/or challenge your body's centre of gravity. Doing this helps to replicate the kind of uneven and unexpected terrain you will be faced with on the slopes. Exercises such as side plank rotations, low plank oblique twists, Russian twists and single-leg cross-body crunches are also great.

‘Try a circuit of three to five rounds on four exercises, working for 45 seconds per exercise and 15 seconds’ rest in-between,’ says Trigg. 

Cycling 

Whether it means biking to work or trying a spin class at the gym, cycling is a great way to build lower body strength and improve cardiovascular fitness. You’ll find that having stronger glute muscles and improved overall endurance will make it easier to stay on the slopes longer. 

Isometric holds throughout the day

In addition to cardio workouts, Sorrell recommends incorporating isometric holds, or the types of exercise that hold the body in one position, into your everyday activities. Do a few lunges while waiting for your morning coffee to brew or ‘hold a wall sit while brushing teeth to prep the body for what's to come’. 

Try a VersaClimber machine 

Alex Nicholl, Managing Director at BXR, suggests there is no better way to get ready for the slopes than the VersaClimber machine. 'The low-impact and full-body workout of the Versa machine is ideal for preparing you for skiing,' says Nicholl. 'The Versa primarily targets the lower body, therefore, it will build up your leg stamina, core stability and your cardiovascular fitness for the slopes.'

A high-protein diet 

According to Sorrell, a high-protein diet will never go amiss but it is especially useful before an exercise-heavy holiday. ‘Protein will help with satiety, maintaining strong bones, repairing post-injury, and of course, building and maintaining muscle mass.’ 

Pilates or yoga

It is important to work regular stretching into any strength-training regime. Pilates, in particular, often incorporates core-building isometric holds while stretching muscles for improved mobility and flexibility. 

INFORMATION 

bxrlondon.com; bloklondon.com; bodyism.com

Claire Thomson Jonville is the editorial director of i-D France and former editor-in-chief of Self Service. And in many ways, Out of State, her travelling series of wellness retreats, is just another form of editing; only in a physical, rather than a paper, context. 

The retreats gather the best names in skincare, nutrition, fitness, and meditation at a glamorous location over the course of five days (after a fashion week season, for example) together with a select group of high-powered creatives (think editors, fashion designers, dancers). The first Out of State took place last year in 2022 in Bodrum, Turkey, and featured skincare treatments by facialist Teresa Tarmey, guided yoga and mindfulness workshops, personalised diet plans and workouts, educational nutrition seminars, and spa experiences. 

Out of State part 2: the silent retreat

The second retreat is set to take place at Château de la Bourdaisière, a storybook 14th-century castle in the Loire Valley, France, from 16 to 19 March 2023. This will be a silent retreat with a particular focus on yoga and meditation, and will feature sunrise and pre-sleep rituals from skincare expert Tata Harper; supervised fasting with a tailor-made Wild & the Moon juice for a deep cleanse of the body; yoga classes taught by Paris-based artist and Jivamukti Yoga teacher Ian Szydlowski-Alvarez; as well as down time to walk through the estate’s exceptional 55-hectare park. 

Thomson Jonville curates every aspect of the experience, with a programme and list of experts culled from her own experience of taking part in cleanses and retreats, and working as an editor working across beauty, fashion, art, and music. 'I'm just bringing together all the experiences that I love and look for into one retreat,’ says Thomson Jonville over the phone from her home in Paris. 

‘As a fashion editor, you're exposed to so many great, well-curated experiences, which allow me to understand “oh, this is what fashion editors would like”, or “this is what models would like”. So it’s just a very organic process that came really from this desire to look after myself and to nourish my creativity.’

Nourishing creativity is key here. Out of State is, at its core, designed for creatives who are used to high-octane lifestyles characterised by packed schedules, constant travel, and rolling deadlines. As someone used to that kind of burnout herself, Thomson Jonville, wants this retreat series to be a much-needed escape hatch from an otherwise ceaseless and demanding schedule and, consequently, a way to revive creativity that has run dry.

Thomson Jonville is keeping her plans for the next few retreats under wraps for now, but confirms that there are two more in the works. ‘The way that I'm putting this together is [by thinking] this is what I do to look after myself and you’re welcome to come join me, because I’m doing things that I really love and that I know others will really love too.’ 

@the_outofstate

Noon is a new line of three tinctures – Rise, Relax and Renew – that uses nootropics, boosted with adaptogens, and 300 to 900mg of CBD with the intention to trigger clearer, calmer thinking and improve cognitive function in the long run. 

The brand was founded by three childhood friends who grew up to become a neuroscientist, a graphic designer, and a mother, respectively. Having all been raised in households that practised Chinese wellness traditions, and all feeling equally exhausted by their demanding lifestyles, the friends decided to pool their knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and their individual talents to create Noon. 

Noon nootropic tinctures

The three nootropic tinctures are designed, variously, to improve focus and productivity without jitters (Rise); elevate mood (Renew); and provide deeper, more restful sleep (Rest). 

All of them are water-soluble (so they can be added to a glass of water, morning coffee, or evening tea) and formulated with ‘CELLg8’ nutrient-delivery technology that makes absorption by the body 15 per cent faster than with most CBD tinctures and edibles. The idea is that each tincture can easily be incorporated into your day as you need it. 

What are nootropics?

But what are nootropics? Well, chances are you already take them every day. Caffeine is the most common nootropic, along with nicotine, L-theanine (commonly found in tea), ADD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall, and a variety of other natural or synthetic substances. 

Noon uses a range of plant-based nootropics combined with various doses of CBD for each of its three blends. For instance, Rise uses: rhodiola rosea root, an antioxidant believed to alleviate fatigue and help the body react better to stress; goji berry, an antioxidant used to increase energy levels; and green tea, to increase alertness. 

The Renew tincture uses lion’s mane mushroom, an extract that’s rich with beta-glucans, taken to benefit immune, digestive, and heart health; ginkgo biloba leaf, an antioxidant-rich herb used to reduce anxiety and boost memory; and bacopa monnieri, a neuroprotective herb taken to boost concentration.

Relax, meanwhile, combines tension-relieving herbs such as valerian root and passionflower, with ashwagandha root, intended to help with healthy sleeping patterns, and a heavy dose of CBD. 

‘For all of our Nootropic Drops, you can feel the effects within minutes,’ say Noon founders Jane Wong, Cherie Lui and Christine Wong. ‘We’ve had customers describe the feeling as “feeling sparkly” or experiencing “a subtle wave of calm”. The experience is very personal and can be adjusted for desired effect.’ 

It is their belief that ‘taken daily, nootropics can have long-term health benefits related to cognitive function, including improved concentration and memory, balanced mood and richer quality of sleep’. 

As with every supplement, the effectiveness of Noon will vary from person to person. Personally, I’ve been taking Rise drops as an added booster to my everyday coffee when I need help concentrating and it’s worked every time. I’ve also tried the Rest drops before bed, and have been waking up less in the middle of the night. Whether this is down to the drops is hard to say, but for anyone looking to explore the potential of nootropics, Noon is definitely worth a try.

noonlife.co

Self-care might often present itself as a solitary pursuit, but an innovative club concept known as Remedy Place is on the path to making your wellness practice a platform for socialising as well. Following a Los Angeles location, Remedy Place New York is newly open.

Founded in 2019 by Dr Jonathan Leary, a globally renowned concierge doctor whose dynamic private practice has seen to the needs of the world’s elite, Remedy Place brings together ancient practices, alternative medicine and cutting-edge technology to offer a holistic approach to self and preventative care.

A large emphasis has been put on making the experience social too, with good reason. Dr Leary believes that you can enhance your health through sharing experiences with others and by deepening human connections.

‘In my prior concierge practice, where I was working out of my patients’ homes, I started to see my patients heal much faster than expected and I believe a portion of this was because of the environment they were in,' says Leary, whose clients include leaders in the film, sports and music industries.

‘When my patients were in their home, aka their comfort zone, their mind was already in a better place, which allowed me to do my job better. In a hospital setting, people have a negative physiological response. Their body tenses up and their heart rate is elevated. If you are trying to heal and you put your body in an uncomfortable place, that is only going to work against you. We wanted the exact opposite with Remedy Place.’

Inside Remedy Place New York

To complement this pioneering philosophy, Dr Leary has constructed a new vision of what wellness should look like. Remedy Place recently opened a stylish, two-storey flagship space in New York’s Flatiron neighbourhood that looks more like a design showroom than a typical wellness studio, with minimalist furniture and a brutalist-inspired interior. 

In a living room snug-style lounge area, vitamin drips and shots can be enjoyed by visitors either alone or as a group. Beside this, two hyperbaric oxygen chambers are ready for use and help speed up the body’s recovery and healing process by infusing it with 50 per cent more oxygen. 

Similarly, a whole-body cryotherapy chamber on the other side of the room works to reduce inflammation and boost endorphins in under four minutes at -160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

At the lower level of Remedy Place’s New York space lies the club’s hallmark ice baths – the world’s first commercialised breathwork ice bath class, with guided holotropic breathwork followed by up to six minutes of being submerged in 38 degrees Fahrenheit water. Paired with its infrared sauna room, which can novelly fit up to six people in one room, it is the ultimate in improving the state of your mind and body.

‘Remedy Place New York has been artistically designed to emphasise our “designed to heal” aspect. We have more lounge space for members to hang out, take meetings, bring a date or work.

‘Most of the custom-designed seating is ergodynamic so that you have proper lumbar support while being beautiful all in one,’ Leary concludes. ‘From the underlying sound frequency underneath our lounge music, to the materials that help block EMF, to scents that clean the air you are breathing, to symmetrically balanced visuals to put your mind at ease, we have thought of it all.’

remedyplace.com

Hair growth products experienced a newfound popularity in the wake of Covid-19, with many people experiencing hair loss as a consequence of emotional stress and poor health. In response, a number of popular beauty brands, including Dr Barbara Sturm and The Nue Co, reworked their knowledge of restorative skincare and supplements into hair products that could strengthen hair from root to tip. Meanwhile, established haircare brands such as Oribe launched new collections that focused on reducing hair fall and encouraging growth. 

Here, we break down the best hair growth products

We Are Paradoxx Bio-Tech Growth products

The simple packaging of We Are Paradoxx belies great formulations that delivers high-end results at reasonable prices. Their new hair growth shampoo and conditioner uses the brand’s patented ‘ rioplexx' complex of actives to stimulate hair follicles and strengthen hair bonds. While the Advanced Scalp Serum promises to increase hair thickness by up to 75 per cent and decreases hair fall after brushing by 50 per cent. 

Also worth trying is the brand’s ‘Repair’ hair mask. Its a favourite of ours for quickly transforming highly damaged and dull hair.

lookfantastic.com

K18 shampoo 

K18’s Leave in Molecular Hair Mask is one of the most buzzed about launches in beauty, and rightfully so. Its patented peptide technology goes deep into the hair to reconnect broken keratin chains and drastically repair damage caused by colouring, bleaching, and heat.

Now the K18 formula is also available as a shampoo, designed to cleanse hair while supplying it with the same reparative peptides. Those with coloured hair should try the Detox shampoo, which is designed to remove product and dirt build-up without stripping colour, while those who prefer regular washes should try the Maintenance shampoo, which is specifically designed for everyday use.

cultbeauty.com

Dr Barbara Sturm's Anti-Hair Fall Serum

There are few people in skincare who are willing to go to the same extremes as Dr Barbara Sturm. Now, the inventor of the vampire facial is applying her anti-ageing and restorative methods to haircare with her new line of shampoos, conditioners, hair masks and serums. The brand’s Anti-Hair Fall Serum is formulated with camellia and larch to strengthen hair at its root, while pro-vitamin B5 prevents split ends. 

It’s especially well suited to those who worry about hair loss but don’t want to give up on blow-drying or heat-straightening hair, as it contains sunflower sprout extract that protects against heat and other environmental damage. 

net-a-porter.com

Augustinus Bader haircare

The same TFC8 Complex that made Augustinus Bader’s skincare a sensation is also present in its new haircare line. The collection, which is informed by Professor Bader’s stem cell research, stimulates cells along the scalp to trigger regrowth. The addition of magnesium, copper and zinc provides an extra hair-strengthening boost. 

The Scalp Serum is formulated with peppermint extract to clear blocked follicles, making it a good option for those looking to combat dandruff or itchiness. The Hair Oil is best for those who want to support hair growth while fighting frizziness. 

cultbeauty.com

The Nue Co Growth Collection supplements

The Nue Co’s two-step supplements, Supa Thick and Growth Phase, combine to protect the hair you already have and encourage new growth. A topical cream and an ingestible supplement, the products deliver nutrients, key vitamins and micronutrients to address four key factors behind hair loss and thinning – stress, nutrient deficiency, hormone imbalance, and pollution. Together they make a powerful treatment that is best suited to those looking for intensive results. 

Says The Nue Co founder Jules Miller, ‘Having gone through phases of losing substantial [amounts of] hair (most recently after my Covid recovery), I’ve learnt a lot about the powerful benefits of essential oils and the cutting-edge technology necessary to address hair growth from the inside out. The Growth Collection is perfect for the woman who is shedding more and more hair, and is looking for medical-grade results, using a non-hormonal and drug-free solution.’

cultbeauty.com

Oribe Hair Alchemy collection

The new Hair Alchemy collection from luxury haircare brand Oribe is specifically designed to strengthen hair from the inside out. The shampoo, conditioner, and treatment serum combine ancient superfoods, like chia seed and bio-fermented bamboo leaf, with phytotechnology to increase elasticity while reducing hair fall caused by breakage.

spacenk.com

Vida Glow Hairology capsules  

Vida Glow’s hair growth supplements use their trademark, pea sprout derived active ’AnaGain’ to reduce hair loss by 34 per cent after 28 days. Additional ingredients like brown seaweed extract, zinc and biotin help to strengthen hair follicles and improve hair thickness. 

vidaglow.com

Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Frances Prenna Jones calls the waiting room of her office in London’s Mayfair her ‘disco room’. There are glitter balls on display, alongside an incongruous collection of other items including department store-style vanity tables and a Fritz Hansen chair, all of it bathed in an ambient neon yellow light.

It seems odd at first – especially considering that the room is regularly visited by some of the city’s most famous faces – but it soon becomes clear that this relaxed, jovial space is a reflection of the Dr Jones philosophy. ‘Everybody wants to feel seen and everybody wants to feel well,’ she says.

Cosmetic dermatology as self-care

‘I wanted to create an environment where people don’t feel guilty or intimidated. I want people to come into this space and think it is perfectly OK, in fact, a good thing, to take care of themselves.’ Since opening her practice, Jones has pioneered cosmetic dermatology as a form of ‘self-care’ rather than ‘self-improvement’, combining non-invasive cosmetic treatments with machine therapies and her own skincare formulations. With a menu that runs the gamut from Botox injections and fillers to infrared light treatments, peels and skin rejuvenation facials, she has a singular talent for steadily and delicately altering the face without a hint of artificial intervention.

‘You arrive at the clinic convinced that you need a bit of Botox here or a little filler there,’ says one of her patients. ‘What you actually need is a professional, the best in the business, to identify your areas of concern and explain exactly how you can treat them. It’s not about turning back the clock, it’s about making an enhanced, better version of yourself. It’s a self-confidence boost to beat all others.’ According to Jones, her work is its own kind of anthropology: her high-profile client list reflects the zeitgeist, and each client reveals unique insights from their life when they walk through the door.

One of the biggest changes she has noticed recently is a significant increase in male patients. ‘When I first started doing this, I had a lot of male patients, then the male-to-female [ratio] dwindled a little bit and in the past three years, the number has started to rise again. I think it goes back to self-care. During the pandemic, a lot of men spent more time at home, seeing their spouses or partners take care of themselves and thinking they would do the same. More than 50 per cent of the men that have come in have a partner who is already a patient of mine.’ Jones has also seen an uptick in women between the ages of 35 and 55 who would not have considered getting any kind of treatment pre-Covid. Her guess is that the pandemic encouraged them, like her new male clients, to spend more of their disposable income on themselves.

Of course, all of this is liable to change. ‘It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of years when people can travel again and do other things,’ says Jones. ‘One of my patients owns a really big London gallery. She assumed they would have to close their offices when the pandemic hit, but then, within two weeks, they had already had one of their best years ever, because people were at home staring at blank walls, and had disposable income that they used to spend on other things. In the same way, the pandemic gave people the same [time and residual income] to think about spending money on themselves. I get that art is appreciable, and investing in yourself is a different return on investment, but there is evidence to support the [significant] mental and physical returns when you feel good about yourself.’

A small-batch product line

As Jones’ story shows, cosmetic dermatology is a union of the scientific and the aesthetic. She worked as an NHS cardiologist for ten years before discovering her interest in cosmetic surgery. She then helped launch UK pharmacy Boots’ in-store laser clinics before establishing her own practice. In the midst of it all, she was satisfying her creative yearnings, studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins and developing her own product line. 

These products, which Jones has personally overseen, from the formulation down to the packaging, are perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in beauty. Produced in small batches in Devon, they are practically youth in a jar. Her toner-exfoliator-serum, Formula, which boosts cell renewal and removes impurities, inspired such a dedicated following that, near Christmas in 2006, a businessman from New York diverted his trip to London on a mission to bring some back home for his wife, knocked on the door of her clinic, held out a small cut-out picture of the product, and begged her to find him a bottle.

‘That’s when I knew we had created a monster,’ says Jones, who has the alert energy you would expect from someone who expertly juggles so many balls – seemingly helped, on the day of our interview, by the contents of an enormous coffee mug filled with apple cider vinegar, dark maple syrup, lemon juice and water, which she substitutes for caffeine. Asked if there are any industry myths she wants to debunk, Jones answers, ‘Let me get my soapbox out and climb on.’

Dr Frances Prenna Jones on Botox, fillers and skincare

First on the agenda is the notion that anything with chemicals is harmful. ‘First of all, water is a chemical. The world is one big chemical, so stop saying chemicals [are a bad thing].

‘Secondly, stop going on about organic essential oils – some of the most irritating products for your skin are essential oils, which can cause eczema, contact dermatitis, hypersensitivity, and more. Thirdly, you do need preservatives, because without a preservative you have bacteria growing in your product that will grow on your face.’

Another bone of contention for Jones is the idea that Botox is a toxin and, if you use it, you will inevitably look like your face has been frozen. Before the Covid vaccine, she says, Botox was the most commonly given drug in the world. ‘When you simply extrapolate the efficacy of the drug by these sheer numbers, the idea that it is dangerous is wrong.’

As for fillers, Jones prefers to call them ‘volume replacement’ to emphasise that they are not actually filling up the face like a balloon, but replacing fat loss that naturally occurs as you age. Jones believes machines are misused and stresses the importance of educating yourself about what is available before choosing a treatment.

A holistic approach

‘There are a lot of unsupervised beauty therapists who are either using machines sub-optimally, or are using them in isolation. It is much more beneficial to use them in a holistic fashion, as one tool in your anti-ageing armoury, whether that is to treat sun damage, reduce fine lines, or improve collagen, elastin, and the rest of it.’ Machines are an essential part of Jones’ practice, but if she could choose only one, it would be her Intense Pulsed Light machine, nicknamed ‘Betty’, which uses a combination of light wavelengths to destroy age spots, rosacea and other unwanted discolourations.

Yet for all the machines out there, the fact is that effective skincare requires a multi-pronged approach. ‘It comes down to what you are putting on your skin, what treatments you are doing, your diet and your psychology,’ summarises Jones, who believes a holistic approach, rather than a one-time fix, can truly impact how you look and feel.

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the October 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!

drfrancesprennajones.com

Like most other cure-all ingredients, the merits of CBD have entered the mainstream in a big way. Whether applied or ingested, its effects on both the body and the mind have been affirmed by both niche purveyors and industry stalwarts alike. With a flood of products out there, knowing where to start is a bit of a minefield. Here’s a quick hit edit of the latest and greatest out there, to get fired up for.

Cosmoss

Kate Moss’s new wellness and skincare brand Cosmoss includes a ’Sacred Mist’ fragrance, immune-boosting tea bags, and three CBD skin care products. 

The Face Cream blends CBD with antioxidants to decrease dullness and moisturise skin. Likewise, the rich Face Cleanser uses CBD to soothe skin with an added dose of three wild Icelandic plants to hydrate and increase firmness.

Yet, the most notable of the trio is the Golden Nectar oil, which combines CBD with the 'Mythical Tears of Chios’— a resin from the mastic tree, native to the Greek island of Chios, which stimulates natural collagen production and reactivates cells for firmer-looking skin.

cosmossbykatemoss.com

Mantle 

Cult Scandinavian beauty brand Mantle creates face and body products formulated with a high-quality CBD that is grown in natural sunlight and hand harvested by a small farm in Switzerland. Of the brand's many impressive products, we recommend trying The Hot Ex, a pre-shower exfoliator that is formulated with a high concrete of ginger to gives skin a pleasant tingle and biodegradable exfoliators to rub away dead skin. 

Also noteworthy, is the brand's Dream Mask which is designed to be left on overnight. It's perfect for people with busy schedules who, by the end of the long day, can't be bothered to do anything more complicated than slap some cream on. 

hellomantle.com

Kloris 

Our favourites from Kloris’ expansive range of CBD include their patches which supply a steady stream of CBD over 24 hours and their bath blocks which deliver 100mg of CBD for a deeply relaxing and nourishing wind down. Although, perhaps best of all is their CBD Balm which can be rubbed on painful areas for quick relief. It is especially good for period cramps or sore muscles. 

kloriscbd.com

Yield 

Yield offers a range of yummy vitamin gummy's designed to sharpen focus and improve gut health, but it’s their CBD gummies for better sleep and relaxation that really impress us. Formulated with 15mg of premium broad spectrum CBD, these gummies will have you feel zen in no time, while their blood orange, white peach, and lime flavouring makes them taste almost too good. 

selfridges.com

Muri Lelu

For Muri Lelu, a female-founded skincare brand, inaugural pair of products, an invigorating face serum designed to be used in the morning, and a restorative face oil that is suggested for evening use, lean on the all-in-one properties of CBD to combat blemishes, balance oils, reduce puffiness and moisturise.

Its use of full flower extract also means that all beneficial elements of the cannabis plant: chlorophyll, terpenes, fatty acids and flavonoids, are kept in as close to its natural state as possible. What’s more, Muri Lelu donates a portion of its sales to legal organisations fighting wrongful drug convictions in a move that supports cannabis-related restorative justice.

murilelu.com

Deawy 

Aside from the fact that Deawy’s five-piece line is formulated with broad-spectrum CBD, which helps fortify, soothe, restore and protect skin, Deawy is committed to the highest standard of social and environmental sustainability. 

Not only is its packaging made from recycled or compostable materials, but Deawy also encourages customers to send back their empty bottles for reuse and donates a percentage of its proceeds to organisations that work to reduce plastic pollution. Each product is elegantly scented with rosewater – an elevated alternative to the usual herbaceous notes that tend to accompany CBD products.

deawy.com

Offfield 

While most CBD supplements are positioned as relaxing aids and anxiety relievers, Offfield’s inaugural product, Enhanced Hydration, is designed to be taken before exercise or strenuous activity to enhance the enjoyment of working out. 

The cocktail, a powder blend that combines broad-spectrum CBD and CBG (cannabigerol) with magnesium, vitamin B12, L-theanine, and electrolytes, helps increase anandamide, also known as the bliss molecule, which contributes to the ‘runner’s high’ that most athletes strive for. 

The end result is increased motivation to exercise, followed by a greater enjoyment of that workout. The company has also partnered with the Last Prisoner Project, to donate 1% of its sales, and is committed to helping those exonerated of cannabis crimes to re-enter society through their internal hiring program.

offfield.com

Malin + Goetz 

Undoubtedly the first company to bestow cannabis with some chic credibility is Malin + Goetz, who launched its now iconic Cannabis eau de parfum in the early 2010s.

The company’s rendition of the opulent scent balances its rich and spicy profile with a heavy smokiness, while adding floral notes of magnolia and muguet for good measure. With a base of cedarwood, sandalwood, and of course, patchouli, the scent is both hazily complex and indulgently nostalgic. Its vial of perfume oil is a perfect pick-me-up and can be discreetly dispensed with a sensual flick of the wrist.

malinandgoetz.co

Gossamer x Rose Delights 

Ingesting CBD is typically considered the fastest and most efficacious way of experiencing its desired effects of lowering anxiety levels, ensuring better sleep, or creating an all-around feeling of wellness, depending on the time of day.

Hot off the back of its own line of CBD drops, Gossamer, a culture and content platform that views the modern world through a green lens, has teamed up with the Los Angeles-based Rose Delights, which specialises in Turkish Delight-style jellies, infused with full-spectrum rosin THC and CBD.

Perfectly suited for a gourmet palette, the edible joint-effort combines watermelon, tomato, green tea as conceived by chef Tara Thomas, along with Rose’s signature heat-pressed rosin, which is solventless to ensure a clearer and higher quality experience.

shop.gossamer.co

MilK 

For those whose eyebrows or eyelashes are in need of a boost, Milk Make-up’s highly popular Kush range has birthed a growth serum that nourishes hair for longer and fuller looking lashes and brows.

Formulated with cannabis sativa seed extract, which doesn't contain CBD but conditions and strengthens hair all the same, the formula supports the growth of healthy hair, along with aloe, vitamin B5 and quinoa. This 94 per cent natural formula is free from major nasties to prevent any skin or eye irritation and will support hair to grow like weeds.

milkmakeup.com

Standard Dose

There’s probably no better outlet for any and all CBD needs than Standard Dose, and for those looking to satisfy their CBD fix in its more standard oil format the New York-based retailer has just the thing. Since launching last year, Standard Dose has offered a curated selection of plant-based products that all responsibly sourced and produced with natural ingredients.

Now, for the first time, the online retailers have channeled their expertise into their very own product- the Standard Dose Tincture. The unique formula is designed to adapt to an individual's unique physical chemistry for effective stress and pain relief. Scentless and tasteless, the Tincture is ideal for use any time of day and beneficial addition to any wellness routine. 

standarddose.com

Apothem

Should you prefer to eat your sorrows away instead, the London-based CBD brand Apothem has teamed up with the eco-minded chocolate makers Land to create a vegan chocolate bar infused with CBD to take the edge off.

Highlighting the ancient nature of both cannabidiol and cacao, the joint effort is a rich and balanced blend of creamy fudge caramel notes, without a hint of hemp insight. Made from 55% Venezuelan cacao, oatmilk, and 30mg of organically cultivated CBD, the dark milk chocolate bar should help to restore and re-centre the mind whether you’re into CBD or not. 

apothemlabs.com

Discover these London gyms for some of the best workouts in the city, in finely honed surroundings that will please the design-conscious. From high-intensity strength-building classes to tension-releasing yoga sessions, fun dance-style training to relaxing sound escapes, we’ve picked the very best.

London gyms for fun fitness classes

Blok

Blok’s two east London gyms (there’s a third in Manchester) comprise the area’s leading fitness destinations. A vast range of fitness classes is on offer within the Clapton and Shoreditch outposts, including pilates, boxing, yoga, barre, and calisthenics. Some of the most enjoyable classes, though, are Blok-specific sessions such as Blokparty, a playful dance class equipped with smoke machines; Blokflex, a 50/50 HIIT and stretch class that burns calories and relaxes muscles; and Blokcore, which focuses on building core strength through a diverse range of exercises. Top-notch trainers can be counted on to deliver classes that are challenging and fun which, combined with Blok’s sleek interiors, makes going to the gym feel like a treat.

Those who can’t make it to east London can enjoy Blok classes from home using BlokTV.

Best for high-intensity workouts 

BXR

BXR is a luxury boxing gym that offers intensive group classes and exclusive one-to-one sessions with seasoned professional boxers who will have you perfecting your form and building Rocky-like muscle in no time.

Beyond boxing, the high-end gym has a menu of other calorie-blasting workouts including a Climb To The Beat Versaclimber class; a TRX-Sculpt suspension training and pilates hybrid class; and Form and Focus strength-building, among others. Its series of three London gyms are among the best spots in the city’s business areas – Marylebone, the City, and Canary Wharf – for a post-work workout. 

KXU

KXU is a sleek west London gym perfect for those looking to build some serious muscle. Its menu of over 20 fitness classes includes low-impact classes such as Sattva Yoga, which combines traditional yogic teachings with contemporary mind-body research; and the PBB Signature, which combines pilates, yoga and barre for an intense workout. 

But KXU’s most notable offerings are its cardio-intensive workouts such as The Games, which will transform you into Thor for an hour as you wield a sledgehammer, push sleds and flip over tyres; and the new Evolve class, an ultra-challenging blend of strength training and cardio that will push you to your limits

Wellness and holistic hotspots

Alex Eagle Sporting Club 

The Alex Eagle Sporting Club at the 180 Health Club is one of the most exciting wellness spaces to open in London. Eagle’s eponymous London shop has been an oasis of good taste since it opened in 2014 and her residency at the sprawling 180 The Strand space (which is part Soho House, part creative offices, part exhibition space) sees her apply her flawless curatorial skills to treatment offerings.

The health club’s wellness offerings are vast, with an infrared sauna that is a great way to get a boost of light and warmth in the winter as well as detoxify; an ozone sauna that is designed to detoxify the system and improve metabolism; Koniver IV drips; sound escapes with musicians specialising in therapeutic sounds; and breathwork practitioners. These are perfect ways to unwind after taking part in one of the space's many fitness classes, including body rolling that directly stimulates the bone for a hyper-intense stretch; Brazilian jujitsu; fencing (‘it’s a full body workout, and the outfits are amazing too’, says Eagle); suspension training; and much more.

Bodyism

Bodyism is a holistic wellness centre in London’s Notting Hill that offers fitness classes, nutritional therapy, physical therapy, CBT therapy, and homoeopathy. Whether you’re getting a treatment or trying out a class (yoga, pilates, kickboxing and HIIT are on offer), we recommend treating yourself at the café after.

Delicious shakes use Bodyism’s own range of plant-based protein powders, as do the ‘protein excellence’ pancakes, which are topped with fresh berries, coconut yogurt, almond butter, and coconut flakes and taste like a decadent indulgence but are, somehow, good for you.

Imagine if you could recreate almost any substance using fermented yeast and sugar cane. Sounds impossible, right? According to Francisco Costa, the former creative director of womenswear at Calvin Klein and now founder of the beauty brand Costa Brazil, not only is it possible, he’s already doing it.

When Costa tells me this over tea in London, I’m inclined to think I must be misunderstanding. After all, Costa Brazil’s unique selling point is its use of natural Amazonian ingredients such as kaya, a skin-moisturising superfood extracted from the pods of the sapucaia tree; cacay, a vitamin-E packed nut that contains retinol; and, most significantly, breu, a resin extracted from the almaciga tree that’s used to relieve anxiety and improve the appearance of skin.

The future of sustainable beauty with Costa Brazil 

Costa was born in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and lived there until his mother’s untimely death in the mid-1980s, which spurred him to move to New York and study fashion. There, he took language courses at Hunter College during the day and classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology at night. After graduation, he quickly landed a position at Oscar de la Renta before becoming chief womenswear designer at Tom Ford-era Gucci, and then creative director of womenswear at Calvin Klein, where he released collections that honoured the brand’s signature ‘Calvin clean’ minimalism in a manner that was distinctly his own.

When Costa left Calvin Klein in 2016, he knew he wanted his next project to be ‘less superficial, more intimate, right on the skin’. Beauty felt like the natural fit, but he did not have a sense of what the identity of that brand could be. That changed when he took a trip to the Amazon, hoping that chance would throw something his way. Eventually it did, in the form of rock-like hunks of breu resin, which Costa saw Indigenous peoples throwing into ritual fires. Intrigued by its heady, treacly smell, Costa soon learned breu was an astoundingly versatile remedy for everything from anxiety and headaches to colic, respiratory issues, and aggravated skin.

Breu would become a defining element of Costa Brazil’s identity, and the brand would launch in 2019 with skincare oils derived from the ingredient, as well as packaged pieces of unprocessed breu to be burned at home. At first, Costa sourced his breu from a Brazilian manufacturer who specialised in working with Amazonian ingredients, since he didn’t have the access or means to source and distribute the ingredient on his own. But in January this year, Costa went back to the Amazon to visit the villages that supplied breu to his manufacturer. ‘When I talk about a village, I mean ten houses in the middle of the jungle. It’s more like a family,’ says Costa.

The size of these villages came as a surprise, as did the circumstances under which the villagers were sourcing the ingredient. ‘I didn’t realise that, for every 500kg that I have committed to, they have to go deep into the forest for three months,’ Costa recalls. He adds that, although the villagers see themselves as the guardians of the forest, and have dedicated their lives to its preservation, they do not legally own the land: ‘It’s very tough on them psychologically.’

With this in mind, Costa started buying raw resin directly from farmers for his burnable breu, since it goes directly to the consumer as is. But the breu that goes into his skincare oils and lotions still needs to be processed through a manufacturer. Mindful of fair-trade practices, Costa negotiated with his manufacturer to offer these villagers an increased fee. Still, he is quick to note that he doesn’t see himself as a paragon of sustainable business practices. Running a major, sustainable beauty brand requires an appetite to keep learning, a humility to recognise that you could always be doing more, and an occasional willingness to make fiscal sacrifices for an ethical good.

Costa has seemed to largely abide by these principles over the three years of Costa Brazil’s existence. The brand has worked with the NGO Conservation International to identify farmlands that harvest with as little impact to the environment as possible, often providing new opportunities to communities previously obliged to grow conflict crops that, because of their value, can encourage tensions between competing stakeholders and government bodies. Around the same time as his Amazon trip, Costa was looking for a collaborator to help him grow the brand.

That was how he came to work with Amyris. The San Francisco-based synthetic biology company engineers yeast strains and ferments them in sugar cane syrup so that the plant sugars are converted into new forms that mimic the genetic make-up of other natural substances. Costa is now working with Amyris to recreate breu through this process. In Costa’s eyes, the work he and brands such as L’Oréal, Shiseido and Estée Lauder are currently doing with Amyris is ‘the catalyst of what sustainable beauty is going to be’.

Costa Brazil will still be sourcing breu from the Amazon, supporting the local industry there, but, by synthetically creating breu in conjunction, it will be able to produce at a greater scale than ever before without an increased environmental impact. ‘When we produce sustainable ingredients using alternative methods of manufacturing, we don’t have to rely on petrochemicals or vulnerable plants and animals,’ an Amyris spokesperson tells Wallpaper*. ‘For our work examining replacements for breu and other forest extracts, it’s about striking that balance between science and nature; we want to continue to smartly source our ingredients in a way that helps the forest thrive.’

Costa may call himself ‘the most organic, nature-driven person in the world’, but he realises that ‘we have to acknowledge people too, and you have to create a 360-degree system of cooperation both in the lab and in the forest. We’re going to continue sourcing from farmers. But at the same time, having that clean slate that makes these ingredients available on a larger scale is really exciting.’

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the August 2022 Design for a Better World issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!

livecostabrazil.com

Ever wondered where the design-minded go to relax, work-out and punch things? It turns out they’ve got quite the option list – stylish concept gyms are getting pulses racing everywhere.

But which are truly inspirational? London to Los Angeles, here’s all you need to know about the world’s best gyms, from shadowboxing in New York City, to stretching out in Singapore...

Equinox Kensington, London, UK

Equinox Fitness has been around since the early Nineties, but the performative health culture of social media has certainly given the luxury company (which also owns Soul Cycle and Pure Yoga) a boost. Equinox Kensington is the first branch of the gym to open outside of the United States, and – as in other cities – it occupies prime real estate.

It’s organised around the art deco dome of the historic Derry & Toms building, a seven-storey department store fixture of 1930s Kensington. The building gained even more notoriety in the Seventies when it was taken over by Biba, which drove many of the decade’s most beloved fashion palettes and silhouettes. Today, wrought-iron deco windows illuminate yoga studios and all the best of the space has been preserved.

5th floor, The Roof Gardens, Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA

Another_Space, London, UK

Launched as a sister club to luxury British fitness brand Third Space, Another_Space is a stylish, light-filled work-out zone in the heart of Covent Garden. London-based Goldstein Ween Architects were enlisted to create the breezy, loft-like interiors, conjuring a pared-back palette of warm wood flooring, sweeping skylights, marble basins and plenty of soothing greenery. Helmed by Colin Waggett, founder of Psycle and CEO of Third Space, Another_Space brings together the golden trinity of fitness in the form of yoga, cycle and boxing-based HIIT studios, sure to attract the most serious of gym-goers looking to work on cardio, flexibility, strength and conditioning training.

4-10 Tower St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9NP

1Rebel St Mary Axe, London, UK

1Rebel’s first boutique gym at London’s St Mary’s Axe was designed by Studio C102 to woo fitness lovers frustrated with the current gym model. Pay as you go? Check. Music you actually want to workout to? Check. And did we mention the chilled towels?

Industrial architecture at every turn exudes the philosophy that it’s about pushing limits, not looking pretty. Copper piping snakes up the changing room walls and the gym’s personalised playlists pump throughout.

63 St Mary Axe, London EC3A 8LE

One Hot Yoga & Pilates, Melbourne, Australia

One Hot Yoga in Melbourne is the creation of husband-and-wife team, architect Robert Mills and yogi Lucinda Mills. It’s no wonder the space is extremely design-driven in addition to emphasising environmental wellness. The studio is especially proud of the architectural features that lower its carbon footprint. A custom water-heating system uses ‘one third of the energy [compared to] commonly-used electric heat systems and is one third as costly to run.’ Shower and cleaning products at the studio are all organic.

36 River Street, South Yarra VIC 3141, Australia

Karen Lord Pilates Movement, New York, USA

Former fashion stylist Karen Lord has created an eponymous pilates studio in NYC’s Tribeca. The space reflects the serenity that seduced Lord out of her previous hectic lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, the minimally branded program has drawn loyal fans from among the fashion set. The studio store stocks wellness goodies, like BKR water bottles and Sandoval aromatherapy spray.

137 Duane St, New York, NY 10013, USA

Pure Yoga, Shanghai, China

While living in a penthouse may be just an aspiration, working out in a penthouse doesn’t have to be at Pure Yoga Shanghai, which is set atop the IAPM mall. After enjoying city views, yogis can breeze through the likes of Miu Miu and Muji on their way out. Pure Yoga began in Hong Kong and has since spread across Asia and been exported as far as New York. Its Shanghai outpost uses clean lines and soft lighting to create a calming space that echoes the brand’s commitment to body and mind.

999 Huaihai Middle Rd, Xuhui Qu, Shanghai Shi, China

Blok, London, UK

BLOK Shoreditch is designed by Daytrip Studio (Iwan Halstead and Emily Potter) and lighting design studio There’s Light. The latter have made the whole space feel like one, long corridor animated by light, colour and reflections, which mingle with the smell of coffee and Malin & Goetz bespoke products, alongside photography by Oppenheim and installations by Ben Cullen Williams.

The designers have used a combination of materials (concrete, glass, steel, wood and fabric) to create contrasts between hard and soft surfaces, light and shadow; illustrating the divide between the hectic London urban environment and the relaxing energy of the practice rooms.

The Tram Depot 38-40 Upper Clapton Rd, London E5 8BQ

Virgin Active, Singapore

Virgin Active gyms cite being a ‘force for good’ as one of their main principles. Despite the luxury quality of their offerings, they also began the affordable Virgin Active RED gym model in South Africa, where they hope to attract and benefit the growing middle class. At Virgin Active’s Singapore location, the Relax & Recovery Zone is a huge draw. Despite the delights of foot soaking and steam, the real highlight might be the glowing, pink wonder of the Himalayan Salt Inhalation room.

Raffles Place, #06-61, Tower 2, 1 Raffles Place, Singapore 048616

Soho House, Chicago, USA

Soho House Chicago is housed in a historic early 20th-century belting factory, and its 17,000 sq ft gym is no exception to the club’s preserved industrial loft aesthetic. Appropriately, the last tannery in the city designed the leather boxing equipment. When the season’s right, don’t forget to check out the beloved hotel rooftop and bar and treat yourself to a post-cardio cocktail.

113 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA

The Burrow, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Local firm Lab100 are behind Kuwait’s most stylish boxing gym. The Burrow puts their boxing ring theatrically at the centre of the action. Skylights ensure that the space becomes even more dramatic at night. It was the first studio of its kind in the region.

Photography: Nelson Garrido. Jaber Al Malik Al Sabah St, Kuwait

Shadowbox, New York, USA

Boutique boxing gym Shadowbox is a sleek alternative to the gritty stereotype of the sport. The luxury facility, started in NYC’s Flatiron, has been so popular it’s opening a Brooklyn branch next. ‘We found that clients will form lines out the door if you distil the very best of boxing into a 45-minute workout incorporating rounds of heavy bag work, thumping curated music and a welcoming ambience,’ says founder Daniel Glazer, who trained with professional fighters. In addition to the club-like grid of boxing bags is a vintage-style boxing ring in rope, wood and canvas. All of which were designed in-house.

28 W 20th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA

U Energy, Hazmieh, Lebanon

Designed by Rabih Geha Architects, U Energy gym in Lebanon encourages connection and interaction – the 1200 sq m space is completely open, divided only by structural concrete pillars. Underground, atmospheric, high energy; the gym features skylights to allow beams of light from above, while neon lighting taps into the ‘gym-cum-club’ trend gripping fitness fanatics everywhere.

The lighting does more than make the space look ‘trendy’, however. The architects argue that ‘light travels through neurological pathways and affects the pineal gland in the brain’. Green has a healing effect and boosts satisfaction, which (apparently) can make your workouts more enjoyable. Red can invigorate you, adding zest to keep-fit sessions. While the colour blue can actually increase productivity; research shows weightlifters can lift more in blue rooms.

Hazmieh, Lebanon

Éva Goicochea founded sexual wellness company Maude after a career as a legislative aide in healthcare and a brand strategist at retail behemoths including Everlane. Building on Goicochea’s experience in both fields, Maude retails understated devices, lubricants, intimate body washes, and condoms with the aim of bridging the gap in a market that is historically highly gendered and narrow-minded. 

Since launching in the US in 2018, the brand has been an instigator in the development of a sexual ‘wellness’ industry – one that addresses a wider spectrum of ages and gender identifications, relinquishes dumbed-down marketing, and places an emphasis on ‘intimacy’ more than 'sex’. Actress Dakota Johnson has signed on as co-creative director, Maude’s products have appeared on the shelves of the MoMA Design Store, and, as of this month, they are available to purchase in Europe.

Maude: innovation in sexual wellness

'Before Maude, the sexual wellness industry was dominated by legacy brands that have focused so heavily on how to sell “sex” (to young men, typically) via condoms and lubricants, that they overlooked intimacy and customers across age and gender,’ says Goicochea. ‘Since our launch, we’ve not only seen companies – whether large or smaller brands – start to focus on intimacy and inclusivity, often using similar language to Maude and creating [similar] products (sometimes knock-offs) across categories.’ 

In Goicochea’s opinion, the industry’s narrow-minded products and marketing have not only isolated large segments of the population, but have stripped sex of its basic humanity. Maude aims to present sex as a fundamental human act, one that does not need to be cloaked in veils of secrecy or embellished with provocative marketing. That straight-forward ethos is reflected in the brand’s restrained design. With muted colours, easy-to-use packaging, and simple shapes inspired by Constantin Brâncuși's sculptures, they are designed neither to be displayed nor hidden, but rather treated with the same nonchalance as any object in your make-up bag or bedroom drawer.

'Our take at Maude is that sex is human and few brands have inclusively spoken to people throughout their adult lives in a smart, factual way,’ says Goicochea. And while the brand is refreshingly practical, it is far from detached. Beyond its inclusive products, Maude has partnerships with organisations such as SIECUS (Sex Ed for Social Change) and Advocates for Youth, and has launched an expansive online platform with articles that span everything from relationships to sexual education, as well as food, film, science and history as they relates to sexuality and intimacy. 

Through these various media, Maude aims to be an all-in-one resource for an alternate form of sex education, one that does not present sex as something either clinical or taboo. 'Without robust sex education,’ says Goicochea, ‘young adults are emotionally ill-equipped and lack crucial information about their own bodies, which not only leads to fear and stigma but also the compartmentalisation of sex in adult life.’

‘[For people] to be able to have healthy, intimate relationships and conversations,' continues Goicochea, ‘sex has to be integrated into an individual's sense of self and that starts with sex education.'

Those in the UK can find Maude products at Selfridges, while its online publication can be accessed through the brand's website.

INFORMATION

getmaude.com

Your brain consumes more energy than any other organ, using about 20 per cent of your nutritional energy to function. As New York-based nutritionist Rachelle Robinett is quick to point out, this means ‘it needs food!’ But what food, exactly, can you eat to boost your brain function? And can your diet really help to improve your productivity? 

Robinett is a herbalist, health practitioner and founder of Pharmakon Supernatural, whose work focuses on offering practical, plant-based solutions for a balanced lifestyle. Below, she shares her insight into how food, herbs, and supplements can help improve brain function and get you working more effectively than ever. 

Wallpaper*: How can diet improve your productivity?

Rachelle Robinett:

• The better the nutrition, the better the brain function. Stable blood sugar is also important for focus, as spikes and crashes can cause jitters, anxiety, brain fog, distractedness and sleepiness.
  
• I also love to relay the relationship between neurochemicals (like serotonin and dopamine) on focus, and other seemingly unrelated experiences, like carb cravings. For example, sugar cravings are often actually cravings for serotonin, which is released when we eat pleasurable or high-carbohydrate foods. Supplementing with tryptophan is a neat way to satisfy that need without a cookie, and tactics like that abound. Regarding focus, dopamine is a main player, which we also know from flow-state research that implicates the neurotransmitter as key for clarity, creativity, and the groove of productivity. I love herbs like rhodiola and mucuna pruriens (aka dopamine bean) for supporting that aspect of getting things done.
  
• Overall, the best nutrition for our brain is nutrient-dense, balanced in slow carbs, high-quality fats (especially omega fatty acids from fish or algae), and a touch of protein. I advocate for [a] mostly plant-based [diet], and as free of processed and refined [foods] as possible.
• Also, it's important not to forget gut health. The gut-brain-axis is a very real thing and the state of our digestion has direct implications for brain function.

W*: What things should people be eating to boost their productivity?

RR:

• Smoothies made with fruit, fibre (try berries, flax, chia, and prebiotics like acacia or psyllium husk), a little plant-based protein, some greens (or greens powder) and a spice or two (I love cinnamon for blood-sugar stability).
  
• High-quality fish or omega oil supplements.
• All the vegetables. And fruit!
• Half your body weight in ounces of water per day, minimum.

W*: What foods/diets might hurt productivity?

RR:

• Flour (even gluten-free) can be one of the secret saboteurs of productivity and a lot of other health goals if you can't digest it properly. Consider replacing it with any unprocessed plant-based alternative and, depending on how much a part of your life it is now, be prepared for transformation.
  
• Excess sugar, caffeine, alcohol and other inflammatory food or beverages are really hard on our brain. There’s also good research now that links neuro-inflammation with mental health and mood disorders. (Turmeric is one of my favourite herbs for offsetting this, after nutrition of course.)

W*: Let’s say someone has a busy, stressful day ahead of them – do you have any suggestions for a nutrition plan they should follow on the day or the day before?

RR: 

• This is where meal prep wins the day. I recommend a smoothie (see above), hearty (really hearty) vegetable bowls with the option of a little protein (plant-based or otherwise), and lots of great snacks.
  
• Personally, when I’m writing, I love to chew, so I make big spreads of tons of crunchy raw fruit and vegetables to work my way through. If you like salt, consider olives, sauerkraut, seaweed snacks and salty salads.
• For sweets, aim for fruit, or sweet potato, yams, and plantains. If chocolate is your thing, turn it into a superfoody herbal mocha and sip on it while you work.

W*: Any closing thoughts?

RR:

• Sleep is absolutely key, so aim for as much of that as possible. If stress is undermining your work, consider a blend of herbs and supplements that supports HPA-axis balance, and adrenal function. Most of these are longer-term commitments that help to normalise the body’s stress response over time. Sounds like magic, but it’s just nature – which is why I love this work!

London-based nutritional therapist Tabitha Roth works with clients to tailor diet and exercise plans for optimum health, while simultaneously ensuring and encouraging a positive mindset around food. Here, Roth shares summer diet tips on how to keep fit and feel good without falling down the rabbit hole of fad diets, extreme cleanses, or the like. Read on for a reasonable approach to summer health.

Wallpaper*: What advice do you have for people looking to create a healthy summer diet plan?

Tabitha Roth: Do not listen to anyone who encourages you to go on a strict diet that is difficult to follow, or says you need to go on the latest fad diet. My advice if you feel you need to lose weight but want to do it in a healthy and sustainable way is to go and see a registered nutritional therapist. It is worth seeing a professional for a short amount of time rather than perpetually getting stuck in the dieting cycle. Food should never be anything but enjoyable and something to value.

W*: Which foods do you recommend keeping stocked in the kitchen throughout summer? Any foods to avoid?

TR: Keeping your pantry stocked is incredibly important for keeping your daily food intake as nourishing and supportive as possible. Tinned legumes such as lentils and chickpeas can be quickly thrown into meals which are lacking a protein source; nuts and steel-cut oats can be quickly put together for a fibre and protein-rich breakfast or snack; tinned soups [are good] for quick meals when there is nothing else to grab; and a tub or jar of nut butter is my go-to protein source to keep my blood sugar stable when [it comes to] snacks and breakfast.

Don’t forget to use your freezer, make a little more dinner, and freeze some for a quick meal when you don’t feel like cooking. Store vegetables such as spinach, kale, peas, etc, so that you can quickly add more nutrients to your meals.

W*: What are the biggest nutritional or summer diet mistakes you see people making?

TR: Counting calories. We are not a perfect calorie machine – we all need different amounts of energy to keep our weight stable and this also varies from day to day. It depends on our age, height, weight, gender, lifestyle, and many other factors – even if two people were the exact same height, weight, and age they may have different calorie needs. Calories are not a perfect measurement system, and calories from different sources do not always behave the same way inside the body. Calories from fat are used completely differently to those from protein or carbohydrates, and we need all of them in our diets. It is more successful to focus on balancing our blood sugar during the day.

Another common mistake is replacing full-fat products with low-fat products. Low-fat products tend to be less flavourful, so often have higher levels of sugar to improve their taste, but without having the protective fat content for stabilising our blood sugar, this may lead to weight gain. Full-fat leaves us feeling fuller longer and, if it has fewer added sugars, is usually the better option.

W*: Do you have any advice for avoiding negative or obsessive thoughts about losing weight around this season?

TR: Restriction in any form is the biggest mistake we can make when it comes to trying to lose weight. I often point to the Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted by Ancel Keys [in 1944] to understand why. When we restrict food, either by ignoring our hunger levels and limiting how much we eat or by restricting or making certain foods ‘off limits’, this can lead to a preoccupation with food, binge eating, shame, and guilt. Just imagine telling a child that they cannot play with a certain toy; that toy will become the only one they want to play with – the same goes for adults.

Fad diets that restrict foods, juice cleanses, and significantly reducing our food intake can all lead to obsessive and negative thoughts and keep us in the cycle of dieting: restrictive diet; break the rules and regain the weight; feelings of guilt and disgust of your body; try another diet. Even people that appear to be in a healthy weight range can still experience a negative relationship with food long after they stop these restrictive diets.

We are letting a multimillion-dollar industry tell us that ‘this one diet works’ and that anyone can do it if they ‘have the right willpower’ – when the research proves this is not the case. A recent poll of 2,000 participants found the average person will embark on at least two fad diets a year. In truth, the evidence tells us that these fad diets fundamentally don’t work, people on average ditch their new diet by around day six, and most people gain back more weight than before they put themselves on the diet.

I encourage my clients to allow all foods, nourish their body, and don’t starve themselves. It doesn’t have to hurt to work.

One tip for allowing all food is to focus on blood sugar balance. For example, incorporating some protein with higher glucose foods can significantly reduce a spike in glucose and ultimately lead to protection against weight gain as there is a reduction in the secretion of the fat-storing hormone insulin. An example of this is by having dessert at the end of a high protein meal or adding nut butter on top of your favourite chocolate bar. 

W*: Can nutrition help with any of the skin issues people often experience during summer – sunburn, acne from sweat- and sunscreen-clogged pores, increased dryness? If so, how?

TR: While there is no one cure-all for skin issues, nutrient deficiencies can cause imbalances that contribute to skin issues. A simple trick to remember is that each colour you see on your plate represents a different type of nutrient. Orange, like in carrots, represents beta-carotene and vitamin C; purple in cabbage and red in tomatoes represents anthocyanins and resveratrol; green foods contain folate, vitamin K, folic acid, potassium and more. It is important to eat a rainbow of foods to increase the variety of nutrients you are eating. We want to add to your diet, not take away. For specific conditions like acne and dryness, these can have deeper root causes and are best discussed with a registered nutritional therapist who can help get to the bottom of it. And wear sunscreen!

W*: Beyond a summer diet, any other recommendations for staying healthy this season?

Get outside. Studies have shown that forest bathing, or being in nature and connecting to your surroundings can significantly reduce your stress levels. It can kickstart your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing your stress hormone cortisol to drop, which may help to improve your essential involuntary processes, such as digestion. So get out and enjoy your summer!

INFORMATION

bodyism.com

The top floor of 180 The Strand in central London has been turned into an animated Wunderkammer of varied and curious fitness classes and beauty treatments. The space comes courtesy of Alex Eagle, whose eponymous London shop has served as an oasis of good taste since it opened in 2014 with its carefully considered edit of fashion, furniture, rare books, ceramics, art, and more. 

Eagle has applied the curatorial principles behind her store to her residency at the 180 Health Club. On offer are alternative classes and therapies that Eagle herself has discovered throughout her years in fashion and retail, either through her own research or on the recommendations of friends and colleagues. She has personally selected everything on offer because it is exceptional and efficacious. The result is an impressive and elite line-up of practitioners that makes the space deserving of its ‘club’ title and not only because of the Soho House connection. 

Take RelaxYang with physiotherapist Renata Nunes, which starts with acupuncture on the back and a foot massage to release tension, followed by a back, neck, and scalp massage for a treatment that is not only extraordinarily calming but unblocks energy to improve circulation and overall health. Eagle discovered Nunes on recommendation from a friend after she put her back out and the results were 'completely life-changing – I wanted everyone to be able to experience it. She focuses on systemic rebalancing, both physically and mentally. It’s a must-try!' 

Also on the menu: an infrared sauna that is a great way to get a little boost of light and warmth in the winter as well as detoxify; an ozone sauna that is designed to detoxify the system and improve metabolism; Koniver IV drips; sound escapes with musicians specialising in therapeutic sounds, and breathwork practitioners; body rolling classes that directly stimulate the bone for a hyper-intense stretch; Brazilian jujitsu; fencing (‘it’s a full body workout, and the outfits are amazing too’, says Eagle); suspension training; and a full-body CBD massage that, in this writer’s opinion, is possibly one of the most relaxing experiences money can buy. 

More standard treatments are also on offer, including men’s barbing by Supply 91, eyebrow shaping with Diana Augustoni, manicures, and yoga. 

The Alex Eagle store is defined by its ability to create an atmosphere, to give people what they want, or don’t know they want yet, with a gallery-like attention to display and trustworthy judgment.

The Alex Eagle Sporting Club residency at 180 Health Club is a natural evolution of the concepts pioneered in that original space, with singular results that make it well worth a visit.

INFORMATION

alexeaglesportingclub.com
180thestrand.com

The arrival of spring also means the arrival of allergies. While there is a host of manufactured medicines and tools that can be used to combat hay fever, there are also plenty of little-known natural remedies to alleviate allergy fatigue (the tiredness that is a common result of allergic reactions), stuffiness, itchy eyes and more. 

We spoke to herbal medicine practitioner Jenya Di Pierro, founder of London wellness club Cloud Twelve, about the dietary tips and herbal remedies that can help you enjoy the season. 

Jenya Di Pierro’s natural remedies for allergy fatigue and hay fever

Nettle

Nettle is an excellent all-around antihistamine remedy and its harvest is often described as ‘springtime herbalism at one of its finest moments’. Nettle is highly nutritious, rich in A and C vitamins, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It has long been considered a blood tonic and is a wonderful treatment for anaemia, as it is high in both iron and chlorophyll. It enhances immunity and relieves allergies, and catarrh and enhances detoxification via the liver and kidneys.

Spring is the best time to enjoy young leaves in soups, pesto and stir-fries. Root and seeds are also medicinal and are used in hormonal disorders.

Elder tree

The elder tree has long been called the ‘medicine chest’ since its flowers and berries can be used to activate the immune system and specifically treat and prevent flu and tonsillitis, and decongest sinuses. It also helps combat fevers and allergy symptoms. 

Collect the flowers in spring to make an indulgent cordial for lemonades, lollies and hot infusions. Have a search in a park or a nearby forest for other anti-allergic herbs, like yarrow, chamomile or mullein, and don’t forget, the earlier you start, ideally one month before the blossom of your allergen, the better the results are going to be.

Liquorice root

Liquorice root contains glycyrrhizin, which has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating and antiallergic effects similar to cortisone. It is soothing for dry mucus membranes and skin allergies, like eczema.

In Chinese medicine, liquorice is used as a qi tonic to alleviate fatigue, frequent infections and lack of appetite. It is sweet to the taste, can be made into candies and syrups, making it a perfect remedy for kids.

Eyebright

Eyebright is a beautiful flower that looks like an eye and, in fact, has traditionally been used to improve and preserve eyesight. It is also known to alleviate inflammation of the eye, help with itchiness and puffiness, as well as irritation and catarrh in the nose.

Broadleaf plantain

Broadleaf plantain is one of the most commonly found weeds in Europe. It has traditionally been used to treat bronchial congestions, sinusitis, asthma and skin injuries. As a natural antihistamine, it is particularly effective for reducing inflammation in the eyes and mucus membranes in the nose. Broadleaf plantain is also known for its ability to stop bleeding, heal ulcers, stings and insect bites, which makes it an excellent first-aid remedy.

Baikal skullcap

Baikal skullcap is a traditional Chinese herb used to treat hay fever and other allergies, such as asthma, eczema and urticaria (hives), by inhibiting the release of histamine from mast cells. It is also effective for fevers, infections and inflammation. That’s probably why Chinese researchers have identified baikal skullcap as one of the herbs with potential against Covid-19.

5R gut reset 

For a more permanent solution, the '5R' gut reset protocol, which stands for 'refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle', is the best starting point. That means removing bad bugs and toxins; replacing digestive insufficiencies with the help of spices, bitters, enzymes and other supplements; reinoculating gut flora with probiotics; repairing gut lining; and rebalancing the lifestyle to reduce stress. 

Low-histamine diet

What else can be done? As histamine is broken down by the liver, supporting the liver with bitter cooling herbs such as dandelion, andrographis and artichoke leaf is an important consideration. A low-histamine diet is also helpful during allergy season. The key elements of this diet are – the exclusion of foods that are high in histamine and/or promote histamine release (chocolate, alcohol, vinegar, fermented foods, dried fruit, shellfish), and the addition of nutrients that act as natural antihistamines (nettle, turmeric, apples, ginger, onions).

Remember to avoid...

A diet high in histamines, sleeping with open windows, dusty houses.

INFORMATION

Find out more about herbal medicine and book a herbal consultation with Jenya Di Pierro here.

While the global pandemic may have taught us how to embrace our natural beauty, there’s no shame in seeking out some extra support to get you there. Technological advancements in the beauty industry have made it easier to get professional-grade results at home now more than ever, whether it is your face, body or hair that needs the added attention. Here are some of the most impressive beauty gadgets and tools of the trade we've come across. 

Beauty gadgets of 2022

Droplette skin infusion device

When MIT PhD scientists Madhavi Gavini and Rathi Srinivas began developing a painless, injection-free delivery system to treat a genetic skin disease, Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), they didn’t expect to create a transdermal skincare device that could serve a wider audience as well. In the course of their research, the scientists discovered a phenomenon that greatly enhances transdermal drug absorption. While the goal has always been to discover a cure for EB, the duo have used their technology to launch Droplette – a skincare device that brings medical-grade efficacy right into the palm of your hand. 

When in use, Droplette delivers a micro-mist of active ingredients that truly penetrate beneath the skin’s surface. Launched with three proprietary formulas – glycolic acid, retinol and collagen – which are installed into the device in capsule form, Droplette’s unique delivery system also boosts skin’s hydration to safeguard against unwanted side effects one might typically experience from such potent actives. 

droplette.com

Jillian Dempsey Gold Bar skin-sculpting tool

Face massaging tools are a dime a dozen these days, but the simple, timeless technology behind make-up artist Jillian Dempsey’s Gold Bar continues to trump all. Streamlined, inconspicuous and lightweight, the battery-operated vibrating device originates from Japan and boasts a petite, 24ct gold bar to get into nooks and crannies.

Moving at 6,000 vibrations per minute, the Gold Bar helps to relax facial muscles while also delivering a sculpting and contouring effect when deployed around the cheeks and jawline. Therapeutic and functional, this handy power tool is one secret weapon. 

harveynichols.com

Face Gym Face Shot microneedling device

If you subscribe to the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy, then Face Gym’s Face Shot – an electric microneedling gadget that delivers professional results without the practitioner – is definitely one for you. 

This two-in-one beauty gadget first encourages skin renewal with medical-grade, stainless steel microneedles that kick-start the skin’s repair process, and then dispenses ampoules of glycolic acid that penetrate deeper. With immediate results, including a radiant glow and a smoother texture, and long-term use resulting in diminished hyperpigmentation, clearer pores and reduced wrinkles and scarring, what’s not to love?

selfridges.com

Zuvi hair dryer

The humble hair dryer may be one of the most underrated beauty gadgets out there, but it’s finally getting the attention it deserves, thanks to Zuvi, a new brand revolutionising existing technology. The first hair dryer on the market to mimic the sun’s natural rays, the Zuvi Halo uses light-centred technology to dry your locks, prioritising the health of hair by leaving it more hydrated and making efforts towards greater sustainability. 

Five times more energy-efficient than a standard hairdryer, the Halo incorporates environmental sensors that measure the surrounding air’s temperature and humidity so that its heating element adapts accordingly. With 120 layers of titanium to safeguard against harmful UV rays and ensure that the light source is eye-safe, this low-heat, full-speed device is one for the future.

zuvi.uk

Esker Body Plane

The ritualistic aspects of the ergonomically shaped Esker Body Plane serves as a poetic counterpoint to more high-tech tools. Rooted in ancient Greek and Roman bathing traditions, this modern strigil boasts a teak wood handle and a blunt stainless steel edge to smooth and soothe the body. 

Intended for use immediately after showering or bathing, this metal scraping tool is best paired with a body oil so that it glides seamlessly over skin. Not only does it help in exfoliating dead skin and dirt, the body plane helps to improve circulation and muscle tone. The stainless-steel edge is plated in colloidal silver for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Wipe clean after each use.

eskerbeauty.com

With air travel back in full swing, the prospect of long-haul flights is an exciting but also daunting one. To help us navigate our reintroduction to air travel, fitness expert Andrea Marcellus shares her tips for staying healthy on a long-haul trip including surprising advice on snacks (no trail mix!) and tricks for sleeping comfortably upright. 

Snacks

• Two weeks before your trip, start keeping track of foods that make you feel lean and keep your digestion regular. Stick to these foods 24-48 hours before your flight.
  
  
• On the flight, eat as cleanly as possible and avoid dried fruit, trail mix, and no-value starchy carbs the best you can. They are too calorie dense for when you are going to be sitting for a long time and can leave you feeling bloated. Also, avoid salty foods like chips or jerky. Long flights alone can cause you to retain water, so best not to add extra salt.
  
  
• Consider bringing your own snacks like apples with nut butter in squeezable packets you can eat without the need for utensils. Also small bags of grain-free granolas you can pick at instead of chips.

Stretches

• The key with any stretches is to move in and out of them rather than just hold a static stretch because your muscles are cold. Getting up and walking around for a few minutes before stretching will help.
  
  
• Try a 'figure four hip stretch': put an ankle across your opposite knee and simply pull your chest forward 4 counts and then release. Repeat 5-10 times to release your hips and lower back, then switch sides.
  
  
• Or a 'modified camel pose': sit forward on the seat, place your hands behind you, fingertips facing forward. Keeping your chin down, inhale and push down into the seat as you pull your chest to the ceiling for 4 counts. Release and repeat 5-10 times to release your chest and neck.

Sleep

• Taking magnesium about an hour before sleeping time can be helpful (and help to keep you regular).
  
  
• Put a bag under your feet to lift your knees to hip height, reducing back strain. Use the headrest flaps or a neck pillow to keep your neck in alignment. And definitely use a sleeping mask (or do what I do and wrap a sweatshirt or pashmina around your head to really create a great sleep bubble!)

The suitcase workout

Simply hold onto your raised (and locked) suitcase handle for balance and perform the following beginner moves three times:

• Reverse lunges to strengthen the quads (15 reps on each leg)
  
  
• Jumps out and in for a cardio burst (30-second intervals)
  
  
• Calf raises to work the calf muscles (30 reps)
  
  
• Narrow squats to tone and sculpt the booty and thighs (20 reps)
  
  
• Leg lifts to burn out the glutes (20 reps on each leg)

INFORMATION

andlife.com