Are we getting healthier or just buying more stuff?

With every new supplement or fitness tracking device sold in the garb of self-care, is the wellness industry commodifying our health? 

“Wellness” and “self-care” are among the most bastardised terms in today’s day and age. Every other product (or service) churned out by the beauty andnewly-booming wellness industry—from scented candles to in-clinic treatments, essential oils to lip balms, and electric toothbrushes to electrolytes—now promises to boost your well-being by employing “self-care”. The transition from capitalising on your insecurities to meticulously creating products that claim to care for you happened too fast, too soon. 

According to reports, the global wellness market, valued at US$6.32 trillion in 2023, is expected to touch an estimated US$9 trillion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 7.3 per cent. In India alone, consumer expenditure on wellness products and services on a monthly basis shot up from 28 per cent in 2022 to 42 per cent in 2023. Today, wellness is a serious business.

“Consumers increasingly view their bodies as ecosystems, seeking holistic solutions for both mental and physical well-being,” notes Adriana Heinzen, senior consulting director for Mintel’s Asia-Pacific region. “This shift is evident in the growing popularity of functional foods and beverages—think adaptogenic ingredients like Ashwagandha, an adoption of integrated ecosystems of wearables and predictive technologies, and neurocosmetic beauty.” It’s safe to say that the commercialisation of wellness is here to stay.

It’s not like our ancestors needed boujee wellness retreats and exorbitant face creams to lead fulfilling, healthier lives. So, what fragmented our understanding of well-being and self-care to this extent? 

Is it the rising popularity of figures like Bryan Johnson, who reportedly spends US$2 million annually for longevity experiments? Or, the influence of content creators like Ashton Hall, whose six-hour “wellness-first” morning routine—viewed over 80 million times on Instagram—that sets an increasingly demanding standard? When brands and influencers propagate such unrealistic goals and routines, it often creates a harmful cycle, affecting viewers and making them question their self-worth, fuelling feelings of insecurity, or even leading to obsessive behaviours.

Wellness has entered the mainstream, but its evolution raises pertinent questions. The emphasis appears to have shifted from holistic health to consumer-driven trends, prompting a closer look at whether the industry is supporting well-being or promoting just another cycle of self-care that breaks the bank.

Is wellness 2.0 redefining self-care—or losing its way? 

“Self-care, in its most simplistic sense, is taking out the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health, enabling you to manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy,” explains Deanne Panday, a health and wellness expert, author, and lifestyle coach. “Think of well-being as a broader circle, and within it are slices—much like a pie—each representing physical, emotional, mental/cognitive, social, and spiritual well-being. The health of every slice of the pie, influences, impacts, and contributes to one’s overall well-being.” 

While wellness and self-care were traditionally rooted in simple practices—consuming a balanced diet, getting eight hours of sleep every night, staying moderately active, and maintaining mental well-being, the scope of wellness has significantly expanded today.

Biohacking, morning sheds, night wraps, high-tech LED devices, health tracking, pilates retreats, wellness spas and resorts, IV drips, supplements, and more supplements now populate the landscape. “Eighty-two per cent of Indian consumers actively seek ways to reduce stress, reflecting the widespread demand for wellness solutions,” shares Heinzen. According to Mintel’s Global Consumer study, 42 per cent of Indians aged 25-34 own a fitness band. Furthermore, wellness tourism is projected to grow at a rate of 16.6 per cent annually, making it one of the fastest-growing segments within the wellness market, according to the Global Wellness Institute.

As the industry keeps expanding, the emphasis on fundamental, foundational habits appears to be overshadowed by a number of emerging trends. 

According to a joint survey conducted in February 2025 by market research firm YouGov and Amazon Alexa across 10 cities in India, 53 per cent of the respondents experience sleep-related disorders. India is slowly becoming a hub of insomnia, with every 1 in 4 Indians dealing with it. Long working hours, messed up sleep schedules, heightened stress levels, and other mental health struggles all contribute to a sleep crisis. The wellness industry’s solution? Melatonin, magnesium, and CBD gummies to aid with sleep, energy-boosting bars to keep you going, de-stressing aromatherapy sprays for momentary relief, and costly devices that promise youthful-looking, well-rested skin upon waking up. Not to mention the serums, moisturisers, and under-eye creams that tell you to cheat your way into “looking like you slept for eight hours”.

In 2024, the National Institute of Nutrition, India, revealed that approximately 56.4 per cent of the diseases in India stem from unhealthy diets. And, a sizeable part of the country still struggles to afford a balanced diet. India’s supplement markets, however, tell a different story. While the nutraceutical market is poised to touch US$18 billion this year, the dietary supplements market, valued at US$3.92 billion in 2020, will reach an estimated $10.19 billion by 2026, at a 22 per cent growth rate year on year.

Pollution caused by rampant construction, urbanisation, and private vehicles continue to pose a significant challenge to good health. Statista highlights that in 2024, India ranked as the fifth-most polluted country globally, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre—10 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit. 

While a visit to a sanctuary-inspired five-star property will only offer temporary respite, it is sustained exposure to urban pollution that inevitably impacts overall well-being. The increasing demand for high-end wellness experiences, when juxtaposed with the lack of  availability of basic health essentials, presents a striking paradox. 

The growing gap between wellness trends and real well-being

Is this truly a new era of conscious wellness, or is the Internet just coaxing us into believing it? Most wellness products and services come with a hefty price tag, raising the question: Does investing in them promise a path to longevity or is it just another financial burden? And do the viral multi-step self-care routines seem viable in the long run, especially when basic needs like sleep remain unmet? The answer, increasingly, appears to be no.

Dr Kiran Sethi, dermatologist and author of Skin Sense, thinks that the popularity of wellness has become quite nauseating. “Wellness is not a 4.5-hour-long routine punctuated by dunking one’s head in iced Saratoga Spring Water. There is no real need to do 50-step beauty routines on your face or body. It’s usually a bunch of hooey designed to make you purchase ridiculously unnecessary items. Zero data suggests these crazy routines will benefit you. Rather, the more you do, the more likely you are to disrupt the epidermal barrier [of your skin],” says the expert. “The influencers you see promoting these, are inevitably selling the same items on their Amazon store while getting treatments from their aesthetic practitioner. Your attention sponsors that.” Psychologist Utkarsha Jagga concurs, adding, “When we start equating wellness with 10-step routines or expensive supplements, we miss the point: real self-care is often quiet, consistent, and kind of boring.”

Dr Nigma Talib, a Los Angeles-based naturopathic doctor and author notes that wellness has transformed from niche to becoming the new normal. Perhaps, not for all the right reasons. “We’ve been taught to push through exhaustion—and then marketed products to recover from the burnout. But I think more people are waking up to that. True wellness doesn’t demand that you keep doing more—it invites you to pause, assess, and choose what truly serves your body.” When wellness becomes a performance—prescribed, rigid, disconnected from our own needs—it loses its essence, cites Nidhi Pandya, an Ayurvedic doctor and author of Your Body Already Knows. 

Capitalism and overconsumption are taking over the concept of wellness at a scary, unreal speed. We don’t know if we need a product; we may not even be qualified to judge its efficacy, but because it’s “trending,” we give in. Independent journalist Jessica DeFino finds this behaviour contradictorily “unwell”. “I think a lot of beauty and wellness culture is simply hustle culture applied to the face and body. From supplements to massagers, everything requires money and, thereby, labour, to purchase them. This is not relaxation but an unending optimisation sold under the umbrella of wellness.” She adds, “The capitalist version is far from true wellness; most things cost you nothing—whether it’s meditation at home, a walk in the park, or getting enough quality sleep.”

A critically worrisome off-spin of the wellness mania is a deviation from actual healthcare. If you’re chronically stressed, anxious, or depressed, therapy—and not aromatherapy—is the solution. If you tend to experience frequent fatigue, brain fog, or skin concerns, you could potentially have a nutrient deficiency, which needs medical intervention. “Our personal health highly depends on our physical and mental health. Having that said, I am happy to see a surge in wellness; the goals have shifted from weight loss to bone health, sleep hygiene, and immunity,” says Vasudha Rai, beauty editor and author. “I, for one, enjoy an expensive, high-dose omega-3 supplement, or microcurrent devices, and balance it with basics like getting into bed before 10 pm, going for long walks, giving myself manual massages, or [engaging in] gardening.” While a slew of skincare products, tools and devices, supplements, and even fancy workouts or holidays are indulged in, they are supplementary and not substitutes for medical healthcare or any other daily function.

What wellness truly entails—and how doing it right can benefit your holistic health

Indulgence, extremity, and dependency go against the essence of wellness, states Avni Jasani, a holistic wellness coach and founder of wellness platform, AVNI. “The art of holistic wellness is all about moderation, not too much of anything. It doesn’t require a shopping cart full of luxuries—it thrives on consistency in simple, foundational practices.”

“You can’t biohack your way out of the basics—no supplement, serum, or lotion is going to be able to replace adequate hydration, quality sleep, and deep breathing. We must go back to focusing on habits over purchases,” shares celebrity yoga trainer Anshuka Parwani. Additionally, she highlights the importance of mindfulness and stress management. “Breathwork, meditation, and other mindful practices that reduce stress are timeless, free, and portable. Whether you’re going to the gym, a pilates class, or yoga, ask yourself if you’re doing it because you want to, or because it’s trending. Ultimately, you’ll only be consistent with whatever brings you peace.” Parwani vouches for the benefits of regular Pranayam, oil-pulling, unwinding outdoors for a quick reset from city life, and listening to one’s body and its needs. 

Talib recommends consuming warm lemon water first thing in the morning, dry brushing, lymphatic drainage massages, chewing one’s food mindfully, and gratitude journaling. Pandya adds, “Eating a heavy lunch and a light dinner has restored my digestive fire. I prefer cooked foods with generous use of digestive spices—not spicy, just intentionally spiced—to support absorption and gut health.”

If you’re outsourcing your wellness support system in any way, Jasani recommends researching to first understand what is genuine. “Look for peer-reviewed studies, transparent ingredient lists, credible practitioner endorsements, and never forget the timeless wisdom of your ancestors,” she says. “I try to use materials like bamboo, cotton, wood, and stainless steel as much as possible. Keeping fixed time to spend with family and friends helps, because social well-being is a huge part of holistic wellness.” 

This is their version of wellness—you might want to take cues, or simply follow practices that suit your lifestyle, budget, and needs. The goal is simple: trace the roots of wellness, and imbibe them in your daily life. “Until we return to the basics, we will continue to feel tired in a world that celebrates how ‘energised’ we appear,” says Pandya. 

Ultimately, wellness was always meant to restore and sustain. Whether it now consumes more than it heals depends on where the line between care and consumption is drawn.

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