Accessibility in the Wellness Space
Resources for a more inclusive industry
Resources for a more inclusive industry
The global wellness economy was a $4.5 trillion market in 2018. This includes many facets of the personal care sector— alternative medicine, beauty, healthy eating and nutrition, physical activity, wellness tourism and real estate, as well as thermal or mineral springs and spas.
It’s imminent that we explore ways to make information and products surrounding all of these outlets readily available to all who are interested, and create more inclusive spaces throughout this industry.
Siraad Dirshe writes, “The dark reality is that the recent explosion in wellness has largely perpetuated an image that is exclusive in more ways than one. As companies across categories like vitamin supplements, skin care, "clean" eating, fitness, athleisure, meditation, cryotherapy, IV drips, Eastern medicine and even infrared saunas promote messages of wellbeing and physical and mental health, they're often doing so with narrow-minded, exclusionary practices.
The marketing and branding many wellness companies rely on have become so eerily homogenous that it can, at times, be difficult to distinguish one brand from another. The same can often be said of their clientele. But as the wellness industry continues to take off, several brands are changing the narrative and working in earnest to upend the notion that only white, rich women are worthy of living well.”
“Most of our Instagram feeds are chock-full of celebrities, influencers and friends spinning, downward-dogging in meditating at the newest (expensive) studios, clad in aesthetically pleasing (expensive) outfits, sipping (expensive) adaptogen-spiked lattes. While one could argue that being incessantly bombarded with these types of visuals is positive in that it inspires us all to #liveourbestlives, more often than not this imagery also perpetuates the fallacy that wellness is a luxury only a select few deserve or can afford.”
We’ve sought out a number of individuals who are paving the way in wellness inclusivity— to start, we’ve got Veggie Mijas who aims to make veganism and wellness more accessible, especially to people of color. Along with recipes, the Spanish-English account arranges meet-ups, organizes volunteer opportunities, and offers advice on how to live sustainably. To join the collective or find out what Veggie Mijas is up to, check out their website.
We’re enjoying content from Decolonizing Fitness, a physical therapist assistant who aims to “make fitness more affirming and accessible to all bodies.” The company led by Ilya Parker is owned and operated exclusively by trans and queer people of color, and they’re currently raising money to teach fitness professionals how to better support diverse bodies, like not exploiting disabled people for the sake of #fitspo motivation.
Make Golde’s Feel Good Fudge.
We’re huge fans of Golde. This brand merges tried-and-true plant tonics and cheery, modern design. Golde makes turmeric, matcha and cacao latte powders and superfood face masks, and its ethos is that the pursuit of wellness should feel less like an obligation and more like a really good hug.
The brand’s founder, Trinity Mouzon Wofford, grew up in the Hudson Valley. She spent years feeling torn between crunchy granola tradition and new, ultraluxe wellness movements— things that she wanted to take part in but that felt out of reach. She created a middle ground in Golde. Wofford is the youngest Black woman to launch in Sephora.
Liberate is a subscription-based meditation app that includes practices and talks designed for the BIPOC community. They’ve curated content from 40+ BIPOC teachers with a diverse background in lineage, perspective and approach, so that everyone can find a practice in their voice.
The app is designed to support BIPOC people on their path to healing by naming and offering resources for common cultural experiences, like internalized racism and micro-aggressions.
Clean, natural beauty and skincare products generally come with a higher price tag since preservatives and cheap additives are not the basis of the product. Access to healthy products is indeed a social justice issue.
Cher Wexia Chen says, “It’s [a social justice issue] that’s more pronounced in the U.S. than it is in some other parts of the world: There are more than 1,300 ingredients not legal for use [in personal-care products] in the E.U. and about 500 in Canada. In the United States, we only have 11.”
With these legal protections, even the lowest-income citizens in those countries don’t need to worry about their exposure to, for example, talc, an ingredient commonly found in mass and prestige cosmetics in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society, some talc can be contaminated with asbestos, which is generally considered to be carcinogenic when inhaled. (That contamination could happen while talc is being mined if steps aren’t taken to purify it, according to the FDA.)”
We support EWG, a beacon of light who empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, they drive consumer choice and civic action.
An excellent way to promote diversity in this space is to buy from BIPOC-owned, natural brands. Ecocult has compiled an incredible list of 62 Black-owned non-toxic beauty brands to explore.
We’d love to hear from you — how are you supporting a more diverse wellness economy, locally and/or globally?
Disclosure: There are no operating affiliate links on this page. All opinions are our own.