Faye Bradley for Atma
The concept of wellness is universal. It’s been in our DNA and upbringing for millenia, no matter where you are in the world. Although different regions celebrate different forms of wellness, recent years and the surge in technology has encouraged easier conversation between cultures on concepts of wellbeing and learning from one another. Without a doubt, wellness should be for all — meaning no gender, ethnicity, disability, age, race or culture should be excluded.
Each individual’s path to wellness differs, meaning every journey should be personalized and cater to the person’s optimum goals. Wellness is a holistic integration of physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, resulting in a lifelong positive state of mind and body, if the practice works for you.
Since wellness encompasses an abundance of different strategies, forms and practices from different regions of the world, it’s clear that wellness businesses are owned by a diverse range of backgrounds.
Wellness is a space that should be accessible and welcoming for everyone and it’s getting better — but this hasn’t always been the case. The industry has been predominantly white-owned until recent years, which has seen a new wave of diverse ownerships. Supporting independent businesses is crucial in expanding the wellness scene as a consumer.
Some black-owned wellness brands include the Brooklyn-based Golde, which was co-founded by Trinity Mouzon Wofford, who has a passion for food and beauty products made with superfood ingredients. CBD brand Brown Girl Jane was founded by sisters Malaika and Nia Jones with wellness expert Tai Beauchamp in a bid to provide accessible wellness products for women of color. Another black-owned wellness brand to add on your radar is Movita Organics, which was founded by TV and film producer Tonya Lewis Lee, offering organic multivitamins and beauty supplements for the modern wellness aficiando.
TCM has gained huge momentum in the west, particularly in the U.S, an age-old tradition with roots dating back centuries in ancient China up until today. The Chinese method of wellness is praised for its prevention-forward philosophy to maintain healthy wellbeing at all times rather than going to the doctor only when you’re sick. It is believed to relieve body pains, improve quality of sleep and reduce chances of anxiety and depression.
Asian American-owned brands to look out for include herbal tea advocate Us Two Tea founded by Maggie Xue, who sources the tea directly from Taiwan, Cassey Ho’s Blogilates, an empire for yoga workout gear, and Sana Javeri Kadri’s sustainable spice supply chain Diaspora Co.
While many people perceive the wellness industry as heavily women-led, there are more and more men perking up interest in the market and also starting their own brands. Many gyms and fitness centres are male-owned and there’s a growing interest in male beauty products. Grooming is a significant market for men, with brands like Baxter of California and Uppercut Deluxe targeting beard cleaning and shaving essentials.
Likewise, female wellness brands have taken off since the inception of successful women-led companies like Kate Hudson’s Fabletics and sustainable tampons label Cora. Other popular sectors include organic skincare, vitamins, athleisure, workout gear and technology, among others.
Wellness is also becoming increasingly accessible for people with disabilities, who need specific solutions to reach a personal goal. Although mental health still requires much more support from the state, it’s hopeful that soon it can be more affordable and educational for those in need. Tiffany Yu’s Diversability network aims to amplify and empower disabled voices by holding both in-person and online events ranging from educational panels like disability employment as well as social get togethers to meet and greet others in the community.
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