Beauty has long ceased to mean our ‘outsides’; trawl any beauty retailer and chances are you’ll find a mix of the usual suspects (make up and skin care) alongside a legion of {supplements}, muscle rubs, {sex tech} and {scalp scrubs} ... point is, the concept has grown to encompass our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing as brands start to understand more about how our health manifests.
We’ve already witnessed a flurry of products that straddle traditional lines between beauty and health – and this cross-pollination shows no signs of slowing. We’ve taken supplements, we’ve embraced meditation, we’ve filled our homes with crystals – but beauty is becoming much more all-encompassing, with brands exploring ways to engage all five senses on the quest to help us feel our best.
In a time when the world is still reeling in the wake of the pandemic – adjusting to a brave ‘new normal’ - self-care has taken on greater significance. We’re feathering our nests and making ever greater efforts to recharge and safeguard our minds and our bodies.
Cue: The Nue Co. - always at the forefront when it comes to innovation in the realm of beauty health, they are changing the essence of {fragrance} by seeding the concept of scent as a supplement – captialising on its power to influence feelings and quieten minds. With stress and anxiety increasingly prolific amongst Millennials and Gen Z, perfumers are exploring the scope of scent to elevate our mood and offer little opportunities to ‘breathe’ and quell the overwhelm.
The Nue Co.’s disruptive new offering – the innovative {Water Therapy} – is also a reaction to our growing disconnection with the great outdoors. Post-lockdowns, and with working-from-home meaning even fewer reasons to venture over the threshold (40% of people in Europe now WFH exclusively), we’re losing touch with nature and it’s having an effect. We’re increasingly digitally dependent (we all know, that’s never a good thing), we spend 35% less time in ‘real life’ shops and doing recreational activities and 27% less time in parks and – we're twice as stressed because of it.
Which is why {Water Therapy} aims to offset the fallout of this disconnect by harnessing the ‘blue mind’ concept – the state of calm that comes with being in or near to water – and mimicking the benefits with scent. Powered by pioneering fragrance technology – Thalassogaia – which conjures the energy of our planet’s blue spaces, {Water Therapy} positively influences our parasympathetic nervous system and in turn, our state of mind.
Fresh, crisp and warm, and formulated from sustainably sourced (or upcycled!) extracts, {Water Therapy} opens with a burst of black pepper with cardamom, seaweed and bergamot over a heart of rose absolute, clary sage and fig balsam. The base – a blend of mineral salt, ambrofix, vetiver and smooth, cocooning sandalwood – is anchoring and infinitely zen-inducing: an olfactory evocation of the ‘crunch’ of sand and lap of waves.
Whisking you straight from your desk to the dunes, this will quickly become indispensable – engaging your most primal sense (your sense of smell) to trigger a shift in your attitude. Simply spray on to pulse points, inhale for the count of four, hold for four, then exhale for four and allow the chilled vibes to wash over you. Aaaaand breathe.
