Top Beauty and Wellness Findings for 2023

As part of the 2023 Wellness Index, we surveyed over 17,000 Americans to learn about their beauty and wellness routines. We asked about their reasoning for booking these types of experiences, their favorite services, and more. It’s clear the definition of wellness is still evolving, which presents exciting opportunities for the salon, spa, and integrative health industries.

In case you missed it, we recently unveiled the 2023 wellness trends to watch. Now, it's time to focus specifically on beauty and wellness.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the results. Here’s what we know about the current state of the beauty and wellness industries.

Treat yourself: Beauty services continue to be a necessity

In the minds of consumers, the word wellness encompasses a whole lot more than just working out and being in shape. It’s about relaxation. It’s practicing self-care. It’s feeling confident. And for some, (I’m looking at you, fellas), it’s about maintaining a certain appearance.

In fact, nearly 65% of consumers agree that beauty services are an important part of wellness and 44% say treatments like facials and hair services are a necessity.

And with 3 out of 4 consumers who say wellness is more important than ever and about 65% who report wellness is more important than other leisure expenses,¹ it’s safe to say these services will stay top-of-mind for consumers in 2023.

What this means for your business: Wellness now speaks to an overall improvement in quality of life and a lifestyle that makes room for things that really matter. While loyal guests might know the impact your services have on mental well-being, relaxation, and self-confidence, you’ll bring more clients through your doors by reinforcing this in your messaging. One of the best ways to coax wellness seekers into your space? Set up automated email campaigns to keep your business top of mind with the help of Mindbody’s comprehensive Marketing Suite.

Top beauty services: Some trends never go out of (hair)style

Never underestimate the power of a fresh hairdo. It should come as no surprise that a regular trip to the hair salon or barbershop continues to be a top priority for both women and men. In the last 6 months, nearly half of women received a haircut and over a third had their hair colored. But these services aren’t the only trends women are taking advantage of—almost a quarter of women have also received a blowout recently.

As for men, we saw an increase in barber services with nearly 40% who say they’ve visited a barbershop in the last 6 months—up from 31% last year.

What this means for your business: With consumers looking to keep their hair game a cut above the rest, you and your staff are gearing up for a busy 2023. Having an extra set of hands to help alleviate a busy front desk is your ticket to increasing sales and building better client relationships. Messenger[ai], our 24/7 front desk assistant, can handle bookings, phone calls, purchases, and answer frequently asked questions. This will free up staff to help the clients in front of them while making sure no phone calls or potential customers slip through the cracks.

Salon superfans: Women, Gen Z, and millennials put beauty first

Overall, women—especially Gen Z and millennial women—get more beauty and grooming services than men. So, what are the “kids” into these days? For starters, Gen Z and millennial women all report that haircutting, hair color, and manicures/pedicures are beauty services they can’t live without.

Millennial men are also more inclined to say that beauty and grooming treatments like facials and hair services are a necessity.

Furthermore, millennial men are the most likely to dabble in other beauty and grooming services like barber services (43%), teeth whitening (15%), facial analysis for skin health (12%), full body skin treatments (10%), and BOTOX® or fillers (9%).

What this means for your business: It’s time to meet these generational gold mines where they’re at—on their phones. To start, implement a solid social media strategy—we’re talking before and afters, product education, demos, and more. Next, list your business on ClassPass to reach a broader audience of potential new clients, including millennials and Gen Zers. With our guarantee, all you have to do is sign up for three months—totally free. If ClassPass doesn’t increase your revenue in 90 days, we’ll write you a check for double any loss. (Terms apply.)

Rising stars: Some wellness services are increasing in popularity

The perfect wellness experience doesn’t happen by chance; it happens by appointment—a massage appointment to be exact. Massage continues to be the most popular integrative health service with 25% of consumers saying they have received a professional massage in the past year.

With that said, we’re happy to report an uptick in a variety of wellness services since last year. These services include acupressure (166% increase), chiropractic care (60% increase), alternative healing (60% increase), acupuncture (50% increase), floatation therapy (50% increase), red light therapy (50% increase), cryotherapy (33% increase), compression therapy (25% increase), detox programs (17% increase), and health or life coaching (12.5% increase).

What this means for your business: With so many wellness modalities on the rise, now's a good time to invest in your business and update your service menu. If you’re in need of extra cash to take advantage of these trends, Mindbody Capital is here to help. No applications. No credit checks. No collateral. No interest—just the funding you need to grow and expand your business with a simple fee.

Better together: Community is key for wellness experiences

With so many working from home these days, consumers are interested in experiences that allow them to socialize outside of the office (or in this case, home office). According to our survey, more than 4 in 10 consumers agree that community is a very important part of wellness experiences. This is especially true for millennials and, specifically, millennial men.

Interestingly enough, the wellness industry is seeing a rise in the popularity of bathhouses and urban oases as consumers become more interested in turning a spa day into a social hour. In fact, more than half of Gen Zers and millennials have gone or are interested in going to communal bathhouses or resorts or spas with hot mineral water or saltwater pools.

What this means for your business: If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, finding a sense of community and belonging is important to consumers. While it may not be feasible to add a saltwater pool or mineral water spa at your establishment, now may be a good time to offer your services in a more communal setting—group acupuncture anyone? Even offering a “happy hour” mani/pedi sesh or chair massages with bubbles or kombucha once a week could be a great way to allow your clients to socialize with one another while also participating in self-care.

Bottom line: Beauty and wellness businesses play a huge role in daily confidence-building as well as the self-care that clients seek. Use these findings as your guide to keep your salon or spa front and center in 2023.

1. Mindbody Consumer Wellness & Attitudes Survey, 2022.