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For wellness' sake: Beauty isn't just skin deep, say experts

Looking good on the outside will mean very little in the long run, unless you have a lifestyle that allows you to be beautiful inside and outside, experts at Beautyworld Middle East said.
When it comes to beauty and wellness today the trend is towards painless non-invasive treatments that show almost instant results says Claude Gerin, export area manager at LPG. The French beauty brand is exhibiting its popular anti-aging and slimming technologies at the exhibition. However, LPG experts are quick to advise all their customers about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and leading an active lifestyle.
"We believe in responsible beauty," said Gerin. "Our treatments have been around for more than 30 years now and are preferred by customers because they are painless and non-invasive. You can come and try our treatments, and we guarantee that you will see results, however, you will not get the Hollywood look unless you are prepared to adopt a healthy lifestyle."
The focus on wellness in addition to cosmetics and beauty procedures was also highlighted by Daniela Ross, co-founder of Wellness Inc Middle East, who believes that the UAE government's focus on happiness will spell good things for the industry.
"One of the greatest things to come out of the region lately on the subject is the focus on happiness. The UAE launched a government department of happiness lead by the Minister of State for Happiness who is rolling out a multitude of initiatives across the UAE," she said. "This focus on happiness will give the wellness industry a great opportunity to raise the bar and become more and more involved in helping people to achieve this. The UAE is certainly leading the way on a global scale and will surely be something that the rest of the world will follow so that we can make this world a better place for us and for the future generations."
According to Euromonitor International research, the wellness and spa market in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is forecast to grow 21.6 per cent between 2015 and 2019 to reach $495 million by 2019. Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has placed the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as the second most rapidly growing wellness and spa market in the world and the UAE is ranked as the top growth powerhouse in medical tourism within that region. MEA consumers spent nearly $30 billion on fragrances, haircare, skin care, colour cosmetics, men's grooming, and other wellness products in 2016, 3.4 per cent more than in 2015.
Euromonitor also found that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are at the forefront of the market, with the UAE placed seventh globally in terms of per capita spend at $239 in 2016, up two places from 2015.
Beautyworld Middle East 2017 runs until May 16, 2017, and features 1,580 exhibitors from 60 countries. More than 100 product launches will mark the 22nd edition of the trade fair, scheduled across the six product groups of Hair, Nails, & Salon Supplies; Cosmetics & Skincare; Machinery, Packaging, and Raw Materials; Professional Equipment, Spa & Wellness; Fragrance Compounds & Finished Fragrance; and Personal Care & Hygiene.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com