Last week, we were in Michigan and had countless fascinating conversations about where wellness is going. We’ve discussed all these topics in the last year in the letter, but we’ve never done a deep dive on what’s emerging in wellness in one spot. Well, here it is! Not trends. Not protocols. Just the stuff that feels in motion right now.

Enjoy!

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

02:53 — TRANSPARENT PROCEDURES // The shame cycle around cosmetic work has broken down. Neck lifts, blephs, face lifts, people will give you all their secrets. People want results to look natural, but they are no longer pretending nothing happened.

05:54 — MEN’S BEAUTY MOMENT // Men’s ‘beauty’ and wellness has actually arrived. Gen Z and Alpha boys are driving it, from skincare to Botox to testosterone to lookmaxxing. And it’s pulling older men in with them. And much like women’s beauty, it’s coming with confidence and dysmorphia in equal measure.

07:56 — BRAIN HEALTH AS A WELLNESS ZONE // The brain is giving the heart a run for its money as your most focused-on organ. Brain massages, neurosensory meditation, and tracking cognitive states as a biomarker are emerging fast.

10:24 — ROUTINE LONGEVITY // Full-body MRIs, biological age testing, and everyday interventions move from elite to expected. Longevity stops being abstract and starts becoming operational.

12:05 — PEPTIDES SURGE // In the post-GLP-1 world, where injectables aren’t feared, sub-Q peptides emerge as the next frontier for longevity and skincare.

14:10 — ERGONOMICS AS BIOLOGY // Posture, oxygen, heart rate, brain function. Ergonomics will stop being about comfort and start being about measurable biological impact.

15:52 — CYCLICAL EATING // Carb and protein cycling, seasonal eating, PMS, and postpartum menu planning are bubbling on the fringes. How, when, and why you eat is going to get more nuanced. And tracked (see: WEARABLE PROOF). 'Protein everything' is a yesterday conversation.

18:28 — PSYCHEDELIC PRECISION // Ibogaine and other psychedelics move out of counterculture and into targeted mental health conversations, with a growing focus on safety, structure, and outcomes.

20:40 — BEAUTY TOURISM // Skincare vacations are becoming commonplace. Where you become well is the topic du jour. And new realms will emerge.

22:00 — WEARABLE PROOF // Wearables are shifting trust. Reviews will come with screenshot evidence. The bar gets higher. But new potential is being unlocked.

23:52 — FUN IS HEALTHY // Perhaps the most radical wellness trend is the rejection of caring about wellness trends at all. Less optimization. More pleasure. Fun is a legitimate wellness strategy. As just more evidence, look the heart action here:

26:28 — TCM IS HOT // Chinese medicine, hot foods, women being believed, and treating causes instead of symptoms. What’s old is very much in right now. For good reason.

There’s a lot of overlapping ideas in these Part 1 & Part 2 of the 2026 Predictions. Give those a listen/read if you haven’t.

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +16K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe