☆Reverse wrinkles in 3 minutes, a founders go-to products, a new supplement app

This edition is brought to you by Phyto Nectars.

Hey lovely,

Jasmine here, Editor of Daily Rituals!

In your dose:

• 🤫 What out for this: “Clinical claims” in the beauty industry are getting out of control. Here’s some brands that play by the book.

• ⚡ The Wellness Web: The beauty app set to expand across the UK, how to make the most of the last 65 days of the year, Glossier’s new launch is getting mixed reviews and much more.

• 📞 Daily Rituals Insider: A 411 from the wellness girlies in the know. This week, we’ve opened up the floor to Zehra, the Founder of The Self Love Lab.

• 💞 Want cute stuff? Our referral program just got a face lift, get your custom link at the bottom of this email.

As always, I’m grateful to have you here! Enjoy xo

☆ PS. Share your favourite wellness, beauty & self-care products in this survey, which funnels directly into our first winter GLOW GUIDE, dropping next month. Find out what everyones buying, what works (& what hasn’t) & more.

Got forwarded The Wellness Dose? Subscribe here.

The Beauty Industry’s Dirty Little Secret

If I told you that a product could reverse the “8 signs of ageing” in just 24 hours, would you believe me? That’s exactly what La Mer’s latest £190 moisturiser promises. And whilst I’m partial to a skincare splurge, claims like these should definitely raise an eyebrow.

It’s not just La Mer, though. The beauty world is full of these bold declarations.

Take Sunday Riley’s iconic Good Genes treatment - they claim 100% of people said their skin had less wrinkles in just 3 minutes. More moisturised, maybe? But since we’ve no idea whether two people or ten took part in the study, we’re not overly optimistic. 

^{THE PROBLEM}

• Often, brands lean on studies conducted by the companies who own their patented hero ingredient, which is kind of like asking a chef to rate their own cooking - they’re going to say it’s divine. 

• Brands also love to tout ingredient-based studies (e.g. say on niacinamide or hyaluronic acid), but what’s tested in a lab on its own might not perform the same as the formulation you’re buying. 

• Some trials involve sample sizes so small they’d barely fill a brunch table, making the results questionable at best (a la SkinnyTan and their “anti-cellulite” claims back in 2017).

• Most common are in-house consumer studies, where participants test products at home and share feedback via surveys. & despite findings being based on thoughts, feelings & vibes, the results are often heavily marketed as “proving” the product's efficacy.

Now this is not to say that La Mer’s new cream or Sunday Riley’s serum don’t work (many say they do), but for their claims to be so ambitious, they ought to be more transparent with their testing. 

^{WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR}

• Ingredient studies

• Teeny-tiny sample sizes

• Consumer studies (or “results by self-analysis” hidden somewhere in the *footer) 

• In vitro studies alone - aka, performed in a petri dish. Handy for early-stage testing but don’t always translate to real-life results on humans. 

^{WHAT’S BETTER?}

• Independent, peer-reviewed research

• Full formulation testing

• Clinical testing (even when it’s in-house) via “instrumental analysis” - aka gadget’s galore in a controlled lab test

^{BRANDS DOING IT WELL}

1. Paula’s Choice – Most of their hero products have gone through independent clinical studies over 3-8 weeks.

2. SkinCeuticals – Perhaps expected from a brand with their aesthetic? Either way, we love to see it - plenty of in vivo (look at us go with our sciencey-talk) clinical studies, over various lengths. 

3. Allies of Skin – While they could do without the confusing mix of clinical claims and self-analysis, their bestsellers have gone through plenty of clinical testing, so kudos for that. 

★ THE DR VERDICT →

We’re not here to trash your favourite products (or their sometimes arguably OTT marketing). I’ve got plenty in my routine that haven’t gone through rigorous clinical studies, and they work for me. But my general rule of thumb? The pricer the product and the bigger the brand, the higher the bar for transparency and testing. I’ll always run the ingredient list through a pore clogger checker too. When it comes to beauty claims - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• 🧴 Skincare over everything: Apparently, our obsession with 12-step skincare routines might be sabotaging the mood in the bedroom.. Our hot take? We’re definitely more DTF when our skin is playing ball, so we’ll take the risk, thanks.

• 💊 Adios, useless supplements: SuppCo just raised $5.5M to shake up the supplements industry. Soon, you’ll be able to upload your stack and see if it’s actually effective and well-priced based on what you’ve paid.

• 💅 Hello to more at-home beauty: Ruuby just secured $2.6M to bring beauty-on-demand to Manchester, Liverpool, and beyond. Midday mani? Lunchtime massage? Yes, please.

• 🌸 New You: Glossier just launched two new twists on its iconic You fragrance. Reviews are mixed - some say You Doux smells like pickle juice, others say it’s their new fave. The verdict? It all depends on how it reacts to your skin, so don’t blind buy.

• 🎁 The Glow Guide: Ready to splurge more on festive gifts this year? You’re not alone. Curious what’s on everyone’s wish list? Get the inside scoop and join the fun here.

• 📲 Glucose check: This AI app scans your food with just a photo to estimate it’s nutritional info and predict your potential glucose spike. It’s giving next gen MyFitnessPal.

• 😷 Stuffy nose season: Side sleeper? According to this doc, you’re not helping yourself. Gravity takes it toll, and well, congestion (aka snot) follows.

• ⏳ 65 days left of 2024: Want to validate your biz idea? Read this. Start strength training? Try this program. Find zen around your finances? Download this app. Eat cleaner? This book has your back. Make it count.

At the height of the pandemic, Zehra found herself diving into sound healing on Youtube to help calm her anxiety. What started as a personal ritual grew into The Self Love Lab, a thriving sanctuary for all things sound healing and self-care in London. In this interview, she spills the tea on building her business from the ground up, balancing it all, and of course, her go-to wellness rituals. Take notes!

⚬ Zehra, the growth of The Self Love Lab has been incredible over the past three years. What do you attribute it to?

Consistency, passion, and staying true to myself and TSLL - saying no to things that don’t feel aligned to make room for what does. The community is my biggest driving force, the incredible women I meet at each event honestly inspire me to keep going every day.

⚬ What would you say to someone thinking about starting a business?

You’ll never feel fully ready, but that’s part of it. I’ve learned everything along the way. My advice is to follow what inspires you and love what you do.

⚬ When did you know it was time to leave your full-time job for TSLL?

I always knew a 9-5 wasn’t for me. After holding six months of consistent events, I realised if I didn’t go all in then, I probably never would. It was scary, but I took the leap and trusted the process.

⚬ Tell us about a time when TSLL really tested you. What’s been your biggest struggle?

The biggest challenge has been overcoming my own self-sabotaging thoughts and negative self-talk. Ironically, I’m my own worst critic despite running a business centred on self-love! I’ve also dealt with burnout from working too many late nights. Now I’m more conscious about taking breaks and practising my own self-care. My go-to’s are sound baths (of course!), breathwork, or getting away for a few days if I can. 

⚬ You’ve recently expanded your team - tell us about your first hire. How did you know it was time?

My first hire was actually a community member who loved our events and reached out. She truly understood TSLL’s vision and had a real passion for what we do. It was a perfect fit, and she’s been an amazing addition to our team.

⚬ What’s something you’re excited about that’s coming up for TSLL?

Oooh, so many things! We’re currently looking to expand into products and also focus more on retreats. It’s all very new so let’s see what happens!

⚬ Regardless of how crazy your day gets, what’s something in your routine that’s a non-negotiable?

My morning and evening skincare routine always, it’s like therapy for me.

⚬ Favourite wellness or beauty product atm?

My LED mask!!

⚬ A brand that more people should know about in the wellness space?

Botanical Mission, they’re an incredible clinic based in Camden. Founders, Hafsa and Nirvana are so talented at what they do. 

⚬ Who’s a go-to person that you’re gatekeeping? 

My facialist Jodie, she recently opened a clinic called Face Fitness too.

⚬ A book you're reading atm?

I’ve just started reading Saturn Returns by Caggie Dunlop (tbc on a full review, but I’ve heard good things).

⚬ What’s something that’s always in your bag?

Lip balm, at the moment i'm using the Inky List Peptide Balm, it’s amazing. 

⚬ Anything else you want to leave the Wellness Dose readers with? 

I hope that you’ve enjoyed getting to know me a little, I’d love to see you at one of our TSLL events or retreats!

Those of you who joined us at our first IRL Wellness House know how much we rate Phyto Nectars and their functional blends.

After years in holistic health, Co-Founder Katia realised there had to be a way to combine the ancient wisdom of plant medicine with modern science - and that’s how PhytoNectars was born. Each blend is packed with high-potency phytonutrients (obviously), plus mushrooms, herbs, and vitamins, all designed to work with your body, not against it.

They keep it simple, too. No fillers, no gimmicks - just everything you need in one handy sachet, and nothing you don’t. Bonus: they’re great for traveling.

My personal favourite? Their Immunity Blend is my go-to during winter (usually with warm coconut milk), and when a day at the office leaves me feeling wrecked, I reach for their I Am Rested blend (one reviewer calls it “anti-anxiety in a cup”).

If you’re after supplements that feel as good as they sound, Phyto Nectars is worth exploring.

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