☆ Your pre-2025 cheat sheet, new beauty innovations worth the hype, ClassPass confessions

Hey lovely,

Jasmine here, Editor of Daily Rituals!

In case you missed it (where were you?), you can still access our community-powered GLOW GUIDE☆ to find out what everyone’s loving right now. As for today’s Wellness Dose: we’re diving into the latest beauty ingredient innovations getting us excited, your thrive-in-2025 checklist and of course, the very best from the Wellness Web.

So whether you’re sipping matcha, “sexy” water, or some questionable eggnog latte (’tis the season, live your life), let’s dive in.

Ps, make sure to scroll to the bottom for your chance to get a Sephora gift card..

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

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It’s Time for Beauty Formulas to Match Their Hype

Hey, big spender.

According to a new report, one in six of us admit to spending “more than we can afford” on beauty and wellness. What exactly “more than we can afford” means is anyone’s guess (because if I want to funnel my disposable income directly into serums instead of shoes, nights out, or - wild card - my savings, isn’t that my prerogative?). Interestingly, a third of us plan to spend even more in 2025.

I get it. Beauty spending often feels like girl math in action: invest now to (hopefully) save later, and splurge more to get something better (or so we tell ourselves when we add to cart). A £100 serum should be miles ahead of a £33 one, and a £300 spa treatment? I’d better leave practically levitating.

The math works - if the product actually delivers. And yet, as I’ve said before, the beauty industry has a talent for over-promising and under-delivering. Too many brands throw a “trending” ingredient into a copy-paste formula, slap on a big influencer campaign, and voilà: a product marketed as revolutionary, with a price tag to match. One industry insider even admitted, “The game became about claiming as much benefit as possible with the lowest cost.” It’s icky.

Thankfully, things are (slowly) changing. More brands are waking up to the fact that if we’re splashing out £300 on a serum, it needs to walk the walk - and maybe even come with someone to personally apply it?

Here’s some of the formulations and hero ingredients we’re excited about for 2025:

^{MATRIKINES: THE REPAIRER}

What is it: Matrikines are fancy little protein fragments that come to the rescue when your skin is damaged. When they notice collagen and elastin breaking down (yikes), they’re all-hands-on-deck with the rescue mission. 

♥︎’d for: As well as patching things up, they also tell your skin to produce more collagen, improve elasticity, and restore balance, all while keeping your barrier strong and happy. 

Remember them as: Your skin’s preppy personal trainer - pushing it to be it’s healthiest, glowiest self, whether it wants to or not. 

Where to find it: Sweet Chemistry’s Elasticity Reinforcing Cream.

^{MALASSEZIN: THE DARK SPOT MUTLI-TASKER}

What is it: A supercharged antioxidant (10x more potent than vitamin C) derived from Malassezia, a yeast naturally found in your skin’s microbiome.

♥︎’d for: This overachiever doesn’t just fade dark spots - it prevents them too. At the same time, it strengthens your skin barrier, locks in hydration, and protects against free radical damage. Oh, and it does all this without the irritation most powerful actives come with. 

Remember it as: The Beyoncé of antioxidants - multi-talented and (quite honestly) transformative.

Where to find it: Mother Science.

^{PROPOLIS EXTRACT: THE GENTLE HEAVYWEIGHT} 

What it is: A resin-like substance made by bees (not vegan-friendly, sorry) that’s a go-to for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities. Propolis has been around for a while, but new advanced extraction techniques now mean higher-quality, standardised results.

♥︎’d for: A recent study found Propolis to be as effective as retinol and bakuchiol in reducing wrinkles - without the irritation. It’s also a pro at wound healing, oral care, and maintaining a healthy skin microbiome.

Remember it as: An underrated overachiever - wrinkles, acne, you name it, it can do it.

Where to find it: Full disclosure - it’s pretty hard to find out what extraction process your propolis has gone through, but this one gets good reviews.

★ THE DR VERDICT →

2025 might finally be the year we get what we pay for in skincare. More brands are putting the R back into R&D, focusing on science-backed, results-driven formulas that actually work. But it’s still a minefield - watch out for the ones that hype ingredients & charge a premium, without clinical proof to back it up. And if you’re really not sure, follow these quick steps and run the ingredients through Perplexity.

• ✨ Need a bit of escapism this Monday? Here’s the 20 “one-of-a-kind” hotels set to reshape hospitality in 2025. And if that doesn’t have you packing your bags, enjoy this round up of the worlds best wellness hotels before mentally booking flights in 3, 2, 1. 

• 🧠 Netflix wants in: Infamous biohacker Bryan Johnson just announced his quest to outlive us all will be documented in a new Netflix series launching on, you guessed it, Jan 1st. Fun fact, the director who shadowed him for a year during filming now drinks less alcohol, sleeps more and works out consistently. 

• 🍔 Beyond belief: Plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat is having a rough time right now. They just settled a $7.5M lawsuit for overstating the protein content of their products (awkward) and investors aren’t happy either, calling them out for misleading claims about their manufacturing back in 2021. 

• 🥄 All in the name of a happy gut: A Japanese snack company is taking wellness to, erm, new depths with personalised granola based on your microbiome. Yes, this is cereal that requires a stool sample - I shit you not. Whilst the concept is interesting, it’s OTT. Fermented foods and a decent probiotic will do the job. 

• 💍 Step aside, Oura: Ultrahuman just dropped a hormonal cycle tracking feature for its smart ring that uses biomarkers like HRV and skin temp - no subscription needed. They’re gunning for Oura’s crown, with market share jumping from 10% to 30% in just a few months and goals to become market leader. Out hot take? Oura is eventually going to have to get rid of their post-purchase subscription if they want to keep their healthy share. 

• 🧍‍♀️Posture perfect: The posture-correcting apparel market is expected to hit $3.1B by 2033, who’d have thought it?! This newly patented posture-correcting bra is the best we’ve seen so far - it’s certainly no Lulu, but it might just save us all from looking like this. 

• 📹 The state of fitness: Bala and Ringo just launched a water bottle-slash-tripod hybrid for hands-free workout filming. Cute? Sure. Depressing? A little. But hey, at least you’ll stay hydrated while nailing your angles for TikTok. UK girlies, this one is basically the same but without the branding.

• 👩‍🦰 Healthy hair hack: New research suggests intermittent fasting could slow hair regrowth. The solution? If you love fasting (and aren’t just convincing yourself it’s working), balance it out with nutrient-packed meals to keep those locks luscious.

• 🎟 ClassPass confessions: According to their 2024 “look back” report, we’re all enjoying massages, ice skating, and (surprise, surprise) pilates. The most popular days? Tuesdays for classes and Fridays for our “wellness” appointments. Oh, and Swifty fans? Over 15,000 of you booked themed classes this year. Iconic.

Your 2025 Starter Pack

^{For your hottest, healthiest most successful year yet.}

Okay, so 2025 hasn’t quite rolled in yet - you didn’t blink and miss it. That said, the end-of-year lull is prime time for getting your sh*t together. Work’s (hopefully) winding down a little, festivities are ramping up, and the pressure to “start strong” in January is already looming (& the irony of that isn’t lost on me, since we’re about to talk about starting strong in January, but bear with). 

Rather than going full-steam into planning and vision boarding (although, if that’s your vibe, go wild), we’re starting off in a gentler, more welcoming gear. 

Think of this as your pre-read for a successful 2025 - a sort of quiet gathering of tools, so when Jan 1st rolls around and you’re nursing a hangover (or just really tired after staying up way past bedtime), you’re already a step ahead.  

Here’s what I’m stocking up on right now:

📚 Books

• To read before 2025: The 12 Week Year
  It’s short, sharp, and genuinely game-changing. The idea (if the name didn’t give it away) is that you plan your year in 12-week sprints instead of annual objectives. I rolled my eyes at first (like, why is my entire life a KPI?), but it works. It keeps you hyper-focused, and makes you terrifyingly productive. You’ll never look at goal-setting the same way again.

• To start in January: The Artist’s Way
  Half journal, half workbook, 100% creativity-boosting gold. Founders, creators, and CEOs rave about this one, and not just the “arty” one’s either - it’s for anyone who wants to understand themselves better & kickstart a more inspired mindset. Everyone can benefit from more creativity, so whilst it’s a bit woo in parts, it’s worth sticking with it. That said, I’ve yet to make it all the way through the 12 weeks, so I’m starting fresh on Jan 1st. If you plan to do the same, reply to this email and let me know and if there’s enough of us, I’ll create an accountability WhatsApp chat 👭.

🎶 Playlists

• Hot girl affirmations: Nothing screams “that girl” like a positive affirmations playlist. Swap your usual morning podcast for this when you’re still half-asleep and let it work its magic. It’s like manifesting on autopilot. 

• Go inwards: Struggle to meditate? Same, but I swear by Deepak Chopra’s 21-day series. It’s beginner-friendly, and I’ll be restarting this in January. If you prefer breathwork, Jamie Clements is hosting a free 7-day virtual reset starting Jan 2nd. 

• Binaural beats: So the science here is somewhat lacking, but IMO the placebo effect is real at least. Whether I’m listening to “creativity Hz” while writing this or “deep sleep Hz” before bed, I’m sold. My go-to are free Youtube tracks, but there are apps if you want to step it up and “build your own” custom beats.

📱 Apps

• Download this: Most habit trackers are glorified notes apps, but the one from Atomic Habits is actually good. If you’re planning to build (or break) habits in 2025, this one’s worth trying.

📝 The 25 by 25

• Before you dive headfirst into goal-setting, try this exercise: write down 25 things you want to do, achieve, read, or see by the end of 2025. It’s harder than you think. If nothing comes to mind, split it into 5 categories - career, relationships, travel, health & learning. 

• If 25 goals feels a little overwhelming, try the misogi approach instead - one big, bold challenge that defines your year. The idea is that your misogi is so impactful it shapes who you are and how you approach the rest of your goals. Need inspo? Check this list out.

Your best year yet

So, there you have it - your pre-2025 cheat sheet, because if there’s one thing we’re leaving behind in 2024, it’s waiting until the stars align to do the thing. Here’s to going into 2025 with intention, clarity, creativity and maybe even a few binaural beats.

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