Five years ago, we began to cover the growing interest in self-care and the sales of products related to self-care. Today, Google Search Trends continues to show ever increasing numbers of self-care related searches. Men and women of all age ranges believe that self-care is an important part of making healthier lifestyle choices and many of them believe that practicing self-care has a positive impact on their overall well-being. 

Google searches for self-care and self-care products have increased 315% since 2017.

Here’s why there’s no easier way and better time than now to get into the self-care trend.

First, What Is Self-Care?

Self-care has evolved from a buzzword into a fundamental aspect of modern wellness. At its core, self-care encompasses the intentional actions and habits that individuals adopt to maintain and enhance their overall well-being. While the concept may seem simple, it represents a complex and personalized approach to health maintenance that goes far beyond occasional pampering or indulgence. The eight vital dimensions of self-care include:

• Physical self-care forms the foundation of overall wellness, focusing on maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise, getting adequate sleep, attending medical check-ups, and staying hydrated.
• Psychological self-care focuses on maintaining mental clarity and cognitive health through activities that stimulate the mind, such as reading, learning new skills, solving puzzles, or practicing mindfulness meditation.
• Emotional self-care involves developing a healthy relationship with your feelings and inner experiences through acknowledging and processing emotions, practicing self-compassion, maintaining a journal, or engaging in activities that bring joy and satisfaction.
• Social self-care recognizes humans as inherently social beings by nurturing meaningful relationships, setting boundaries with toxic individuals, maintaining connections with friends and family, and participating in community activities.
• Professional self-care addresses maintaining work-life balance, setting appropriate boundaries at work, pursuing career development opportunities, and creating an organized workspace.
• Environmental self-care extends to your physical surroundings by creating clean, organized spaces, spending time in nature, reducing exposure to environmental toxins, and making eco-conscious choices.
• Spiritual self-care transcends religious beliefs, focusing on connecting with your inner self and finding meaning in life through meditation, prayer, spending time in nature, or practicing gratitude.
• Financial self-care involves budgeting, saving for the future, making informed financial decisions, and living within your means.

The beauty of self-care lies in its personalization – what works for one person may not work for another. 

Self-Care Products Continues to Drive Consumer Sales 

Today, the self-care products industry had an estimated value of $41.2 billion, and is estimated to grow to $81.2 billion by 2023. And as self-care and ritual has become synonymous with wellness, the number grows to $5.6 trillion. That’s astronomical growth. As overall trends in health and wellness continue to expand, the topic of self-care is everywhere. In fact, nearly nine out of 10 Americans (88 percent) actively practice self-care, and one-third of consumers have increased their self-care behavior during the past year.

Why Is the Self-Care Trend Important to Retailers?

The self-care market represents a unique opportunity for retailers, particularly because it intersects with all eight dimensions of personal wellness. Understanding the depth and complexity of self-care is crucial for retailers looking to capitalize on this growing trend while genuinely serving their customers’ needs.

Understanding the Consumer Psychology

Self-care’s highly individualized nature creates distinct opportunities for retailers. Each customer’s journey through the eight dimensions of self-care – physical, psychological, emotional, social, professional, environmental, spiritual, and financial – creates multiple touchpoints for product offerings and customer engagement. This individualization manifests in several key ways:

• Personal Journey and Product Selection: Every customer approaches self-care differently, focusing on different dimensions at different times. What serves as essential physical self-care for one person (like high-end workout equipment) might be less relevant to another who prioritizes emotional self-care through aromatherapy or journaling supplies.
• Cross-Dimensional Product Opportunities: Many self-care products serve multiple dimensions simultaneously. For example, a beautiful planner could support both professional and psychological self-care, while a meditation cushion might address both spiritual and emotional needs.

In terms of sales, the opportunities are endless. A gift shop can carry and sell self-care kits of soaps, bath salts, and body lotions. The same store can carry self-discovery items like illustrated books, journals, and affirmation card decks. Even a gas station or convenience store can carry impulse self-care items like CBD edibles or inspirational books that a customer can buy as they travel. Retailers leveraging the self-care trend in the past few years are seeing great success. 

Products That Offer Retailers the Largest Growth

As a retailer, the items that sell the best when it comes to self-care products are:

• Books and Journals
• Sleeping Remedies
• Skin Care
• Natural Skin Care Products
• Bath/Body Scrubbers/Massagers 
• Toothbrush/Dental Accessories
• Soaps and Salts 
• Self-Care Planners
• Natural Home Products 
• Air Purifiers
• Natural Fiber Goods
• Composts 
• Plants as Air Purifiers
• Poop Stools
• CBD Products
• Sound Baths or Gong Baths
• Crystal Jewelry

Pay Special Attention to Ritual Sets and Self-Care Kits

There’s also a whole marketplace of self-care items packaged as sets and kits. Consider carrying and/or creating self-care makeup kits, self-care manicure sets, self-care beauty kits, self-care massage kits, self-care detox tea/culinary kits, or mindful practice journaling sets. Carrying kits from a unique brand or creating sets from many lines you love and carry enables you to create multi-item purchase opportunities. They also allow retailers to achieve higher average sales orders if one of your customers loves their kit and buys several as gifts. 

Image By Etsy

New Product Trends We’re Watching

Product assorts and types of merchandise are expanding and diversifying. Retailers are looking for locally made artisan products, as well as natural products that are made from farms. Goat milk soaps and honey-infused bath products are big sellers.

Customers are also looking for sustainably made goods and eco-conscious skincare, so retailers are actively stocking these. Aromatherapy is also seeing an increase as home self-care rituals rise, so diffusers, essential oils, and at-home ritual books are great products to carry in-store. 

Check out this gallery of local retailers in Seattle, Snohomish, and Sacramento and their self-care product offerings: 

The self-care market represents a significant opportunity for retailers across multiple product categories and dimensions of wellness. From physical fitness equipment to emotional wellness tools, spiritual items to professional development resources, the individualized nature of self-care creates demand for diverse product assortments and customizable offerings. This market’s strength lies in its continuous evolution – as customers progress in their self-care journeys, they seek new products, higher-quality items, and more specialized solutions.

For retailers, this translates into year-round sales opportunities, potential for premium product offerings, and the ability to build lasting customer relationships through thoughtfully curated selections. The trend’s sustainability is further enhanced by its ability to span multiple retail categories simultaneously, allowing stores to create unique product combinations and specialized collections that serve their customers’ evolving needs while maintaining strong margins and repeat business opportunities.

No matter what type of retailer you are, ASD Market Week is home to over 2,700 manufacturers, wholesalers, and importers that carry on-trend, high margin self-care merchandise.

Register for our next show to shop for products for your own store.