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Self-Care AroundTHE WORLD

—P R E P A R E D B Y

4C H A P T E R

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People in countries across the world are well-versed in making time for self-care. For some, it’s down to centuries-old traditions of self-care practices; for others, it’s the result of recent government laws.

By exploring the world, we have the opportunity to discover new and inspiring ways to expand the concept of self-care across categories.

From onsen in Japan to hygge in Denmark, this chapter seeks to dimensionalize self-care from a global perspective. Additionally, it will deep-dive into the Swedish praxis of lagom.

Self-Care Around the World

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In France: The Right to DisconnectFrom January 1 this year, French workers in companies with more than fifty people were compelled by law not to send or read e-mails outside working hours.

This “right to disconnect” law comes after several studies showed the effects of not being able to switch off after work, including a much-quoted study from mid-2016 that found e-mailing during out-of-office hours can cause anticipatory stress and lead people to become emotionally exhausted and eventually burn out.

From digital detoxes to services that encourage IRL (in real life) interactions, Americans, too, are beginning to find value in disconnecting from the workplace.

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In Japan: Onsen

For most Americans, the idea of naked communal bathing might not come naturally, but for Japanese women, heading to an onsen—a Japanese hot spring—is tradition.

The communal (gender separate) nakedness and social interaction is said to break down boundaries, while the shared experience is dedicated to relaxation and recharging.

For those stuck in cities, an alternative is sentō: indoor public bathing houses which adhere to the same strict rituals of washing fully before entering the bath.

From HigherDose’s infrared treatments in individual rooms to the massive success of Aire’s thermal baths, the focus on self-care in the US is beginning to create permission to engage in experiences related to the Japanese tradition of onsen.

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In Turkey: Hammam

Visit touristy places in Turkey and across the Middle East and you’re bound to come across a huge, grand hammam—where you can scrub, exfoliate, and clean your skin from head to toe over the course of a few hours.

Hammams from Istanbul, North Africa, and across the Middle East have provided a self-care ritual for women for centuries.

“[A] hammam is a place where women can relax completely and reveal much about themselves,” author Valerie Staats wrote of her local hammam in Morocco. “It has specific norms for behavior and a social function beyond that of bathing.”

In countries where women struggled for many years to find a place outside the home to socialize, the hammam gives them a lifeline to other women, as well as a way to cleanse and relax.

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In Denmark: Hygge

In Denmark, self-care often relates to the idea of hygge.

Hygge is hard to define for non-natives, but some people have tried, calling it “the art of creating intimacy,” “coziness of the soul,” and even “cocoa by candlelight.”

According to Meik Wiking, the author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, you know hygge when you feel it, but some of the critical ingredients are togetherness, relaxation, indulgence, presence, and comfort.

“The true essence of hygge is the pursuit of everyday happiness, and it’s basically like a hug, just without the physical touch,” Wiking says.

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In Sweden: Lagom

As far as self-care goes, Danish hygge is about as good as it gets. However, hygge isn’t exactly conducive to tackling a to-do list. Enter lagom, the Swedish word for a lifestyle that encourages balance and mindfulness in everything that you do. Lagom translates roughly to “not too little, not too much,” according to Linnea Dunne, a native Swede and author of lagom lifestyle guide Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living.

According to Dunne, lagom is the secret to Sweden’s high position on international lists that rank happiness and productivity. Instead of a life full of extremes—like working sixty hours during the workweek and completely crashing on the weekend—lagom is all about consistently living somewhere in the middle. It’s about taking regular breaks, keeping a realistic to-do list, doing more with less, and doing your own thing while also spending time with others.

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For Swedes, lagom is a lifestyle, a habit of mind. There’s an internal mindset of acceptance and contentment in Sweden. That’s part of the secret to being happy—don’t obsess about it.

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Focus on FikaCoffee is popular the world over, but how and why we drink coffee varies wildly. In America, we often use it as a fuel, a takeaway drug from a popular chain to drink while we get ourselves ready for work. In other countries, however, especially outside big cities, takeaway chains are harder to find. The lack of coffee chains with coffee to go is because coffee constitutes a break: a time to sit down, relax, and socialize during your day.

In Sweden, fika is a tradition that revolves around a coffee break. At work, everyone from the bosses to the junior admin staff stops twice, usually at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., to drink coffee, eat biscuits or pastries, and socialize. Studies show that this form of collective restoration can be beneficial to your mental health.

SOURCE: http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A683151&dswid=3822

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Just the Basics: Verso Super Facial Oil Set

Lagom is about living with only the essentials—nothing more, nothing less; that’s why some people recommend starting with skin care and cutting down to cleanser, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, and SPF.

Verso’s Super Facial Oil Set refills checks all the boxes: the packaging is sleek and simple; the product takes up next to no space; the formula is both hydrating, repairing, and anti-aging; and it’s perfect for stress-free travel.

Lagom-Promoting Self-Care ProductsIn addition to fika, other products from the beauty and wellness space seek to create the balance found with lagom.

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Clean & Simple: Bjork & Berries Dark

Rain Perfume Oil

As lagom is the opposite of excess, products that contain “extras” like artificial fragrance, parabens, sulfates, and even shimmer are considered unnecessary. Instead, people seeking lagom tend to look for plant-based ingredients in everything from their moisturizer to their shampoo and fragrance.

Bjork & Berries Dark Rain roll-on perfume oil is 97% natural and 75% certified organic. Predictably, it does not smell like sweet candy made in a lab, but like a woodsy, warm amber scent on a rainy autumn day.

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Multifunctional: Kjaer Weis Lip Tint

in Dream State

It follows that when you simplify, you need the items you do have to work overtime. Swedes look at their cosmetics, skin, and hair products and ask if each product can do three different things.

Kjaer Weis Lip Tint may seem pricey until you factor in that it functions as a neutral lipstick, shimmering cheek color, and warm eyeshadow.

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Simple Care: & Other Stories Cotton

Care Plush Balm

This is a fragrance-free balm, made with skin-loving butters and gentle cotton, that is so much more luxurious than a drugstore salve. It hydrates and heals lips; cuticles; and red, irritated patches.

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Skyn Iceland: Detox Kit for Stressed Skin

While the Swedes often prefer to take the simple approach, sometimes they, too, need a little extra.

This Nordic-inspired Detox Kit by Skyn has a face wash, eye cream, day lotion, and night cream—all rich with nutrients and antioxidants for reversing damage fast.

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Credits

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The Future of

SELF-CAREKnow What’s Next, Now.Ebco is an Austin-based trend and insight consulting firm that serves as the go-to resource for trends that inspire unexpected new products, technologies, business models and categories. We have clients across most major industries, including the largest CPG, food and beverage, and personal care brands from around the world.

Our clients view us a partner in bringing customized, proprietary trend inputs to their initiatives. The goal is this insight leads to actionable ideas.

C O N T A C T U S erin@theebco.com

@ E B C O T R E N D S

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