The West Coast is known for trendsetting, and that’s particularly true for health and beauty trends. From Portland to L.A., people on the West Coast are eager to try new health trends and beauty options, starting fads that the rest of the country soon follows. Whether you want to stay up to date on the newest beauty trends or are looking for the best way to stay in shape or improve your mental health, here are six popular health and beauty trends today on the West Coast.

Anxiety Coaches

In 2020, the number of people affected by anxiety in the U.S. had risen significantly. Since the start of the pandemic, the number of adults who reported suffering from anxiety rose to 40%, from 10% in 2019. Others have reported an increase in other mental health problems like depression. Going to a therapist can be expensive, and often people have to wait weeks or months for an appointment. Anxiety coaches offer an alternative to therapy or a way for anxious people to find new coping mechanisms.

Many anxiety coaches have online options, with mobile apps and Zoom sessions available. For high-risk people or those whose anxiety makes it challenging to leave their homes, meeting online is easier and safer. While each company differs, most offer one-to-one appointments, with the opportunity to see your coach daily, weekly, or monthly. Some also offer podcasts, like the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, which lets you see whether you like their methods before signing up for a package.

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Wellness Supplies Delivery

In L.A., you can get anything delivered at any time of day. From breakfast burritos to a margarita, the possibilities are endless. Now, you can also have personal wellness or health items delivered discreetly to your door. Several startups have specialized in these items, offering anything from adult incontinence underwear options to feminine hygiene products, including pads and tampons.

Blume is a start-up focused on helping teens access environmentally-friendly feminine hygiene products. Besides delivering straight to your door, they offer products without artificial additives, silicone, parabens, or alcohol. Whether you are a teen in need of a period starter kit and no way to get to the store, or you need some soothing skin treatments for acne or dry skin, Blume delivers it to you. Delivery of wellness items has risen in popularity because of the pandemic and because people prefer the privacy that delivery offers. Instead of going to your local pharmacy and running into a neighbor while buying adult incontinence underwear, you can just have them delivered to your home in a nondescript box, avoiding any potential embarrassment.

Ear Seeds

A type of acupuncture derived from traditional Chinese medicine, ear seeds work on pressure points on your ears. Traditional Chinese medicine helps manage and balance your Qi, an energy that flows along the meridian lines throughout your body. When you go in for an ear seeds treatment, a traditional Chinese practitioner inserts the seeds into your ear at particular points along a meridian line. TCM practitioners claim that ear seeds can help people who suffer from chronic pain, migraine, stress, anxiety, and insomnia, among other issues. This procedure became popular after multiple celebrities endorsed it, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, and Penelope Cruz. More TCM clinics have begun to offer the practice, in addition to their other offerings, including TCM massages and acupuncture.

BOTOX®

BOTOX® in San Francisco has boomed in popularity recently for a variety of reasons. BOTOX® can help you look younger, staving off the wrinkles that develop as we age. However, BOTOX® is also fantastic for treating acne scars, which can cause insecurity in both men and women, particularly with social media’s focus on images. Additionally, as the weather warms, many people on the West Coast are looking to BOTOX® to treat their sweaty palms and armpits, particularly if they have a condition called hyperhidrosis. BOTOX® can help reduce the sweating to a normal or minimal amount.

With the increase of screen-time, more people have noticed migraines interfering in their work or playtime. In some cases, BOTOX® can help relieve migraine pain and reduce its occurrence in chronic migraine sufferers.

Sound Baths

If you’ve ever relaxed after a long day at work with a glass of wine and your favorite CD, you understand the healing power of music. For centuries, people have used music as a healing tool, and the new trend of sound baths builds on that concept.

Despite the name, sound baths don’t involve any water. Instead, ambient music acts as the water, flowing around during a guided meditation, helping people to focus on mindfulness. Most sound baths use various sounds, including gongs, vocalizations, chimes, and singing bowls. Instead of songs, you’ll hear waves of sounds with a targeted resonance.

The wash of sound makes it easy to relax your mind and release your daily stress and doesn’t require previous meditation experience. Sound baths are fantastic for those suffering from anxiety or other mental health issues and for those who just need a break from everyday life.

Kundalini Yoga

While yoga has long been a popular exercise choice for Americans, Kundalini Yoga has risen in popularity on the West Coast since the start of the pandemic. With celebrities like Russell Brand endorsing it, people have embraced this type of yoga because of its focus on breathing and relaxation. Like sound baths, Kundalini Yoga uses certain sounds to help people practice breathing exercises. Besides the complicated breath exercises, this practice also includes asanas, strength poses, and meditation techniques.

Because it incorporates physical activity with mental training and breathing exercises, Kundalini Yoga has appealed to many West Coasters trapped in their homes because of the pandemic and smoke from wildfires. There are offerings online, with either apps or live-streamed classes, meaning people can stay safe while keeping their bodies and brains active.

The Takeaway

Recent health and beauty trends have focused on helping people cope with rising anxiety levels and feelings of insecurity. The West Coast is known for its relaxed energy and focus on meditation, and this year those focuses have become even more critical. Try any of these six health and beauty trends to ease your anxiety and live in the moment.