{"id":7228,"date":"2019-08-22T10:33:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-22T10:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gocohospitality.com\/media_centre\/the-wellness-trend-nobody-wanted-how-pollution-is-dictating-the-future-of-wellness\/"},"modified":"2019-09-13T02:35:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T02:35:04","slug":"pollution-and-wellness","status":"publish","type":"media_centre","link":"https:\/\/www.gocohospitality.com\/zh-hans\/media_centre\/pollution-and-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wellness Trend Nobody Wanted: How pollution is dictating the future of wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Originally published on TravelDailyNews.Asia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article by Ingo Schweder, Founder & CEO, GOCO Hospitality<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>Today, people are more willing to pay to escape or defend against pollution than ever before, making it a good time for the wellness and hospitality sectors to get on board.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From smog to acid rain, contaminated water to a barrage of advertising day and night, we all live in a world plagued by all kinds of pollutants. As global population increases, so do the industries that support our very existence. Living in Bangkok, pollution is something that GOCO Hospitality cannot ignore. And although we have air purifiers on each floor, detoxifying plants at every desk and organic communal lunches, even we cannot truly escape pollution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worldwide, a dialogue is growing. People are talking about\nhow to reduce pollution and work towards a cleaner and greener world on a scale\nnever seen before. As awareness grows, so does our understanding of the dangers\nof pollution \u2013 from minor inconveniences to major health issues and global\npandemics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a wellness perspective, this is a trend nobody wanted.\nDefence against pollution is becoming the norm. From skin creams and N95\nfacemasks all the way to cans of\nclean air<\/a> in China \u2013 humanity will go to extreme lengths to stay healthy.\nToday, people are more willing to pay to escape or defend against pollution\nthan ever before, making it a good time for the wellness and hospitality\nsectors to get on board.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Begin with a deep breath<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Air pollution comes in many forms. From carbon monoxide and\nground level ozone to lead, sulphur and particulate matter, anything in the air\nthat is harmful or poisonous can have serious effects on both our health and\nour wellbeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When talking about air pollution in the air that we breathe, the US Air Quality Index is a good starting point. Air quality is measured by how many particles of matter or pollutants are in one square metre of air and are usually displayed as two readings \u2013 PM10 and PM2.5. PM stands for particulate matter, and the number is the diameter of these particles. The more particles in the air, the poorer the air quality and the more polluted it is. Breathing in any pollution can have dangerous consequences both in the short and long term, but PM2.5 particles are the ones to be most concerned about. Mostly caused by combustion (fires, kitchens, motor vehicles and industry), these particles are so small they can penetrate your lungs and enter your blood stream unfiltered, often deposited around the body in your organs and even in your brain. Long-term exposure can lead to permanent DNA mutations<\/a>, heart attacks and premature death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is no surprise that air pollution is one of the world\u2019s\nmost major health concerns, set to cost the world economy US$2.6 trillion a\nyear by 2060 \u2013 or one percent of global GDP \u2013 due to an increase of medical\nexpenditures and a reduction in agricultural output says the OECD<\/a>.\nAs a result, the world is currently going mad for air purifiers, and as\nawareness increases, so do sales. In South Korea, sales have tripled since 2016\nand air purifiers are now mandatory additions to all government schools. In\nChina, the air purifier market is now worth over US$2.3 billion and is\ncontinuing to rise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, each one of us needs to do what we can to\nminimise the effects of air pollution. Although very democratic in its nature,\nthose who have access to air purifiers have a head start in escaping the smog. Even\nin highly polluted cities, indoor air quality can be worse than the outside.\nFrom the kitchen stove to gasses emitted by poor building materials, furniture\nand appliances, pollutants can quickly build up inside. And although air\npurifiers may seem like a Band-Aid solution, until a global effort to steer\nmajor industries towards greener alternatives, we are left with few other\nchoices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mi Air Purifier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Purified hospitality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the hospitality sector, more and more hotels and spas are\ninvesting in clean air solutions. In cities like Shanghai, hotels are beginning\nto offer clean air as an additional luxury \u2013 a respite from the dense smog\noutside their windows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cordis Hongqiao hotel is a good example of how tackling\npollution can equate to an increase in profit. In addition to ensuring all air\nthat enters the building passes through two levels of filtration and is\ncontinuously cleaned, they also have fitted pollution monitors in each of their\n396 guest rooms, displaying the PM2.5 levels of both inside and outside of the\nhotel. In an interview with the Guardian<\/a>,\nmanaging director John O\u2019Shea said that people sleep easier knowing the air\nquality in their room is far superior to what is outside \u2013 ultimately boosting\nroom prices by 10%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spas, the same concept can be addressed in unique and\nattractive ways. Attention to our external surroundings is becoming a major\npart in spa marketing and will inevitably affect the future trends in spa\ntreatments. From pollution fighting masks and wraps to purified air chamber\ntherapy. Oxygen therapy is another go-to alternative that has proven health\nresults. After all, people are beginning to realise that yoga is only good for\nyou if the air you inhale deeply is clean and not swamped with dangerous\nparticles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to keep ahead of the curve is by install air purifiers in all treatment rooms if the air is not already filtered. Standalone purifiers such as the Mi Air Purifier 2S<\/a> have the advantage of being seen (and looking stylish), leaving the guest confident the air is clean. An air quality reader helps validate that information clearly, and identifies any rooms where outside air may be leaking in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding HEPA filters to air-condition units also assists in\ncapturing fine particles and the addition of low-maintenance air-purifying\nplants, such as Spider Plants and Snake Plants to treatment rooms, are both\nwelcome additions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the outside in<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the effects air pollution has on your body on the inside, it also wreaks havoc on the outside. Second only to the sun, air pollution is the biggest aggressor when it comes to ageing skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Vogue<\/a>, ultraviolet radiation, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, nitrogen oxide, and ozone are all air pollutants that can seriously affect our skin. Pollution clogs pores, damages your skin, cause inflammation, dryness and dullness, excites pre-existing conditions such as eczema and can even cause an increase in hyperpigmentation. And while PM2.5 smog particles are too large to penetrate our skin cells, it can still cause major damage to the skin\u2019s barrier functions. In the most extreme cases, external exposure to pollutants can even lead to an increased risk of skin cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To combat this chronic bombardment of pollutants, a new\nworld of anti-pollution cosmetics, creams and masks has flooded the market,\ntapping into the growing global awareness \u2013 for better or for worse. QMS\nMedicsometics<\/a>\u2019 Epigen Pollution Detox Serum and Rescue Mask, for example,\nboth defend against free radicals and other pollutants encountered throughout\nthe day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wellness industry, more and more spa and medispa\nguests are looking towards treatments that offer genuine relief or active\ndefence against for skin damaged by pollution. At GOCO Spa Daios Cove<\/a>,\nwe partnered with 111Skin to offer a skin healing treatment designed to combat\nthe effects of pollutants on the skin. By elevating antioxidant levels, it\nhelps skin retain firmness, reducing sensitivity and helps to refine the skin\u2019s\noverall texture. Some spas are even carrying out full\nskin analyses<\/a> via their in-house labs before tailoring a regenerative\nanti-pollution facial to each guest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Looking through the haze<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For those of us in the city, exposure to air pollutants is, unfortunately, unavoidable. And when it comes to both physical and mental wellness and our wellbeing, there are pollutants that we are blinded by, most of us ignorant to their equally disturbing effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in a super-illuminated world certainly has its\nbenefits, but it can also affect both our physical and mental wellbeing. UV\ndamage aside, light is actually one of the biggest pollutants of our age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From harsh blue lights from our gadgets to a permanent\nstreetlight glow blurring on the horizon, free radicals and light pollution can\nthreaten our health in a multitude of ways. We all know that poor access to\nnatural daylight can be detrimental to our health, but symptoms such as\neyestrain, exhaustion and poor mental health all share a more sinister origin \u2013\nartificial light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, our bodies react to the ebb and flow of sunlight.\nAs the sun sets, light levels decrease and emits a more orange hue, which\nsignals to our brain to prepare for a restful night\u2019s sleep through the\nproduction of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. In a\nbusy, forever illuminated world however, our bodies often find it hard to\nadapt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spas and hotels, the introduction of circadian lighting\nis becoming more and more popular. InterContinental Corwne Plaza Atlanta has\nrecently begun piloting circadian lighting in all of their guest rooms. They\nclaim the dual-spectrum technology, which switches between an alertness and\nfocus-enhancing spectrum during the day to a sleeping-enhancing spectrum at\nnight, helps guests sleep better. SixSenses has also installed Healthe by Lighting Science<\/a>\u2019s\nGoodNight\u00ae and GoodDay\u00ae light bulb technology (first developed for NASA for use\non the International Space Station) in a number of their hotels in a bid to decrease\nfatigue, lower stress on the eyes and improve guests\u2019 overall wellness\nexperience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even cosmetic brands have moved one step further than UV\nprotection, tackling digital pollution head on with anti-pollution creams and\nserums that offer new layers of defence against UVA, UVB, infrared radiation\nand blue light damage. Skin Regimen<\/a>\u2019s\nurban protection range used at Glen Ivy Hot\nSprings Resort<\/a> in California, USA, is the perfect antidote to modern\nfatigue and urban lifestyle, this facial is ideal to renew the skin and counteract\nthe effects of stress and pollution. Another is Dr. Barbara Strum<\/a>\u2019s Anti-Pollution drops,\nwhich feature special extracts from microorganisms and cocoa seeds to protect\nskin from \u2018digital ageing\u2019 caused by computers and mobile devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Listen to the inevitable <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we must also ensure to remember the effects that\nsound pollution have on our mental state too. For city-dwellers, the hum and\ngrind of traffic, construction and advertising has become normality, but noise\npollution has been proven to have serious health effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the World\nHealth Organisation<\/a>, at least one million healthy years of life are lost\neach year in Europe due to noise pollution alone. A recent report concludes\nthat there is overwhelming evidence to support the claim that exposure to\nenvironmental noise has links to health conditions such as cardiovascular\ndisease, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, cognitive impairment in children, and annoyance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even background\nnoise<\/a> is said to set off the body\u2019s acute stress response, raising blood\npressure and heart rate, leaving people who live in cities, near airports or\nalongside busy roads suffering from higher incidences of headaches and are more\nprone to seek psychiatric treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, in the hospitality world, noise can be the undoing of\neven the best hotels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disrupting sleep and affecting spa experiences, a top\ncomplaint is noise. Without adequate soundproofing, guests will be deeply\nunhappy. Yet combatting noise pollution is not about achieving silence; it\u2019s\nabout creating quiet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blocking noise with shell, walls, windows and doors are\nessential, but not always enough. To remedy this unignorable distraction,\ncompanies such as MODIO<\/a> offer products\nthat play a continuous soothing background sound in guest rooms and spas, which\nallow guests the freedom to block out intermittent noises from their audio\nperception. Spas already offer sound therapies, but by adding sound-free\nexperiences, spas can add to the overall pollution-free guest experience in new\nand exciting ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As awareness and genuine interest (read: concern)\nsurrounding the effects of pollution exposure on our bodies increase, we must\ntake the opportunity to not only protect ourselves as much as possible, but\nalso have adequate facilities for those actively seeking an escape from\npollutants. Hospitality, health and wellness industries across the board should\ninvest time into research and work to market brand new services, products,\nfacilities and treatments that tap into this otherwise undesirable trend. And until\ngovernments and global industries begin to significantly reduce the amounts of\npollutants they produce, we must accept that exposure is inevitable, but\nprotection is key. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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