Chunxia Gao, Minor Hotels ‘Green beauty for people and planet’

Chunxia Gao, Group spa and wellness director, Asia, Minor Hotels, Thailand

I don’t think beauty gets the true respect it deserves in the wider wellness industry. As a spa operator, I believe there is generally a misperception about beauty in wellness. Beauty is often considered to be on the surface. On the contrary, it is not just the finishing touches, it reflects health, vitality and inner happiness. Beauty is also important for self-confidence and can bring happiness. The key is not to focus only on the outer beauty but to nourish it from within.

The paradox of beauty

For me, the ugly side of beauty is often how it is defined, by certain looks, or at least that is how it is perceived by many, especially by the younger generations. This could be due to the influence from media, social media, advertising, models, fashion and some beauty brands etc.

In Asia, we see a lot of young women getting their already perfect nose, eyes or lips fixed to meet the so-called beauty standards of other cultures.

Even though beauty is supposed to make us happy, the pursuit of beauty often makes people less happy and dissatisfied with how they look. I think beauty brands could shift by promoting more healthy self-images and embracing beauty in every shape, origin, age and season.

How is beauty relevant to wellness?

In spa and wellness destinations, we can address beauty from within and get to the fundamentals, for example: stress management, mindfulness, sleep, hormonal balance and nutrition.

We are also able to use technology, advanced diagnosis, professional skin analysis, expert guidance and high-tech beauty equipment to help our guests tailor their experiences and achieve long-lasting results. At the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie at The St. Regis Bangkok, our beauty services are built on four pillars including medical, nutrition, wellbeing and movement, delivered by a team of professionals including doctors nurses, nutritionists, therapists and personal trainers.

In spa and wellness destinations, we can uncover local traditions and bring these experiences to our guests. For example, in Thailand, there are traditional therapies for new mums after giving birth, which involve local herbs and steam tents. It is wonderful to help new mothers to regain their strength and beauty.

Personal care for a modern world

One obvious reason for the rise in personal care is that in modern society, we live less in a large community and more as nuclear families or individuals. We are more isolated than our grandparents or even parents in many societies today. Add to that our fast-paced lifestyles and this contributes to loneliness and other health issues.

The advance of technology and more readily available self-care knowledge enable us to take healthcare into our own hands, focusing on prevention rather than cures. This is positive.

Beauty for the planet

I would also like to highlight the impact beauty could have on the health of the planet. For example, can we remove excessive or unnecessary packaging of beauty products? Even though packaging is an important marketing tool, if beauty brands spend less on the packaging and put more into the content of the product, consumers will support that. This might be a more effective marketing exercise than producing beautiful but expensive packaging.

Many beauty brands do this already, but there is always room for more progress – every brand should also have a close look at the ingredients in their products to ensure that there is no negative impact on our health or on the environment.

Our body is the manifestation of our mind and soul. Our outer look is the reflection of our inner happiness, self-love and care. Let’s nourish beauty from within.

Chunxia Gao

GROUP SPA AND WELLNESS DIRECTOR ASIA, MINOR HOTELS

Chunxia Gao has been in the spa and wellness industry for 21 years. She has lived and worked in beautiful hotels and resorts in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, alongside what she calls “incredible people”. During the last decade, Chunxia’s role has been in corporate hospitality companies involved in operations, new projects pre-opening, project management, technical services, and design. www.minor.com