But Raphael was quick to clarify that shes not a hater.
Im like, No, I still use all these face masks.
I love The Class.
You wouldnt hear me trash that in the book.
Check it out below.
Well+Good: What was your goal in writing this bookor did you have one, initially?
journalist who specializes in health, wellness, tech, and women’s issues, and the author ofThe Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care
Rina Raphael:My transformation was two-fold.
It was from a personal standpoint and then from a professional standpoint.
From a professional standpoint, I was such a rah-rah cheerleader [of wellness].
I was the go-to reporter if you had a startup or an announcement in the wellness world.
I was writing about it from a business perspective… Clean beauty, that sounds right.
Did you check with a toxicologist before you wrote this?
I would punish myself…
So this is what inspired me to want to write this book.
Im not writing off the entire wellness industry or all the practices.
journalist who specializes in health, wellness, tech, and women’s issues, and the author ofThe Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care
W+G: Can you share how people within wellness have responded to your book?
RR: It is very interesting to get the reaction from women who read this book.
And theres two reactions.
I still buy Beautycounter.
Or whatever it is.
Then theres another reaction, which is that [my book] feels like a personal attack on people.
Because we put so much into our health.
Lets take the example of food.
You eat food three times a day.
Its very emotional, especially when it comes to mothers who feed their children.
It becomes almost like a value.
I hope that people dont take it as a personal attack.
I am not attacking women.
Im attacking the marketing.
Can you talk a little bit about the implications that has for women?
Its obviously very important.
And its usually dependent on a purchase, like some sort of bath bomb.
[Its] rather insidious because it puts the blame on you.
Now, the reaction to that is always, What do you want us to do?
None of us have time to go out in the streets and fight and demand systemic and political change.
Thats something that really bothers me.
W+G: It happens with physical health too, right?
It really comes back to that individual onus, which you get at in the book.
RR: It feels very misogynistic to me.
Because I dont see men being pushed the same messaging.
This is a female thing.
More womendo meditation, more womenare buying organic food.
Women are given these sort of directives that they have to fix everything thats wrong with them.
A lot of this is subjective.
Thats where I feel like its unfair and dangerous.
Also it serves as an extension of the self-help industry.
The self-help industry targeted women, and were kind of seeing the same thing with wellness.
RR: Clean eating was really synonymous with virtue.
You got your clean foods, and then you have your dirty foods.
Things like clean or natural are synonymous with goodness and plant-based, all these very positive terms.
Its really making value judgments about what people devote to their lifestyle or their routine.
And secondly, I think were leaving out whole groups of people who dont have access to this.
Would love for you to expand upon that idea a little more.
RR: Weve commodified every basic human need, and loneliness and friendship is one of them now.
I understand the need for it, Im not blaming people for it.
But look around and everyone is so busy.
Just even getting your girlfriend on the phone, you have to schedule that in advance.
I think thats one of the main pillars of wellness that really is undercut right now.
We focus on everything else but we dont really focus on community and the need for social support…
It is so hyper individual about what you specifically need to be well.
You might really need to just be with your community or be with a friend.
When I started [covering wellness], it was all about bone broth.
Everyone was into bone broth.
Then the next year it was coconut water.
Then after that it was green juice, then it was functional elixirs, then it was kombucha.
Then it was CBD seltzer.
It just keeps moving.
I love fashion, but theres something almost dangerous about treating health like fashion.
I think if everyone took a step back…theyd be surprised at what fads they got into.
W+G: Where do you think the wellness industry is heading in the future?
…After years of purchasing certain products, people are analyzing cure-all claims.
That doesnt mean that those specific products dont work.
So people are taking a more tailored approach and not drinking the Kool-Aid as much.
Thats really exciting because that doesnt mean that innovation is dead and doesnt mean that this industry is over.
But I do see a little bit of positive change, and for that Im really excited.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
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