→ September 4-6 at The New Well: the ultimate summit for Paris wellness-seekers

^{Disclosure: this is an independent appraisal based on my personal opinion and experience.}

The French pharmacy did more for global beauty than most marketing budgets ever could. It aggregated best-in-class products, supported by expert pharmacists who could explain the singularity and exact usage for each product. Suddenly the whole world was flying to Paris with a shopping list, scouting for corner shops with that emblematic green cross.

The New Well feels like it’s trying to do the same thing but for wellness. As one of the first conferences/tradeshows of La Rentrée, they hosted their third edition in Paris last week: 3 days at the Carreau du Temple in the Marais, featuring over 120 brands. And new for this edition was a Business Summit with founder/CEO talks alongside the usual trade show and festival. More than 6,000 people came out and I was one of them…notebook in hand, and my “P&L” hat on.

→ Proof I did my homework

That’s the format for today’s post: a curated report on what’s actually worth your attention in wellness right now, plotted on a map so you know what to invest in first.

Every P&L runs on two axes:

Vertical: love on top, like on the bottom: always how I actually felt about it.
Horizontal: low investment on the left (under €50), high investment on the right (above €100): what it costs you to find out for yourself.

Please note: I only rate “like to love” because I don’t want to waste your time or mine reviewing things that I don’t like and are not worthy of our time or funds. (And when I haven’t tried something yet but I am interested, I will clearly state that).

So that leaves us with 4 quadrants:

Best ROI (love + low): the best return for the least money invested
Blue Chip (love + high): pricier but with bigger returns
[Quiet Win] (like + low): solid and worth trying
Pre-Seed (like + high): I am intrigued or excited by the idea but haven’t verified it myself yet so these are ones to keep on the radar and watch.

So here is everything that earned a spot on the board:

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Best ROI (love, lower investment)

Aime — Collagen Tripeptide Discovery Kit, 5€
I heard the very end of Mathilde Lacombe’s talk at the Future Summit’s Vision Stage: super interesting discussion on whether brands still sell products or if they are now building “systems of belief, belonging, and desire”? Mathilde is the co-founder of Aime, a brand that looks at beauty from the inside-out, specifically with supplements. I went to their site and really love the collagen tripeptide discovery kit: it’s a way to remember to sneak collagen into your morning beverage, all-in-one. Five euros, to try the 3 flavors before you buy the full size (but also great for travel or even as a small gift). And for those of you not fully convinced by collagen supplements, I found this article from Harvard helpful. Can’t hurt to try, right?

CECILY BRADEN — The Lymphatic Brush™ (Small), $74 (≈ 64€)
I was first introduced to this brush after a facial with Melinda Bognar (more on that soon). But a friend of mine, Stephanie Delattre, actually showed me how to use this tool and now I try to do a quick face drainage every morning. As there was a promotion at The New Well, I got the small and large duo in a great travel kit. But if you just want to try it first, I really recommend getting at least the face one and finding a good “on-self” tutorial like this one.

HYDROLITE — Coco, 29.95€ for a pack of 12
After the Paris heat waves, I have been trying to ensure I get enough electrolytes. Founded by Jeanne and Lucas, Hydrolite was born out of their own struggle to stay hydrated when their schedule barely allowed for it. They describe it as a “functional hydration drink, designed for busy days, with a clean formula that’s not too sweet and is pleasant to drink.” I spoke to Lucas at their The New Well stand, who explained that they take reverse-osmosis water and enrich it with electrolytes and add a very lovely coconut flavor. I don’t often drink canned drinks but I tried it and found it to be super light, super fresh and delicious.

Blue Chip (love, higher investment)

PRESTESSE —Liane Top (120€) + Pants (210€) = 330€ for the set
I fell in love with the brand and the founder, Coralie, at her stand. She's a former Dior designer who had a lightbulb moment when she visited a factory while pregnant and was told the dyes were too toxic for her to enter the space. She started thinking about all the microplastics in everyday activewear and underwear, and Prestesse was born. I went gaga for this chartreuse set but the entire range of earthtone colors is truly beautiful. Plus the fabric is super comfortable and soft with very quality natural materials. And knowing that it’s free of microplastics gives me the type of reassurance that’s priceless.

HIGHERDOSE — Red Light Showerhead Filter, 627€ (EU) / $599 (US)
I met Anthony of HigherDose at their facial mask activation. He took me over to the main device stand and showed me the various tools, including a Microcurrent Body Sculptor tool. But he absolutely convinced me on the idea of a red light shower head which he showed me on the brand’s website. It kills two birds with one stone: red light is meant to help with inflammation and muscle recovery, so imagine getting all those benefits but while you shower. And for the time-poor, it simplifies the routine instead of adding one more thing. I haven't invested in this personally, but it's on my wishlist (hint hint).

Quiet Win (like, lower investment)

The Women Circle — Meno Focus, 36.90 CHF (≈ 39€)
I spent quite a while chatting with the founder, Dr. Joëlle Zingraff-Wolfrath. She’s a veteran of supplement manufacturing and has just launched her own brand, The Women Circle, focused on (peri)menopause symptoms. Based in Switzerland, she sources the best ingredients and leverages her expertise to work with the best manufacturers. I was impressed by her knowledge and passion. I bought Meno Focus with centella asiatica extract, Greek mountain tea, Vitamin B5 and zinc for cognitive clarity. I’ve tried it a few times this past week, so I need more time to assess, but I already like that I at least remember to take it!

LAVOINE — Heure Épicée, 12.90€ for 300g (5-7 breakfasts)
Gergana is the founder of LAVOINE, an instant oatmeal with three flavors in the range. I tried the cozy apple cinnamon flavor . I really liked the packaging, and this is a great buy if you’re often on business trips with terrible food choices, or if you get to the office/co-work early and want something handy to eat on-site.

Pre-Seed (like, lower investment)

Lucis Care by Lucis, Biomarker Testing & Health Assessment Membership, 490€/year
I heard the CEO, Maxime Berthelot, speak at the talk about longevity. It made me really keen to learn more about what he’s building with Lucis Care: an annual membership where you take two blood tests per year and are tested on a number of biomarkers. The idea is that between those two tests, you’re accompanied with a full plan and guidance on how to improve your health. I haven’t tested it myself, but it came up in a moms’ chat I’m in, so it was already on my radar. Will circle back, since I’m looking for baseline insights on my own biomarkers.

Welnest — At-Home Fitness Coaching, from 500€ for a 10-session pack (50€/session, after “crédit immediat”)
Really liked the idea: an at-home fitness training service. This may be the norm in other big cities, but I hadn’t heard of this offer in Paris before. For the busy career woman, this leaves very little room for excuses to get moving. The coach comes to your home and can even bring workout equipment if you are missing anything. I asked if they had anglophone coaches and it seems like this is something that could be arranged if the request is made ahead of time. But if you’re willing to learn fitness en français, could be a good match.

But other than getting to hear interesting discussions and learn about new wellness products and services, what I loved most about The New Well was the spirit of the people I met. I tested a relaxing body lymphatic drainage with Victoria Delorée, ran into Melinda Bognar at The Lymphatic Brush stand and met several very cool founders. All were sincere about their purpose and generous with their time. Wellness is supposed to make you feel good and at this summit, people were kind and welcoming. Totally my vibe and it made me eager to return next year.

→ the kindred spirits of wellness

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The New Well turned Paris into a wellness…