Natural Medicine
Weight-loss drug crackdown will have ripple effect on SA’s longevity market
24 Jun 2026
Women’s health and men’s beauty: Gender shifts are having a moment
The longevity market has largely been centred around traditional gender norms, with wellness targeted at men and beauty prioritised for women. That is now shifting.
25 Jun 2026
Wellness has been largely skewed towards men.
However, the women’s wellness market offers untapped potential in hormonal health, metabolic function, cognitive performance, and preventative care.
“When optimisation culture is built around one body as the default, it reinforces the hierarchy that produced that exclusion,” says Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director at The Future Laboratory, in the New Codes of Luxury - The Longevity Effect Report.
Women’s health
The World Economic Forum (WEF) found that while women may outlive their male counterparts, they spend 25% more of their lives in poor health because of the women’s health gap.
This major oversight presents a huge commercial opportunity in the women’s wellness space.
WEF estimates that addressing women’s poorer health outcomes compared with men’s could boost the global economy by at least $1trn annually by 2040.
Grand View Research projects that the women’s wellness market will grow from $57.2bn in 2026 to $75.4bn by 2033, at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2026 to 2033.
Women may have been overlooked in the past, but the Are Doin' It for Themselves”.
In its Rewriting Women's Wellness report, Spate found that women are no longer waiting around for healthcare institutions or wellness brands to fill this gap.
Instead, they're heading to social media to create communities and find information on perimenopause, low libido, cortisol imbalance, and hormonal dysregulation.
Armed with knowledge about ingredients and prices, they're making purchasing decisions based on research they’ve made themselves.
This well-informed and empowered consumer is discerning, and to get her attention, Spate reckons you need credibility and accessibility.
Future Laboratory says that if brands move quickly and get scientific credibility, they can take pole position in the market.
Men’s beauty
This gender shift applies to the beauty space, too.
Traditionally marketed to women, the controversial rise of “looksmaxxing” (online subculture focused on optimising physical appearance) has seen a shift in the beauty market.
And they may not call it “beauty”, but young men, in particular, are starting to spend more time in the mirror.
In 2024, market researcher Mintel reported that more than half of men use facial skincare products, with members of Gen Z accounting for the greatest share of growth in skincare products — especially “high-end” and “clean” products.
According to The Business Research Company, the men’s grooming products market is expected to grow to $101.35bn in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3%
“Whether a brand continues to deepen the gender divide or close the gap will have major implications for how they reach their future consumers,” says Houghton.
“Marketing will need to look very different as a result.”
About Maroefah Smith
After studying media and writing at the University of Cape Town, Maroefah dived head-first into publishing. Going on to write more than 50 pieces in digital (Bizcommunity) and print media (Seventeen Magazine). While her primary interests are beauty and fashion, she is incredibly adaptable and can take on any topic - from AI to zoology.
View my profile and articles...
View my profile and articles...