Health and wellness trends on TikTok have spanned the wacky to the wonderful – remember nature’s cereal? From supplements to hot girl walks, wellness does big numbers on the platform: #Wellness has over 5.9 billion views and #WellnessTips has 2.8 billion views.
In the health-conscious community, tags such as #HealthyLiving has 9.2 billion views. Health and wellness content often falls under the ‘that girl’ aesthetic CORQ reported on last year and ranges from day in the life and balanced lifestyle vlogs, to advice for healing your gut.
There’s also crossover with Instagram too, just take a look at the Instagram community Sea Moss Girlies. Run by New York-based creators Kate Glavan and Emma Frances, whose aim is to make wellness more approachable for Gen Z through memes, sharing TikToks and a podcast.
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What exactly is a Sea Moss Girlie you ask? Girls that love healthy fats (olive oil, ghee and almond butter), take their magnesium, and enjoy prebiotics and probiotics for good gut health – all staples of health and wellness TikTok.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, there’s plenty more aesthetics, self-care tips and ever-emerging trending food and drink on TikTok, driving engagement, sales and brand recognition.
To help decipher the chaotic world of health and wellness on the app, these are the four key trends and the creators leading them.
Healthy food trends
When it comes to healthy food trends, past recipes and fads have included ghee coffee, baked oats, acai bowls and green goddess salad. Currently #InternalShowerDrink is making the rounds and the tag has over 7.9 million views. Simply mix two tablespoons of chia seeds with the juice from half a lemon and a cup of water, then leave for a few minutes so it can turn gelatinous. Creators have claimed it helps relieve constipation and bloating.
@glowingwithgracee Have you tried the internal shower chia seed drink?✨ #internalshower #internalshowerdrink #chiaseeds #chiaseeddrink #guthealth #digestion #constipation
Other food trends have included nature’s cereal and a healthy alternative to Coca-Cola. The former consists of eating fruit, coconut water and ice together from a bowl, as you would a bowl of cereal, which one commentator called, “a smoothie with the bones left in.” As for the healthy Coca-Cola, people mix together ice, balsamic vinegar and La Croix to recreate the iconic beverage.
TikTokers are also fans of the ingredient spirulina, a blue-green algae, which, according to BBC Good Food, is a source of antioxidants, and may reduce high blood pressure and assist in managing high cholesterol.
It’s important to note that these are not always healthy, and are often debunked by nutritionists. Stylist reported the “healthy coke” trend is more damaging to teeth than the regular beverage and also discussed how labelling something as good or bad feeds into toxic diet culture.
@everything_delish Had to hop on the Nature’s Cereal trend | recipe by @natures_food ✨ #naturescereal #fruit #foodontiktok
This has also been a commercial opportunity for health-focused brands wanting to engage with emerging and established trends. Earlier this year, personal trainer Lucy Mountain partnered with Misfits to promote its cereal by discussing how TikTok’s viral ‘nature’s cereal’ food trend is not a nutritional substitute.
Healthy habits
Wellness TikTok is focused on improving routines and incorporating new habits, all with the objective of bettering yourself.
The tag #HealthyHabits has over 600,000 views and features morning routines, vlogs and general advice, which range from healthy meal prep inspiration to putting yourself first and self-love habits.
Other healthy habits TikTokers have been loving include going on “silly little walks” for their mental health, stretching and drinking enough water, which then coincide with product recommendations everything from water bottles to activewear and skincare products.
https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaasarkk/video/6987177179671006470
Within this trend you’ll also find habits people need to stop doing, with creators posting instructional videos with the intention of motivating viewers. A lot of it ties into the hyper-productivity seen on TikTok, as influencers share their detailed organisation tips, journaling and manifesting success.
As we previously reported in our analysis of ‘The Cult of Busy’ trend, from the clothes they wear to the juices they drink to fuel their busy schedules, followers (whether they love it or hate it) are tuning in.
Gut health
Gut health is a cornerstone of health and wellness TikTok, with #GutHealth boasting over 1.9 billion views. Arizona-based sisters Jill and Jenna are popular TikTokers, known as Gut Talk Girls, who share digestion tips, discuss suffering from IBS and offer supplement suggestions.
You can also find users sharing how they’ve healed their gut, recommending gut-friendly foods and sharing the signs of an unhealthy gut.
@bobbyparrish Gut Friendly Foods #gutfriendly #gutfriendlyfoods #chiaseeds #eatthisnotthat #healthyliving #bobbyapproved #guthealth
TikTok is full of women discussing their experiences with IBS – the party line is that hot girls have IBS, and #IBSTikTok now has over 80 million views. This overlaps with gut health TikTok, as people share tips for reducing bloating, digestion supplements and offering advice for managing stress for people who suffer from IBS.
Wellness and skincare
Beyond recipes, health and wellness TikTokers also promote specific ingredients deemed beneficial for skin. Sea moss, a specific type of algae or seaweed, is a trending ingredient – Hailey Bieber incorporates it in her skincare smoothie.
Likewise, users also drinking liquid chlorophyll to get rid of acne, and the tag #liquidchlorophyll has over 68 million views, despite being widely condemned by experts and traditional media outlets.
@aminathepharmacist Follow me on insta and DM me your skin concerns ✨#skin #acne #supplements #pharmacist #skincare #skincareroutine #viral #needtoknow
Makeup TikToker Caress shared the vitamins she takes for clear skin, Grace (Glowing With Grace) noted she drinks aloe vera juice for skin and gut health, and Amina Khan recommended a range of supplements to help with acne from her personal experience.
Health and wellness TikToks are full of advice, even if it’s not always nutritionist or expert-approved. These communities are thriving on TikTok, and for brands, working with a health and wellness TikToker or embracing healthy emerging trends can help reach new and engaged audiences.
By Caroline Edwards, staff writer at CORQ. Picture credit: Kate Glavan via Instagram
