Transforming the Health & Beauty Landscape: Wellness Wearables & AI in 2026
The wellness industry is experiencing a technological revolution as wearables and AI-led personalization gain unprecedented traction in 2026, reshaping how brands approach health data and human connection. Earlier this week, the FDA announced it would be limiting stringent regulation of wellness wearable devices—a significant boost for the industry.
Big players such as Finnish company Oura (valued at $1 billion in 2025) and subscription-based Whoop (valued at $3.6 billion in 2021) are showing impressive adoption rates. According to Pan European research, technological wearables that track sleep, exercise, and blood oxygen levels are driving behavioral change, with an average of two new healthy behaviors being formed off the back of these devices, and 87 percent of users reporting changes like improved sleep habits and increased exercise frequency.
“Interestingly, we’re now moving beyond passive observation. We’re not just looking at the data, we’re making new habits based on it,” said Olivia Houghton, head of beauty and wellness at consultancy the Future Laboratory.
The wellness shift is also reframing consumer priorities. In 2026, wellness pivots from single-issue solutions toward regulation, with consumers treating the body as an interconnected system at scale. Fiber emerges as the breakout nutrient, reframed from digestive aid to multi-benefit driver of metabolism, hormones, and gut-brain health globally. Prebiotic sodas are up 71.4 percent year-over-year, with brands like Olipop and Poppi leading the charge in making gut health a daily lifestyle habit rather than just a supplement routine.
Source: Business of Fashion