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Love Sleep is night-time self care for sensuality

Love Sleep by This Works, campaign by ODD

UK – This Works is promoting the bedroom as a sanctuary of relaxation and intimacy with a range of self-care products that promote sensual touch.

Created as an antidote to digital connectivity, the products and supporting campaign for its Love Sleep range encourage people to switch off in order to turn on, focusing on self-care in relation to skin-to-skin touch and sensual exploration.

Recognising that both men and women experience deeper sleep after sexual intimacy, This Works has introduced a collection of products including a pillow spray, a seduction candle and a roll-on balm to encourage relaxation, created with ingredients such as ylang ylang and patchouli. As part of This Works’ campaign to promote the Love Sleep range, it undertook a national survey, and found that more than half of Britons admit that a device – whether it be a smartphone or tv screen – is the last thing they see before they close their eyes at night, yet the same number would like to enjoy more sex than they now have.

As we uncover in our interview with artist Lucy McRae, there is growing space to encourage touch between humans, in light of the pleassurable oxytocin hormone that's released in such moments.

Faace is one-stop skincare for periods

_faace

UK – Faace is a range of low-maintenance and affordable face masks, created to improve skin affected by periods, tiredness, sweat and other life stressors.

With three main products – Period Faace, Sweaty Faace and Tired Faace – were created to target ‘skin disrupted by life', resulting in one-step skincare that tackle dryness, shine or lacklustre appearance. In a nod towards the backlash against complex, multi-step skincare routines, the brand’s website notes: ‘We live in a straight-talking ‘it is what it is’ society but somewhere along the way skincare got complicated.’

With marketing similar to lifestyle brands, the brand is working to create a sense of community around skincare, using Instagram for open skincare discussions with Generation Z and Millennial consumers. Faace has also created a range of accessories, including socks and hair grips labelled with its three Faace types, available to buy in bundles according to skin needs and users’ personalities.

By catering for women’s skin concerns, Faace is tapping into the themes of Lifestage Brands – personal care companies helping to alleviate the biological inconveniences of being a woman, whether in adolescence or menopause.

New York to ban cashless businesses

New York – New York lawmakers have voted to require stores and restaurants to accept cash payments.

The requirement comes amid agreement that businesses only accepting credit and debit cards are discriminating against demographics who lack bank accounts and credit cards. While many new businesses opt for the cashless model because of greater efficiency and an eliminated risk of theft, the system is unsuitable for the millions of Americans still reliant on cash.

With the new bill in place, businesses that refuse to accept cash will be fined £770 ($1,000, €916) for the first violation and £1,155 ($1,500, €1,375) after that. Expected to come into effect by the end of 2020, the measure also reflects the city’s growing backlash against the digital-only economy, following in the footsteps of Philadelphia, San Francisco and New Jersey.

With about 2bn unbanked people worldwide, according to The World Bank, there is an opportunity and a need for brands to use advances in technology to create more inclusive financial products and services. For more, read Banking the Unbanked.

Photo by Annie Spratt

Stat: Longer lives could be good for the economy

According to a new poll by The Longevity Project and Morning Consult, 53% of Americans view longer lifespans as a plus for the economy.

Notably, respondents say older workers are considered a major asset to American society, with an overwhelming majority agreeing that older workers are good mentors (84%), help companies serve older customers (80%), and are more mature in their dealings with co-workers and display stronger organisational citizenship (77%). Most respondents also believe that work quality improves with age (66%).

The report also outlines that Americans are looking forward to the benefits of longer lives – especially the opportunity to spend more time with family. In total, 52% of respondents believe that more time with their family will have a positive impact on their lives, while 41% cite new experiences as a positive result of living longer. Some 63% recognise generational shifts, believing they’re likely to live longer than their parents.

As we uncover in our macrotrend The Flat Age Society, ideas about age are increasingly being redefined as society recognises that age isn’t just a number – it’s flat.