We tried the microplastics treatment. The research just backed us up 🩸

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Hi besties,

Summer is very much in full swing - Dubai is quiet, the city has slowed down, and we are genuinely enjoying the slower pace of life. It’s a lighter week on events this week (scroll down to the Local Lowdown for what's still happening), but a really good one on the wellness news front.

Before we get into it - this week's research spotlight is one we feel personally connected to. New research has just confirmed that therapeutic plasma exchange can measurably remove microplastics from the bloodstream - and Harriet has actually tried a similar treatment right here in Dubai at Dr Ozone clinic. We'll let the research spotlight tell the full story, but if you've been curious about this space, scroll down - and we've got a discount code for you too 🤍.

Elsewhere this week - David Beckham's supplement brand just raised $1B without giving up a single share of equity, Neko Health got a $700M vote of confidence, the UAE is literally building longevity into its walls, and we have some thoughts about a £300 AI necklace that analyses your emotions. Spoiler: we're not entirely convinced you need it.

With love (and slightly quieter inboxes than usual),

📍Browns & Co – The Treatment We Didn’t Know Our Dry Lips Needed

If you’re anything like us, lip balm isn’t a luxury – it’s practically a personality trait. We’ve got one in every handbag, every bedside table..and every pocket.

So when we heard about Browns & Co’s lip booster treatment, we were intrigued.

Before you think “lip filler”, that’s not what this is.

Think of it more like Profhilo for your lips. Rather than adding volume or changing their shape, the aim is to improve the quality of the lips themselves - boosting hydration, smoothing fine lines and restoring softness from within. It treats your lips, rather than changes them.

The treatment was carried out by Dr Shah, whose approach feels very aligned with ours: subtle, natural results that help you look like the healthiest version of yourself.

Using SkinFill BACIO - a combination of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B12 - the treatment works to deeply hydrate the lips, improving their texture, softness and overall health rather than making them noticeably bigger.

The treatment starts with numbing cream before a combination of microneedling and tiny injections of the product. It was all very manageable and afterwards our lips looked naturally pinker, glossier and instantly felt smoother. Over the following days they continued to feel plumper, healthier and (perhaps the biggest compliment we can give…) we stopped reaching for nipple balm every five minutes. Mums with permanently dry lips will know exactly what we mean.

There was virtually no downtime. We didn’t experience any swelling, just a tiny bruise where one of the injections went in, and carried on with the rest of our day as normal.

What we loved most was how natural the result felt. Your lips still looked like your lips - just healthier, smoother and better hydrated. It’s exactly the kind of tweak we feel comfortable sharing on The Wellness Drop: one that’s focused on restoration rather than transformation.

We’d especially recommend it if your lips constantly feel dry, you’ve noticed they’ve lost some hydration over the years, or you’re forever reapplying lip balm throughout the day.

The Wellness Drop Verdict: We love treatments that focus on restoring rather than transforming, and this is exactly that. If your goal is healthier, more hydrated lips - Dr Shah’s lip booster is well worth considering.

This week’s edit is all about finding little pockets of joy in your week.

From breathwork with live music and rooftop Pilates to wellness block parties, floating sound baths and girls’ nights with your favourite people, we’ve rounded up the experiences we’d genuinely add to our own diaries.

🫁 Breathwork & Live Music
Sunday 19th July, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Keyani Wellness Centre
If you've never experienced breathwork with live music, let this be your sign. Guided breathwork paired with beautiful live instruments creates one of those evenings that's hard to put into words until you've experienced it. Come with an open mind and see where it takes you.
Call 058 587 0799 to book

🧘 IMD Breathwork
Friday 24th July, 4:00 PM
Rē Social Wellness Club
This guided IMD Breathwork experience pairs immersive sound with structured breathwork to help calm the nervous system and release stored stress. If you've been curious about breathwork but weren't sure where to start, this feels like a beautiful introduction.
To book, click here

🏙️ Skyline Sculpt
Saturday 25th July, 8:00 AM
The Lana
Morning Pilates with one of the best views in Dubai, followed by a floating sound meditation and breakfast. Honestly, it's hard to think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning.
To book, click here

🎉 Block Party
Friday 25th July
PAUS
One to bookmark if you're in the mood for a fun evening out. Expect a relaxed community atmosphere, plenty of good conversation and a chance to meet like-minded people.
To book, DM @pausclub

 INDUSTRY TRENDS AND NEWS

👘 GymNation Just Launched the World’s First Muscle Thobe
GymNation just launched the first ever Muscle Thobe and Ghutra collection - designed for fitness enthusiants who are equally proud of their cultural identity and their health. The idea came directly from members: Saudi men typically return to wearing the thobe immediately after training, and GymNation saw an opportunity to bridge that gap. As one member put it perfectly: “It doesn’t try to replace tradition but instead embraces it. It’s modern, but it’s still recognisably ours.” The launch is initially focused on Saudi Arabia, with plans to expand to Kanduras and other products across the GCC soon - following a wider shift in global sportswear toward community-specific design, from Nike’s Pro Hijab to Gymshark’s modest activewear ranges.
Our Take: This is what it looks like when a brand truly listens. Not a design brief - a conversation. Celebrating fitness culture and cultural heritage in one garment feels like a genuinely meaningful moment for wellness in this region. 
Read More

🏡 The UAE’s Wellness Real Estate Boom Just Got Bigger
Aldar and PureHealth have just announced a partnership to embed health longevity science directly into Abu Dhabi community design - smart beds, air quality systems, real-time health insights via smart mirrors, and preventive care woven into the fabric of everyday neighbourhood life. Not as an add-on. As the entire brief. The partnership aligns with the UAE’s National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 and Abu Dhabi’s Longevity and Precision Medicine Declaration - and given humans spend 90% of their time indoors, designing those environments with health in mind feels essential.
Our Take: We covered the Dubai Longevity Authority a few weeks back - and this feels like the next piece of that puzzle clicking into place. The UAE isn’t just talking about longevity. It’s literally building it into the walls.
Read More

📿 A Necklace That Analyses Your Emotions - But Do We Need It?
Nirva just raised $8M to launch a smart pendant that acts as an always-on AI journal - analysing your tone and word choice throughout the day to surface emotional patterns, relationship dynamics and self-awareness insights. It joins a growing wave of AI jewellery including journaling necklaces, note-taking rings and smart glasses tracking facial expressions for emotional states. It’s clever technology. But we’ll be honest - this one gave us pause. At what point does outsourcing our self-awareness to an AI necklace actually get in the way of developing it ourselves? There’s something to be said for just… sitting with yourself. Journaling with a pen. Noticing how you feel without a device telling you.
Our Take: We’re not against technology - clearly. But emotional intelligence is built through presence, not passive surveillance. Learning to listen to yourself is one of the most valuable things you can do for your wellbeing. And you don’t need a £300 necklace to do it 📿.
Read More

💊 David Beckham’s Supplement Brand Just Raised $1B - Without Giving Up a Single Share
IM8 - the daily supplement brand co-founded by David Beckham and backed by athletes including Giannis Antetokounmpo - just secured up to $1B in non-dilutive growth financing, meaning they get the capital without giving up any equity. In 18 months they’ve hit $200M in revenue, delivering 200,000 servings a day, with a $300M annual run rate expected by end of year. The brand is built around two subscription-first products: a 90-ingredient daily essentials drink mix and a longevity formula featuring NAD+.
Our Take: The subscription supplement model is clearly working - and when General Catalyst backs you with a billion dollars without taking equity, it tells you everything about how confident the market is in predictable recurring revenue. AG1 has serious competition 💊.
Read More

🔬 100,000 Scans In - and Neko Health Just Got a $700M Vote of Confidence
Neko Health - the full-body preventative health scan platform co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek - just raised $700M to bring early disease detection to more people. The numbers are already compelling: 100,000 people have now experienced the Neko scan, and for returning members, 5 out of 7 key health markers showed statistically significant improvement between scans. The funding will accelerate research and expand the platform, starting with a first US clinic opening in New York after the summer. The investor list is quite something too - Thierry Henry, Maria Sharapova, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, Tim Ferriss, Will.i.am and Jimmy Iovine among others.
Our Take: No UAE plans announced just yet - but with $700M raised and serious global ambitions, we live in hope. In the meantime, we have a London visit booked for next month and will report back. Watch this space 👀.
Read More

🔮 TREND TO WATCH

🎪 Wellness Is Taking Over the Festival Circuit
Five years ago, a yoga tent at a music festival was a quirky add-on. Now it’s a core reason people buy tickets. Boardmasters in Cornwall just launched a boutique spa for 2026, adding treatment tents, facials and aromatherapy alongside run clubs, sound baths and Pilates. Organisers put it simply: “Five or 10 years ago, wellness was a niche add-on. Now it’s a core part of why people come.” One-day wellness festivals are selling out across the UK, the Mind Body Spirit Festival draws 30,000 people a year, and attendees are increasingly choosing events where they can recharge and reconnect - not just party.
Our Take: We’re seeing this in Dubai too - the rise of Kayan Festival and the much-anticipated Well B earlier this year (sadly postponed, but the demand spoke for itself) show exactly this appetite. People want events that blend community, movement and genuine experience. The festival of the future isn’t just a lineup - it’s a full mind and body reset. We are very ready for it.
Read More

🔬 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

🩸 Can We Remove Microplastics From Our Bloodstream? New Research Says Yes - But Read the Small Print
A new human study found that therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can measurably reduce microplastics in the bloodstream - with the highest-burden patients seeing levels drop by around 30 points after a single treatment. But here's the part worth noting: patients who already had low levels sometimes saw a slight increase after treatment, attributed to the IV bags and tubing used in the procedure itself. A quiet but important reminder that these treatments move the needle most meaningfully when there's a genuine burden to address - and that more intervention isn't always better intervention. Harriet has tried a similar treatment at Dr Ozone clinic here in Dubai - see more here 🎥 If you're considering this, Dr Ozone is genuinely the only place we'd recommend in the UAE. To book, please message +971 54 309 1326 and mention our code (TWDOC2511) for 10% off.
Our thoughts: Microplastics are in our blood, our lungs, our placentas. The science around reducing that burden is genuinely exciting. Know your baseline. Work from there🩸.
Read the study

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