Is detox culture dead? 2026 is the year of gentle wellness - here's why

"The latest trend in wellness? Tackling the restrictive, rigid nature of detoxing. In 2026, detox is getting a softer, less punishing makeover. "True detox isn't about deprivation or extreme cleanses; it's about supporting the body's natural rhythms, particularly the liver, which underpins hormone balance, metabolism and energy," says Jess Shand, naturopathic nutritionist, hormone health specialist and author of The Hormone Balance Handbook."

"After years of restrictive wellness trends, people are exhausted by anything that feels punitive or performative. The language of "cleanses", moralised food rules and extreme resets has started to feel outdated, particularly as conversations around burnout, nervous system health and hormone balance have gone mainstream. Post-pandemic, wellbeing is less about control and optimisation at all costs and more about sustainability: what actually helps you feel better without making daily life harder."

"There's also a growing understanding that the body already knows how to detox - it just needs support, not starvation. As education around gut health, liver function, sleep and stress deepens, supplements and rituals that work with the body rather than against it feel more credible. According to Shand, detoxes that demand eliminating whole food groups or cutting calories can push the body into survival mode, resulting in unhelpful cortisol surges, anxiety spikes, disrupted cycles and a vanishing libido."

Detoxing in 2026 shifts toward gentle support rather than deprivation. The body's natural detox pathways, especially the liver, play key roles in hormone balance, metabolism and energy. Restrictive cleanses and calorie cutting can trigger survival-mode responses, increasing cortisol, anxiety, disrupted menstrual cycles and low libido. Growing emphasis on nervous-system health, sleep, gut function and sustainable habits favors small cumulative shifts. Practices such as eating liver-supporting foods (beetroot, parsley, green tea), body brushing, and targeted supplements aim to support rather than punish. Wellness increasingly values maintenance, consistency and care that restores without disrupting daily life.

Read at CN Traveller