Whether you’re looking to move cross-country or overseas, the idea of relocating is always appealing. But where do you start when deciding on making the big move?
In short, do what’s best for your wellbeing. As we live in an era where we no longer need to flock to the big smoke for a good quality of life, our advice would be simple: do what’s best for you.
With that in mind, at Cult Beauty, we’ve done the hard work for you by taking a deep dive into which cities are best for your wellbeing. Using seven different ranking factors – ranging from the quality of life to the number of spas in the area – we’ve rounded up the top 20 towns to reveal the best cities that put self care first.
WHAT FACTORS AFFECTS THE CITY’S WELLBEING RANKING
To locate the most wellbeing-friendly towns and cities across Europe, we’ve looked into seven different factors:
- Quality Of Life: this score is based on purchasing power, affordability of housing, air and water quality, crime rate, the health care system and levels of traffic.
- Health Care: this investigates the overall quality of health care system.
- Cost of living: the index indicates the relative prices of consumer goods including groceries, restaurants, transportation, and utilities. However, it excludes accommodation expenses such as rent or mortgages.
- Pollution Levels: this is an estimation of overall pollution levels in cities worldwide. It considers factors such as air and water pollution, garbage disposal, cleanliness, noise and light pollution, green spaces and comfort in relation to pollution.
- Number Of Parks: The number of parks recognised on TripAdvisor per city.
- Number Of Spas and Wellness Centres: the number of spas and wellness facilities recognised on TripAdvisor per city.
- Happiness Levels: The world happiness report has used statistical analysis to determine the world's happiest countries by monitoring performance in six categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.
THE TOP 20 EUROPEAN CITITES TO IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING
1) PARIS, FRANCE
Already holding the crown for the city of love, Paris also wins the title as the best place for your wellbeing too. Not only did the metropolis come in first for its pollution and health care index, but it also has the most spas and wellness centres – with 1000 recorded to grace the capital’s streets (think Maison Souquet Spa, Dior Spa and La Boutique Aime, to just name a few). What’s more, home to some of the biggest beauty brands, including SISLEY-PARIS, Avène and Caudalie, Parisians are primed to take the spa home with them, indulging in self care whenever and wherever they want.
2) LONDON, ENGLAND
Home to Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and St James’ Park, London wins it’s the runner-up status, thanks to its record-breaking number of green grounds. With 187 parks for recreation and leisure, The Square Mile offers the best of both worlds, fusing rural landscapes with the buzz of an urban lifestyle. As well as spending the time in the open air, Londoners have built a reputation for looking after themselves through skin care. With the sales of masks more popular in the capital than anywhere else in the UK, its population is more educated with the importance of looking after their complexion and the benefits this will have on their overall health.
3) HELSINKI, FINLAND
According to our wellness index, Helsinki is the city of smiles. With the highest happiness ranking, Finland’s capital maintains its joyful title for the fifth year running. Priding itself on its generosity, the Finnish are renowned for looking after both themselves and others around them. And when it comes to beauty, they take the same approach. Putting quality over quantity, the population looks for skin compatibility when purchasing their skin and body care – putting the needs of their complexion first. With that in mind, sensitive, gentle, and no make up, make up is the way forward for this cheery city.
4) COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
With free health care, education and the ideal work-life balance, Copenhagen has been named as one of the best cities in the world for happiness and wellbeing. Scoring high in both quality of life and happiness, the city’s nutrition, water and sanitation rankings all comes in at an impressive 99% or above. What’s more, it’s population’s self care ranking has increased over the years. How do we know? Well, while Copenhagen’s make up sales have decreased, its body, skin care and fragrance market has peaked in its revenue.
5) VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Holding on to its title as the world’s most liveable city for the eighth time, it comes as no surprise that Vienna comes in within the top five best places for your wellbeing. Scoring high for the quality-of-life index, Austria’s capital thrives on its unmatched health, education and housing systems – with a lot of resources put behind infrastructure and housing, so the cost of living is far lower than in comparable European cities. Putting their self care first, the Viennese also spend the most of their beauty revenue on personal care – we’re talking everything from deodorants and oral care to bath oils, bubbles and soaks.
Now you’ve discovered the best European cities for your wellbeing, it’s time to uncover what you can do and use to put your self care first. Read on to discover the best wellbeing products to level up your me-time regime.
THE BEST WELLBEING PRODUCTS
Nails have been used for healing and meditation by Indian mystics for centuries. Today, Bed Of Nails’ Acupressure Mat reinvents the wheel with a Scandinavian twist. Featuring over 8,800 spikes, the wellbeing tool works in a similar way to acupuncture needles as it helps release endorphins and oxytocin, boosting relaxation, calmness and tranquillity.
How to use:Lay the bed on the floor or on a mattress and slowly lower yourself onto it. Beginners should wear a light T-shirt or lay a sheet over the mat until your body and skin get used to the spikes. Initially lie on the Bed of Nails for 10-15 minutes, and as you get used to the pressure you can build up to 20-30 minutes.
SHOP ALL BED OF NAILS >>> Understanding that happy skin comes from within, Advanced Nutrition Programme’s Skin Youth Biome puts your gut health first. Delivering four science-backed strains of live cultures and vitamin C, these soft gels not only hydrate, but contribute to your collagen’s formation to reduce the appearance of fine lines. What’s more, housed in eco-friendly, plastic-free, recyclable paper packaging, the supplements keep both the environment and your wellbeing happy.
How to use:Take one capsule of Skin Antioxidant and one capsule of Skin Vit A+ daily with food or as your health professional advises.
SHOP ALL ADVANCED NUTRITION PROGRAMME >>> Did you know that boosting your levels of dopamine promotes greater happiness and health? So, without further ado, let us introduce you to LELO’s Ida Wave. Doubling power and pleasure, the two-sided massager brings you internal and external stimulation, so you can gradually reach your peak when enjoying some TLC. Created from body-safe silicone and 100% waterproof, it encourages you to immerse yourself in a hands-free experience, from your bath to your bedroom.
How to use:Apply lubrication to the toy. Insert the smaller arm into the vagina, and the larger one onto your clitoris. Press the power button to turn on.
SHOP ALL LELO >>> Wellbeing starts with self care. And what can be better for preserving your health than a warm, relaxing bath? Dreamt up to improve your me-time, Odacité’s Soul Soothing Bath Soak fuses detoxifying Himalayan crystal salts with hydrating moringa oils, allowing your body and mind to unwind. Melting away the stressors of the day, this remedy infuses over 84 essential minerals to cleanse your body and energy field. Now all that’s left to do is, sit back and relax…
How to use:Add desired amount into warm running water. Soak in the water for at least 20 minutes and let the ingredients work their magic.
SHOP ALL ODACITE >>> Aptly named, ilāpothecary’s Beat The Blues Room Spray balances your mood, boosts self-esteem and eases frustration. Conjuring a peaceful, uplifted atmosphere, it’s infused with a blend of potent essential oils, including musky sweet clary sage to induce happiness and anguish-easing petitgrain to soothe. Keep it beside your computer, in the car or in the room you spend the most time in, to encourage a clear mind and happy thoughts.
How to use:Spray on curtains and pillows, in your drawers and wardrobes, or simply into the atmosphere.
SHOP ALL ILAPOTHECARY >>> SHOP ALL WELLBEING >>>
*METHODOLOGY*
This dataset ranks 54 different cities, based on how good they are for your wellbeing. To do this, seven different factors were used. Once the data for the factors were collected, the factors where then normalised, to provide each factor with a score of zero to one. The normalised values where then summed, to give each city a total score out of ten. The cities where then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores to reveal the European cities that are best for our wellbeing.
The factors include:
Quality of life: score based on purchasing power, affordability of housing, air and water quality, crime rate, heath care sytem, and traffic. (Source: https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/)
Health care: quality of health care system. (Source: https://www.numbeo.com/health-care/)
Cost of living: the index indicates the relative prices of consumer goods like groceries, restaurants, transportation, and utilities. It excludes accommodation expenses such as rent or mortgage. (Source: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/)
Pollution levels: an estimation of overall pollution levels in cities worldwide. It considers factors such as air and water pollution, garbage disposal, cleanliness, noise and light pollution, green spaces, and comfort in relation to pollution. (Source: https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/)
Number of parks: the number of parks recognised on TripAdvisor per city. (Source: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/)
Number of spas and wellness centres: the number of spas and wellness facilities recognised on TripAdvisor per city. (Source: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/)
Happiness levels: the world happiness report has used statistical analysis to determine the world's happiest countries by monitoring performance in six categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels. (Source: https://worldhappiness.report/) 
