Detoxing Sao Paulo

São Paulo life isn’t the cleanest. Therefore, its citizens do what they can to detox, purify and freshen up through health and beauty practices, on the inside and out.

The hunt for quality meat is in fashion. Meat producers open their own shops where they can sell their goods directly to the consumer.  Weekend barbecues are huge in Brazil, and local meat shop Feed feeds directly into that cultural trend. The new, fancy shop sells quality meat at fair price points in a sophisticated retail environment. Having won an award for its architecture, it’s located on Mario Ferraz Street, one of the city’s toniest addresses. But despite its classy façade, it’s the product that resonates with consumers, as one local said: “It’s nice to know where the meat comes from, and to know what this cattle eats and how it gets to our tables.”

As city green spaces open, so too does the popularity of outdoor fitness. Considered one of the ugliest bridges in town, Elevado Costa e Silva, aka Minhocão,  is changing with the times. Originally erected to relieve downtown auto traffic, it’s being repurposed as an outdoor park. Six aldermen are fighting for Minhocão (which means “big worm”) to become a park much like Paris’ La Coulée Verte or NYC’s High Line. All traffic is blocked during the weekend, and cars are quickly replaced with humans engaging in outdoor sports, dance classes, or to just relax and breathe some fresh air.

And while eating clean food and clearing out exhaust to exercise is popular today, there’s nothing like a few splashes of perfume or cologne to help everyone feel– and smell– better. Sadly, despite any marketing efforts, local perfume brands such as Natura, O Boticário, Phebo-Granado are perceived by the public as lower quality to foreign brands. Regardless of any economic situation, every Brazilian values foreign brands and especially those from France and the US.

Due to taxes, their price points are up to three times more expensive in Brazil, and if consumers cannot afford them or keep up with payment installments, they ask friends to bring them back from abroad. People with less income usually wear a national brand on their day-by-day, and foreign scents for special occasions. While the popularity of fragrances will never wane in Brazil, the quest for health is now a much more than skin-deep process, and awareness increases as time passes, slowly changing tradition to a cleaner, more conscientious urban life in Sao Paulo.