At-home injections

GLP-1 weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have mainstreamed self-administered injections. Following their lead, other peptides and compounds that require a prick are proliferating. Biohacker-beloved nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a staple of supplements and skincare products, is now available as an at-home injectable. Use of longevity-focused peptides administered through a subcutaneous shot are rising in popularity. Is this just the beginning of at-home injections?

Telehealth and wellness company Joi Women’s Wellness offers at-home NAD injections. Along with GLP-1 drugs, co-founder Katy Whalen attributes the rise of self-administered injections to telemedicine. Understanding that many clients may be nervous about poking themselves, Joi provides one-on-one injection training for first-timers.

Whalen says, “It’s fun to witness the fear and anxiety of a first-time injector change into pride and empowerment once they muster the courage to go through with it.” She adds that getting medication directly into the bloodstream may be more effective than downing a pill that can degrade when it’s processed in the stomach and intestines.

NOSY Health

Similar to injections, nasal sprays are being embraced as a direct delivery method for medications and supplements. Healthcare companies are leaning into the format for the treatment of conditions like anxiety and menopause-related hot flashes. A clinical study on Vistagen’s nasal spray PH80, for example, discovered it could help manage hot flashes.

Esketamine, a potent form of ketamine, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for depression in 2019. Last year, esketamine spray product Sprayvato was shown to be more effective for treatment-resistant depression than traditional pharmaceuticals like SSRIs. Joi offers an NAD+ nasal spray and a prescription Oxytocin Nasal Spray to lower cortisol levels and heighten mood.

“The lining of our nostrils are rich with blood vessels, which easily allows medications into the bloodstream,” says Whalen. “Nasal sprays offer extreme convenience and are a great option for those that shy away from injections or IVs.”

Telehealth company Ivy Rx has a glutathione nasal spray, and Mint Rx sells PT-141, a bremelanotide nasal spray purported to enhance arousal and desire. In 2022, bee propolis-focused wellness brand Beekeeper’s Naturals launched Nasal Spray+ as a better-for-you, drug-free nasal decongestant alternative.

Covixyl is a nasal spray containing ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl (ELAH), a molecule that, per Covixyl’s website, “binds to cells in the nose where it blocks the virus from attaching to nasal tissue and inactivates virus particles.” The spray isn’t approved by the FDA, and the FDA approval process presents a major roadblock for wellness companies interested in  selling nasal sprays.

Online wellness retailer Qi Supplements sold Remedy Link’s Satori Nasal Spray, which contains oxytocin, thymulin, epitalon, msm and salt, but Qi has chosen to rebrand the product as an aromatherapy item rather than a nasal spray since the FDA doesn’t allow herbal supplements in a nasal spray format.

Wellness in the heartland

Back in late 2021, Beauty Independent predicted that wellness franchises such as Restore Hyper Wellness would bring wellness modalities to consumers beyond coastal cities. Today, it’s not just companies with tens of millions of dollars in funding that are spreading wellness services across the country. Independent operations are jumping into the wellness arena in relatively small metropolises, particularly in the suburbs.

Opened in a mall in Omaha, Nebraska, Valo Wellness Spa features low- to no-touch wellness services like halotherapy, Normatec compression sessions, zero gravity loungers, LED light therapy, PEMF mats and guided meditation in addition to traditional spa treatments like facials. Dave Asprey’s biohacking destination Upgrade Labs has two locations in Idaho and stylish contrast therapy spa Contrast Studio opened in Montgomery, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati.

Drift Float & Spa in Greenville, S.C., offers customers flotation tanks, yoga, infrared sauna, cold plunges and a Lucia light to lower stress, increase creativity and propel flow states by “relaxing and dilating the central nervous system.”

A spa industry consultant for over 20 years, Lisa Starr says it’s not just Americans residing within 100 miles of a coastline who want to be well. “The customary business approach has been to look to New York or Los Angeles to see what is happening and then wait for it to trickle into the center of the country, but that’s happening much faster now due I’m sure to social media. Clients are seeking out businesses that provide new and different wellness opportunities.”

Wellness destinations also offer beauty and wellness consumer goods brands retail distribution opportunities at locations with educated and often passionate staff skilled at speaking to product benefits.

pro-vagina products

The skin microbiome has been a buzzy catchphrase for years, but another microbiome is coming to the fore. A balanced vaginal microbiome is essential for women’s health, and brands in the intimate care and sexual wellness spheres have been introducing products to support it. While makers of better-for-you lubricants, condoms and vulva washes have touted their INCI lists for being free from potentially harmful chemicals for years now, some brands are taking formulation considerations a step further, to be kind to the vaginal microbiome.

Understanding the vaginal microbiome is crucial for improving health outcomes. Evvy founder and CEO Priyanka Jain mentions that vaginitis patients are often misdiagnosed and bacterial vaginosis, the most common infection in women, has a rate of recurrence of over 50% within six months. She says, “This status quo is simply unacceptable for conditions that are so prevalent and have such a significant impact on quality of life.”

Since launching an at-home vaginal microbiome test in 2021, vaginal health company Evvy has seen consistent revenue growth, served over 25,000 users and built the world’s largest comprehensive dataset on the vaginal microbiome, enabling it to provide more precise medical care. It raised a $14 million series A round in September.

Certification specialist MyMicrobiome has established a standard addressing the vaginal and vulval microbiomes due to increased demand for intimate care products respecting microbial balance. “The women’s health and sexual wellness sector is experiencing significant growth, with intimate care products gaining prominence,” says MyMicrobiome CEO Kristin Neumann. “Particularly in this area, it is crucial that products do not disrupt the delicate microbial balance. Brands should adhere to the vaginal pH 4 to 4.5 and minimize ingredients both in concentration and quantity.”

The Department of Bed Intentions‘ lubricant is the first lubricant to earn MyMicrobiome’s certification. According to the sexual wellness brand, the water-based lubricant’s prebiotic maintains microbiome balance and pH levels. Founder Sophie McGrath says, “It was important to us not to just churn out more mediocre products in an already crowded market. We wanted every single element to have been thought of, from a faultless, all-natural formula to sustainable packaging right down to inclusive messaging.”

PREMIUM AND PRETTY Plant Care

Is that face serum…or fertilizer? The latest entrants in the plant care category are a far cry from Miracle Gro. Brands like Arber, We The Wild, Happy Houseplant, Kelpy and Flourish are making products to boost plant health that are almost as beautiful as a thriving triostar stromanthe.

The tony plant products are finding shelf space in home and gift boutiques, and there’s also been a rise of chic plant shops befitting their prestige. The shops commingle plants with beauty gifts and home care, including the plant health products. Drugs for Plants, the coolest fertilizer ever created, is carried by over 100 shops such as Tula House in Brooklyn, Terrace Plant Shop in Metuchen, N.J, Garden Fever in Portland and The Tiny Greenhouse in Greensboro, N.C.

As was the case for many people during the pandemic, Drugs for Plants co-founders Andrew Fatato and Dave Haller took a deeper interest in their leafy housemates while stuck at home. Fatato says, “All of our peers are plant parents, but it doesn’t really feel like there are that many companies that are really making plant care super accessible.”

Drugs For Plants’ sleek green 28-gram bag of macronutrient-packed fertilizer resembles a bag of actual drugs, and Fatato and Haller are very in on the joke. The brand sells a quarter-teaspoon spoon on its site that could easily pass for paraphernalia. Haller says, “We wanted to make fertilizer that was funny, but, by doing so, get more people into being thoughtful plant parents.”

There are signs that the wider consumer goods landscape is paying closer attention to plant wellness. Venture capital firm Bullish has invested in modern lawn care brand Sunday, which has scored distribution at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Walmart. Last week, plant food specialist Flourish rolled out to Whole Foods Markets stores across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.