Wellness Briefing: Are made-to-order, custom supplements the future of wellness? Plus, news

As industry insiders well know, the supplement category has exploded in size over the past few years. The vitamin, mineral and supplement space, which includes everything from gummies and single-ingredient capsules to drink mixes and protein powders, is set to reach $52.9 billion by 2030, according to Mintel market research. 

To stand out, brands are leveraging awards programs for third-party validation, new formats to appeal to pill-adverse consumers, AI chatbots to better connect with confused shoppers, and fresh claims around absorption and efficacy. 

Personalization has been one of the most discussed tactics, and biggest buzzwords, to come from the AI boom thus far. Brand leaders and marketers are currently using AI to process mountains of customer data in an effort to better serve consumers. This includes personalized emails and SMS messages, product recommendations, cross-selling opportunities, and more. 

Now there is a small and growing crop of brands bringing custom, made-to-order vitamins to the market by leveraging machine learning. Brands are using data insights to sell customizable supplements using a simple sales pitch: vitamins made just for you with everything you need and nothing you don’t. 

For example, brands like the privately held VitaminLab and Shaklee, plus Nestlé-owned Persona, leverage a self-assessment quiz to match customers with the right supplements. They then package the supplements into daily packs starting at under $100 per month. 

Then there is Nourished, launched in 2019 by Melissa Snover, a candy executive-turned-vitamin brand founder. The company offers 3D-printed gummy supplement stacks that are as pretty as they are novel. The brand sells the stacks, which are informed by a customer survey, for under $40 per month. 

Meanwhile, privately held Dynamic DNA Labs takes it a step further with a mail-in saliva test that uses a cheek swab to detect genetic markers in the customer’s DNA that affect their unique health needs. The company is based in Missouri and sells its intro bundle, which includes a saliva test and, once processed, a 30-day supply of custom supplement drink mix, for around $200. 

But it’s Viome, a 9-year-old precision nutrition company, that pours the most health data into its offering. The company focuses on the body’s microbiome and uses mail-in saliva, blood and stool tests to determine how one’s body reacts to everyday foods. Using RNA, DNA’s single-stranded sister biomolecule, it uses microbiome-focused, AI-fueled science to determine which everyday foods cause an inflammatory response in the body. 

It then processes the data, makes nutritional recommendations and sells a fully custom supplement to the consumer for $60-$200 per month. The company makes its supplements to order in a facility in Texas, Janelle Connell, RDN, a longtime project lead and senior translational science nutritionist at Viome, told Glossy. 

Viome is independently held by its founder, Naveen Jain. Jain is a self-made billionaire and serial entrepreneur behind Moon Express, a company developing a robotic lunar lander to explore and mine the moon. His CV also includes founder and CEO of tech companies Infospace and Intelius. 

The company does not share its revenue, but it surpassed one million health tests last year. 

As for its customers, the company targets women aged 40-50, its largest customer demographic, through social media. “A lot of women, especially, will be like, ‘OK, I’m eating my fiber and I’m eating healthy, but I feel worse than ever. My belly is distended, and I’ve got gas and bloating,†Connell said. “Unfortunately, those ‘healthy foods’ can actually be contributing to that.†

Viome sells health tests for $279-$399 that detect food sensitivities from more than 370 whole foods. 

“It usually takes about two to three weeks after you send in your samples, which are really easy to collect at home,†Connell said. “Within the app, [users get] all of their results so you understand what’s going on within your oral health [and] oral microbiome, gut microbiome, and cellular health. That translates into your food recommendations: which foods to eat more of, which foods to eat less of, which to avoid. And then you are also provided with supplement recommendations.†

Connell told Glossy that most users find they should avoid around 20-25 common foods, though this can vary widely. These results can include unexpected items, such as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or kale, or foods high in oxalates, like spinach and almond butter. The company recommends retesting every six months, as there are methods to heal inflammation and make these foods easier to digest. 

Connell told Glossy that the biggest trend among the company’s consumer set is age. “We’re getting a lot more people in their 20s and their early 30s who are interested,†Connell said. “People are testing a lot younger now.†

The company also connects users with health coaches to walk through the results, which helps to reduce churn. One reason why users don’t convert to supplement sales is feeling overwhelmed, Connell said. “[A lot of health] information [at once] is always overwhelming, and you have to be in a space where you’re ready to make a change,†she said. Connell hopes to implement a 12-week coaching program soon to better support users on their journey. 

“We were bombarded with so much information, especially from influencers: Take this supplement, follow this diet. But knowing how your body works is foundational to be able to make progress forward,†Connell said. “The more information you can gather about you, the more helpful it will be.â€

Executive moves: 

News to know:

Stat of the week:

Melinda French Gates has pledged to donate $215 million to fund research on women’s reproductive and midlife health through her investment platform, Pivotal. The philanthropist and businesswoman has already donated $600 million to the fund on a path to donating $2 billion to “accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people,†according to Pivotal. 

In the headlines:

“Holecare†is here. Do we need it to be? [Allure]. I tested an at-home pilates reformer for months—was it worth it? [Vogue]. The next era of Pride Month marketing [Modern Retail]. How Hello Klean became Brita’s first beauty investment and what’s next [Beauty Independent]. 

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