The Gummy Vitamin Boom Doesn’t Seem to Be Slowing Down Anytime Soon

Photo: Courtesy of OllyMy Olly Sleep Gummies currently hide in a drawer next to my bed, only seeing the light of my lamp on nights I know it’ll be tough to fall asleep. Each time I reach for them, I slowly open the drawer, pull the purple packaging under my covers, unscrew the child-locked lid, and quietly pop one into my mouth. So far, my boyfriend, a perpetual thief of my sleep-inducing miracle worker, has yet to get his grimy paws on my latest stash, and I plan to keep it that way, as quietly as I can, for as long as the $14 bottle will last me.I’m not sure if it’s the 100 milligrams of L-theanine, three milligrams of melatonin, two grams of added sugar or the fun gummy texture, but these violet godsends have the ability to lull me to sleep in 10 minutes flat, and have caused multiple arguments between my partner and me about who ate the most gummies and who will be purchasing the next bottle. It’s safe to say we are addicted.The Olly Sleep Gummies were the first gummy replacement to my regular melatonin pills about a year ago, and since then, I’ve gradually, unconsciously begun incorporating other candy-like vitamins into my regimen — a part of my daily routine. My own increased supplement intake can be correlated to the major shift in the vitamin industry over the last few years. “There are so many drivers [that contribute to the vitamin market explosion], but in our opinion, the main one is that consumers are increasingly making the connection between nutrition and their appearance,” says Walter Faulstroh, HUM Nutrition’s CEO and co-founder. After conducting a research study looking into consumer attitudes regarding vitamins, Faulstroh and his team found that future generations are even more likely to enter the category due to the rise of wellness. “Additionally, we think that the current state of the healthcare system is also reorienting people from reactive to proactive measures.”Related ArticlesThe Next Generation of Wellness Brands Is Using DNA to Create Hyper-Customized SupplementsCare/of’s New Ingestible Collagen Line Includes a Game-Changing Vegetarian OptionThe Nue Co. Is Bringing Vitamins to the Luxury MarketA lackluster healthcare system might be encouraging consumers to educate themselves on preventative health, including a formerly confusing vitamin market. “Speaking as a consumer, what has changed [in the vitamin market] has been communication, personalization and consumption options,” says Dawn Russell, founder of 8Greens, which recently launched a gummy form of its popular effervescent dietary supplement tablet. “Up until the last few years, vitamins were just generic tablets with very little explanation of the tangible benefits beyond ‘health’ — now they can be tailored to individual needs, individual benefits that people care about (particularly beauty), and you don’t just have to swallow chalky pills or need a PhD to understand the labels.” Some vitamin companies, like Care/of, Baze and Persona, have taken personalization one step further, offering in-depth quizzes and blood tests to help personalize the experience, so you can be sure you’re getting the supplements your body actually needs. Others have even gone so far as to rely on DNA testing f
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