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Discover how the growing consumer focus on self-care shapes the 2025 supplement trends—and learn ways to align your offerings with the demand for self-care supplements.
A shift in focus from healthcare to self-care supplements is underway. Self-care is broader than healthcare, encompassing “the need to feel well, look good, and protect health for the future,” according to Innova Market Insights.1
Consumers globally are taking more responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. They use varied strategies: a nutritious diet to live more healthily (46%), regular exercise for mental and physical health, and taking supplements to help feel well (29%).2
| It helps me stay healthy | 53% |
| It helps me to boost immunity | 40% |
| It helps in preventing diseases | 28% |
| It helps me sleep well | 23% |
| I have health problems and need supplements | 18% |
One in five consumers increased their supplement use over the past year,3 with supplement use among today’s consumers driven by a proactive, preventive approach to health rather than a reactive, treatment-focused approach.
The emergence of self-care as a top consumer interest influences supplement trends in energy, women's health, weight management, delivery formats, and mood and mental health.
One in three US consumers struggles with low energy (with the rate higher for women)—an issue that correlates to poor sleep, immune function, digestive health, and fitness.4 Consumers are turning to a wide range of energy solutions, from performance-driven supplements for athletes to natural herbal energy boosts for everyday consumers.
Emerging ingredients that support high-performance needs include creatine, while ashwagandha is showing up in supplements positioned for gentle, plant-based energy. Consumer trends indicate a growing demand for both options, allowing marketers to innovate and cater to a broader audience.
There is also an increasing focus on self-care supplements for women's wellness, a category that touches on mood and stress relief (a major concern for younger consumers), weight management, life-stage nutrition, and symptom relief. Europe leads in women’s supplement innovation, accounting for nearly half of recent launches.5
| Women Aged 18-45 | Women Aged 46-75 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mental health | #1 | Physical health |
| #2 | Managing stress | #2 | Heart health |
| #3 | Weight | #3 | Weight |
New positionings include supplements for conception that support ovulation, fertility, and normal menstrual cycle, as well as perimenopause and menopause supplements to support hormonal balance, energy, skin health, and libido. With 27% of US women confused about nutritional supplements and how they can help,6 brands should keep messaging focused on product benefits (rather than ingredients).
Weight management is a major physical health concern of nearly two in five consumers globally.7 In the US, 54% of adults are currently trying to lose weight (up 4 percentage points from the prior year), with about half willing to consider using a supplement to aid weight loss.8
The focus on self-care is changing the perception of weight management supplements. Consumers understand that weight loss is more than disease prevention; it’s about improving energy levels, supporting an active lifestyle, and feeling good. One way brands respond to this holistic, balanced approach to weight management is with all-natural weight loss supplements.
The growing self-care trend also drives the need for innovative and diverse supplement formats. A pill, which can seem like medicine, does not align well with today’s proactive, self-care perspective the way an enjoyable, rewarding format does. Non-pill formats now claim 65% market share,9 with innovation still going strong.
| Gummy | 25.1% |
|---|---|
| Powder | 17.0% |
| Softgel | 13.1% |
| Liquid | 12.1% |
| Capsule | 10.9% |
| Tablet | 7.5% |
| Effervescent | 4.3% |
| Vegetarian capsule | 2.4% |
| Chewable | 2.1% |
| Others | 5.4% |
While the gummy is the leading format (and the preferred format among Gen Z and Millennials), lollipops, lozenges, and shots offer a similarly flavorful and rewarding experience. Newer innovations include NeuroQ oral strips, YouTheory K2D3 liquid in a squeeze pouch, and Bucked Up Pixie Pump in a RTE Pixy Stix format. Orange, strawberry, red raspberry, and lemon are the leading flavors in non-pill formats globally.10
The rising popularity of mood and mental health supplements is more evidence of the conceptual shift from healthcare to self-care supplements. There is an increased demand for all kinds of mental boosts, reports Innova Market Insights, with new products claiming mood support, mood balance, emotional wellbeing, reduced anxiety, and memory, concentration, and focus.11
Brain-mood health is the top claim in new women’s supplement launches globally, with 46% making the claim.12 Using research-backed ingredients such as vitamin B12, theanine, and tryptophan when formulating mood and mental health supplements is a way to build consumer trust through science.
As interest in self-care continues to grow, expect its influence to drive more category shifts and product innovation. Adapting products to these changes will help supplement manufacturers connect with consumers and meet their top needs.
Contact Glanbia Nutritionals to learn more about developing supplement formulations aligned with today’s self-care approach.
