Performance Growth
How barriere and MaryRuth’s are Shaping the Future of Supplements
The supplement industry has seen massive growth, especially in the wake of COVID-19, as consumers turned to dietary supplements to support immune health and overall wellness. Yet, even with this surge in demand, many brands continue to rely on traditional delivery formats that don’t meet modern consumer expectations. Pills, bulky bottles, and products that require water or strict routines create unnecessary friction.
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Show me howToday’s supplement shopper expects more: products that are easy to use, portable, and integrated seamlessly into everyday life. Personalization, convenience, and transparency are no longer optional. They define market leadership. In this environment, outdated formats aren’t just inconvenient. They risk being ignored entirely.
Enter barrière and MaryRuth’s, two brands flipping the script on delivery systems. One trades capsules for sleek, skin-friendly patches. The other turns supplements into fast-acting, dissolvable strips that work on the go. These aren’t gimmicks. They are answers to the unmet needs of a new generation of users.
As Liran Hirschkorn noted in a recent breakdown of disruptive brands, categories don’t need to be reinvented; they need fresh angles. Whether it’s skipping the gummy trend or reimagining breath strips for energy, brands like barrière and MaryRuth’s prove that innovation in delivery can be just as powerful as what’s inside the product.
barriere: Wellness That Sticks
barrière’s approach to supplementation centers on transdermal delivery, a method designed to bypass the digestive system and deliver nutrients directly through the skin. This format eliminates the need for pills, powders, or water, aiming to reduce friction in daily health routines.
The development of their vitamin patches was driven by a personal need. One of the founders, after being treated for severe iron and B12 deficiency despite oral supplementation, was advised by a physician to consider transdermal delivery for better absorption. Existing medical patches, however, were reportedly uncomfortable and visually unappealing. This gap informed barrière’s focus: to create a supplement patch that is both functionally effective and wearable.
According to the brand, their patches are formulated using plant-derived, vegan ingredients and are free from common irritants. They reference the German Monograph for ingredient safety, and production takes place in an ISO 9001-certified UK facility registered with the MHRA. Third-party testing is used to validate dosage accuracy, and the products are distributed in regulatory environments such as the EU, Australia, and Canada.
The patches are designed to deliver nutrients over an 8-to-12-hour period using micronized ingredients intended to support transdermal absorption. barrière reports that, under proper formulation, this method can reach absorption rates 6 to 10 times higher than oral formats. The brand provides access to supporting clinical studies and data summaries on its website for consumers who want to explore the science behind transdermal delivery.
Design is also central to their approach. The patches are water-resistant, lightweight, and made to be worn visibly. Patterns include florals, astrological icons, and other visual motifs, aligning with the brand’s focus on combining wellness functionality with design aesthetics.
barrière’s product range includes four formulas: Daily Defense (targeting immune support), Brains & Beauty (for energy and skin health), Travel Well (formulated for stress and circulation during travel), and Skin Support (focused on topical nourishment). Each is positioned as a multipurpose wellness solution intended to integrate easily into daily routines.
@mybarriere I cant swallow pills anymore 🙅♀️ I’m a vitamin patch girl now! #vitamingirl #supplementsthatwork #routine #wellnesstips
MaryRuth’s: Strip Away the Complexity
MaryRuth Organics has introduced dissolvable supplement strips as part of its product line, aiming to offer a convenient alternative to traditional supplement forms. These strips are designed to dissolve on the tongue, eliminating the need for water or swallowing pills. The formulation includes ingredients such as vitamin B6, folate, methyl B12, and saffron extract, which are commonly associated with cognitive and mood support.
While MaryRuth’s highlights the use of well-known ingredients like methyl B12, folate, and saffron extract in its dissolvable strips, the brand has not publicly shared detailed information about the development process or proprietary delivery technologies behind these products. There are also no clinical studies currently published by the company validating the efficacy of its specific strip formulations.
However, independent research on oral dissolving strips as a delivery format supports the potential effectiveness of this method. Studies have shown that dissolvable films can offer faster onset, bypass gastrointestinal degradation, and improve patient compliance, particularly in populations that have difficulty swallowing traditional tablets. These findings suggest a sound scientific basis for the broader use of the format, even if individual brand data is limited.
The innovation is in the experience. By eliminating the common barriers of traditional formats, MaryRuth’s makes supplementation feel effortless. Each strip is portable and travel-ready, designed for on-the-go use without compromising potency or convenience.
@maryruthorganics 🩵🙏sharing today about our new vitamin dissolvable strips & our organic gripe water for infants 🙏🩵everyone have a nice evening & take care #vitamins #liquidvitamins #maryruthorganics • • Comment below what new products our innovation team should make this year?
This format also aligns with key consumer expectations around clean labels, minimal ingredients, and products that fit seamlessly into fast-paced lifestyles. It also opens up new merchandising and advertising angles on platforms like Amazon, where standout formats catch attention and drive conversion. For wellness brands, MaryRuth’s is a case study in how format and function can align to meet market demand with precision.
Strategic Takeaways for CPG Supplement Brands: Rethinking Format as a Growth Lever
Format, not just formulation, is reshaping how supplements are positioned, marketed, and consumed. For CPG brands, the delivery method is now a critical lever for driving growth, improving customer experience, and standing out in a crowded digital marketplace. Here’s how to approach it strategically:
1. Format Innovation is the New Differentiation
Consumers now face more supplement choices than ever, and in this saturated environment, standing out requires more than just a strong ingredient list. According to McKinsey & Company, while typical line extensions in CPG yield less than 10% incrementality, disruptive innovations (often those introducing new formats or addressing unmet use cases) can deliver 20% to 50% higher incrementality. This underscores the rising strategic value of the delivery method in product development.
Format has become a critical point of differentiation that directly influences shopper engagement, especially in digital-first contexts where decisions are made quickly. The traditional emphasis on formulation remains relevant, but it’s no longer sufficient. Increasingly, the way a supplement is delivered carries equal weight in shaping consumer perception and driving purchase behavior. It influences usability, adoption, and retention, making format a central element of product identity, not an afterthought.
2. Use Amazon as a Format Testing Ground
Unique delivery formats can significantly impact performance on the digital shelf. Products that look different stop the scroll. When a consumer sees a patch, strip, or spray instead of a traditional bottle of capsules, it triggers curiosity. This visual distinction leads to higher thumbnail engagement and stronger click-through rates, giving innovative formats a measurable edge in crowded categories.
On Amazon, format should also inform how a brand approaches SEO and A+ content. The delivery method becomes part of the product story. Highlighting ease of use, portability, and convenience in product titles, bullet points, and enhanced content can drive higher relevance and improve conversion. It’s not just about listing ingredients. It’s about showing how the product fits into a consumer’s daily life.
Early adopters of non-traditional formats also tend to be more vocal in reviews. When the experience feels different and solves a real problem, they respond with detailed feedback. This accelerates the review cycle, strengthens social proof, and creates a feedback loop that reinforces brand trust and product credibility.
3. Reducing Friction = Increasing Conversion
According to McKinsey, retailers and brands that simplify the digital decision journey and reduce friction are better positioned to win conversions. That starts with format. When a supplement clearly signals how it works at a glance—like a patch, strip, or spray—it accelerates understanding and boosts purchase confidence.
This kind of clarity matters, especially online. With 75% of US consumers trying new shopping behaviors and 73% planning to stick with them, innovation in delivery format becomes more than differentiation—it’s a direct route to shopper relevance. Products that feel new and solve practical problems generate urgency and attention without relying on price cuts or promotional gimmicks.
Alternative formats also expand merchandising potential. They enable smart bundling across distinct use cases: strips for travel, patches for daily routines, sprays for rapid relief. These combinations increase average order value and broaden relevance across consumer segments. As McKinsey notes, e-commerce strategy now requires reimagining packaging and product experience to be both functional and frictionless. Format-led innovation delivers on both.
4. Format as a Competitive Moat
Unique delivery systems can offer a clear path to intellectual property protection. Patents tied to format innovation give brands legal defensibility and reduce the risk of fast-follow competition. This kind of exclusivity turns product design into a strategic asset, extending the lifecycle of a formulation and creating a competitive moat around the brand.
Format innovation also introduces operational complexity that many larger players are not structured to handle. Legacy formulation and logistics partners are often optimized for capsules, tablets, and powders. Introducing a new format can require changes to equipment, supply chains, and regulatory workflows. This creates a natural barrier to entry that favors agile brands. Those that can move quickly with smaller, more flexible partners are positioned to carve out and dominate underdeveloped segments before the broader market catches up.
5. Advertising Implications: Let Format Lead the Message
Format communicates utility. In online behavioral advertising (OBA), effectiveness improves when ads are relevant, easily understood, and match consumer context. Visuals showing real-world applications—like applying a patch or dissolving a strip—can serve as instant cues of value and usability, especially when targeting interest-based segments.
This indicates that personalization improves outcomes when it aligns with consumers’ current needs. Ads that reflect specific use cases (such as travel, recovery, or caregiving) see higher click-through and purchase intent, especially when trust in the brand is established and the format is self-evident.
This points to a broader insight: ads work better when the delivery method is part of the story. Instead of listing ingredients, focus on the outcome the format enables. In supplement marketing, showing a frictionless experience—no pills, no water—resonates more than ingredient decks. OBA literature supports this: perceived usefulness and clear fit significantly influence performance.
Next Steps for Innovation Teams
Start with a format audit of your existing product line. Identify SKUs that have low repeat rates, high return rates, or require detailed user instructions. These are signals of friction that could be addressed with a better delivery method. A format pivot can improve both user experience and business performance.
Next, test before scaling. Use direct-to-consumer channels or Amazon to introduce limited-run formats. Monitor adoption, gather feedback, and measure performance against standard SKUs. This approach reduces risk and builds data around what works.
Finally, choose partners who specialize in more than just formulation. Work with labs and packaging suppliers that understand experiential design and can deliver on usability and presentation. The right partners will help you execute on product experience, not just product function.
This shift in consumer preference toward usability, convenience, and experience is reshaping the supplement category. Brands that commit to format innovation and put user needs at the center of product development are positioned to lead the next wave of growth.
Time to Audit Your Format Strategy
barrière and MaryRuth’s are gaining traction because they address real user friction with practical, format-driven solutions. Their success comes from clarity of purpose, not louder marketing or bigger budgets. They’re designing products that fit into real lives and daily routines.
For CPG supplement brands, that’s the opportunity. Look beyond formulation. Rethink how the product is experienced from the first touchpoint to the last dose. A smart delivery format can be the difference between blending in and breaking out.
Incrementum Digital helps health and wellness brands capitalize on these shifts. With Amazon DSP, full-funnel strategy, and performance-driven creative, we turn category insights into market leadership. If you’re building the next standout supplement, we’re here to make sure it gets seen, chosen, and remembered.
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