For the 12th consecutive year, VR, with the guidance of a retailer panel, assembled the year’s best new natural products.

Twelve years ago, Vitamin Retailer (VR) magazine decided to honor the year’s top products, and to do so by asking for the opinions of natural product retailers. Now, the objective remains the same, as these stores offer feedback and suggestions on items that made an impact on the market released starting late 2018 through 2019.
We would personally like to extend a sincere “thank you” to not only all of the retailers who took part, but the manufacturers who created these memorable and successful products. In no particular order, VR presents the 2019 best new products!

Targeted Choice EyeCare AREDS2 + Blue

Bluebonnet Nutrition | Sugar Land, TX | (800) 580-8866 | www.bluebonnetnutrition.com

Bluebonnet Nutrition’s whole food-based, structure-function Targeted Choice EyeCare AREDS 2 + Blue Vegetable Capsules is a wholesomely crafted formula that includes clinically studied nutrients recommended by the National Eye Institute based on the AREDS 2 study for macular health. Moisturizing hyaluronic acid and sustainably wild-crafted super fruits (e.g., bilberry and wild blueberry) were also integrated to help protect eyes from excessive blue light/LED (i.e., computer, smart phone and tablet screens), as well as improve visual performance and support optimal eye health.

Retailer Ramona Billingslea, marketing manager with Betsy’s Health Foods in Houston, TX, said she was fond of the manufacturer being a family-owned company and appreciated that AREDS 2 offered support for “potential damage from exposure to blue light.”

This vegan, kosher certified, gluten- and milk-free formula is available in 30 (60 capsules, MSRP $23.95)- and 45-day supplies (90 capsules, MSRP $35.95).

HRG80 Red Ginseng Energy & HRG80 Red Ginseng Male Sexual Enhancement

Terry Naturally by EuroPharma | Green Bay, WI | (866) 598-5487 | www.europharmausa.com

Terry Naturally by EuroPharma’s HRG80 Red Ginseng is available in two unique products. This highly absorbable form of whole root red ginseng has a full spectrum of benefits. Seven times stronger than conventionally grown ginseng, HRG80 is grown without pesticides or solvents, yielding a higher content of the plant’s best-utilized noble, rare ginsenosides.

“This specific type of ginseng [is] hydroponically grown, said retailer Holly Prugar, supplement manager/buyer, The Mustard Seed Natural Market in Watertown, NY. “The special growing process results in a stronger and cleaner ginseng product. The feedback has already been great for this new product. Customers are reporting better energy, mental clarity and focus.”

“Customers have really found this product [Energy] to give them the energy boost throughout the day without the jitters found in some energy formulas,” added Nick Beers, store manager, Garner’s Natural Life in Columbia, SC.

Further, Travis Lemon, owner, Tulsi at the Market (Huntington, WV) also noted his appreciation for the products, stating that “it’s great to see a long beloved and respected herb like ginseng get the Terry Naturally treatment! Having such control over the growing conditions of their HRG80 product guarantees a clean raw material and raises the important noble ginsenoside amount substantially.”

The Energy version is available in a 30-ct. bottle (MSRP $37.95), while the Male Sexual Enhancement product is offered in 48 capsules (MSRP $55.95).

U.T. Health

Vibrant Health | Shelton, CT | (800) 242-1835 | www.vibranthealth.com

U.T. Health aids your pet’s natural defenses against intruding E. Coli bacteria—the cause of most UTIs (urinary tract infections)—while assisting in excreting the harmful bacteria without the use of harsh antibiotics. Plants such as parsley, goldenrod and dandelion support and restore urinary tract health by promoting urination and internal cleansing. Flavored with beef liver powder, U.T. Health is a tasty addition to your pet’s mealtime. In a convenient powder, proper dosing is easily determined.

Theo Kitschker, store manager at Green Acres Health Food Store in Piscataway, NJ, noted that although the store recently began carrying U.T. Health, success of this product looks promising, given the popularity of urinary tract health products for humans.

The 62-g tub retails for $20.

IB Soothe-R

LifeSeasons | Lewisville, TX | (877) 455-2826 | www.lifeseasons.com

IB Soothe-R is a supplement to help soothe intestinal distress and discomfort and normalize disruptive irregularity and bloating.* It uses natural ingredients and herbs, such as triphala, caraway, slippery elm, marshmallow and Bifidobacteria that support a healthy intestinal tract, ease bowel discomforts, restore probiotic balance and promote healthy elimination.*

“LifeSeasons is a brand new company for us, and we have been blown away by their smart and very thorough formulas,” Lemon noted. “IB Soothe-R has pretty much everything you could want in a formula for irritable bowel support. In addition to ingredients like triphala, probiotics and slippery elm, LifeSeasons has snuck in red raspberry leaf, one of my favorite but often overlooked gut-supporting herbs, to truly round out this impressive formula.”

Sixty vegetarian capsules retail for $29.99.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Multivitamin Soft Chews

MegaFood | Londonberry, NH | (800) 848-2542 | www.megafood.com

MegaFood now offers multivitamins for kids, women and men. Kids Multivitamin Soft Chews (MSRP $24.96) support children’s healthy growth and development in a grape flavor. This chew includes a 5-mg blend of real oranges, cranberries and blueberries from the company’s farm partners, and also contains antioxidant vitamins C, E and beta carotene. As for the Women’s Multivitamin Soft Chews (MSR $29.96), they support optimal health and wellbeing for busy women in just one Mixed Berry Flavor chew. Just one each day delivers vitamins A, C, D, E, a blast of B vitamins to support energy,* plus farm-fresh organic cranberry. These chews deliver the nutrition you need and make it easy and tasty! And lastly, Men’s Multivitamin Soft Chews (MSRP $29.96) provide foundational nutrition with a host of valuable vitamins and minerals. Just one Tropical Flavor chew delivers energy-supportive B vitamins* and farm-fresh food including organic turmeric root. These chews are easy to take, and convenient for a busy life.

“The new MegaFood multivitamin chews are an innovative, fun, delicious way to take your multivitamin,” Prugar said. “The chews are non-GMO (genetically modified organism), gluten free, vegetarian, dairy and soy free.”

Each option is available in a 30 count for $24.96, $29.96 and $29.96 respectively.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Peppermint Organic Hand Sanitizer

Dr. Bronner’s | Vista, CA | (844) 937-2551 | www.drbronner.com

Dr. Bronner’s has launched a new peppermint scented organic hand sanitizer for on-the-go hygiene. Certified organic and fair trade, the active ingredient, ethyl alcohol, is 99.9 percent effective against germs while the peppermint oil leaves behind an uplifting scent. Organic glycerin, which naturally draws moisture into the skin, is added to the hand spray rather than synthetic petrochemical thickeners, and this yields a smooth after-feel that is not sticky or drying. Excellent for use on-the-go in public bathrooms, classrooms, on buses and trains, the Peppermint Organic Hand Sanitizer can even be used to clean display screens. Packaged in 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, the Peppermint Organic Hand Sanitizer is the latest addition to Dr. Bronner’s Sanitizer product line.

Billingslea summarized her overall sentiment stating, “Dr. Bronner’s products are always good quality and effective.”

A 2-oz. bottle has an MSRP of $4.99.

Super Colon Cleanse

Health Plus Inc. | Chino, CA | (800) 822-6225 | www.healthplusinc.com

Start the New Year right with Super Colon Cleanse, a 10-day plant-based detox formula by Health Plus! This gentle and effective formula pairs time-tested digestive ingredients like senna, psyllium husk and fennel with powerful antioxidants to help cleanse and revitalize your entire system. It was recently reformulated to provide more value in an easy to take two capsule dosage.

“This is a customer favorite,” said Dianna Singh, owner, Elk Grove Vitamins and Cameron Park Vitamins in Elk Grove and Cameron Park, CA. “It’s a great gentle formula and a constant seller!”

Super Colon Cleanse, which is offered in 60, 120 and 240 capsules, is also available in a 12-oz. powder. The item ranges in MSRP from $8.99-$26.99.

BioSil Advanced Collagen Generator (Small Vegan Liquid Capsules)

Bio Minerals NV (distributed by Natural Factors) | Monroe, WA | (360) 243-3500 | www.biosilusa.com

Innovative, patent-pending technology now allows the company to directly fill liquid choline-stabilzed orthosilicic acid, the active nutrient-complex in BioSil, into very small size-3 plant-based vegan capsules. These new BioSil capsules are less than half the size of the first generation BioSil capsules and also elegantly display the liquid BioSil they contain. Bio Minerals NV feels this is important because market research suggests that many modern supplement users prefer smaller pills than those historically sold in the specialty health food stores, and that a significant and growing number of consumers prefer supplements in a liquid form. The first generation BioSil capsules also contain liquid BioSil, but in the older capsules, the manufacturer sprays micro-droplets of liquid BioSil onto solid plant fiber beadlets. The user cannot see the liquid which too often creates confusion. BioSil supports the body’s natural processes required generate its own collagen, elastin and keratin. BioSil also helps to protect these three “beauty proteins.”

Jeff Stallop, SM, co-owner of Healthfair Natural and Organic Food Market (Little Silver, NJ) and Monmouth Health Foods (Manasquan, NJ) noted its success, saying it “sells very well.”

“We have sold this product for years in our store and it has been a steady sell,” Singh said, regarding the BioSil brand. “Our customers like the results they achieve; the key is consistency. It’s a great one!”

A 60 ct. bottle retails for $39.95.

AromaLocket Lava Bracelets

Matrix Aromatherapy | Nampa, ID | (800) 644-0355 | www.aromalocket.com

Designed to blur the lines of form and function, the AromaLocket line of diffuser bracelets provides a natural way to experience the therapeutic benefits of essential oils wherever you go. The lava stones the company uses begin their journey deep beneath the earth’s surface, where immense heat and pressure liquifies the surrounding rock. When it reaches the earth’s surface, it cools rapidly, trapping air bubbles inside. The tiny holes that are formed during this process make lava stones perfect for absorbing and gradually diffusing essential oils. Simply add a few drops of your favorite essential oil blend to the lava bead and enjoy hours of natural aromatherapy bliss.

“We brought these in at the beginning of the year and they have been a customer favorite,” Beers explained. “Customers love being able to wear their favorite essential oils and be able to enjoy them throughout the day. Whether you use oils for calming/stress or for mental focus/clarity, you can customize this with whatever oils you want to.”
Each lava bracelet retails for $14.99.

CBD Hemp Extract Balm

HempFusion | Denver, CO | (877) NOW-HEMP (669-4367) | www.hempfusion.com

According to the company, CBD works better as part of an ensemble known as the “Entourage Effect.” Coupled with other nutrients, HempFusion Full-Spectrum Topicals are simply skin heaven. HempFusion CBD HempExtract Balm is in a jojoba oil and sunflower oil base with premium hemp extract CBD, terpenes and other nutrients.

“HempFusion just came out with a salve that works fantastically,” Billingslea added. “It provides CBDs, terpenes and other great nutrients like jojoba and shea butter.”
The 1.4-oz. balm has an MSRP of $29.99. VR