Update: We are deeply sadden that Expo West 2020 was unable to happen this year due to the concerns around COVID-19. While are unable to meet in person, we are still excited to speak and connect with all of these awesome brands virtually!
The Natural Products Expo West is just around the corner and we are so excited to be attending once again. You can check out our blogs on Expo West and Expo East from 2019, where we talked about what excited us and the predictions we had last year. This year, we wanted to create a short list of the products that we are super excited to try once we land in Anaheim and some of the trends we’re already seeing in the natural products space.
Healthy Home, Natural Home
One of the biggest shifts in the realm of personal care products is not only the increase of more brands entering the space, but also many of them are focusing on introducing more natural and organic options for consumers. And consumers have flocked to them, with natural and organic personal care products predicted to make over $22 billion by 2024. Additionally, consumers are looking for brands that realize their environmental impact on the world and are trying to limit that impact when they can.
David’s USA is doing both. Their toothpaste is Environmental Working Group certified, meaning they avoid including any chemicals the EWG research deems might be harmful as well as being incredibly transparent about their ingredients on their labels. They are also committed to not just being “Made in the USA” but that all of their ingredients are sourced from within the US as well! Additionally, every aspect of the packaging is recyclable. Talk about checking every box!
Another brand touting their (super)natural products is Crystal. Their star product is their all natural and aluminum-free deodorants! But they have recently released an all natural teeth whitening system – the first of its kind! If that’s not exciting enough for you, they are also the only deodorant brand to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award, meaning that their product has been independently verified to contain no harmful environmental, industrial contaminants, and toxins. Mmm, so clean and fresh – just what we want from our deodorants!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar has been known as a folk remedy for many alignments over centuries, but now brands are bringing it to the mainstream in new ways. We’re excited to try two of these new products and experience for ourselves new and interesting ways to utilize it!
We all know that soda isn’t always the best drink to reach for. Well, Poppi is trying to change that. Created with unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (or ACV, for short), carbonated water, and other natural flavors, Poppi’s goal is help you get the health benefits without the awful taste. Allison Ellsworth, one of Poppi’s co founders, got the idea when she found that ACV helped her with a variety of health issues and wanted to bring that to others – just with a slightly more stylish and tasty experience!
Still not into the idea of drinking ACV? Well, maybe gummies are more your speed! And Goli Nutrition has just that! Not only do these tasty little gummies pack the benefits of ACV, they are also made with pomegranates, beetroots, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in order to round out their lineup. Additionally, all gummies are sourced and made within the US and are gluten free, organic, kosher, non-gmo, and made without gelatin. That’s a lot for one gummy! We’re also so excited to see them partnering with Vitamin Angels, who work to get vitamins into the hands of kids suffering from malnutrition.
While Apple Cider Vinegar is a staple in many people’s pantries, it’s an ingredient that has been overlooked for it’s taste. It’s exciting to see how even old and established ingredients can be transformed to more accessible and easier to use products. We are excited to see what else can come out of this Apple Cider Vinegar trend!
The Ice Cream Dream
Everyone loves ice cream! But, like many desserts, they’re incredibly unhealthy and usually bring little to no nutritional value into our diets. And while sometimes treating yourself is lovely, more and more people want their sweets to be more than empty calories they’ll later feel guilty about. They want their treats to be more – and there are plenty of people trying to do just that.
Peekaboo Ice Cream is one of them! They dare to ask the question “Wouldn’t it be rad if veggies tasted like ice cream?” and then delivers! Founded by Jessica Levison, the first batch of Peekaboo Ice Cream was formulated in her ice cream shop in South Florida and soon spread to be in stores across the country. Each flavor is formulated to include a different vegetable that you can’t see or taste – perfect for the picky veggie eaters in your life. So you get your ice cream and your veggies, too? Sign me up!
If hidden vegetables aren’t cool enough, Sweet Nothings continues to show that ice cream doesn’t have to be terrible for you. They’ve taken it a step further and created a frozen snack consisting of clean, simple ingredients that is the consistency of ice cream without using any animal products at all! And don’t just think that Sweet Nothings is just empty calories – all of their flavors also include Omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibers, and nut proteins. What they don’t have are any added sugars, which makes these little treats super sweet.
We’re always excited to see new ideas and the potential they hold to change the landscape – and these are only an incredibly small sample of the hundreds of brands at Expo West! Are you excited to try any of these? Have you tried some of these in the past? Are there any brands you’re super excited about that we didn’t mention? Hit us up and let us know!
Also keep an eye out on our socials from some real time reactions from the floor, as well as the products that wowed us! No doubt we will have even more fantastic finds to share as soon as we hit the floor.
Happy Expo West 2020!