April NPD launchpad: Sleep support, mental clarity and vegan collagen

April’s new product launches match consumers' top priorities, as brands focus on facilitating a good night’s sleep and on-the-go convenience.

Shoppers are increasingly seeking solutions for stress reduction and anxiety in the form of improved sleep, and younger generations are recognizing that sleep informs quality of life. Several new releases have looked to cater to a market that wants boost mood, cognitive function, physical health and productivity.

Other brands have focused on convenience to keep up with fast-paced lifestyles and are diversifying their offering with new product formats that suit the health-conscious consumer on-the-go.

Finally, beauty-from-within gets a look in as consumers seek more plant-based options, and a new brand is born from a cognitive research project. 

Centrum Restful Sleep

Centrum, the multivitamin brand by Haleon, announced the launch of Restful Sleep, designed to assist women during menopause by addressing common challenges like poor sleep quality and hot flashes.

Its hormone-free, melatonin-free formula, includes geniVida and DailyZz, clinically studied ingredients that help reduce the frequency and duration of hot flashes and improve sleep quality and next-day cognitive function. 

Kids Magnesium Gummies

Novomins Nutrition launched a magnesium gummy for children to help with anxiety and sleep.

Magnesium has been shown to contribute to bone development, heart function, mental health and brain functioning as well as sleep and energy levels.

Co-founder of Novomins, Dr. Peter McQuillan, said: "Kids should take magnesium for many different reasons. It also helps with the nervous system and psychological functioning which is essential for cognitive development.”

Huel Black Edition

Huel launched Black Edition Ready-to-drink, its highest protein meal in a bottle, with 35g of plant-based protein and 26 vitamins and minerals in each portion. 

The product aims to deliver the same convenient on-the-go meal as its standard ready-to-drink but with 75% more protein and 28% fewer carbohydrates. It also includes green tea extract as a source of antioxidants and coconut milk powder for textural enhancement.

Moon Chews

Spacegoods, the mushroom extract supplement brand, announced the launch of Moon Chews, a lion’s mane extract in gummy form.

The strawberry-flavored chews are designed to provide a "focus and clarity boost on-the-go" to improve memory and concentration.

Lion's mane mushroom has been traditionally used for memory and concentration improvement. It has been shown to stimulate the production of the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in the brain, which plays a vital role in the growth, maintenance and repair of nerve cells in a part of the brain associated with thinking, learning and emotions. 

Holistic Femme Collagen

Holistic Sweden AB launched the first VeCollal product to hit the market in Sweden, Holistic Femme Collagen.

The AI-formulated vegan collagen powder—identical to human collagen type 1—claims to be one of the first scientifically proven vegan alternatives to collagen.

Mayeksozom

Turkish brand Mayeksozom launched its inaugural product of the same name, a vegan exosome supplement designed to enhance focus, promote mental clarity and support strong memory with its organic coffee, organic ginkgo biloba and organic panax ginseng content.

Parent company Aye Exocure, under the Aye Group umbrella, has been conducting studies on the importance of exosomes in supporting cellular-level recovery for several years.

Exosomes, nanoparticles produced by cells, play a significant role in facilitating communication between neighboring and distant cells. Some research has found that exosomes show promise in offering solutions for neurological disorders.