DISTRIBUTORS WOULD DO well to check out the latest health and wellness products.
From items comprised
of amped-up oxygen to
those that undergo rigorous testing
to ensure efficacy and even those that help ease neck pain, this year’s health and wellness products have come to the aid of ailing bodies and bottom lines.
A REFRESHER COURSE
Ballanda Corporation, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., brings something breathtaking to the industry this year—oxygen. The company is the exclusive supplier of O+ (Oxygen Plus), a portable oxygen product that “boosts energy, increases alertness and alleviates the effects of jet lag, altitude and [hangovers],” according to the product’s marketing collateral.
Ann Law, company vice president and customer service representative, said O+ initially became popular in retail with the rise of oxygen bars. “People wanted to get revitalized and have more energy,” she said. “So, we decided there was a need for [the portable], personal use of oxygen and brought it into this market.”
What’s the big deal about O+? For starters, Law said the product contains a higher concentration of oxygen—90 percent to be exact—than ambient air’s 21 percent. Furthermore, while she stressed O+ only should be used for recreational purposes and not as a medical device, she noted the enriched oxygen contained in the product is equal to the grade used in hospitals.
Available in peppermint and pink grapefruit
flavors, O+ comes in three sizes: the O+ Elevate Pack, which includes the 8″ O+ Stick and a refillable container; the O+ Mini, which includes three packaged 4″ bottles; and the O+ Mini 101, comprising of a single 4″ bottle that can accommodate full-body customization. A clear pouch also is available for transport of the miniature sizes.
While Law mused about the possibility of the product replacing bottled water, her husband and company president/CEO, Caleb, rebuffed the idea, stating O+ can be used in conjunction with H2O. “I don’t think this will replace water,” he said. “Oxygen will just be another avenue by which to boost one’s energy.”
The Laws said by virtue of the product offering end-users much-needed get-up-and-go, it essentially sells itself. “Fatigue is the number-one complaint that doctors get in the United States. So, this is a way you provide your customers with energy,” Caleb said. He also pointed out the product can be used as a stress reliever and as a safe alternative to caffeine.
TESTING ONE, TWO, THREE
What better way to ensure products are safe and healthful for the body than by putting them to the test? Leashables by OraLabs, a manufacturer of hand sanitizers and lip balms based in Parker, Colo., makes quality assurance its priority. According to Kathy Vichakchon, national sales manager, the company invests heavily—hundreds of thousands of dollars annually—in ensuring its products are safe.
From its founding in 2004, Vichakchon said Leashables has adhered to the mandates put forth by the FDA for personal-care manufacturing companies. However, she said the company has taken the FDA mandates a step further to include tests of its own. “Not only do we make sure people understand how important it is to be an FDA-approved facility, we are also trying to run every test you can imagine to show that our products work,” she said.
One such example is testing of the company’s hand sanitizers. Just in time for the new year, OraLabs completed its In Vivo anti-bacterial tests, which proved its sanitizers kill 99.99 percent of germs. “Our hand sanitizers are probably one of the most important products we test because we want to [ensure our] claim that they are proven to kill germs,” Vichakchon explained. “We want to make sure people understand that when we say we have high-quality products or when we say we practice high standards of manufacturing, we really do.”
As for its lip balms, this
year Leashables introduced new flavors in vanilla bean, green tea and all-natural peppermint—the first in its line of eco-friendly products.
[NO MORE] PAIN IN THE NECK
Looking for a product that will put clients at ease? Look no further than the NeckEze from Mind & Matter, Huntley, Ill. While already popular in retail circles, particularly in airports, the product made its industry debut at January’s ASI show in Orlando, Fla. Tom Henderson, director of sales and marketing, said NeckEze is “constructed like a pillow but it’s better than a pillow.” The item is a soft-foam, knit collar that provides 360-degree support of the neck, allowing it to be worn while sitting, standing or walking, Henderson explained.
Although NeckEze is well-known among and used by professionals in the health care, beauty and pharmaceutical industries, Henderson was quick to note his company does not promote the item as a medical device. “We have had chiropractors that, rather than going to medical supply companies, have requested the use of the NeckEze because it is softer than the normal cervical collar and easier to use,” he said.
Originally designed for use while traveling, the product was developed by a frequent flyer experiencing neck pain. “She tried every kind of travel pillow out there and finally decided that there was a better way to do this and developed [NeckEze],” he said. “We find that people like … anything that reduces the stress of the business day.”
Presently, NeckEze can accommodate neck sizes up to 21″ and is available in four basic colors: black, blue, red and navy blue. However, Henderson said extra-long versions of the product can be custom ordered and the company is currently developing a variety of fashion colors and prints.
WRAPPING IT UP
Larry Wilhelm, president of Custom HBC, Waconia, Minn., said over the last five years, his company has seen a rise in end-users “wanting more wellness products to prevent disease and sickness than ever before.” He pointed to Custom HBC’s sanitizers as products that kill the MRSA germs. Furthermore, Wilhelm said he has noticed more companies considering sanitizers in various formats, such as gels, sprays, foams and wipes, as standard business supplies like paper and staples.
Going forward, Wilhelm said health and wellness products will continue to increase their share of the promotions market. “As the economy changes, we see the need for useful, practical promotional items,” he said. And everyone knows nothing is more useful and practical than a breath of fresh air!
