How to Formulate for the New Best Self Category

There’s a brand new category in the world of wellness called the Best Self category. It’s a broader yet direct approach to the wellness culture that doesn’t assume things. It wants better and more of what individuals want for themselves. It’s called Best Self because it does not define what someone’s best is. Additionally, it’s not a niche and more aggressive treatment for the human condition known as biohacking.

Biohacking. The word itself is a turn-off to the wellness crowd. The reduction of humanity to “man-as-machine” is contrary to the simple obstacle of dipping that first toe into the pool of self-improvement. While biohacking works for some, there is a new and untapped consumer market for those who simply want to be better tomorrow than they are today. Their best self is ready for real solutions from healthy sleep cycles and adequate hydration to nutrient-dense foods and wellness supplements. The market is limited where gray-area nootropics and energy drinks with 300mg of caffeine aggressively scream about “hacking” their systems.

Best self caters to the whole self.

What to do if you’re a formulator and you want in on the Best Self Category

If you have the biohacking, caffeine, or nootropic market cornered in your category, keep going. You’re (probably) doing great. If you find it’s the right time to widen your consumer appeal and cater to the new and larger market, here’s where to consider starting:

First, remove any push to “hack” anything in your communications. This is wellness, not MMA. 😉 This is a new market with consumers who are either new to wellness routines or are dialing back deep dives into their own biochemistry in favor of simply “feeling better.” They want something less invasive, more encouraging, and brilliantly designed to feel as personalized as possible. Best self formulas focus as much on the brain as they do on gut health or even functional coffee.

This all means that the formulation should reflect the brand’s look and feel and marketing messaging around wellness. Instead of 300mg of caffeine, studies show you can achieve the same performance as 150mg of caffeine when adding  TeaCrine® and Dynamine™ to the formula Additionally, studies indicate TeaCrine® can activate dopamine receptors while preserving dopaminergic neurons. Dopamine is associated with positive mood and motivation, and preserving those neurons without over-stimulation is deeply impactful for all of us who want to realize the best versions of ourselves.

[NEW] potential formulations in best self here  include:

Natural caffeine + Dynamine™ + TeaCrine®

Natural caffeine + Dynamine™ + TeaCrine® + lutein

Guayusa + theobromine + Dynamine™ + TeaCrine®

There’s no need for high-stim caffeine crashes any longer. TeaCrine® and Dynamine™ help remove the rush of “jitters” that turn off consumers off at the first crack of the RTD. The feeling of  “POW!” doesn’t say “Best Self”

The best self category may focus on the brain, but there is no brain health without gut health. Our “second brain” in our gut is foundational to whole-body wellness. So, there is a “BEST SELF” that will include gut health capsules and softgels, as well as prebiotic drinks and powder fibers, greens, mushrooms and functional coffees.

The foundation of gut health is a bioavailable butyrate called CoreBiome®. It’s responsible for gut barrier protection and maintaining healthy inflammatory responses. A Best Self formula wellness trend includes “complete” gut health with a pre-pro-postbiotic like Ritual Vitamin’s Synbiotic Plus

[NEW] formulations in Best Self here include:

CoreBiome® + prebiotic (i.e. Preforpro®) + probiotic

CoreBiome® + polyphenol (i.e., cranberry, pomegranate,…) + probiotic

Other [NEW] Best Self wellness category formulations include:

Kombucha + Sukré™ RTD to enhance the efficacy of kombucha and disrupt the Olipop market

Sparkling water + Sukré™ RTD to disrupt the kombucha and Olipop market

Organic baobab (as Fibriss®) + prebiotic fibers from potato and pea for a “multi-fiber” powder

Greens + Sukré™ and/or mushrooms like PeakO2® for “prebiotic greens” to “help the gut help itself.” With the Best Self, there is no need to impose probiotics on your gut.

Coffee + Sukré™

Theanine + GABA + apigenin for sleep. NO melatonin.

The Best Self category is an enlightened and educated market where the balance is clear in formulas: yes to clean energy, yes to focus, yes to balance, yes to light and natural flavoring, yes to regularity, and no to bloating, brain fog or over-the-top caffeine levels.

To recap for formulators of best self:

1. Pull back on caffeine levels and consider natural caffeine sources from green coffee, guayusa, guarana, or theobromine.
2. Add the patented and highly functional TeaCrine® and Dynamine™ to optimize the caffeine and realize your Best Self.
3. Use CoreBiome® as the foundation of gut health formulas.
4. Consider other functional categories where you help the body help itself with fibers, polyphenols, and prebiotics.
5. Tweak your communication, branding language and imagery to engage this new audience. Welcome them into a safer space of wellness that delivers tools to become their best self. The goal is to maximize one’s potential, not unattainable “perfection”. Remember, anyone can be their own best self. If we formulate for that market, they will come.

What now for caffeine?

Caffeine is far from obsolete and never will be. Caffeine can assist in formulations, but in the Best Self category, less is more. No habituation and no jitters – this is exactly what the Best Self category is all about. The half-life extension of caffeine using Dynamine™ and TeaCrine®, is something the entire category of wellness can get behind. This BEST SELF is the middle-ground–not a biohacker or highly caffeinated drink. Best Self doesn’t post a pic of themselves next to their rented Bugatti on their maxed out credit card. Best Self is authentic, analog and distinctly human. This category full of working moms, dads, dawn patrol athletes, busy schedule folks who are somewhere in the world of, “My biggest competition is me”, this is the new Best Self category individual.

They are waiting on formulations that speak their language.

If you’re interested in learning more about the best self category, contact us now.

Learn more about TeaCrine® now.

Learn more about Dynamine™ now.

Caffeine replacement? Maybe. Read now.