This week, I checked in with Alyssa Williams Atkinson, category insights manager at Spate market research, to unpack the stunning online growth of the wellness patches marketplace. This includes 2,700% year-over-year growth in NAD+ patches, a 1,700% spike in GLP-1 patches, 307% growth for collagen eye patches and a 101% increase in sleep patches in 2025, according to Spate. Additionally, Oura Ring poaches Apple’s longtime hardware exec, La Roche Posay expands its presence at the Miami Open, and Puig and Unilever plot restructuring.
Wellness stickers had a meteoric rise in 2025, growing in online popularity by up to 2,700% year over year, with popularity spikes across six key categories.
“Consumers are moving away from logos bringing status [and turning to] products themselves being associated with belonging,” Alyssa Williams Atkinson, category insights manager at Spate market research, told Glossy. “From a culture standpoint, [wellness patches are] almost like a status symbol these days with consumers purposefully wearing them where other people can see them [like on the wrist or collarbone].”
According to Spate’s 2026 Global Culture Shifts Report released earlier this month, the fastest-growing wellness category trends on social media during 2025 include NAD+ patches, collagen eye patches and sleep patches, up 2,700%, 307% and 101%, respectively. Meanwhile, GLP-1 patches skyrocketed in popularity by 1,700%, dopamine patches jumped by 21.3%, and pimple patches saw steady growth, up 23.9%.
However, one thing to note is that these patch categories are all ranked by Spate as having “low popularity.” “So, while we’re hearing a lot about them within the trend space, there’s still a lot of adoption left [to go] for consumers, [so they have] super, super high growth,” Atkinson said.
As previously reported by Glossy, vitamin stickers and patches, also called supplement stickers or wearable wellness patches, come in an array of styles, from cutesy designs that mimic a tiny tattoo to discreet patches designed to go unseen. They’re based on a transdermal delivery system, not unlike a nicotine patch from the drugstore or hormone replacement therapy patch from a pharmacy. However, these patches feature OTC ingredients commonly found in the supplement aisle, like melatonin, vitamin D, NAD+, and even nootropics like ashwagandha and food ingredients like green tea. Like oral supplements and cosmetics, FDA approval is not needed to sell in the U.S.
Atkinson did an additional data collection for Glossy and found that since the beginning of 2026, some categories have continued to spike, like collagen patches, NAD+ patches, dopamine patches and GLP-1 patches. However, where they’re trending could tell us about their 2026 trajectory. For example, collagen patches and collagen eye patches are driven by TikTok and Instagram, while NAD+ and dopamine patches are soaring on Google, “suggesting this is more of a search-driven, health-conscious audience rather than a social-first trend,” she said.
Leaders driving this growth in online popularity include CosRX, Mediheal, Abib, Anua, Kind Patches and Peter Thomas Roth for collagen patches. For NAD+, it’s Kind Patches, Patchaid, Natural Vitality and Life Extension, while dopamine patches are led by Kind Patches alone. Finally, GLP-1 patch popularity growth is led by Kind Patches, Gentle Patches and Oceaura.
“Kind Patches is the brand appearing most consistently across NAD+, dopamine and GLP-1 patch categories. [They’re] a clear category leader to watch,” Atkinson told Glossy.
Kind Patches was launched in 2023 in Marbella, Spain by Magnus Hjörne, the former CEO of fashion brands NA-KD and Bright Swimwear; Ivana Hjörne, whose CV includes Run For It apparel, NA-KD, and Kendall and Kylie, the Jenners’ former fashion line; and Adam Friberg, co-founder of fashion brands like Cheap Monday and Monki.
Kind Patches sells DTC and through CVS and Walgreens for $15 for a pack of 30 single-use patches.
There are many reasons why a consumer may select a wearable over a traditional oral supplement, such as aversion to swallowing pills, or nausea or stomach issues from traditional vitamins. Other reasons could include travel, convenience and, as Spate’s Atkinson mentioned, self-expression.
“When you see somebody wearing an Oura ring, you’re probably clocking that, saying, ‘OK, they’re super into fitness or tracking their health’,” Atkinson said. “Now, when you see people wearing wellness patches, you might think, ‘Is that collagen? Is that NAD? What are we treating today?’”
This, alongside financial pressures stateside, could provide an expansive runway for the trend in 2026. “It’s not like wellness patches are expensive, either,” she said. “So, it’s a really easy entry to kind of portray this idea of health.”
Executive moves:
Longtime Apple executive Bryan Lynch is the new svp of hardware engineering for Oura Ring. “After nearly 24 years at Apple, working across product design, advanced materials, simulation, and hardware, I am thrilled to join Oura as we build the next generation of health wearables,” Lynch wrote on LinkedIn. “In this new role, I’ll be partnering closely with teams across Oura to advance our hardware roadmap, scale our outstanding team and support the next phase of growth and innovation.”
Jose Manuel Albesa is the new CEO of Puig, the Spanish parent company to skin-care-meets-wellness brands like Dr. Barbara Sturm, Uriage and Kama Ayurveda. Former CEO Marc Puig has stepped into the executive chairman role. “I have worked closely with Jose Manuel for over 20 years, and I have every confidence that his talent, leadership and vision make him ideally suited to become CEO of Puig,” Puig said in a statement. “His deep understanding of our brands, our culture and the way we work will be crucial to drive our company forward.”
News to know:
Unilever is in talks to separate its food division from its wellness and beauty divisions. This could entail selling its historic British food brands, including Marmite, Colman’s and Bovril, to focus on beauty and wellbeing, according to Reuters. Unilever owns Liquid I.V., Nutrafol and Vaseline, among other brands. This restructuring would happen in 2027, if it moves forward.
German startup Remi Health has raised $3.4 million to grow its mail order diagnostics offering, which helps users diagnose STIs through at-home blood and urine samples. Diagnostics-as-a-service offerings continue to grow as consumers become more entrenched in personal health tracking. Remi Health competes with California-based Visby Medical and Texas-headquartered Everlywell, among others.
L’Oréal Groupe-owned La Roche-Posay is now the official skin-care partner of the Miami Open, which runs through the end of March. This is a deepening of its commitment, according to the brand, which was previously the sunscreen partner of the Open. Tennis fans can expect on-site activations including free skin-health checks by dermatologists, UV camera photos to identify sun damage, and free sunscreen and skincare samples.
Costco is betting on the growing demand for fertility treatments and care. The warehouse retailer launched a telehealth-based offering earlier this month that includes specialized support and IVF treatments. Costco has more than 145 million members.
The Spice Girls’ Melanie Brown, also known as Scary Space, is the new face of Revive Collagen, the independently-held British supplement company that sells DTC and through Ulta Beauty. As brand ambassador, she will star in campaigns promoting the brand’s menopause-focused supplements.
Conglomerates Puig and Estée Lauder Companies are in talks regarding a potential merger, according to a press release distributed by Puig on Monday and confirmed by ELC. The potential deal is still in process.
Stat of the week:
International expansion was a primary goal for top wellness brands and retailers in 2025, partially driven by inflationary pressures stateside and growing global unrest. Now, American global management consulting firm Kearney is predicting Japan, Southeast Asia and The Middle East will be the fastest-growing markets for luxury spending this year. In Kearney’s 2026 Global Luxury Industry outlook report, released March 17, the firm predicts fragile growth in the E.U., a consistent K-shaped economy in the U.S. and low- to mid-single-digit growth in China. Meanwhile, when it comes to ultra-high net worth individuals, or UNHWIs, Kearny’s analysts found that Japan, Italy, India, Hong Kong and Denmark will add around 7,400 of the world’s richest people, with a noteworthy 35% growth of UNHWI in India.
In the headlines:
What’s in your cart? Poppi founder Allison Ellsworth shares favorite food, beauty and wellness finds [Modern Retail]. Chia seed water is going viral for gut health. Dietitian shares 1 warning before trying it [Today]. The latest drop at Ulta Beauty? Coffee [Beauty News Daily]. Would you spend $1,000 a month on supplements? [WSJ]. This type of magnesium may help with digestion, migraines and bone density [Vogue]. Judge strikes down Kennedy’s vaccine policies [NYT].
Listen in:
On this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, co-host Sara Spruch-Feiner sits down with Kim van Haaster, founder of Bloomeffects, to discuss the brand’s seven-year journey to Ulta Beauty.
Need a Glossy recap?Inside Sephoria’s return to Los Angeles this weekend. Target’s Roller Rabbit collab did $6 million in first-hour sales, won over Gen Z. Zara bets on Galliano to up its pricing power. A fashion brand’s guide to tariff refunds, with ArentFox Schiff’s Angela Santos. Macy’s, Inc. is looking to leverage AI ahead of a cautious outlook for 2026.