Blackmores taps into ‘underutilised’ opportunities in VDS for sleep support

These products and solutions should work alongside medical treatments and not replace them, said Gabrielle Covino, head of Healthcare Practitioner Communications and Content at Blackmores Institute, the Group’s research and education arm.

Data shows that 71% of consumers experience sleep issues, such as difficulty in falling and staying asleep, and waking up tired.

This is supported by studies indicating a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mood. Individuals with insomnia are more susceptible to mental illness such as anxiety and depression, and people with mood issues frequently face sleep problems.

Although not life-threatening in the short term, chronic stress and sleep disturbances have been linked to serious non-communicable diseases.

“Importantly, it’s a stage that is often overlooked by medical professionals who tend to focus on the severe end of mental disorders. Due to changes in sleep architecture associated with ageing, older adults are also at higher risk of sleep disturbances, compared to younger ones.​

“However, this is a challenge that doesn’t just affect the elderly and needs to be addressed much earlier in one’s lifespan. Therefore, solutions that are relevant across the demographics have become important,” ​Covino explained.  

According to Blackmores, one in four young adults aged between 18 and 24 have sleep problems, and about 50% of 16- to 17-year-olds do not get enough sleep.

Across all age groups, one-third sleep less than seven hours a night. Globally, eight in 10 adults want to improve their sleep quality.

In Australia, where the company is headquartered, one in three people take up to an hour to fall asleep and 10% require more than an hour. About 20% of local consumers use pharmaceuticals to manage their sleep issues.

“Despite the high prevalence [of sleep problems], most people do not take any action. If they do, they use lifestyle choices, such as relaxation, diet or exercise. These methods may work for some, but not for others. As a result, many people suffer daily with inaction because of an underlying fear of safety and dependence when it comes to medication.​

“What consumers need and are looking for is a solution that is easy to understand, has clear benefits and efficacy, and does not cause unwanted side effects. This is an opportunity space for VDS, which today are still an underutilised solution, with only 36% of consumers using them to help with sleep problems,” ​added Meiyi Lin, Global Marketing Lead (Women’s Health & Beauty) at Blackmores.

Sleep strategy​

Through the development of a multi-market educational resource, Blackmores Institute has been able to generate, test and validate product innovation ideas, as well as draw up marketing initiatives.

As part of its “sleep strategy”, the company has launched three products, namely Fall Asleep, Deep Sleep, and Beauty Sleep, targeting common areas of concern.

Specifically, Fall Asleep is formulated with lavender and lemon balm, which are botanical ingredients traditionally used in western herbal medicine to relieve symptoms of mild anxiety, reduce tension, and induce sleep.

It also contains ziziphus (jujube), typically applied in traditional Chinese medicine to aid in falling asleep faster and reducing disturbed sleep.

Furthermore, the inclusion of magnesium, which is involved in over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, supports nervous system functions, including modulating neurotransmitters involved in sleep regulation and calming of nerve cell activity.

As the deeper sleep stages are considered the most restorative, Deep Sleep is made with valerian, a medicinal herb known for allaying sleeplessness and improving sleep quality.

Besides promoting deep sleep, valerian has been shown to support relaxation and decrease waking during the night, thereby enabling the user to wake up feeling refreshed.

The formula also contains ziziphus, magnesium, and hops, which is widely used as a flavouring in beer and has been reported in studies to alleviate insomnia.

Sleep is vital for rejuvenating and renewing the skin, with the greatest rate of repair occurring at night. As such, inadequate sleep not only affects how people feel but also how they look.

Beauty Sleep boasts a dual-action formula, comprising vitamins A, C and E, biotin, hops, hyaluronic acid and collagen, to promote healthier sleep patterns and mitigate visible signs of skin ageing.

In particular, these nourishing ingredients help maintain skin hydration and skin barrier integrity, boost collagen production, support skin regeneration and wound healing, and reduce free radicals in the body.