As expected, consumers’ desire for products that make oral care easier — not to mention ones that help battle such oral conditions as dry mouth — helped drive strong growth of portable oral care.


The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Johnson & Johnson for treating deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery, a J&J subsidiary said.

SC Johnson’s latest Windex product touts 90% less plastic than the traditional 26-oz. trigger bottle. New Windex Mini is a concentrated refill pouch that “saves six times as much plastic waste that goes into a landfill, compared with a traditional bottle,” according to SC Johnson chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson.

Mars Chocolate North America introduced the Marathon Smart Stuff bar, a snacking solution that contains such healthful ingredients as dried fruits and nuts, and is fortified with a blend of eight essential vitamins and minerals. 



The 19th century British writer William Hickson may have written, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again,” but he only had half the story. By all means, try again, but don’t do the same thing over and over and expect different results.



According to a study published online June 27 on the site of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the more dietary fiber you consume, the less likely you are to die from any cause. And that’s good news for retailers.

Procter & Gamble’s Olay is making its foray into the facial depilatory segment with its new Olay Smooth Finish facial hair removal duo.

Sales in the digestives aisle going forward look positive, especially as an aging population begins paying closer attention to healthy diets, including the right amount of dietary fiber to keep things “regular” and supplementation with probiotics for overall digestive health. 



Research has shown that many consumers believe how you age is mostly tied to genetics, diet and exercise, but many women still are purchasing anti-aging products — and will continue to do so — with the hope they’ll find magic in a jar.


Perhaps the most exciting recent development in the multivitamin segment is the success of gummy vitamins. Data from SymphonyIRI show that, while teen and infant vitamin sales are in decline, gummy vitamins for adults are driving growth within the category.


Despite the do-it-yourself trend within beauty, depilatories experienced a slight dip in sales, according to data provided by SymphonyIRI Group.


Greater consumer awareness of the dangers of the sun’s harmful rays and greater product innovation are spelling growth in the sun care market. And, as the industry wades through the recently issued regulations by the Food and Drug Administration, new innovative products for both children and adults hit the pipeline, which is likely to mean further growth.