Apothékary scales retail while centering women’s hormonal health

The company debuted its Every Phase herbal drops catered to women’s hormonal health – aligning with the growing trend in the food and beverage space. CPG brands are increasingly targeting women’s life-stage needs – from PMS and hormone balance to fertility and menopause across functional food and beverage products. Fortification is a popular strategy to deliver targeted nutrients. Brands in the space, like Levelle Nutrition , which offers “physiologically relevant” powders for women’s nutrition, according to CEO Linda Alvarez, signal a new wave of CPG products catered to female health. Every Phase will be available direct-to-consumer on Apothékary’s website and at Ulta stores, giving the product visibility in core wellness and mainstream beauty retail. The drops contain adaptogens, like shatavari root to support reproductive health and ease PMS symptoms and chaste tree berry to support menstrual cycle regulation, according to Tina Shim, SVP of marketing for Apothékary. In October 2024, Apothékary launched tinctures in more than 400 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide , its first brick-and-mortar placement. The format shift – from powders to liquid drops – reflected consumer demand for potency and convenience, particularly among women looking for functional, plant-based wellness. Just one month later, Apothékary secured an $8 million pre-Series A round led by Shiseido’s LIFT Ventures, raising total equity funding above $15 million. The strategic capital came as the brand prepared to launch Every Phase, a tincture designed to support hormone balance – part of a broader strategy to normalize natural, non-hormonal solutions for women navigating PMS, perimenopause and other life stages. Shim explained the larger mission: “We just really want to be able to make herbal science and herbal results available to as many people as possible.” When entering Ulta, Apothékary discovered the need to meet beauty shoppers with clearer cues and education. At Sprouts, the typical customer was already supplement-savvy – comfortable reading ingredient panels, comparing blends and seeking certifications like organic or non-GMO. For them, Apothékary leaned on functional formulations and shelf presence within the natural wellness set. At Ulta, however, the consumer was different: curious about wellness, but often unfamiliar with tinctures. These shoppers were more benefit-driven – looking for stress relief, energy or hormone balance – rather than botanical details. That required packaging that clearly spelled out outcomes, bold visuals to illustrate usage and influencer-driven education. “We call out a lot more things about certifications [and] the product benefits,” said Shim, pointing to shelf-ready designs that highlight functional claims like “hormone support” and “stress relief,” for Ulta customers. She added: “We had some people at our pop-up literally start putting it on their skin because they thought it was a facial serum.” To avoid confusion, Apothékary introduced “dropper-to-mouth” imagery and partnered with influencers to demonstrate usage. Shim outlined three pillars that helped Apothékary scale across channels: