Beyond the Buzz: What Expo Trends Really Mean for Herbalism

Natural Products Expo West has a way of concentrating the entire natural products industry into a few intense days. The aisles are filled with bold packaging, ambitious claims, and a steady stream of innovation. It’s exciting, energizing, and sometimes a little overwhelming.

For those of us working in the herbal supplement space, though, the most interesting question isn’t simply what’s new.

It’s what actually strengthens plants' role in supporting human health.

Walking the show floor this year, several themes were impossible to miss. Functional ingredients appeared everywhere. Products promised more benefits in a single serving. Formats continued evolving toward greater convenience. All of this reflects a wellness marketplace that is growing rapidly and a consumer who is increasingly curious, informed, and discerning.

From an herbal perspective, these shifts invite a deeper conversation about where the industry is headed and what innovation really means when working with living plants.

The Acceleration of Format

Convenience is clearly shaping how natural products are delivered.

Powders, gummies, hydration formats, and grab-and-go supplements are meeting consumers where they are - busy, mobile, and looking for products that fit easily into daily routines.

At Herbs, Etc., we saw this interest firsthand with the introduction of ChlorOxygen® Lemonade Powder, a portable extension of our long-standing liquid chlorophyll formula. Many visitors came to our booth specifically to learn more about it, which reinforced something we’re hearing consistently across the market: people want products that are easy to use without sacrificing quality or integrity.

For many people walking the show floor, hydration had become almost a competitive sport. After hours of sampling powders, drinks, and functional beverages, our chlorophyll lemonade mocktail became an unexpected favorite, a simple reminder that sometimes the most refreshing solutions are also the most elemental.

Format innovation can absolutely support herbal medicine when done thoughtfully. But it also raises an important question for herbalists: does the delivery method support the nature of the plant and the way it works in the body?

Herbal medicine has always been about more than the isolated compounds in a plant. Preparation methods, extraction processes, and the relationship between plant and practitioner all influence how herbs support health.

When innovation respects those elements, it moves herbal medicine forward. When it doesn’t, we risk reducing plants to interchangeable ingredients.

The Era of Stacked Function

Another unmistakable trend at Expo West was the layering of benefits.

Products promising multiple outcomes like energy, hydration, immunity, mood, and focus  appeared across nearly every category. The idea of stacking ingredients and functions into a single product clearly resonates with consumers looking for efficiency.

Yet this trend also highlights a growing challenge.

Herbal traditions around the world have long understood that plants work best when used thoughtfully and in context. Formulas are built with intention. Plants interact with each other. Dosages and preparations matter.

When functionality becomes a race to include as many trending ingredients as possible, thoughtful formulation is compromised. And consumers run the risk of brands using ‘fairy dust’ amounts of that trending ingredient to jump on the bandwagon, ultimately sacrificing any real efficacious benefit for the consumer.   

Walking the aisles, it was easy to see how quickly ingredients can move from tradition to trend - adaptogens, mushrooms, hydration stacks, and nootropic blends all appearing across multiple categories.

The most meaningful innovation in herbal medicine isn’t about stacking more ingredients. It’s about deepening our understanding of how plant synergy works and delivering them in ways that preserve their integrity.

A More Informed Consumer

At the same time, something encouraging is happening.

Consumers are asking better questions.

Across the industry, there is growing curiosity about sourcing, processing, agricultural practices, and ingredient integrity. Conversations about ultra-processed foods and regenerative agriculture are beginning to influence how people think about supplements as well.

During Expo West, we attended gatherings that highlighted the role of seeds, biodiversity, and agricultural stewardship in shaping our food and medicine systems. Events hosted by the Non-GMO Project and A Growing Culture, for example, brought attention to the farmers and ecosystems behind the ingredients we rely on.

For those of us working with medicinal plants, these conversations feel especially important.

Plants are not manufactured inputs. They are living participants in ecological systems grown by farmers, harvested from landscapes, and shaped by soil, climate, and stewardship.

There’s real excitement around plant-based ingredients right now, which is encouraging. But herbal medicine reminds us that plants aren’t simply ingredients. They come from biodiverse systems of soil, seeds, growers, traditions of preparation, and the landscapes they grow in. When herbs are disconnected from those systems, we lose much of what gives them their true value.

This is one reason our team stays engaged with groups like the Sustainable Herbs Initiative, where companies, growers, and practitioners work together to protect the long-term sustainability of medicinal plants and the communities where they grow.

As consumers begin to look beyond labels and marketing claims, the brands that can speak authentically about where their plants come from and how they are grown will stand apart.

Experience Matters

One of the things that stood out most to me at Expo West this year was how many people came to our booth simply to reconnect with herbal medicine.

We spoke with longtime herbalists, curious newcomers, retailers, practitioners, and industry colleagues. Many were drawn to the new Herbs, Etc. branding, which reflects something that has always been central to our work: a deep connection between plants, people, and place.

Herbs, Etc. brings 57 years of herbal expertise to this work, grounded in a long-standing commitment to fresh plants, thoughtful extraction, carefully sourced botanicals, and expertly crafted formulations.

That depth of experience, along with the strength of our team, continues to shape how we approach formulation and innovation.

Our sourcing work is guided by herbalist Blaire Edwards-Maschotta, who works closely with growers and suppliers to help ensure the quality and integrity of the botanicals we use. Across the company, there is a shared commitment to honoring both traditional herbal knowledge and modern scientific understanding.

That perspective also surfaced in some of the conversations happening around the booth. During the show, SupplySide Supplement Journal editor Devon Gholam (https://www.linkedin.com/in/devongholam/0) stopped by to speak with herbalist and co-founder of Herbs, Etc. Daniel Gagnon, who has spent more than four decades working with medicinal plants and helped shape the early formulation philosophy behind Herbs, Etc.

Their conversation centered on a theme gaining attention across the supplement industry: the difference between longevity as a marketing trend and the deeper goal of healthy aging. (https://www.supplysidesj.com/healthy-aging/longevity-versus-healthy-aging)

From an herbal perspective, that distinction matters. Herbs rarely operate as quick fixes or single-function solutions. Instead, they support the body gradually helping restore balance, resilience, and vitality over time.

Experience matters in a rapidly evolving market. Trends move quickly, but plants move on their own timelines.

The Opportunity Ahead

Natural Products Expo West always reflects the momentum of the industry - the creativity, experimentation, and sometimes the chaos that comes with rapid growth.

But beneath the buzz lies a meaningful opportunity.

The natural products industry holds enormous influence over supply chains, agricultural practices, and consumer understanding of health. The decisions brands make about sourcing, formulation, and transparency shape the future of herbal medicine.

Meaningful innovation doesn’t come from chasing every trend.

It comes from aligning new ideas with the deeper wisdom of plants.

When we respect the nature of the herbs themselves and the ecosystems that sustain them,  innovation becomes something more powerful than novelty. It becomes a way to strengthen the role of herbal medicine in modern health.

Expo shows us where the industry is going. Herbal medicine helps remind us where it should stay grounded.

And that’s a future worth cultivating.

By Sara Steinbeck.