Eye wellness innovation: Cross-category benefits, trending formats & multi-generation vision support

The eye health industry is pivoting from age-related reactive care to proactive, lifestyle-driven support for all demographics, as screen time is now a universal constant. While addressing common concerns of digital eye strain and dry eye, multifunctional neuronutrients today are also helping bridge the gap between vision performance and other health areas like cognition.

Innovations this year are focusing on fast-acting botanicals, naturally derived actives for preservative-free formulations, and consumer-friendly formats like gummies and functional beverages that bypass traditional pill fatigue.

Nutrition Insight speaks to Kemin and Unibar Corporation about evolving delivery formats for eye health, the expansion of carotenoids into pediatric and maternal nutrition, and emerging commercial opportunities in women’s health and longevity.

Tyler Holstein, global product manager for Carotenoids at Kemin, underscores: “Eye health is no longer a niche concern for older adults — it’s now relevant across all ages, especially in our screen-driven society. To meet the needs of a wider, more varied demographic, product formats are evolving to meet preferences for convenience, taste, and enjoyable experiences.”

Eye health supplements are shifting away from a more medicinal positioning and becoming part of everyday, lifestyle-driven supplement routines.As a result, he notes eye health supplements are shifting away from a more medicinal positioning and becoming part of everyday, lifestyle-driven supplement routines. 

Mit Mehta, director of Strategy and Business Development at Unibar Corporation, echoes this sentiment.

“While supplements and capsules remain the leading product formats for eye wellness support, we’re seeing rising consumer interest in formats such as gummies, gel packs, and even concentrated liquid tinctures that can be added to water and other beverages,” he highlights.

“Looking ahead, two whitespaces stand out. First are ready-to-drink functional beverages targeting screen fatigue, dry eye, and other eye health conditions. Second are preservative-free ophthalmic formulations using naturally derived actives. Current pharma eye drops are often preservative-heavy and can worsen irritation.”

“The regulatory pathway for this type of innovation would be challenging. However, whoever can identify a solution here has the potential to capture a large segment of the eye wellness market,” he notes.

Regulatory challenges

Holstein at Kemin underscores that regulatory changes present both challenges and opportunities as commercializing eye wellness ingredients become increasingly complex, shaped by diverse, evolving — and often fragmented — global regulations.

“In regions like the EU and UK, claims about vision improvement are restricted under the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation — only approved statements are allowed,” he notes.

“Conversely, the US permits broader ‘structure/function’ claims under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, while Asian markets are progressing rapidly with region-specific approval pathways that can be intricate to navigate.”

Ayurvedic vision support

Unibar Corporation’s latest innovation is the release of EyeVedic, an Ayurvedic-inspired ingredient platform shown to support day-to-day visual performance.

The ingredient platform consists of science-backed carotenoids such as CapsiClear (capsanthin), UniGold (lutein), SeeXanth (zeaxanthin), and SeeBuck, a sea buckthorn oil standardized to 40% palmitoleic acid, one of the highest potencies, to support vision health.

“A key health condition fueling this innovation is the rising concern among consumers of all ages about dry eye. In fact, at the recent Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, it was estimated that nearly 50% of the US and European population experience dry eye,” explains Mehta.

Unibar Corporation offers EyeVedic, an Ayurvedic-inspired ingredient platform shown to support day-to-day visual performance.

“While traditional ingredients such as omega-3s have shown benefits for dry eye, these benefits tend to be realized over time. Innovative ingredients such as CapsiClear Capsanthin are fast-acting and have been shown in clinical studies to increase tear production, improve tear break-up time, reduce corneal inflammation, and support overall vision longevity.”

Eye health crossovers

Meanwhile, Kemin’s newest innovations in eye wellness reflect an evolution in how carotenoids are understood and applied, according to Joanne Lasrado, the company’s VP of sales and Global Carotenoids, Americas region.

“Rather than viewing lutein and zeaxanthin solely through an age-related eye health lens, Kemin has helped advance a broader scientific perspective that recognizes these carotenoids as multifunctional neuronutrients, supporting eye and brain health across all ages and life stages,” she details.

“This perspective has informed Kemin’s innovation strategy, reinforcing a focus on supporting proactive, lifelong visual and neural health rather than reactive management of age-related eye conditions.”

Kemin’s comprehensive and nutritional carotenoid portfolio features FloraGlo Lutein, touted as the most studied lutein brand for human health. Research suggests that lutein is not only concentrated in the retina but also selectively deposited in the brain — supporting visual processing and neural function. 

“Human clinical studies consistently show that FloraGlo lutein supplementation increases macular pigment optical density, a key biomarker of visual performance and protection,” highlights Lasrado.

“A growing body of neurocognitive evidence demonstrates lutein’s role in supporting brain function beyond visual processing, including enhanced neural efficiency and cognitive performance.”

Alongside FloraGlo, Kemin’s ZeaOne Natural Zeaxanthin ingredient represents the supplier’s expansion into zeaxanthin-specific innovation.

Kemin’s FloraGlo lutein is the first lutein clinically studied in healthy children consuming a Western diet at practical, efficacious doses, with validated safety across infants, children, adults, and older populations.“Zeaxanthin is a biologically distinct and coessential carotenoid that concentrates at the fovea, where sharp, detailed vision is controlled, and contributes to contrast sensitivity and protection from high-energy blue light,” says Lasrado.

“These core ingredients are further supported by newer formats such as MacuLZ and MacuLE, enabling more targeted, multifunctional formulations tailored to different life stages and performance needs.”

Support across life stages

Kemin highlights one study demonstrating that supplementation with FloraGLO Lutein and natural zeaxanthin during pregnancy significantly increases carotenoid levels in both mothers and infants, which helps establish a strong foundation for early visual and neural development.

“This work addresses a critical, historically understudied window of development and underscores the importance of nutritional carotenoids during early life, not only later adulthood,” says Lasrado.

“Innovation across childhood and adolescence continues this progression. Pediatric and adolescent studies — including the LuTeen study — show that a low daily dose of FloraGLO lutein, providing both lutein and zeaxanthin, supports visual health while also enhancing cognition and focus, and reducing screen-related eye strain in teenagers.”

Importantly, she notes FloraGlo lutein is the first lutein clinically studied in healthy children consuming a Western diet at practical, efficacious doses, with validated safety across infants, children, adults, and older populations.

“Together, these maternal, pediatric, and adolescent studies illustrate how Kemin’s innovation roadmap is actively shaping the future of eye wellness, which increasingly positions lutein and zeaxanthin as ‘future vitamins’ — multifunctional, evidence-based nutrients that support visual health, cognitive function, and developmental outcomes across generations.”

Eye on commercial opportunities

The experts highlight specific consumer groups for future commercial potential for eye health ingredients. “There are two key segments we’re keeping an eye on. No pun intended. One is women’s health, and the second is longevity,” says Mehta.

“In fact, due to menopause, perimenopause, and other hormonal factors, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with dry eye in comparison to men,” he notes. “These gender disparities are prompting brands to introduce women-specific eye health supplements, such as Meno by O-Positiv.”

Beyond gender-specific trends, Mehta observes the eye health category benefiting from the longevity macro trend. “Time and time again, vision loss is among the top three most concerning health factors when it comes to aging for supplement users,” he stresses.

“Age-Related Eye Disease clinical trial-based blends remain popular with many consumers. However, the high dose required (~800 mg) twice/day can become burdensome and hinder compliance for many consumers.”

“This is where branded ingredients like CapsiClear Capsanthin, which can provide complete eye health support with a 40 mg once-daily dosage, stand out for many manufacturers. As clinical studies on this carotenoid continue to be conducted and published, we anticipate more and more brands switching to a simpler, holistic, clean label ingredient like CapsiClear.”

Nutrition Insight also recently connected with Pharmactive Biotech Products on its latest nutraceutical solution, AffronEye, which is pegged as a next-generation eye health ingredient made from saffron. The company has adapted this ingredient to be applicable in lid mists — also known as eye sprays or liposomal mists.