Two years ago, the Slovenian private label food supplements company launched its Hydramin stick packs to support sugar-free hydration—a move that, according to PharmaLinea marketing and PR director Matevž Ambrožič, “has by far been the most successful product launch we’ve had so far.”
The formula uses AminoAbsorb, PharmaLinea’s proprietary technology that leverages amino acid transport pathways to enhance water and electrolyte absorption. It is formulated with hypotonic electrolyte levels for everyday hydration, rather than clinical rehydration.
“This expansion from hydration only being for sports people to hydration for everybody is still fueling amazing growth,” said Ambrožič.
However, he noted that hydration has become an increasingly crowded category, with multiple companies showcasing similar products across the show floor this year, including stick packs and even hydration ice pops.
“Everybody’s trying to get on board and a lot of companies making stick packs are getting into it,” Ambrožič said. “But many of them are either sugar-based, or they remove the sugar entirely because they want to be sugar-free and trendy, while ignoring the fact that sugar was originally there to activate hydration.”
PharmaLinea addressed this gap by developing the sugar-free hydration product that replaces sugar with the amino acid complex, he explained.
“The whole reason we went into hydration in the first place was because we saw a gap,” Ambrožič said.
PharmaLinea showcases hydration, skin and reaction tests at Vitafoods
PharmaLinea presented three quick wellness tests at the event in Barcelona: a saliva-based hydration test, an AI skin analysis, and a reaction time test.
The hydration test used a saliva sample and a sensor strip to measure electrolyte levels and estimate hydration, after which participants received their classic hydration product sample. The AI skin tool scanned the face and analysed features like colour, shine, and texture to assess skin condition, followed by a collagen hydration sample. The reaction time test measured how quickly participants responded to a visual cue and ended with them trying a creatine drink.
“Everywhere we go, the first conversation is always hydration,” Ambrožič said.
“Now we’ve been able to combine it really neatly with two other growing categories: creatine, which everybody’s talking about, and collagen for beauty-from-within products.”
The company has two additional new SKUs launching this year containing the two trending ingredients.
Another category-defining trend is the rapid growth of GLP-1 companion products, Ambrožič noted, with PharmaLinea experiencing increasing interest from pharmaceutical companies seeking hydration solutions tailored to users of GLP-1 weight management drugs.
“People on GLP-1 drugs are often poorly nourished so companies want us to include key vitamins and minerals that people on GLP-1 drugs are usually deficient in, so that’s another interesting category I think will grow really nicely.”
Furthermore, he noted that GLP-1 users may require higher hydration intake due to metabolic changes and common side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea, describing the GLP-1 sector as a significant “category accelerator” for hydration innovation.
Are electrolyte drinks necessary?
Despite some recent online criticism suggesting electrolyte products are expensive and unnecessary compared to water, Ambrožič stated that the company has not encountered significant skepticism from consumers.
“Some brands probably overclaim and suggest everyone should drink electrolytes constantly, but we don’t believe that,” Ambrožič said. “If you’re drinking enough water and getting enough salt from food, you’re probably fine.
“We recommend hydration products for common situations where people genuinely become depleted: travel, vomiting, diarrhea, hot weather, alcohol consumption, physical activity — situations where people often forget to hydrate properly.”
Ambrožič said hydration needs vary significantly depending on lifestyle, environment, and individual physiology, which is a trend he believes will increasingly drive personalized hydration solutions.
“Hydration should and could become personalized, using the same logic as vitamins and minerals,” he said. “We all have different needs.
“Hydration shouldn’t be an exception to personalization.”
The future of hydration
Ambrožič noted that the future of the category will likely combine core hydration products with additional functional benefits. While brands will continue to offer basic hydration products, they will increasingly expand into “hydration plus” formats.
“Hydration is physiologically connected to so many systems — cognition, energy, digestion — so it naturally lends itself to additional functions,” he said, outlining several future product opportunities for the brand.
“We’re planning an energy-focused hydration product using natural green coffee bean caffeine and B vitamins — basically a healthier alternative to energy drinks,” Ambrožič said.
He added that PharmaLinea is also exploring hydration products that support digestion through prebiotics, as well as products aimed at migraine support, although migraine-related claims present regulatory challenges because they can be classified as medicinal claims.
“In the US, brands can make stronger claims like ‘hydrates 3 times faster than water’, but Europe is more restrictive,” Ambrožič said.
“Fortunately, we can still use approved claims around nutrients like vitamin C, magnesium and chloride.”
