11.10.2026
Formulation Index: September 2026 supplement demand
Brands asked Supplement Factory for 565 quotes from 183 companies in September 2026, against a three-month average of 581 quotes a month, and powder dominated: it took 57.9% of quotes, 7.6 points above its three-month average of 50.3%, and has risen for 4 months in a row. Capsule has fallen for 4 months in a row, to 16.6%. The largest move among the signals is the rest of the world, down 12.1 points to 16.3%, but quotes with no country recorded (a coverage note, not a signal) stood at 49.2%, 18.1 points above their average of 31.1%, so that fall may reflect missing country data more than a change in demand.
Formats: powder keeps rising
Powder took 57.9% of September’s quotes (327 quotes from 105 companies), 7.6 points above its three-month average of 50.3%. Capsule took 16.6% (94 quotes, 48 companies), 6.3 points below its average of 22.95%. Stick packs took 22.65% (128 quotes, 37 companies), 1.9 points below their average of 24.6%. Liquids took 0.7% (4 quotes, 4 companies).
Product categories: energy and protein above average, collagen down for 3 months
Energy took 15.9% of quotes (90 quotes, 30 companies), 4.5 points above its three-month average of 11.4%. Protein took 18.9% (107 quotes, 34 companies), 3.9 points above its average of 15.1%. Collagen took 13.8% (78 quotes, 36 companies), 4.6 points below its average of 18.4%, and has fallen for 3 months in a row. Sports recovery is the smallest of these at 8.5% (48 quotes, 14 companies), 1.6 points above its average of 6.9%, and has risen for 5 months in a row; within it, sports recovery in powder took 7.8% of quotes against an average of 3.3%, its 3rd month up. Beauty took 25.8% (146 quotes, 59 companies), 0.1 points below its average of 25.9%, which reads as level for the month. It is the fastest riser of the last week, which the rolling table below explains.
Ingredients: the B vitamins moved most
Vitamin B12 appeared in 51.7% of quotes (292 quotes, 94 companies), 10.7 points above its three-month average of 41.0%. Vitamin B1 reached 52.6% against an average of 42.4%, Vitamin B6 54.9% against 45.7%, and Zinc 56.6% against 50.35%. Calcium roughly doubled its share to 17.0% against an average of 8.4%, its 2nd month up. Pea protein, in its 3rd month up, took 13.1% against 8.1%, Inulin 12.9% against 7.6% and Copper 19.1% against 13.7%. Those eight are the largest rises among ingredients. Folate has risen for 5 months in a row, to 23.7% against an average of 20.35%.
The four largest falls among ingredients were L-Tyrosine, at 5.7% against 12.1%, Taurine, at 12.9% against 18.55%, Black Pepper, at 4.4% against 9.4%, and Vitamin B3, at 19.1% against 23.9%. Each has fallen for 2 months in a row.
Growing fast in the last 7 days
These signals took a larger share of quotes in the 7 days to 11 October 2026 than they did across the last 90 days. Rows below the Index publishing floor are left out.
This is a different window from the monthly figures above, and the two can point opposite ways. September is a closed month measured against its three-month average; this table measures the latest week against the last 90 days. Six signals here are below their September average and above their 90-day share this week: Capsule (down 6.3 points for the month, up 3.4 this week), Vitamin B3 (down 4.8, up 10.2), Hyaluronic Acid (down 3.2, up 4.3), Stick Pack (down 1.9, up 4.3), Vitamin E (down 1.1, up 6.7) and Beauty (down 0.1, up 10.1). Capsule is the sharpest of those: it has fallen for four months and still had its strongest week in three months. Both readings are published so that neither hides the other, and a single week is not a trend.
| Signal | Lens | Share of the last 7 days | 90-day share | Quotes in the last 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B3 | Ingredient | 34.4% | 24.2% | 54 |
| Beauty | Category | 38.9% | 28.7% | 61 |
| Biotin | Ingredient | 34.4% | 26.4% | 54 |
| Copper | Ingredient | 23.6% | 16.4% | 37 |
| Vitamin E | Ingredient | 20.4% | 13.7% | 32 |
| Vitamin K2 | Ingredient | 21.0% | 14.7% | 33 |
| Manganese | Ingredient | 12.1% | 6.3% | 19 |
| L-Glycine | Ingredient | 19.8% | 14.2% | 31 |
| Vitamin B5 | Ingredient | 34.4% | 28.9% | 54 |
| Stick Pack | Format | 28.0% | 23.7% | 44 |
| Hyaluronic Acid | Ingredient | 17.2% | 13.0% | 27 |
| Selenium | Ingredient | 23.6% | 19.7% | 37 |
| Capsule | Format | 22.9% | 19.5% | 36 |
Who is asking
New brands made up 84.4% of September’s quotes (477 quotes, 134 companies), 2.1 points below their three-month average of 86.5%; existing clients made up 6.0% (34 quotes, 8 companies), 2.2 points above their average of 3.8%.
By region, the UK took 31.9% (6.7 points below its average of 38.6%), the rest of the world 16.3% (12.1 points below 28.4%) and the EU 2.65% (0.7 points above 1.9%). 49.2% of the month’s quotes (278 quotes) have no country recorded, so these shares describe the quotes that do.
The Index is published each month from the previous month’s quotes, and the method and the earlier editions are on the Formulation Index page. Brands planning a product in one of these formats can ask for a quote or read about custom supplement formulation.
Questions and answers
What is the Formulation Index?
The Formulation Index is Supplement Factory’s monthly record of what brands ask it to quote, built from its own quoting records. It shows each format, product category and ingredient as a share of the month’s quotes, compared with its trailing three-month average. Rows below 20 quotes in the trailing quarter or 3 companies are left out.
How many quotes did brands ask for in September 2026?
565 quotes from 183 companies, against a three-month average of 581 quotes a month.
Which format was requested most in September 2026?
Powder, with 57.9% of quotes (327 quotes from 105 companies), 7.6 points above its three-month average of 50.3%.
Can a signal be down for the month and up this week?
Yes. The monthly figures compare September with its three-month average, and the rolling figures compare the latest 7 days with the last 90 days. Six signals read that way this week: Capsule, Vitamin B3, Hyaluronic Acid, Stick Pack, Vitamin E and Beauty. Capsule is the clearest example, down for four months and up on the week. The page reports both figures rather than choosing one.
Why do the region figures cover only part of the month?
49.2% of September’s quotes (278 quotes) have no country recorded, so the UK, EU and rest of the world shares describe the other quotes.
About the data
Figures from The Formulation Index, Supplement Factory’s own quoting records: 565 quotes from 183 companies in September 2026, counted once per quote per signal and compared with the trailing three-month average share, with rows below 20 quotes in the trailing quarter or 3 companies left out. The monthly figures and the rolling 7-day figures were read on 8 October 2026. Percentages are shown to one decimal place, or two where rounding would be ambiguous.
Reviewed by Lee Smith (Group CEO) on 2026-10-11.
This piece was prepared with Supplement Factory’s assistant from the firm’s own records and reviewed by Lee Smith.
