Plant-based health and wellness brand Apothékary finds its footing amid the wellness craze.
Apothekary
Beauty routines no longer center at skincare. Today’s experts tout that the best beauty routines actually start from within. In recent years, influencers and wellness professionals like Lauryn Bosstick, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Agatha Achindu have flocked to TikTok, showcasing their supplement routines and the foods they eat to achieve glowing skin, boost metabolism, and even reduce alcohol consumption. With more than 5 million posts on “WellnessTok,” the market and demand are there for brands to engage and educate consumers. This, coupled with the fact that the wellness industry is projected to reach $9 trillion by 2028, indicates an ongoing demand for the products and services offered.
Ulta, the largest beauty retailer in the U.S. known for its mass and specialty offerings, has taken note of this growing demand for beauty from within. Earlier this year, the retailer introduced its first-ever “Wellness Week,” where it discounted products ranging from tools to bath essentials by 30 percent off. In recent months, Ulta has been quietly building a wellness empire by hiring wellness-focused sales associates and expanding its assortment of sexual wellness and nutrition products.
One wellness brand that is shaking up the Ulta shelves is the Japanese-inspired Apothékary, which quickly sold out on Ulta.com following its soft debut in November 2024. Now, the little bottles of herbal drops are entering 350 Ulta stores nationwide this Sunday. With this Ulta launch, Apothékary is being celebrated as one of the retailer’s wellness hero products through a new Whole-Body Wellness Endcap (the displays at the end of each aisle, designed to celebrate a launch with extra eye-catching marketing) launching in stores this month, which will also feature Rosen, Blume, and BeautyStat.
Ulta Beauty customers can now shop four of Apothékary’s best-selling tinctures in-store: Wine Down, Take the Edge Off, Rosé-Tinted Glasses, and Blue Burn.
Apothékary
“Ulta is having its own moment where they want to be the go-to wellness resource, and it’s exciting to be one of their anchor brands,” says Shizu Okusa, who founded Apothékary in 2020.
“Ulta never had a non-alcohol and natural tinctures offering; they only had gummies, pills, powders.”
The serial entrepreneur previously launched Jrink, a cold-pressed juice wellness chain inspired by her own experience with burnout after working on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs. She often refers to Jrink as her first step from “Wall Street to Well Street.” When her cofounder left the company, she sold Jrink to Puree Juice Bar in 2019 (Okusa declined to comment on the deal size), primarily for its real estate assets, allowing her to retain the facility and team for their next venture. Okusa secured $500,000 in pre-seed funding from friends and family to launch her second business, Apothékary.
Apothékary founder Shizu Okusa is a former Wall Streeter turned wellness entrepreneur.
Apothékary
With Apothékary, Okusa set out to reimagine wellness through the lens of ancient Eastern healing. Walking through the aisles of CVS and Walgreens, she found herself struck by how heavily the shelves leaned on pills for every health issue. It wasn’t how she was raised. Growing up with clay pots, herbs, and mushrooms (her father was a farmer) Shizu returned to the traditional remedies of her upbringing. Her question became clear: “How do we bridge the time-tested Eastern herbal medicine with the needs of modern consumers, making it both accessible and aspirational?”
Known for Japanese-inspired plant medicine that appeals to the sober-curious consumer, Apothékary is ushering in a new era of beauty-from-within wellness. The brand has become a go-to for Gen Z and Millennials embracing less alcohol, more balance, and beauty from the inside out. One of its hero tinctures, Wine Down, a red wine alternative with adaptogenic herbs, first garnered attention on social media through the sober-curious movement.
For Shizu, the Ulta partnership is deeply personal. “I built this brand based on centuries-old Japanese traditions, tools my ancestors used to heal and de-stress holistically,” she said. “Ulta Beauty’s support signals that these ancient rituals can be just as relevant today, especially as younger generations reject extreme measures in favor of balance.”
And balance is precisely what shoppers are looking for. Apothékary’s Wine Down tincture, for example, recently completed its first clinical trial, with 86% of participants reducing their alcohol consumption, and over 60% reporting improved sleep. That same product is now sold alongside jade rollers and collagen powders.
Apothékary is part of Ulta’s Whole-Body Wellness Endcap.
Apothékary
“We’re so excited to bring Apothékary to Ulta Beauty, offering our guests a fresh way to embrace wellness as part of their everyday beauty rituals,” said Lisa Tamburello, Vice President of Merchandising at Ulta Beauty, said in an email statement to Forbes. “Apothékary’s plant-based tinctures are a unique addition to The Wellness Shop, especially as more of us are looking for natural ways to support balance and beauty from within.”
Behind the scenes, Apothékary has been building the foundation for long-term growth. The brand closed a funding round in November 2024, raising over $15 million. Investors included Shiseido’s VC fund, LIFT (Long Term Investments for the Future), alongside notable names such as Anne Mahlum, founder of Solidcore, and Stella Capital. It is currently closing a $10 million seed round. The round marks a key moment as Apothékary expands beyond its direct-to-consumer roots into retail. Besides Ulta, Apothékary’s $39 tinctures are also launching in 500 Sprouts grocery stores nationwide. Okusa notes she is investing further in Amazon sales, “which doubles year-over-year,” she says.
Capitalizing on the sober-curious Gen-Z crowd: Take the Edge Off Stress Relief Tincture by Apothékary is a non-alcoholic white wine alternative formulated with powerful nervine herbs which target the nervous system to help calm high stress
Apothékary
“We’re one of the very few brands that can be in natural grocery, healthcare, and beauty at the same time,” says Okusa. “We’re in a unique position to scale this business and through various distribution channels.” In addition to Apothékary’s retail footprint, she plans to expand headcount, which is currently at 60 employees.
Although the brand boasts its modern clinical trials, Okusa aims to stay rooted in its Eastern roots. She is launching “Journey East” Experiential Retreats, a series of experiential nervous system resets in Kyoto, Japan, designed to help participants disconnect and reconnect with themselves. The first sold-out trip is scheduled for November 2024, with plans to pilot affiliated networks globally. These week-long retreats, priced at $10,000 per person excluding flights, aim to provide a unique healing experience immersed in nature.
“Consumers are redefining what beauty means to them,” said Okusa. “It’s not about perfection or quick fixes, it’s about rituals, ingredients, and self-awareness.” As wellness continues to converge with beauty across retail, Apothékary is carving out a niche where functional wellness and ancient tradition meet mass-market appeal—and high-touch luxury events.
AloJapan.com