Growth in the UK over-the-counter (OTC) and winter remedies sector is primarily driven by strained NHS access pushing consumers toward self-care, high seasonal incidence of respiratory bugs, and proactive promotion of self-medication by bodies like the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB).
Long wait times and difficulty booking face-to-face GP appointments encourage patients to treat self-limiting conditions independently.
Around 84% of UK adults view self-care as their primary choice for managing minor ailments.
Relying on OTC remedies helps UK employees reduce absenteeism, saving billions in productivity losses.
Regular winter spikes in colds, flu, and sore throats create steady baseline distress purchases for decongestants and throat care.
Government and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) initiatives encouraging the reclassification of prescription medicines to OTC status open new product categories.
UK consumers are increasingly prioritising self-care for minor health issues, with 83% managing minor ailments without visiting a GP and 91% using over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in the past year (PAGB Self-Care Census 2025). As winter approaches, consumer demand for familiar, trusted remedies remains strong despite economic pressures.
Elizabeth Hughes-Gapper, Jakemans Senior Brand Manager, highlights the enduring strength of brand loyalty in the OTC market: “While some shoppers may consider trading down to own-label products, trust in established brands remains strong when purchasing OTC remedies.”
Navigating store shelves relies heavily on brand recognition, with 93% of branded OTC buyers utilising brand names to guide their purchases (Kantar, Winter Category Review 2025). Maintaining its position as the UK’s No.1 cough and throat lozenge brand, Jakemans continues to anchor the category through core bestsellers such as Throat & Chest, Honey & Lemon, and Cherry (Kantar, 2026).
Shopper preferences are also evolving toward greater flavour variety and healthier formats. For 62% of UK lozenge buyers, flavour is more important than format, while almost half of consumers actively seek sugar-free or reduced-sugar confectionery. To address these shifts, Jakemans is expanding its core offering with permanent additions, including Sugar Free Summer Berries and the upcoming Autumn rollout of Blood Orange & Warm Spice.
Hughes-Gapper emphasises the need for tailored wholesaler strategies to capture broad demand: “Wholesalers should avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach; a balanced range combining established bestsellers, modern flavour profiles and different formats will help retailers meet a broad range of shopper needs throughout this winter season.”
She further notes the impact of product innovation: “Flavour innovation and sugar-free alternatives remain key trends for consumers that wholesalers should be aware of. Sixty-two per cent of UK lozenge buyers say flavour matters more than format, making a varied range important for driving trial and repeat purchases.”
To maximise winter sales, wholesalers should implement clear signposting, brand blocking, shelf-ready packaging, and maintain consistent stock availability throughout peak seasonal demand.
The UK over-the-counter (OTC) market is projected to reach £3.6 billion by the end of 2025, driven by a strong consumer focus on self-care and brand loyalty. Cold and flu remedies remain a top three sales driver, with the cold and flu decongestant category currently valued at £440 million.
Rachel Realf, Olbas Brand Manager, highlights that natural self-care and brand trust are central to current consumer purchasing behaviour: “The PAGB’s 2025 Self-Care Census found that one in five UK adults actively prefers to manage minor health conditions using natural treatments, while 53% want more OTC medicines made with natural ingredients.”
Brand recognition continues to guide consumer choices, as 93% of branded OTC buyers use the brand name to choose the right medicine, and 77% select branded options at least some of the time (PAGB Self-Care Census Report, 2025). Olbas remains the UK’s No. 1 decongestant oil brand (Circana Total Market, 52 w/e 26 Apr 2025), with Olbas Oil holding its position as the nation’s favourite decongestant oil (Circana, Volume Sales, 52 w/e 1 Mar 2025).
To address evolving demands, the brand is introducing Olbas Pelargonium Herbal Cough & Cold Relief Tablets for 2026—extending the range into herbal, sugar-free, alcohol-free, and gluten-free traditional remedies. Realf notes that convenience is another primary driver: “Convenience and format are also important, with shoppers looking for products that fit easily into everyday routines. Within the cold and flu decongestant category, tablets are the fastest-growing format by value share.”
To maximise seasonal performance, Realf advises retailers on optimal channel execution: “Retailers should provide a well-rounded range that combines trusted brands, natural solutions, family-friendly options and different formats. Stock early and maintain strong availability ahead of peak seasonal demand.”
Olbas, the UK’s No.1 decongestant oil brand (Circana), is extending its trusted range with the launch of Olbas Pelargonium Herbal Cough & Cold Relief Tablets, providing pharmacies and retailers with a naturally derived herbal medicine to meet growing consumer demand for natural cough and cold solutions.
Offering naturally derived relief from within, the new tablets are a traditional herbal medicinal product used to relieve the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, including the common cold, coughs, sore throat, and blocked or runny nose, based on traditional use only.
Containing a medicinal extract from the roots of Pelargonium sidoides, a plant with a long history of traditional use in respiratory care, Olbas Pelargonium is suitable for adults and children aged 12 and over. The easy-to-take tablet format fits conveniently into consumers’ daily routines, with one tablet taken three times daily (morning, midday and evening). The tablets contain no added sugar, no alcohol and are gluten-free. Recovery is a journey. Olbas is there to help consumers every step of the way – whether at home or on the go. New Olbas Pelargonium supports relief from within, while the wider Olbas range helps consumers to breathe easier and feel more comfortable throughout their recovery.
New Olbas Pelargonium tablets help relieve cough and cold symptoms from within.
Olbas Oil, Olbas Inhaler and Olbas Nasal Spray help clear blocked noses and ease congestion.
Olbas Shower and Olbas Bath products help to create comforting moments when consumers are under the weather.
Together, the Olbas range helps shoppers to find relief on their natural road to recovery.
The launch comes as demand for natural self-care continues to rise. The PAGB’s 2025 Self-Care Census found that one in five UK adults actively prefers to manage minor health conditions using natural treatments, while more than half (53 per cent) want more OTC medicines made with natural ingredients (PAGB). This shift is being led by younger shoppers, with Gen Z and millennials now accounting for a disproportionate share of wellness spend (McKinsey).
For wholesalers and retailers, the commercial opportunity is clear. The cold and flu decongestant category is currently worth £440m (Circana), and tablets are the fastest-growing format by value share (Circana). With relatively few Pelargonium tablets currently available in the UK, Olbas Pelargonium provides retailers with the opportunity to introduce a different herbal medicine into a growing segment.
Consumer confidence in pelargonium continues to strengthen. The NHS now references pelargonium as a herbal option that people aged 12 years and over could consider for the relief of cough symptoms, helping reinforce awareness of the ingredient among self-care shoppers. As the UK’s No.1 decongestant oil brand (Circana), Olbas also brings the reassurance of a trusted household name to this growing category. This is particularly important at fixture, with PAGB research showing 93 per cent of branded products purchasers use the brand name to help them choose the right medicine, and 77 per cent choosing branded medicines at least some of the time.
Realf says: ”Olbas has helped families manage coughs, colds and congestion for generations. The launch of Olbas Pelargonium extends that trusted heritage into a growing area of natural self-care, offering shoppers a traditional herbal medicine that provides naturally derived relief from within while complementing the wider Olbas range.
“For retailers, it represents an opportunity to meet increasing demand for natural cough and cold solutions with a trusted brand, while bringing a differentiated licensed herbal tablet to one of the fastest-growing formats in the category.”
Consumers are increasingly taking charge of their health, often researching symptoms online or via AI tools before seeking treatment. However, Jonathan Groves, Executive Chairman of Lanes Health, emphasises that informed shoppers still seek the reassurance of established, recognisable over-the-counter (OTC) brands. Lanes Health research shows that 80% of industry professionals consider long-established brands well-positioned to support preventative care and self-management by combining familiar products with clear guidance.
Brand loyalty remains a significant driver in the OTC market. According to Lanes Health research, 62% of consumers would stick with a trusted, long-established brand even if a cheaper competitor became available, while 78% are more likely to try a new product if it originates from a recognised name.
Groves notes that modern lifestyle trends—such as sugar-free options, natural ingredients, and convenient formats—have transitioned from temporary preferences into essential core requirements.
These demands are now embedded across Lanes Health’s portfolio through products like sugar-free Jakemans lozenges, Olbas Breathe Easy Patches, Olbas Shower Gel, and Pro Plus Fizz. Furthermore, ethics and transparency play a growing role in purchasing decisions: “Sustainability and transparency are also becoming commercial considerations, with 64% of consumers saying they would stop buying from a company whose values no longer matched their own.”
Addressing category strategy, Groves advises wholesalers and retailers against reactively chasing short-term fads: “Innovation matters, but it should answer a genuine consumer need and have a clear role within the category. The strongest ranges balance familiar products, which provide trust and repeat purchase, with relevant newer formats such as sugar-free lozenges, innovative formats and effervescent formulas.”
To maximise winter sales, Groves highlights the importance of early planning and localised range planning: “Wholesalers should plan early for the winter peak, ensuring trusted cold and flu brands are well stocked, visible and easy to find.”
More UK adults are adopting a self-care approach to health issues, with over 90% feeling confident using OTC medicines (PAGB, 2026). Self-care yields substantial systemic benefits, saving the NHS an estimated £6.4 billion annually, with an extra £1.7 billion in potential savings (PAGB, 2026).
Georgina Crawford, Marketing Manager for Northern Europe at Kenvue, notes the shift toward proactive health management: “People are taking a more proactive role in managing their health, whether that’s through rest, hydration, immune support or keeping trusted healthcare products at home.”
Brand recognition remains key to navigating shelves, with 77% of consumers choosing branded OTC remedies and 93% using brand names for guidance (PAGB, 2026). Kenvue leads winter categories with market-leading brands including BENYLIN®, CALPOL®, and SUDAFED® (Nielsen + Amazon, 2026). Bestsellers include BENYLIN® Chesty Coughs Non-Drowsy 150ml, CALPOL® Infant Suspension Sugar Free Strawberry 100ml, and SUDAFED® Blocked Nose Spray 15ml (NielsenIQ, 2026).
Digital adoption is accelerating, with 25% of shoppers using generative AI tools (Capgemini, 2026). Crawford highlights the evolving ways consumers seek advice: “Where consumers may once have relied primarily on search engines to look up symptoms, treatment options or healthcare products, many are now also turning to AI-powered tools for information and guidance.”
To cater to demands for convenience, Kenvue is introducing the new BENYLIN® All-In-One range, featuring syrup and non-medicated lozenges to treat dry or chesty coughs alongside sore throats. Marketing plans focus on social-first content aimed at 18–24-year-olds (Kenvue, 2025), expanding CALPOL® SixPlus awareness, and driving growth for SUDAFED® Plus following its GSL switch.
Crawford reinforces Kenvue’s overall channel objective: “Across our portfolio, our focus is on ensuring consumers can access relevant information and trusted products, while keeping our brands connected to evolving consumer needs and behaviours.”
Consumers are taking an increasingly proactive approach to everyday health, using functional supplements as a core part of preventative seasonal routines. Busy schedules are driving interest in accessible wellbeing solutions that fit seamlessly into daily life.
Smith Feeney, Co-founder of Love Mushrooms, notes that consumers are looking beyond traditional seasonal remedies: “While vitamin C remains a trusted staple, particularly among older generations, growing awareness of the wider role of nutrients such as vitamin D in supporting immune health is encouraging shoppers to look beyond traditional remedies and incorporate health products into a more balanced lifestyle.” This shift is accelerating demand for portable, versatile formats over traditional pills. In response, Love Mushrooms is expanding its offering with products like the Focus Lion’s Mane Liquid Plus Drops, launched in August to support cognitive function and immune health using specialised ultrasonic extraction.
Feeney highlights convenience and absorption as major factors in consumer preference: “Love Mushrooms’ potent liquid drops reflect this shift by offering a concentrated, travel-friendly solution designed for everyday health and wellbeing. Love Mushrooms is the only mushroom supplement company in the UK harnessing the groundbreaking benefits of ultrasonic extraction with mushrooms in liquid drops: offering potent extracts that are easily absorbed by the body.”
Functional mushrooms—such as Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps—are becoming mainstream superfoods, especially among younger and wellness-focused demographics. Lion’s Mane remains the brand’s best-selling SKU across both capsule and liquid formats.
To maximise channel sales, Feeney emphasises the role of education and transparent messaging: “Brands should focus on meeting evolving consumer expectations around health, functionality and transparency, while ensuring plant-based supplements remain easy to understand and access.
Clear messaging around ingredients, nutritional value, and functional benefits will be essential to building consumer trust.”
Wholesalers can optimise category growth by stocking a diverse selection of formats—including liquids, capsules, and functional foods—while cross-merchandising supplements alongside broader seasonal health ranges.
Love Mushrooms, the UK’s award-winning mushroom supplement brand, has unveiled its latest Focus Lion’s Mane Liquid Plus Drops Range – created to support everyday wellbeing.
This builds on their existing line of Liquid Drops, featuring Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, and Reishi, available in 30 and 50ml.
The new range includes Focus Lion’s Mane + Magnesium Liquid Plus Drops and Focus Lion’s Mane + Ashwagandha Liquid Plus Drops, developed to aid consumers looking to improve their cognitive function and immune system, as well as overall health and vitality. Ashwagandha is known to support overall wellbeing, while Magnesium reduces fatigue and aids nervous and psychological function. All products are vegan-friendly and alcohol-free.
Expertly formulated to ensure strong effectiveness and easy absorption, these drops are created using the groundbreaking benefits of ultrasonic extraction, a method that Love Mushrooms is currently the only UK mushroom supplement company to harness.
Co-founded by mushroom expert Smith Feeney in the Scottish Highlands, Love Mushrooms specialises in high-potency supplements that blend traditional mycology with modern biotechnology.
Smith Feeney says: “As people are beginning to take their day-to-day wellbeing much more seriously, we’ve created these convenient drops that can naturally support overall health and wellbeing and boost energy. We understand that most people are incredibly time poor, so the drops provide a quick solution that can be added to the customer’s food or drink, easily incorporating wellness into busy lives.”
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