Fertility Content Creator Demi Schweers Launches Iris Nutrition

In 2022, content creator Demi Schweers began sharing her infertility journey online. Now, three years later, with 382,000 followers on Instagram, she’s launching her own hormone health brand to support her community. 

“Hormone health deserves to be talked about every single day,” Schweers said. “It’s not something that just happens when you are right at that phase, ready to start your family.” 

Iris Nutrition launches on Monday direct-to-consumer and on Amazon with its first product, an Electrolyte Drink Mix, $60, available in Blood Orange Blackberry, Lemon Raspberry, Peach Prickly Pear and a variety pack. Industry sources said the brand could reach $3.5 million in revenue its first year. The name Iris is inspired by the Greek goddess, who is the goddess of messengers and rainbows, also a nod to Schweers’ daughter, who is a double rainbow baby (one born after two losses).

“Iris was born out of my personal journey. I navigated a year of infertility, had a miscarriage, found out I had PCOS, then we went through the IVF route,” said Schweers. “With that whole entire journey, the number-one thing was just balancing my hormone health and getting my body in the best position. There was months that I was spending upwards of $400 just to find the right vitamins and supplements.” 

Schweers’ cofounder Allison Escovedo Owen had similarly been struggling with PCOS since she was a teenager. 

“I remember when I was 18 and diagnosed with PCOS, my doctor gave me birth control pills and was like, ‘This is what you have to take for the rest of your life,’” she said. 

With this and her background in CPG, Owen knew they could create better products for women struggling with hormone health. Therefore, in January 2024, the duo set out to create an on-the-go formula. The final result is a powder-to-drink formula with vitamin B6, folic acid, and magnesium for cycle support; a 40:1 myo and d-chiro inositol blend for ovarian and hormone function; electrolytes for hydration, and a prebiotic fiber for gut health. To ensure the formula met all the key needs for women navigating hormone health and fertility issues, ages 20 to 40, Owen and Schweers also collaborated with Isabel Garza, a registered dietitian and women’s health expert.

“So many women are going through these different struggles and these challenges, and it’s confusing and overwhelming, and we don’t really even know where to start,” Schweers said. 

Having witnessed the confusion in the market, Schweers and Owen, who are both busy moms, opted for an easy-to-consume drink format over a fistful of capsules.

“The reason we landed on this was we knew we wanted it to be something that was easy to take every day and easy to integrate into people’s everyday lives. Demi and I found ourselves drinking these electrolyte drink mixes because having electrolytes and being dehydrated does affect your energy levels. We were like, ‘What if we could add even more benefits to it and make it so that you could have a one-stop shop every day that’s super tasty?’” Owen said, adding that the duo tested hundreds of flavor varieties.

Schweers added: “The electrolyte business has started to boom, and creating things that [have] electrolytes in it, but also packing in other vitamins and supplements is something that’s nuanced to this space still. I feel like we’re coming in at a great time.”

To spread the word of the launch, Schweers has been tapping into her community, which has steadily grown over the past few years as she shared her fertility journey.

“When I was going through it, we stayed silent for a little bit, and I was looking for someone who was speaking on it, and I couldn’t find anyone, let alone someone who looked like me,” she said. “I said, ‘Well, if there isn’t anybody, I have no problem being that voice,’” she said, adding that she has tapped her community to provide feedback on packaging and flavors.

While the brand is starting out with a solution for women in childbearing age, Owen and Schweers plan to develop products that target the entire women’s health journey.

“We want to be a one-stop shop when it comes to women’s hormonal health, so no matter what phase of your journey that you’re in, we hope to be the go-to brand for that,” said Schweers.