Barrière is launching the world’s first lactose intolerance patch.
The brand, which debuted in 2020 and has since brought its signature vitamin patches to the relative mainstream — entering Walmart, Ulta Beauty and, in February, Target — is introducing its newest innovation: Dear Dairy.
Starting at $13 for a pack of 36, Dear Dairy is a patch that harnesses transdermal delivery to prevent and alleviate symptoms of dairy intolerance. It is powered by a 2.5-milligram dose of lactase enzyme, the same active harnessed in existing — usually ingestible — lactose intolerance supplements like Lactaid.
“The idea with this product is that you don’t have to make it complicated to enjoy dairy,” said Barrière cofounder Cleo Davis-Urman. “Sometimes people accept a format just because no one has brought a better solution to the market; it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better format, or even one people can adhere to.”
To best utilize Dear Dairy, users are meant to apply a patch roughly 30 minutes before consuming their first bite of dairy to clean, dry skin, in an area with minimal hair.
Barrière Dear Dairy
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Results of a two-week, in-home consumer study featuring 83 participants indicated that 76 percent felt less cramping after eating dairy, and more than 85 percent felt little to no discomfort two to four hours after consuming dairy.
For most users, Davis-Urman said, one patch will be effective in providing up to 12 hours of relief.
“[Dear Dairy] gives people the freedom to be spontaneous, and hopefully can make a meaningful impact on their day-to-day lives,” she said.
The patches will launch exclusively at Walmart and direct-to-consumer to start, and Davis-Urman expects the launch could do around $1 million in sales through the end of 2026.
From a design perspective, Dear Dairy is available in a “Milky Way” neutral set of prints, or, for those who wish to accessorize, a “Milky Treats” set which includes ice cream, croissant, coffee and other sticker designs.
The launch marks a firm expansion for Barrière beyond vitamin patches, which have been the brand’s M.O. for most of its journey. Last May, though, the brand introduced an NAD+ patch after the longevity-boosting enzyme became popularized via IV therapy by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner.
The NAD+ patch has since became Barrière’s bestselling product, outpacing more general-appeal offerings like its sleep, calm and skin support patches.
Barrière
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“That launch gave us the confidence to pursue some other ideas that we’ve had, that we just haven’t been sure about when we can bring to market,” said Davis-Urman, adding that further additions beyond the vitamins category are slated for the second half of 2026. Competing wellness patch brands like PatchMD and PatchAid, meanwhile, have similarly played mainly in vitamins.
“We have a very open dialogue with our customers and community, and that has informed a lot of the decisions that we’ve made in our R&D track,” she said. “Dear Dairy unlocks a lot of opportunity to support not only our existing customers, but to reach new customers who are looking for a more realistic solution and [want to] live their lives with fewer restrictions.”
