For all the noble intentions we have in matters of health, success simply comes down to consistency. Good practices call for just that: practice. With that in mind, the subscription-service model—which runs on autopilot (and autopay) and champions ease above all—proves to be a surprisingly effective wellness partner. Repetition is unavoidable when it literally knocks on your door. Here are three smart delivery companies—a savvy contact-lens brand with handsome packaging and fair prices; an oral-hygiene kit that ensures timely toothbrush swap-outs; and a ready-to-blend smoothie service that puts nutritious meals into the busiest of hands. Sure, you might think, how hard is it to buy dental floss? But trust us: The rewards—in quality, in convenience, and, yes, in future health—are worth it.
Hubble
Ever since Warby Parker put the direct-to-consumer model on the map in 2010, the eyewear start-up’s disruptive approach has been applied to everything from V-necks (Everlane) to razors (Harry’s) to mattresses (Casper). Now, vision comes back into focus with a cheery new subscription service called Hubble, which aims to revolutionize the way we procure our contact lenses. Twenty-somethings Jesse Horwitz and Ben Cogan—founders, friends, and comrades in near-sightedness—unwittingly began their research years ago, “paying out the nose for contacts,” says Cogan, whose curiosity was piqued when his usual order drastically spiked in cost. What he learned—that four large companies control the lion’s share of the American market, with wildly inflated prices to match—led to a business plan and, soon, a trip to Taiwan, where he and Horwitz found a top-notch (and FDA-approved) factory to help them shake up the lens landscape. (As for the brand’s effervescent-sounding name, which nods to the famed space telescope? “My girlfriend is an astrophysicist,” explains Cogan.) Hubble’s daily-use contacts come at a relative bargain ($30 per month, or $264 for a year’s supply) and in zippy, colorful packaging by the Brooklyn design firm Athletics. What good is a contact-lens reboot if it’s not easy on the eyes?
Daily Harvest
‘Fast food’ is not a label often attached to chef-made smoothies packed with chia seeds and kale, but how else do you describe a 30-second meal? Daily Harvest’s Rachel Drori hit upon her business idea when, as a time-strapped working mom, she found a way to streamline the week ahead: portioning out her fruits, leafy greens, and superfoods into pre-bagged, ready-to-blend mixes. Now, your freezer can be just as conveniently stocked, courtesy of her handsome subscription service, which launched nationwide earlier this year. The 14 recipes, developed with an in-house chef and nutritionist, feature ingredients ranging from the antioxidant-rich (camu camu, cacao) to the plant-powered (hemp protein, avocado) to the blessedly caffeinated (green coffee, matcha). Even the packaging is on point: paper cups with straw-friendly to-go lids. Later this year, Daily Harvest upgrades another mealtime staple—instant soup—with three versions centered around flash-frozen organic produce. Mushroom + Miso comes with butternut squash “noodles” and powerhouse reishi and chaga; Zucchini + Black Garlic riffs on minestrone; and Coconut + Carrot borrows flavor notes from Thai curry. Six-packs for both options, hot or cold, start at $48.
Tulip
Your dentist is likely to ask how often you floss (“Why, daily,” you respond), but here’s a question: When was the last time you replaced your toothbrush? After all, an implement for cleaning should be as clean as can be, and the truth is, the bacteria in our mouths eventually wind up hanging out there, too. With Tulip, a new oral-care delivery service that launched this summer, your twice-daily essentials—toothbrush, toothpaste, floss—arrive in a fresh batch ($12) every two months, taking the guesswork out the equation. Tipped in lime green, Tulip’s patent-pending brush is densely packed with ultra-thin “angel hair” bristles and features an activated-charcoal strip for natural detoxification. Meanwhile, the mint paste—FDA-approved and formulated with fluoride—is as crisp in design as it is in flavor. The company will later roll out an expanded catalogue, including four additional colorways for the toothbrush (we’re eyeing the subdued gray), plus toothpaste and floss in both lavender and coconut. With elevated takes on flavor and packaging (not to mention the unshakeable feeling of a gift that snail mail brings), what might once have been framed as a chore is now a newly minted part of your beauty routine.
NOVEMBER 1, 2016 6:47 PM
by LAURA REGENSDORF
VIA Vogue.com
