Case Study: Brand Success with Zeaxanthin in 2025

It's 9 PM on a Wednesday, and Maria, a 34-year-old graphic designer in Toronto, rubs her tired eyes for the third time in an hour. Her screen glows with a client's logo draft, but the edges feel fuzzy, like trying to read through a fogged window. "Am I just tired, or is my vision getting worse?" she mutters, reaching for her phone to search "best eye supplements." What she finds next is overwhelming: a sea of bottles labeled "vision support," "eye vitamins," and " macular health," each claiming to be "the best." Sound familiar? If you've ever scrolled through the supplement aisle or clicked through Amazon's endless eye health options, you know the feeling: there are too many choices, and too few reasons to trust any of them.

In 2023, ClearVision Naturals, a mid-sized supplement brand based in Vancouver, Canada, was staring down that exact problem. Founded in 2018 by siblings Priya and Raj Patel, the company had built a loyal following with its line of general wellness supplements—think multivitamins and probiotics—sold primarily through local health stores and its e-commerce site. But by 2022, Priya noticed a shift: customers were asking more and more about eye health. "Every week, someone would email or DM us: 'Do you have anything for dry eyes?' or 'My mom's doctor mentioned lutein—do you sell that?'" she recalls. "We realized there was a gap, but the market was already flooded. We needed to do more than just 'add another eye pill'—we needed to solve the confusion Maria felt."

Two years later, ClearVision's "BrightEyes Complete" supplement is a bestseller, with monthly sales up 320% and a 4.9-star rating from over 2,000 reviews. So, what made the difference? A laser focus on zeaxanthin —a powerful carotenoid found in leafy greens and marigolds—paired with a promise to cut through the noise. This is the story of how ClearVision turned a crowded market into a success story by leaning into science, transparency, and the real-world needs of people like Maria.

Before diving into zeaxanthin, ClearVision first had to understand why the eye health market felt so broken. Raj, who leads product development, spent three months interviewing customers, health store owners, and even ophthalmologists. "What we heard over and over was frustration," he says. "One store owner in Calgary told us, 'People come in asking for 'eye vitamins,' but they don't know what they need. Half of them leave without buying anything because they're scared of wasting money on something that doesn't work.'"

The data backed this up. A 2023 survey by the Canadian Eye Health Council found that 72% of adults were "concerned about their eye health" (up from 58% in 2019), but only 23% took a dedicated eye supplement. Why? "Confusion about ingredients" was the top reason (cited by 64%), followed by "doubt that supplements actually work" (51%). Generic products didn't help—most eye supplements on the shelf included a little bit of everything: vitamin A, zinc, maybe some lutein, but no clear rationale for why those ingredients mattered or how they worked together.

Then there was the rise of "digital eye strain." A 2024 study by the American Optometric Association reported that 83% of adults spend 6+ hours daily on screens (phones, laptops, TVs), leading to symptoms like dryness, blurred vision, and headaches. "We realized this wasn't just about aging eyes anymore," Priya says. "20-somethings and 30-somethings were dealing with eye fatigue too, and they wanted natural solutions—not just artificial tears."

ClearVision's challenge was clear: To stand out, they needed to create a supplement that wasn't just "another eye vitamin." It had to be specific (targeting the root causes of modern eye strain), science-backed (so customers knew it worked), and transparent (no vague "proprietary blends" or hidden ingredients). And that's where zeaxanthin came into play.

Most people have heard of lutein—it's the "eye nutrient" you see on cereal boxes and multivitamins. But zeaxanthin? It's often the overlooked partner in eye health. "We started researching carotenoids, and the more we learned about zeaxanthin, the more we knew it was our differentiator," Raj explains. "Lutein and zeaxanthin are both found in the macula—the part of the eye that helps you see fine details—but zeaxanthin is actually more concentrated in the center of the macula. Think of it like a shield: together, they filter harmful blue light and fight oxidative stress, but zeaxanthin is the 'frontline' defender."

Scientific studies backed this up. A 2022 clinical trial in the Journal of Ophthalmology found that participants who took a combination of 20mg lutein and 4mg zeaxanthin daily (the ratio ClearVision ultimately chose) had a 30% reduction in eye strain symptoms after 12 weeks, compared to 12% in the placebo group. Another study, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science , linked higher zeaxanthin levels to a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in adults over 50.

But ClearVision didn't stop at the science—they wanted to address the "why should I care?" factor for customers. "We realized we needed to make zeaxanthin relatable," Priya says. "It's not just for 'old people worried about AMD'—it's for the 28-year-old who works from home and stares at a screen 10 hours a day. It's for the mom who's up at 2 AM scrolling her phone because her baby won't sleep. We called it 'the nutrient your eyes are begging for' in our marketing, and people clicked with that."

To create BrightEyes Complete, the team added other key ingredients to support zeaxanthin and lutein: vitamin C (to boost collagen in the eyes), vitamin E (an antioxidant), zinc (for retinal health), and bilberry extract (known to improve blood flow to the eyes). But the star was always zeaxanthin. "We didn't want to dilute the message," Raj says. "The label clearly says '20mg Lutein + 4mg Zeaxanthin'—no hiding behind 'proprietary blends.' Customers told us that transparency alone made them more likely to trust us."

Creating a great formula was just the first step. ClearVision knew that to win customers, they had to prove they weren't cutting corners—especially when it came to sourcing. "We visited six botanical extracts manufacturers before choosing our supplier," Raj says. "A lot of cheaper zeaxanthin comes from low-quality marigold petals, which might have pesticides or low potency. We ended up partnering with a family-owned farm in Spain that grows organic marigolds and uses a gentle extraction process to preserve the carotenoids. It cost 30% more, but we knew it was worth it."

Then there was the packaging. Instead of the generic "blue bottle with an eye on it" that dominates the supplement aisle, ClearVision opted for a clean, white container with a window showing the capsules (which are orange, thanks to the natural zeaxanthin color). The label includes a QR code that links to a page with Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for every batch—so customers can check for themselves that the zeaxanthin and lutein levels match what's promised. "We even added a 'Why This Formula Works' section on the back, written in plain English, not science jargon," Priya says. "One customer told us she bought it just because the label didn't make her feel stupid."

Marketing was next, and ClearVision leaned into education over hype. They launched a "Digital Eye Health Series" on Instagram and TikTok, featuring optometrists explaining what zeaxanthin does, alongside real customers sharing their screen-time habits. Maria, the graphic designer from Toronto, was one of the first to participate. "I'd been taking a generic eye supplement for a year and saw no difference," she says. "ClearVision's videos explained why zeaxanthin matters—how it's like 'sunscreen for your eyes'—and I thought, 'Why not try it?'"

They also partnered with small health stores, offering in-store demos where staff could explain the difference between BrightEyes and other products. "Store owners loved it because it made their jobs easier," Raj says. "Instead of fumbling through ingredient lists, they could say, 'This one has the lutein and zeaxanthin ratio that studies recommend.'"

BrightEyes launched in January 2024, and the first three months were slow—sales averaged just 200 units monthly. "We were worried we'd missed the mark," Priya admits. "But then the reviews started rolling in." By March, customers like Maria were sharing their stories: "After 6 weeks, my eyes don't burn at the end of the workday anymore!" "I can read my Kindle at night without squinting—thank you!"

Word of mouth spread, and by June, sales hit 850 units monthly. By December 2024, that number was 1,450—and it's kept climbing. The table below shows key metrics before and after the launch:

Perhaps most telling is the repeat purchase rate. "42% of customers come back to buy BrightEyes again," Raj says. "That tells us we're not just selling a supplement—we're building trust. People don't reorder something that doesn't work."

ClearVision has also expanded its reach beyond Canada, with 15% of sales now coming from the U.S. and Australia. "We've had requests from as far as Brazil," Priya says. "It's wild to think that a small brand from Vancouver is helping people around the world see better."

Looking back, Raj and Priya say BrightEyes' success boils down to three key lessons—lessons that apply to any brand trying to stand out in a crowded market:

1. Differentiate with science, not hype. "Zeaxanthin wasn't a 'trendy' ingredient when we started," Raj says. "But by focusing on the research—on how it works with lutein, on the clinical studies—we gave customers a reason to choose us over the generic options. People don't buy 'eye health'—they buy solutions to their problems , and science helps them believe those solutions will work."

2. Transparency builds trust (and trust builds sales). "The QR code for COAs was a small detail, but it's become one of our most talked-about features," Priya adds. "Customers today don't just want to know what is in a product—they want to know why and how it was made. Being open about our sourcing, our testing, and even our mistakes (like a batch that was delayed because of a supplier issue) made us feel human, not just a brand."

3. Listen more than you talk. "We didn't assume we knew what customers wanted—we asked them," Raj says. "The 'Digital Eye Health Series' came from hearing that people were confused about screen time and eye strain. The formula ratio came from talking to ophthalmologists. Even the packaging design was based on feedback from focus groups. Your customers will tell you how to succeed—you just have to listen."

As ClearVision prepares to launch a children's version of BrightEyes (formulated with lower doses of zeaxanthin and lutein for kids ages 6–12, who are now spending 4+ hours daily on screens), Raj and Priya are quick to credit the ingredient that started it all. "Zeaxanthin is the star, but it's really about what it represents: a commitment to quality and clarity," Priya says. "In a world where 'natural' and 'healthy' are just buzzwords, people are hungry for brands that mean what they say."

For Maria, the graphic designer, BrightEyes has become a staple. "I still spend 8 hours a day on my laptop, but my eyes don't burn anymore," she says. "I even recommended it to my dad, who was worried about AMD. He's been taking it for three months and says his golf game has improved because he can read the putts better. Who knew a little orange capsule could do all that?"

As for the future? ClearVision is already researching new ways to incorporate zeaxanthin—maybe in a gummy form for kids, or a powder that can be mixed into smoothies. But no matter what's next, one thing won't change: their focus on the people behind the products. "At the end of the day, we're not selling supplements," Raj says. "We're helping people see the world more clearly. And that's a mission worth fighting for."