'Secret sauce': How the Dubai-born brand Humantra is revolutionising hydration

My social media is flooded with ads for it, everyone I know seems to swear by it, and now, after giving it a try back in January, I’m officially hooked.

Meet Humantra - a Dubai-born brand, incubated by the team at Huda Beauty Investments, revolutionising hydration and immunity support with its convenient, single-serving sticks packed with electrolytes and vitamins.

The journey of Humantra began in 2021, founded by Englishman Charlie Wright, who has called the UAE home for the past 11 years. Surprisingly, Wright’s venture into the health and wellness industry is a relatively recent chapter in his life.

After graduating from university with a law degree- despite admitting he never had any intention of becoming a lawyer - Wright moved to Dubai and began selling lights for a Swedish lighting manufacturer. It wasn’t his dream career, but the role offered him the chance to travel the world, explore different aspects of business, and collaborate with renowned brands like Nike and H&M.

Despite excelling in his role, Wright found himself questioning his path. At 27, he had an epiphany: if he could succeed at something he didn’t enjoy, how much more could he achieve doing something he was truly passionate about? This realisation drove him to quit his job and pursue entrepreneurship.

His first business venture was in the gaming industry, marking the beginning of a series of entrepreneurial endeavours. However, it wasn’t until Wright turned 32 and experienced a transformative period in his life that he made his first significant step into the health and wellness world—a move that would ultimately lead to the creation of Humantra.

“Up until I was 32, health and wellness were not a priority for me,” Wright told Gulf News when we met him at Humantra’s headquarters in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai.

“I think in the eight years that I had been in Dubai, I had never gone to the gym, I didn't look after myself, and I was really unhealthy—just a really dark period.

“I wasn't massively overweight, but I was just really unhealthy and unkind to myself. Then, unfortunately, when I was 32, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. I think because life at the time was quite difficult for me, I kind of used physical pain to mask emotional pain.

“This crazy sort of relationship with health and fitness began at that point. I was using it more as a crux - not really for the right reasons - but then it became such a pivotal part of my life.

"And then fast forward to today - without health and fitness, none of this would really be here. So, a bit of a long-winded story, going from being one of the unhealthiest guys that anyone would know to waking up at 4:30 every morning and training every day. Crazy story, but I wouldn't change it for the world.”

I’ll admit, I’m not much of a gym enthusiast - my treadmill and exercise bike encounters during eight years in Dubai could probably be counted on one hand. Still, I’m well aware of the crowded field of electrolyte powders and mixes, many of which have been around far longer than Humantra.

What sets Humantra apart, though, is its ability to carve out a unique niche. Instead of focusing solely on gym-goers and athletes training daily, the brand is targeted to everyday people - those who want hydration and immunity support that aren’t necessarily hitting the gym.

Wright sums it up perfectly when he tells me hydration is the “perfect unifier for such a mass pool of people, and one where we can speak to a huge demographic of people. The brand is called Humantra – all humans effectively - and hydration gave that to us.”

That inclusive approach seems to resonate. Many people I know swear by Humantra as part of their daily routine, feeling it’s designed just as much for them as for fitness enthusiasts.

By broadening their appeal, Wright and his team have clearly tapped into a winning formula that bridges the gap between lifestyle and performance.

“I think it comes down to impact,” he says when I put to him that Humantra are targeting the everyday man and woman rather than solely focusing on gym-goers.

“I think if you look at improving gym performance, people are looking for, depending on distance - let's say, running a 5K - they want to improve their time by 2-3 minutes. It's not a lot of improvement.

“Whereas the majority of people who aren't striving for a faster 5K, by experiencing the benefits of optimal hydration or proactive hydration, they're not going to feel 5% better - they’re going to feel infinitely better.

“More energy, their skin and hair health will improve - there are a whole host of more foundational health benefits than just athletic performance. I think, for us, that's of critical importance.

“While we are focused on this idea of everyone, everywhere, every day, we were the first brand in the GCC to be Informed Sport certified, so it means that athletes can use our products, and we have a whole host of world-class athletes using the product.

“The key sentiment that we get from a lot of the athletes using our product is they’re drinking our product in the mornings. They like to drink it with breakfast or before their coffee, and so they're using it outside of just sports performance.

“The market is very associated with replenishment or rehydration, whereas we're more focused on proactive hydration.

“I think, for me, it's all-encompassing—it's a really broad pursuit. I think it's quite beautiful that we've got some of the best Premier League footballers using the product, but, you know, my 70-year-old mum also uses it every day, as well as five- or six-year-old kids. I think there’s something beautiful about that.”

I first stumbled upon Humantra at the Dubai Desert Classic in January, where I was handed a sample pack. It didn’t take long for me to become hooked - so much so that it’s now a part of my daily routine.

Why? Quite simply, it tastes great (Elderberry is my favourite), and as someone who’s never been a fan of plain water (no matter how many people insist I need more of it), this was a game-changer.

I’ll admit, I’m no expert on the science behind electrolytes, vitamins, or the benefits of staying hydrated, but a quick look at Humantra’s website breaks it down for me. "Clear mind, sharp focus," one benefit proclaims. "Sustained natural energy," reads another. And my personal favourite? "Glowing skin and stronger hair."

Intrigued, I couldn’t resist asking Wright what makes hydration so vital.

“Consumerism has got us thinking now that everything we want from a drink perspective is everything that isn’t water,” he says.

“We wake up, and people want to go and spend money on coffee, energy drinks, and soft drinks - everything that isn't what our body really needs.

“Our bodies are made up of 60% water, our brains are made up of 75% water, so our body craves water. Yet the majority of us don't fuel it correctly. I was one of those people - I had horrific headaches and migraines for years. I used to wake up feeling tired, I used to get brain fog, and I just thought that was the norm and how everybody feels - in reality, that just isn't the case.

“I drink caffeine, I do like having coffee, but caffeine doesn't give you more energy; it just tricks your brain into thinking you’re less tired. Whereas I like to think that hydration is that natural energy booster, as our body wants water.

“If we give it water, it's going to flourish, and you're going to see not just a 1% improvement in how you feel - especially compounding daily - it’s going to feel infinitely better every day.

“You could just ask ten of your friends if they have drunk enough water today. I would say the majority of them would probably say no. We know we need to drink more water, and yet we still don't do it.

“From a hydration perspective, why are electrolytes important? To be optimally hydrated, you need a combination of water and electrolytes. All of the water that we're consuming now on a daily basis is actually stripped of those minerals or electrolytes that we really need.

“I think, often, the sentiment is that people don't look forward to drinking a glass of water, and we firmly believe that the products we produce - the flavours that we've worked tirelessly on - mean people are looking forward to drinking Humantra these days.

“They're looking forward to drinking water, and I think our number one review that we get from customers is that people are drinking more water than ever now and that they may not be able to drink water without Humantra, which I think, for us, is invaluable.”

Humantra seems to be everywhere I turn these days, so I was surprised when Wright revealed that they rarely seed the product to professional athletes. Instead, the brand relies heavily on organic coverage.

“There’s a secret sauce to it,” Wright says, describing the business as “incredibly serendipitous.”

The organic buzz has exceeded Wright’s expectations, but one name among their users stands out - golfing icon Rory McIlroy.

The four-time Major champion first encountered Humantra during the 2024 Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament he went on to win. The product had been stocked at the hotel where McIlroy was staying, and it clearly made an impression.

Not long after his record-breaking fourth victory at what’s often called the “Major of the Middle East,” Wright and his team spotted a Shopify order. The buyer? None other than the world’s second-ranked golfer, Rory McIlroy himself.

“I sent quite a few new voice notes to a few people,” says Wright on seeing that McIlroy had made an order.

“My wife, at the time, was still in Australia, and I was in New York, so she was fast asleep. Funny story - she has got no interest in golf whatsoever, and so the only way I could describe it was for her to imagine if Kim Kardashian just posted your product, and then she kind of understood where I was going with it!

“There has been a load of moments like that, where it's like, oh my god, this is insane, but that’s one that I'll always look back on as a really special moment.

“I’ve played golf for years as a kid growing up, so that one was a big one for us.”

Born in Dubai, Humantra has grown into a global brand, now available in several countries, including the UK, where it launched in 2023. Yet, despite its international success, Wright and his team remain deeply connected to their roots.

This connection is beautifully reflected in their latest flavour – Apricot - produced as a tribute to the Middle East and released during the holy month of Ramadan.

Although originally intended as a limited-edition offering, Wright admits the flavour is so delicious it might just earn a permanent spot on the menu.

“Flavours are critically important to us,” he says.

“We have a pretty solid new product development procedure internally as a team, and Ramadan always, for us, is so culturally relevant - we always want to make sure that we drop a flavour during Ramadan.

“Last year we did Rose, and this year we sat down as a team and ideated a load of different drinks. There's a traditional drink based in the Middle East called Qamar al-Din, so we tried some samples and made some tweaks.

“Apricot is iconic in the Middle East during Ramadan as well. When I tried this version of apricot - and I say this about all our flavours, they taste great - genuinely, this one is the best one we've ever made. 

“There's obviously no sugar in it, it will help you break fast, and there's chromium picolinate in the product as well, which actually curbs sugar cravings. So, it's going to help you move across the fasting state to the non-fasting state much easier as well.

“Ramadan flavours traditionally are meant to be limited edition and never come back, but I'd say there isn't a world in which I can live without this! So, let's see what happens.”

From personally handling customer queries while on holiday in the early days to navigating supply chain hurdles, Wright and Humantra have faced their fair share of challenges. Yet, they’ve emerged as significant players in the health and wellness industry, carving out a prominent niche for themselves.

Wright’s passion for the brand is undeniably infectious. Even after just an hour at Humantra’s headquarters, it’s clear that the team shares his enthusiasm and commitment to the product - something Wright frequently acknowledged and praised during our conversation.

With an organic marketing strategy most companies can only dream of and what Wright proudly calls a “best-in-class product,” Humantra’s trajectory shows no signs of slowing down. For this Dubai-born brand, the sky truly is the limit.

“I think the beauty of hydration as a category is that it doesn't discriminate,” he says.

“We want to build a legacy brand, and like I said earlier, we define everything we do through impact. While we’re born in Dubai, we are global in nature, but we’re also very methodical with how we grow, and it's about not doing too much and taking your eyes off the prize.

“The UAE is our home market, but the UK is our primary growth lever over the next 12 months. But we also want to grow outside of those markets. The wider GCC, Saudi in particular, is a key focus for us in 2025, and then further afield as well.

“We want to build a legacy brand. We want to build a global brand, with roots and a home in Dubai - we'll see where it takes us.”