NJ native’s wellness brand makes Oprah’s ‘Favorite Things’ list

A popular nutritional supplement made by New Jersey native Dawn Russell’s wellness brand 8Greens has made it onto Oprah Winfrey’s iconic “Favorite Things” holiday list.

Released Nov. 1, the highly anticipated list shines a light on gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season and includes 104 items, ranging from jewelry to apparel to books to cookware to toys to skincare to smart home essentials.

Among the selections are 8Greens Peach Tea Effervescent Tablets and Peach Gummies. Made from spinach, kale, aloe vera, wheatgrass, blue green algae, barley grass, chlorella and spirulina, the tablets and gummies provide essential nutrients for energy and immune support.

Winfrey described the fizzy peach-flavored capsules as a great way to get your daily dose of vitamins. In her description, she noted, “One capsule equates to 15 cups of broccoli, six oranges, six cups of spinach, three cups of peas and seven cups of milk. The new peach flavored gummies are also delicious!”

With 87% of Americans failing to get their daily minimum requirement of greens, 8Greens strives to make it quick and easy to get a boost. From gummies to effervescent tablets, the products are all made from real greens and have no artificial colors or flavors.

In a video celebrating the brand’s inclusion in “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” Russell said, “This is a big moment for 8Greens.”

After recovering from stage three lymphatic cancer and discovering the power of real greens, Edison native Russell founded 8Greens in 2015 with the goal of making them more accessible to everyone. The products have earned the thumbs up from several celebrities, including Drew Barrymore, Zac Efron, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian.

Besides Amazon, 8Greens is available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora, Target and 8Greens.com.

“Our goal is to get real greens into everyone, every single day,” Russell said.

This year, Winfrey wanted to showcase small businesses and partnered with Amazon to create the curated list. The e-commerce giant also made it easier than ever to identify small businesses on its website, including many of the items featured in Oprah’s Favorite Things, with a new “Small Business” badge. 

In a statement, Winfrey said, “Think family-run, local makers, BIPOC- and woman-founded and more! No matter who you’re shopping for – friends, spouse, favorite teacher, a new grandbaby – we’ve got something that will let them know how much they matter!”

This year, 84% of the items selected by Oprah are from small businesses and available for purchase exclusively at amazon.com/oprah and via the Amazon shopping app, so customers can support small while still enjoying fast delivery to their doorstep.