When Dan and I first started Extracted, it was born out of a very personal struggle: years of battling crippling insomnia, with no apparent fix. We knew there had to be a better way to naturally support my (and other people’s) wellbeing. It was this initial spark that led to the launch of our flagship product, Sleepee, which went on to change my life and the lives of thousands more.
From then, we’ve continued to create natural supplements that genuinely improve people’s health and wellbeing. But nothing has been as deeply personal - or as powerful - as the journey towards Utee, our latest innovation in UTI management.
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Why UTI Support Matters
The R&D stage for Utee involved delving into a lot of reports, studies and articles* on the prevalence and impact of UTIs. I was pretty taken aback by some of the stuff I read…
UTIs are the leading cause of sepsis
Every year, around 200,000 hospital admissions are a result of UTIs
Between 2023-24, UTI treatment cost the NHS £604million
Around 1.7 million suffer from chronic UTIs in the UK alone
33% of women will experience a UTI before they turn 24
Surprised? I was. But I guess that just shows how UTIs are yet another women’s health issue that simply isn’t getting enough attention (don’t worry, I’ll save the medical misogyny rant for another day / article).
Despite how widespread (not to mention debilitating) UTIs are, solutions were only focused on short-term fixes. Things like antibiotics can be effective in treating infections, but what about prevention?
To us, it was clear: like other areas of women’s health, there was a gaping gap in the market for a holistic, natural solution that would help treat AND prevent UTIs. A little like Ant and Dec, it only really works if they’re offered together.
Challenge: Accepted!
I should now of course mention that Utee all came about after a conversation I had with women’s health advocate, TV presenter, long-time Sleepee fan and all-round legend, Cherry Healey.
Cherry has suffered from recurring UTIs since childhood. She’s been refreshingly honest about her experiences in the past, helping to shift the stigma surrounding them. Appearing on This Morning last year, she spoke about how a UTI resulted in her collapsing at a friend’s wedding, being hospitalised for five days, and then getting permanent scarring on her kidneys as a result. So much for UTIs being a ‘slight inconvenience’, eh?
Suffice to say, UTIs have been the bane of Cherry’s life. And so, when she dropped in to our Extracted store, we got talking about how truly life-changing it would be if we could create a UTI supplement that would mean she needn’t take rounds and rounds of antibiotics.
Never one to turn down a challenge (especially if it has the potential to truly transform women’s lives), we gladly accepted.
After months of research and development, numerous conversations with women’s health and nutrition experts, a whole heap of IRL meetings / video calls / WhatsApp exchanges with Cherry, plus a consumer trial (which Cherry also took part in and reported ZERO UTIs in 9 months - a record!), we were finally ready to launch Utee to the world.
A Launch To Remember
… someone pinch me!
I speak for the whole Extracted team when I say we’re still buzzing from the Utee launch, held on the glam rooftop at London’s Soho House Greek Street. On the menu was a delicious sharing brunch, an expert speaker panel and goodie bags galore for guests, who fully committed to the ‘50 Shades of Cherry’ dress code.
I’ve personally never been in a room (or on a rooftop) with so many inspirational people at once. Among them, GPs, MPs, nutritionists, journalists and advocates - all invested in shaping the conversation around women’s health and making sure we’re actually heard.
To say the conversations were powerful would be an understatement. They were emotional at times, as we heard first-hand just how devastating UTIs can be - not just physically, but mentally too.
I had the pleasure of speaking alongside Cherry, who shared her lived experience of recurrent UTIs, as well as Dr Raj Arora and Dr Anisha Patel, who tackled antibiotic resistance, the dangers and emotional impact of UTIs, and UTIs in menopause. The room was full of nodding heads, “yep” replies, and women feeling empowered to open up and share their own experiences. Of which, there were many.
Honestly? Unforgettable.
A Dual-Action, All-Natural Solution
Utee is the very first supplement of its kind to offer natural, daily support to prevent UTIs and treat them at the first sign of a flare-up. The two-pronged approach combines:
- Utee Clear: High-strength D-Mannose + sodium bicarbonate sachets that help to clear out harmful bacteria from the bladder (you can take up to 3 during a flare up)
Utee Protect: A capsule taken every evening to crowd out the harmful bacteria in the bladder with the perfect blend of probiotics tailored specifically for the vaginal flora
Utee is vegan, gluten-free and thoughtfully formulated to empower women to take control of their urinary health.
Revolutionising UTI Support
SHOUT IT FROM THE (SOHO HOUSE) ROOFTOPS: UTIs aren’t just an inconvenience!
For millions of women, UTIs are a recurring burden that crushes confidence, comfort and quality of life.
At Extracted, our mission has always been to empower people to live healthier, happier lives with supplements that are natural, effective and rooted in science. Utee reflects everything we stand for: innovation born from lived experience, backed by research, and made for women everywhere who truly deserve better.
The Author: Toni Waterfall-Chapman
Toni is the co-founder of Extracted, where her journey into supplements began with a personal battle with insomnia. A copywriter by trade with a degree in English Language, she’s passionate about health, nutrition and helping people feel like the best version of themselves - naturally.
FAQs
How does Utee work?
Utee is a dual-action system designed to support long-term urinary health and early UTI symptom management.
Utee Protect is a daily capsule that contains probiotics to rebalance vaginal flora, as well as cranberry extract to support a slippery bladder lining, making it hard for bad bacteria to cling on.
Utee Clear sachets provide a high dose of D-Mannose, which attaches to bad bacteria and helps clear them out, together with sodium bicarbonate which raises urine pH levels to reduce acidity and discomfort.
Can I take Utee Clear or Utee Protect on their own?
The Protect capsules and Clear sachets target different areas of UTI prevention and management, so it’s important to take both. This is why they're only sold together and not separately.
Utee works best when taken consistently, specifically as the Protect capsules work to improve urinary tract health over time.
Does Utee replace antibiotics?
Utee is a natural, non-antibiotic solution and is not a replacement for medical treatment. It may help to reduce reliance on antibiotics by helping people prevent or significantly lower their risk of getting UTIs.
How do your subscriptions work?
Subscriptions are a convenient way to get your supplements delivered every month. After purchasing you will receive an email to manage your subscription.
You can cancel or pause at any time. We also send out handy reminders 3 days before you are billed so you know when your next pouch is on its way!
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
