Opinion – Natural Beauty Yearbook

I had a conversation recently with an organic beauty expert who expressed genuine concern over the way in which we, as consumers, have been conditioned to buy cosmetics. Her fear is that many shoppers are enticed by premium designer labels rather than the contents of the product. The fact that these products often have overin- flated prices has in turn distorted consumer perspective of how much beauty products truly cost to make.

Her point is that while many shoppers are happy to pay upwards of £35 for a designer foundation, they will question the price of an unknown organic brand’s foundation despite its superior quality of ingredients and smaller profit margin.

She added that, more often than not, the bigger the price tag, the more a consumer is likely to trust and buy in to that brand because they believe there must be a genuine justification for such an eye-wateringly high fee. They refuse to believe that a £6 foundation often contains the same ingredients as a £40 one.

The holy grail of facial moisturizers, as endorsed by celebrities worldwide, is Cre?me de la Mer, which retails at a staggering £110 per 30ml pot (or, if you’re feeling flush, £1,370 for 500ml). I can find no list of ingredients on its website, but the product description informs me that the “heart of Cre?me de la Mer’s profound powers of transformation” lies in the secret of its “nutrient-rich Miracle Broth”. (I can’t help but wonder if it’s the same recipe as my mum’s chicken soup, because that too works miracles when feeling under the weather, but I digress.)

Although I don’t doubt that a drop of Cre?me de la Mer on each cheek will leave my skin feeling silky soft and hydrated, nothing short of cosmetic surgery can, in my mind, justify such a price point. My beauty expert and I can’t be the only ones who are questioning the marketing hype, who can see past the glossy packaging, and would prefer to pay face value for ingredients.

And please don’t misunderstand and assume that I’m simply a cosmetic Scrooge, because that really isn’t the case. Show me a nourishing argan oil serum, and I’ll pay whatever is required because I know full well how labour-intensive the journey is to get this prized argan fruit from seed to skin.

And there it is – product transparency – the real justification behind a premium price tag. And the reason for the latest big buzz launch – Beauty Pie. Masterminded by Marcia Kilgore, the brains behind Bliss Spa, Fit Flops, Soap & Glory and most recently Soaper Duper, the digital brand’s simple proposition is to cut out the middleman and allow shoppers to buy direct from the factories that also supply the majority of make-up to well-known luxury beauty brands. Those who sign up to Beauty Pie can buy a lipstick for £3.43, a mascara for £1.87, and foundation for a mere £5.29.

The Telegraph’s acting beauty editor Victoria Hall believes it to be a game changer, commenting: “The theory that ‘you get what you pay for’ has allowed the prestige cosmetics industry to thrive for years. However, it could all be about to change with Beauty Pie.”

It is unclear at the time of writing whether organic products are offered, but that aside, this is surely the long-awaited expose? the natural beauty industry has been waiting for. At last, consumers will be able to see the face value of beauty products – no marketing spin, no luxe packaging, just cost-price ingredients. That’s definitely the kind of pie that I will happily pay for a slice of.

Julia Zaltzmann is a freelance journalist and editor of Natural Beauty News.

Once a year, around the month of November, great minds from the natural beauty sector assemble at Diversified Communications HQ in Brighton to attend the Natural Beauty Roundtable. It’s a humbling experience to be part of, to witness the merging of expert opinions, to hear the knowledgeable speak from their perspectives, and to ascertain what new terrain our much-loved industry is embarking on.

What I found most revealing this time around, however, wasn’t the table’s desire for boundary-breaking innovation or their impassioned views on regulation, but instead a more self-effacing and introspective look at where to go from here.

Organic future?
There is no denying that the industry is indeed moving forward. The Soil Association continues to record around 20% growth each year, with the number of applicants increasing on average by 51% annually. But of course these statistics are only reflective of certified organic growth. As good an indicator as they are, what if organic isn’t the future of natural beauty at all? What if the focus is on sustainability instead?

The natural beauty industry has been marching to the beat of the certification drum for so long now that perhaps we’ve forgotten to tune in to the rest of the orchestra alongside it? Taking responsibility for our own health and beauty, and striving for an environmental, financial and ethically sustainable future, were the key points that seemed to truly resonate with all of the roundtable panelists.

I need a hero
It’s good to keep innovating, and definitely necessary to keep looking outside of our own sector for new, pioneering ideas, but not to the detriment of our existing creations. Particularly when retailers are telling us that 80% of their yearly sales are made up of ‘hero’ products.

Instead of following the mainstream beauty timeline, where new launches are old news within three to six months, we should be slowing down, taking our time and investing our energy and marketing skills in educating consumers. If the future of the industry is founded on sustainability, then ‘Slow Beauty’ seems to be the obvious next step.

New product development is what the consumer thinks they want, but it’s our job, as a sector, to show them what they really need. And that is ecological, justifiable, effective, viable beauty. If you get it right the first time, then there’s surely no need to keep reinventing the wheel.

New ingredients, evolving applications and innovative preservatives are always going to be at the forefront of an industry that is ultimately driven by a desire to look good. And there is no denying that it’s the exciting, fresh beauty inventions that entice customers through the shop door. But it’s not always necessary to be out with the old, and in with the new. Or more to the point, out with the local, and in with the organic.

Natural beauty: The shock of the not new

The beauty industry is in a state of perpetual reinvention, the need for constant innovation and ‘newness’ unquestioned. To some extent that’s true for the natural and organic beauty sector too.

But just how sustainable is that relentless quest for the new? Not very, according to Jayn Sterland, MD at Weleda UK.

In a special video interview, Sterland, a participant at last week’s Natural Beauty Roundtable, says: “A really well established beauty brand will only grow their business, in the main, through adding newness. So a lot of the really mature brands will spend all of their time, energy and effort, and their main marketing effort, talking about the ‘new new’.

“How is that sustainable? Why aren’t we looking at last year, or even ten years ago, or 20 – and getting it right first time. I work for a company that rarely innovates, and when we do innovate it might take us 10 years to have a product that we know works. So, working to trends isn’t how we work.”

Sterland acknowledges that “what retailers want is something new and exciting every day, to get shoppers to come through the door, or go online.”But she says it creates an “imbalance” that natural beauty brands need to reconcile. “The critical thing,” she says, “ is to make a product relevant today, even if – like Weleda’s Skin Food – it’s 90 years old”.

Elsewhere, Sterland calls on the natural beauty sector to speak with a unified voice and pull behind a single certifying body. And she says that the wider natural beauty debate “needs to elevate itself away from the natural versus organic question, and instead be asking how sustainable is what we’re doing?” She adds: “Organic and natural is just about the purity of an ingredient, it’s nothing to do with the whole process of the business.”

Sterland also argues that natural and organic beauty brands should work harder to appeal to mainstream consumers “because the more mainstream we can make sustainability, organic and natural the more good will come of it.”

The post Interview: Dr Mark Smith, director general, NATRUE appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Ahead of his seminar on Thursday 17 November at Natural Products Scandinavia, Dr Mark Smith, the new director general at NATRUE, tells the show’s event director Anne Seeberg about what’s happening in the natural and organic beauty sector.

What do you see as key trends for the natural and organic beauty market in the next year?

“Natural and Organic cosmetics offers a wide range of products covering consumers’ needs and sometimes even anticipating trends. This is, at its heart, the result of the continuous advances in the production of natural raw materials, the innovative manufacturing teams in research and development, and formulation from across the whole natural and organic cosmetics sector.

“From the product perspective, NATRUE certified brands now includes a full range of hair care products. In the past, formulating with some natural surfactants proved to be problematic – sometimes due to their foam boosting ability or its stability – which meant that consumers sometimes found it difficult to adapt to natural and organic shampoos. However, increasingly innovative raw material development working with ingredients of natural origin has helped to close this gap by ensuring products with improved function and efficacy; besides being pleasant to use.

“Another product trend is nail care. Many brands have launched certified products specifically dedicated to nails in order to naturally protect and beautify them. Moreover, for the first time ever, some companies have launched nail polishes onto the market bearing the NATRUE label. This breaks a barrier for the sector, because as a product line for the authentic natural and organic sector, certified natural nail polish was not possible.

“The most “recent” products includes all the ranges of BB creams and products with multiple properties – like skin colouring and moisturising – which are perfect for women always in a rush but who, at the same time, do not want to compromise on naturalness. Products for men also need a mention in this list. The male grooming sector is growing and, besides shaving products, some natural and organic brands are offering product lines for men that that include self-care products like shower gels and shampoos. Last but not least, a number of perfumed waters have also been recently launched.

“With regards to ingredients, there is a double trend. One involves the sourcing of new active ingredients worldwide – such as extracts and resins from South America, to berries from Scandinavia to the popular shea butter, as well as the African plant extracts from Kigelia Africana. The other is re-discovering new ways to use or combine ingredients from common or locally sourced plants. For example those found in Europe such as olive, resins from pines/ conifers or aloe vera and their derivatives, can be further developed for application in natural/organic cosmetics.

“Besides products ingredients and categories, consumers more often look for those products carrying eco or ethical labels, which indicate multiple assurances. For instance, products which are not only natural and organic but also fair trade, vegan or halal. Increasingly, it is common to see multiple labeling on the product packaging.”

What are the biggest challenge(s) for the natural and organic beauty sector?

“From the 2014 GFK study commissioned by NATRUE, we know that over the 60% of European consumers are reassured by the presence of labels when it comes to natural and organic cosmetics.

“Since there is no official definition for what a natural and organic cosmetic can or cannot be, certification to private standards, such as NATRUE, has shown a significant contribution to the development of confidence in the market, which is no longer a niche. However, consumers still struggle when it comes to understanding the differences between labels, what requirements are behind them, and whether or not they offer the same degree of strictness and transparency.

“Therefore, it is increasingly important to positively engage with consumers to help their understanding of what’s behind each seal, so that they can avoid those labels which are, for example, just a self-declaration or those with a weak criteria. Pending an official definition for natural and organic cosmetic products must be appropriate, relevant and strict, and then consumers can still benefit enormously from manufacturers continuing to move towards non-profit, strict and transparent seals, (which can be used internationally). The main advantage for the consumer is to be offered products that combat greenwashing, which are truly natural and organic, and meet their expectations on a global scale. In the long run, this continuous approach would generate even more trust in the market, which is well-positioned for further growth.

“It is important to mention that the conventional sector is not watching these developments without interest. The recently released first part of the ISO Guidelines for natural and organic cosmetics represented a weakening of the current, stronger, definitions for what a natural ingredient should be, and so has the potential risk to undermine future consumer trust in the sector. I am very happy then to be given the opportunity to be able to present this topic at the upcoming Natural Products Scandinavia show, where I will compare the provisions of the ISO Guidelines with the NATRUE Standard.

How can companies, buyers and associations like NATURE help overcome these obstacles/challenges?

“NATRUE has promoted its label since 2009, and many brands, which had different certifications in the past, have now opted to use only the NATRUE seal. To date we have more than 200 brands carrying the NATRUE seal accounting for just over 4800 certified products on the market.

“This is exactly the result of the process I mentioned before: by offering consumers and companies alike a strict, reliable and international standard we have simplified the framework of the natural and organic cosmetic sector offering a higher degree of trust.

“As an active Brussels-based non-profit association, NATRUE is not only a standard-setter, but an advocate for appropriate legislation for natural and organic ingredients and products. As the regulatory landscape changes, we are fortunate in this task to have experts from our pioneering companies’ close by whom we can pool resources from; and work together with to develop joint projects, campaigns or political activities.

“We are always looking for companies, retailers and other association to unite with us; committing to our high standard, supporting true natural and organic cosmetics and helping together to shape the future of our sector. At this year’s membership assembly, we welcomed another 14 members from several countries, which led us to over 60 active members of the association from more than 15 countries worldwide.

“All those interested in discovering more about each of our milestones, activities and the recent developments of NATRUE can download our recently published Annual Report.”

The post Interview: Dr Mark Smith, director general, NATRUE appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

If you don’t have an uber-dewy complexion and you’re not working your ‘bitten lip’ look every day, then you clearly haven’t got your K-Beauty ‘thang’ down pat!

Asian beauty trends have dominated the beauty market since their arrival in 2014. “Asian-ification”, as dubbed by Nicole Tyrimou, beauty and personal care analyst at Euromonitor International, is, she says, one of the major growth factors in beauty, especially skincare. And with unusual ingredients, new science and branding prowess, it’s clear to see how companies from Korea, China and Japan are challenging the dominance of Western beauty brands.

By 2019, Euromonitor estimates 80% of global skincare revenue (worth around $44 billion, according to the NPD Group) will come from Asia, with China set to account for 75% of total regional growth. That’s a considerable chunk of the market!

The bad news here for natural beauty brands and retailers, however, is the requirement in China for beauty manufacturers to animal test before products are sold on the local market. And an ever growing list of natural and organic brands are boycotting China, including Dr Hauschka, Weleda, Lavera, Pangea Organic and Jurlique. The good news is that where China is losing out, Singapore, India, Thailand and Hong Kong are picking up the slack, with the Asian natural beauty market continuing to expand exponentially, as are South Korean companies.

Not content to merely innovate in the field of BB creams, serums, brightening creams, dark spot correctors and anti-ageing products, South Korea is cottoning on to the burgeoning natural beauty market, and is in the process of phasing out animal testing for cosmetics by 2018. The bill entered into law earlier this year.

According to Martin Mallon of Cruelty International: “In the discussions leading up to the current law which phases out animal tests, we found Korean companies very supportive. This reflects strong feelings among many Korean consumers that they want to use cosmetics which have not involved animal suffering.”

Belif uses only herbal ingredients in its formulations (and boasts the No 1 moisturizer on the premium Korean skincare market), while Blossom Jeju and Innisfree source ingredients such as sea kelp, green tea, lotus and camellia from Jeju island, in an attempt to make products that are purely natural ingredient-based.

Sarah Lee and Christine Chang are founders of Glow Recipe, an e-commerce beauty site that curates the best natural beauty products from Korea. “Korean skincare and make-up are all about enhancing natural beauty rather than covering imperfections,” says Lee. “Koreans love using natural ingredients and are constantly looking for skincare formulations with natural ingredients that are highly concentrated, as they prefer a gentle, yet effective result, rather than a dramatic transformation.”

It’s still early days though, and according to Chang and Lee, it’s too soon to find the words ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ on Korean beauty products. Instead, consumers look for products that state ‘zero water’ in their ingredients list, as an indicator that the product’s use of natural ingredients hasn’t been watered down or diluted. Even more promising is the latest technique whereby fermentation acts as a natural preservative, providing a possible solution for manufacturers seeking alternatives to parabens.

It’s clear that the next wave of organic beauty formulations won’t be coming from Korea just yet, but if their successful innovations and beauty trends continue to marry with a drive towards natural beauty formulations, it’s only a matter of time before the likes of fermentation preservative systems become the norm across the Western world too.

And despite most of us not knowing any of the above names personally, we have felt all of their deaths so very acutely thanks to their sheer brilliance and legendary ability to bring a little bit of beauty into our everyday lives. An observational gag that has us weeping with laughter and nodding our heads in recognition of this overly familiar scene. A guitar chord that strikes a poignant note with our nostalgic hearts as we reflect on youthful times gone by. Our formative years influenced by the resonating lyrics of those in the know, those who have ‘lived’, those who know more than we will ever know.

Be it humour, wit, musical talent or exceptional levels of pioneering genius that we commend them for, the real skill shared by those that we have lost is to unite us, on a global scale, via a collective passion or a common cause. Of course, you don’t need to be a celebrity to achieve that. One small act of kindness. One gesture of goodwill. One good deed a day. If we all lived by that mantra, if we all paid it forward all of the time, wouldn’t life be simply beautiful?

And it’s this humble philosophy that the Soil Association’s Organic September initiative aims to promote. One small change a day. A pint of organic milk. A T-shirt made from organic bamboo. A cup of organic tea and a slice of organic carrot cake offered to the kind builder who is happily installing your rainwater harvesting system.

There are so many ways you can ‘organic your September’, and it can become part of your beauty regime before you’ve even left the house. From shampoo to moisturizers, lipsticks to nail varnish, you can be a walking embodiment of organic beauty at its best. Not to mention looking and smelling amazing to boot!

And if you’re not sure how to get started, the Soil Association is providing an interactive ‘Organic30’ list throughout September to encourage consumers to make small changes. Alongside its established ambassadors and brands, there are hundreds of events planned up and down the country, and from 19-23 September the emphasis is on beauty.

So why not jump on the organic bandwagon and get your shoppers united by this common cause? Little and often is easy to do, and far less demanding on the average person’s work schedule. Besides, when we compare our daily grind with that of a Nicaraguan organic coffee farmer, an African organic shea butter producer or an organic tea grower from Assam, it seems a little foolish to think that to swap our mainstream shower gel for an organic option is just too hard, or that we’re too time poor, or dare we admit, we just can’t be bothered…

Pay it forward this month. One small act of organic kindness in the name of natural beauty!

Last month I joined the special 90th birthday celebrations for Weleda’s pioneering Skin Food product.

Made from a 100% natural blend of plant extracts in a thick, rich base, this whole body moisturizer has been nourishing the nation’s skin since 1926 when it was first formulated
by the brand’s visionary founder Rudolf Steiner.

There can’t be many beauty products out there – a cult, award-winning product at that – that reach the ripe old age of 90 without a single whiff of reformulation. Not even a discreet like-for-like swap of plant extracts flying under the radar! And the same goes for its iconic ‘little green tube’ packaging too. How many 90-year-olds do you know that still look and perform the same as they did on the day they were born?

It’s been quite a year for nonagenarians. Skin Food is in good company, sharing its milestone birthday with Queen Elizabeth II, the adored Sir David Attenborough, legendary crooner Tony Bennett, and of course, the one and only Winnie the Pooh. And in all fairness, they too look pretty darn good for their age. The year 1926 was clearly a good vintage.

The ‘Roaring Twenties’ itself was certainly a defining era for cosmetics. This was the time when Cupid’s bow lips, kohl-rimmed eyes and bright red blush became en vogue. A post-war reaction resulted in the creation of an international beauty culture, and society became increasingly focused on novelty and change. Lipstick came into its own thanks to the invention of the metal lipstick container, and even the first ‘natural’ lip gloss was produced, which used bromo acid to create a red effect as it reacted with the wearer’s skin (apparently still in use today!). Powder blushes became more popular, and crude concoctions of homemade mascara were devised out of petroleum jelly mixed with coal dust.

Suffice to say that times have changed, for the cosmetics industry at least. Fast forward to 2016, and this July we find ourselves in the thick of Independent Retailer Month – a celebration designed to highlight “the important role smaller, local, independent retailers play in the communities they serve, the local economy they contribute to, and in the retail sector as a whole”.
15 July also happens to be the closing date for entries for the 2016 Natural Beauty Retail Awards, designed to recognize and celebrate the importance of a great retail experience at the same time as increasing the awareness of organic and natural beauty.

But let me wrap up by returning to Weleda’s the story of Skin Food. The story of this classic – but actually rather humble – product is an enduring one. The fact that it has held its own among the glitz and glamour of the flapper girls, and flourished for so many decades since – selling more than one million units in over 50 countries in 2015 alone – astounds me. But more importantly, I think, there is a lesson here to be learnt by us all. It’s not he who shouts loudest, or she who dares, who always wins. Sometimes it’s just that the simple things in life turn out to be the best.

Summer solstice (solstice derived from the Latin word sol, meaning ‘sun’) happens around 21 June, and is the longest day of the year. It’s also the only day of the year when all locations inside the Arctic Circle experience a continuous period of daylight for 24 hours, and many argue that it marks the official start of summer. People around the world celebrate the day with feasts, picnics, dance and music. We also have the earliest sunrise of the year in June, and the latest sunset.

The Queen’s official birthday celebrations (because one 90th birthday party simple isn’t enough!) takes place in June, as does Father’s Day, Royal Ascot and Wimbledon. But the most exciting aspect of all during this fertile month is the fact that it’s the ideal harvesting time for mallow.

Marvellous mallow
I love mallow, in particular marshmallow, and not just because the name has me picturing rows and rows of sweet, fluffy pink and white confectionery dangling from long-stemmed plants in a large, organic field (although wouldn’t that be brilliant? A Willy Wonka dream come true!). But I love its abundance of beautifying properties.

Of course, we all know that summer and herbs go hand in hand. Now that the warmer weather is here, we can add a fistful of basil here and a blanket of chopped mint there when preparing delicious lighter meals. But why not make the association with our summer beauty regime too? A pinch of turmeric here, a snip of rosemary there, a drop of chamomile everywhere …
An aromatic herb that usually grows up to a height of three feet when mature, mallow blossoms between May and August and has purple-pink coloured flowers and soft, long-stemmed heart-shaped leaves. While the common mallow has effectual soothing properties and is generally used to relieve irritated or inflamed skin, the marshmallow has more medicinal values. And both the leaves as well as the flowers of mallow have a softening effect on the skin, particularly on susceptible areas.

The main ingredient
It comes as little surprise then that in the bountiful world of organic beauty products mallow features fairly predominantly. Take, for example, Lulu & Boo Organic’s Melissa & Mallow Foot Balm, or Neal’s Yard Remedies’ Rose & Mallow Moisturizer. It is also present in all three of Weleda’s White Mallow Baby Cream, White Mallow Body Lotion, and even its Wild Rose Smoothing Masque, despite it not being featured in the name.

And last month came the long anticipated unveiling of the rebranded Herbfarmacy range. Celebrating all that is British, this modern range of organic skincare puts its homegrown Herefordshire marshmallow at the heart of its beautifully redesigned brand, with its two hero products being Mallow Beauty Balm and Rose & Mallow Facial Oil.

“I love the marshmallow which flourishes in our soil with its pretty lilac flowers,” says Paul Richards, founder of Herbfarmacy. “If you split the roots you can get the silky feel of the delicate mucilages it contains; so delicate that herbalists use the root to soothe troubled digestive systems – perfect then for soothing delicate skin on the face and anywhere where there is sensitivity. In addition, the mucilages attract water to give softening moisturization. For me, it’s the ultimate herb for the skin.”

I’m throwing it out there that June should become the official month of marshmallow. Be it face creams, root tea (accompanied by the sugar-glazed sweet, of course) or a healing poultice, let mallow be the symbol that summer is finally here!

Life in the 21st century is just one long, ever-decreasing circle of commonality. In the same way that the older you get, the social game of six degrees of separation actually begins to ring true, it seems to me that no matter what genre you look at, it’s intrinsically linked with all others.

Take fitness, for example. What is the first thing that springs to mind when you read that word? Is it exercise, or getting fit? Fitness trackers, maybe, and the new wave of smart technology? Food, perhaps, and eating healthily? Or maybe just health in itself? All of these are plausible, to me. But high-end catwalk fashion? Hmm, that one’s a little more tenuous, right? Wrong!

The latest discovery to be touted is that fitness trends are influencing high-end fashion. Activewear brand Sundried claims that the ‘superior materials’ its collection is made from, not to mention its ‘ergonomic features’ actively empower men and women to get fit.

And, careful not to appeal to too-small a market, the brand has even reached out to the environmentally-minded consumer and offers transparency through uniquely coding each item so that its journey from sourcing of materials to final product can be traced.

Now this is merely the marketing hype of a single brand, you may argue. But, apparently not. In February The Guardian ran a story on Canadian company lululemon, which is “known for selling £138 leggings” and has successfully tapped into the goldmine clothing industry for the yoga and pilates market. This success story alone (it expects sales of up to $695 million in the fourth quarter of the year) is, says columnist Nadia Khomami, “indicative of a wider trend – sometimes labelled ‘athleisure’ – in which expensive workout clothing has become a wardrobe staple”.

Trends are powerful things. They’re much like self-fulfilling prophecies. If you tell a consumer something for long enough, they start to believe it, live it, expect it.

Back in 2013, the Spafinder Wellness 264 Trends Forecast report singled out ‘mindfulness’ as the uber trend to watch for in the spa and salon industry. Fast forward to 2016, and the term is now referenced in everyday life. Mindfulness is even recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to prevent depression.

Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, is quoted on the NHS website as saying that “an important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment”.

Spas traditionally embrace and encourage the value of inner health leading to that outer glow, and it’s clear to see why mindfulness resonates with them in particular. It’s also interesting to observe the parallels with the natural beauty industry, especially when you take into account that the non-surgical cosmetics procedures market has grown by almost 500% over the last 20 years. While spas have traditionally been at the forefront of the clean beauty movement, they are also the integral lynch pin between the organic industry and other core markets, such as health and leisure.

When it comes to trend-spotting, the March issue of Natural Beauty News offered its fair share of insightful 2016 nuggets, including that of using food-grade ingredients in beauty products. Nowhere has this trend been more beautifully exemplified than on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, when Gwyneth Paltrow recently demonstrated that her new organic beauty range Goop is good enough to eat, by dipping a McDonald’s chip into a pot of cream. Now that’s what I call putting your mouth where your money is!

It’s official, the ideal age for a person, according to the people of Britain, is 36. New research brought to us by a recent YouGov survey shows that the majority of the 1,700 people who took part in the poll view middle age as having the highest prestige, status and everything else deemed to be good and worthy.

I’m a little unsure, however, as to what this new-found information means for me, personally. Either it’s fantastic news due to the fact I am sprinting towards my now enlightened 36th birthday faster than I can shout “wrinkle at six o’clock!”, or it’s all downhill from here …

The survey goes on to reveal that 29 is the average ideal age for physical health (I’m definitely doomed there), and for wisdom, it is 51 (I’m working on it).

Yearless beauty
Now that I know I am soon to be experiencing the best year of my life, I feel inclined to make the most of it. Or best of all, I should pay no attention to it whatsoever. According to Fiona Klonarides, founder of The Beauty Shortlist, 2016 is in fact the age of ‘yearless beauty’ where age is irrelevant.

This alternative take on the zeitgeist is a reflection of the ever-expanding range of products and brands that have been entered into the 2016 Beauty Shortlist Awards that focus on nurturing skin health, embracing natural beauty ingredients and not pigeon-holing consumers into buying from limited categories. At the time this column was going to print, Klonarides was in the thick of the judging period, and stated that: “This year there are more products that got ranked ten by the judges than in the past five years; the standard has shot up and it’s a year of game-changers.”

Shifting categories
And Klonarides isn’t alone in her age-resistant stance. Newly emerging make-up brand Wild About Beauty, co-founded by make-up artist Kim Jacob and TV personality Louise Redknapp, has the mantras ‘wearable, affordable beauty’ and ‘ageless radiant skin’ at the forefront of its branding.

Even the larger players are changing the way consumers shop for their products, and ultimately view their brands. The Organic Pharmacy, for example, allows its online customers to choose whether they wish to shop by category or by concern, and breaks it down even further so they can shop by what’s new, types of treatments, the changing seasons and promotional campaigns.

The vast majority of shoppers will still want to stick with what they know, and search for the likes of anti-ageing skincare or sun protection, and we are a long way off retailers and brands alike doing away with this type of categorization. But recognizing the shifting sands of consumer shopping habits and adapting with them is the smart (and some may say only) way of moving forward and ultimately growing as a retailer.

If you fall short of the dream age of 36, fear not, however. Apparently, people aged between 18 and 24 said the ideal age was 27. It was 34 for the 25-49 bracket, 40 for those aged between 50 and 64, and 42 for the over 65s.

So what the survey really tells us is there is no dream age, just an ever-changing perception of utopia …