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]]>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”.
“Organic and natural is just about the purity of an ingredient, it’s nothing to do with the whole process of the business”
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.”
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]]>The post Interview: Dr Mark Smith, director general, NATRUE appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.
]]>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.”
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]]>The post There is a new crowd on the scene appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.
]]>They’ve been looking after their bodies, practising yoga, meditation and mindful eating and have realized that it’s not just what goes into your body that counts, it’s also what goes onto your body. And they want more. More from the natural beauty world than products just being nasties-free. They want something that gives them results, is just as good as big-label cosmetic brands and lasts just as long too. They want brands that care about the environment, what they put back into society and how they manage their relationships with suppliers. It’s a pretty big ask I know, but I’m one of that crowd. And this is where the natural beauty industry is (slowly) starting to shine.
More and more skincare brands are popping up, providing uh-mazing products that can transform your skin from ‘meh’ to ‘wow’ in a matter of days, and not only this but the way they run their companies is everything we want it to be and more. There are ideas on how to recycle packaging, information online about their suppliers, how they put back into those communities, and the great work they do to help the environment. The only problem is that not enough people know about them. The way to get through this ickle pickle is through collaboration. Get a conversation started on YouTube, bring bloggers from the health, wellness and beauty industry together to learn more about the brands and help spread the natural beauty word, and don’t forget about the 30+ market. These are the ones who have money, are happy to spend it but won’t thank you if you’ve sent your anti-ageing products to a 20 year old to demonstrate on YouTube (apologies to my younger blogger friends, I still heart what you do!).
Looking to 2016 (because let’s face it, this year is going so quickly, I’ll sneeze later and it will be Christmas Day already), more natural haircare brands will start to emerge on the scene, a few more natural salons will pop up (hurrah!) and I’m hoping the natural cosmetics companies will stop dragging their stilettos and start giving us more amazing products that aren’t just from the ‘famous five’. The ever topical subject of ‘greenwashing’ will still be there but this will only tarnish those brands reputations as the years go on, so to those companies, a bit of advice: stop saying BS, because you’ll get found out. Trust me. And us girls lurrve to talk. On a final note (yes, I know I can waffle), I can’t wait to see more collaboration between brands and bloggers. Video and mobile are the platforms to be on (anyone else obsessed with Periscope yet?!) and I’m genuinely excited to see the ‘behind the scenes’ footage of collaborations and the work our amazing brands are doing. Give me real life, give me collaborations, give me, well, more. Because it’s time to kick the non-natural world into touch, natural beauty is THE place to be. And now is our time to shine.
Ailish Lucas
theglowgetter.co.uk
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]]>Didn’t I have a lovely time the day I went to The Beauty Exchange?! It was great for a number of reasons, but mainly because I got to see some lovely people who I don’t usually get to see (other than a small square on my screen!) including – Zaga founder of FOM London, Tracey Robinson of Vert PR, Dija from Dija’s World, Nicola from Fresh Therapies and Michelle from NatOrigin (as well as George and Alys from the Diversified Team!)
Emma Jones, who although doesn’t know me is well known to my other half and one of my besties, was a fabulous hostess with great warmth and humour which in many ways made the day for me. Keeping me entertained and holding my attention on a Friday afternoon is quite a challenge, especially when my mind is racing with all those things I have to do “back in the office”. It’s rare that I take a whole day off for events like this but I chose the right one to do so for!
Having pitched to the likes of Marks & Spencer and Selfridges before it was refreshing and encouraging to listen to their accounts of the business, and realise that we are doing everything right in terms of presenting. It was also a real eye opener to watch several young brands do a live pitch to Lily Child, the Buying Manager at Boots. It was fabulous to see that 2 out of 4 of these brands had the natural vibe down – Hannah and Hugh – a select range of three products that work for babies and all the family, and Tia & Anda all representing the natural products industry, and doing so well! Naturally inspired Bee Good also use a great selection of natural ingredients in their formulas.
I recently met Jane Cunningham (British Beauty Blogger) at a networking dinner where her and Hayley (aka London Beauty Queen) were our charming and witty guest speakers, it was great to see her talk again, this time joined by Sali Hughes of The Guardian and author of Pretty Honest. It’s entertaining hearing what pushes all their wrong buttons; I suggest you don’t call Jane hon or babes, don’t send her anything on festival beauty and never ever check to see if she received that last email!
As if this wasn’t enough, we were treated to two most charming gentlemen – Lopo Champalimaud, CEO & Co-Founder of wahanda.com, and David Randall, Founder of Magnitone. Both these chaps were real inspirations of how to grow and scale businesses on a shoestring, and gave me hope that all this slaving away I am doing on various start up projects will all pay off in the end!
After this beauty-packed day it was fab to unwind with a glass of wine with Zaga (FOM London) and discuss one of these startups I am working on, of which we’ll be sharing news with you after the summer!
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]]> https://www.naturalbeautyyearbook.co.uk/beautyexchange/feed/ 0The post Guest blog: Amarjit Sahota from Organic Monitor appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.
]]>Leading natural beauty brands are taking their products worldwide in search of future growth, writes Amarjit Sahota, president of Organic Monitor. But where are the biggest business opportunities to be found?
Slowing growth rates in the UK natural beauty market mean that home grown companies are now looking at new ways to grow their business. At Organic Monitor, we’ve seen that many UK brands are expanding international sales because of the poor domestic retail environment and rising competitive stakes at home.
American dreams and Eastern promise
Our research reveals that almost all major natural beauty brands now have a presence outside the UK market. While most have focused on neighbouring European countries, some have expanded further afield into the Middle East and Asia.
For example – Neal’s Yard Remedies, the leading UK natural and organic beauty company, is expanding on three fronts: the Middle East, Japan and the US. So far it operates 15 concept stores in Japan, UAE and Oman. Meanwhile, in the US, it has appointed over 500 consultants to undertake network marketing.
Nude, which was recently acquired by the luxury group LVMH, is also targeting the US market while The Organic Pharmacy has opened a concept store in Beverly Hills and Bulldog is expanding distribution in Whole Foods Market stores.
Nordic naturals
Taking a brand internationally can be difficult – so we often advise new exports to dip their toe in neighbouring countries first. Apart from Ireland, Scandinavia offers good opportunities. This is because Denmark, Sweden and Norway have few domestic brands, and are almost entirely reliant on imported natural beauty products.
With no language barrier and a similar culture to the UK, Scandinavia is often considered a good initiation for the first time exporter. And as established brands have found, it also offers ample rewards for the more experienced.
Source: The Nordic Market for Natural & Organic Beauty Products
About Organic Monitor
Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. Our business services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, summits, seminars & workshops. In 2011, we are celebrating 10 years of encouraging sustainable development.
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