The post New report reveals healthy beauty trends appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

A new report, The Future of Healthy Beauty, has highlighted authenticity and natural ingredient innovation as key trends and opportunities for the industry.

Written by Helen Yeardsley, board director of consultancy Pegasus, and beauty expert Anna-Marie Solowij, the report explores the concept of a Mecosystem, a holistic view of wellness that focuses as much on internal as external health and beauty. This concept, say the authors, is reflected in the growing market of ingestible skincare and the use of superfoods in cosmetics.

It also looks at the idea of Nature Lab, which sees natural ingredients scaling new heights powered by science; and MediBeauty, which brings clinically-proven cleansing, anti-ageing and anti-acne products, ingredients and devices to consumers in their own homes.

The report also highlights the trends of waterless beauty, fermentation, the importance of provenance and traceability and the changes brought about by global influences, such as the K-Beauty concept from Korea.

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The post PHB Ethical Beauty introduces cosmetics line appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

PHB Ethical Beauty (PHB) has developed a range of ethical and affordable natural and organic cosmetics, designed to blur the line between make-up and skincare.

Using organic ingredients, botanical actives and pure, ethically-sourced minerals, the range aims to offer colourful and dramatic make-up which also cares for and enhances skin.

The range includes foundation, BB creams, foundations, concealer, mascara, eyeliner, lipsticks, lip glazes, glosses and tints.

Available in six shades, the PHB Pure Skin Organic Liquid Foundation +SPF30 is formulated to provide a natural looking, flawless finish, and incorporates argan oil to soften and anti-ageing and antioxidant sea buckthorn.

Also available in six shades, Botanical BB Cream +SPF15 uses skin-enhancing botanical extracts of rosehip, aloe vera and grape seed to nourish and protect skin.

The 100% Pure Organic Lipstick line is handmade using anti-ageing oils and rich organic butters for creamy, long-lasting colour. Shea butter and jojoba oil are included to moisturize lips and rosehip oil and vitamin E help retain collagen and repair dryness. Colours include Amber, Mulberry, Plum, Tea Rose, Cranberry and Grace.

The PHB All in One Natural Mascara is water resistant and smudge-proof and designed to last all day. It comes in Brown and Black and was the winner of the Best Mascara in the Green Parent Beauty Awards.

“At a young age I was made aware of the harmful ingredients you commonly find in cosmetics like petrochemicals, animal fats and cochineal (crushed insects),” explains PHB founder Rose Brown. “Many people don’t realize most products contain unethical ingredients that can irritate skin, have long term effects on our health and cause harm to the earth and animals. Irritating chemicals, harsh alcohols and animal derived ingredients aren’t hidden away and their use isn’t denied, it’s just accepted as normal.”

All products are certified Cruelty Free by BUAV and PETA, are 100% vegan, palm oil-free and Halal certified.

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The post UK Government promises microbead ban by 2017 appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

The UK Government has pledged to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads by 2017.

The announcement was made by Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom at the beginning of September, adding that a consultation on how the ban would work will commence later in the year.

Leadsom said: “Most people would be dismayed to know the face scrub or toothpaste they use was causing irreversible damage to the environment, with billions of indigestible plastic pieces poisoning sea creatures. Adding plastic to products like face washes and body scrubs is wholly unnecessary when harmless alternatives can be used.”

She added: “This Government is committed to its promise to be the first generation ever to leave the environment in a better state than it inherited, and together we can bring an end to these harmful plastics clogging up our oceans.”

Evidence will also be collected on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found elsewhere, such as in household and industrial cleaning products, before possible future action in considered to tackle other plastics, for example microfibres, which enter the marine environment.

Kim Allan of Botanical Brands commented: “We are delighted with the Government’s move to ban the use of plastic microbeads in skincare and personal care products in the UK. We have supported the Beat The Bead Campaign for some years now and feel passionately that we should not be polluting our oceans.”

Allan adds: “This is a global concern that impacts on us all, so it’s only right that the UK should be making this important move to help preserve our oceans. A voluntary ban is not sufficient. Companies need to take responsibility for producing products without the use of plastic microbeads, especially when there are natural alternatives readily available and effective too. We trust the Government will stand firm in its resolve to carry this legislation through. We all need to play our part – businesses and private individuals alike – to make ecological choices and stop polluting our environment, including our oceans.”

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The post Living Nature’s loving the lips appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Botanical Brands has extended the Living Nature certified organic lipstick range with the addition of two new vibrant shades of red.

Wild Fire is described as a versatile warm and classic matte red with an orange undertone, which can be worn day or night. Pure Passion is a rich, deep matte red with a subtle crimson undertone. Perfect for night time it is designed to add a bit of glamour and elegance.

Successfully creating a red lipstick from organic, 100% natural and carmine-free ingredients is no easy task, according to Botanical Brands’ Kim Allan. “A good red lipstick is a difficult colour to create from 100% natural and organic ingredients. To get the vibrancy of colour without using carmine is even more difficult. After years of working on this dilemma, Living Nature’s formulators have now succeeded. They have created two intense, vibrant red lipsticks that use really clever natural plant ingredients, including Melia azadirachta and Coccinia indica.   As an added bonus they are also certified organic by COSMOS.”

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The post Integrity at the core appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Honesty is the best policy, or at least that’s what my mother always taught me. It’s kept me in good stead throughout my life, but now it seems this age-old mantra is fast becoming the next wave of corporate policy in a bid to support sustainable product growth. A recent article in The Guardian stated: “With consumers, investors and employees increasingly interested in companies’ social and environmental performance, transparency is becoming a corporate necessity.”

The article goes on to explain how consumers feel empowered to make more informed purchasing decisions when they have access to a company or brand’s credible social, environmental and ethical data. “It means they feel they can spend their money more wisely – both for the good of their own health and wallet, and for society and the environment too,” it says.

But product provenance is not a new concept for the organic industry. Market experts and brand ambassadors have been advocating the benefits of a traceable manufacturing line for years. And it’s widely accepted that consumers feel far more comfortable knowing exactly where ingredients are sourced, not to mention a full breakdown of a product chain if possible.

But if you present your marketing stance as being one that is ‘open and honest’, you had better make sure you can stand up to the test. Dove’s Real Beauty campaign was a runaway success when it first launched in 2004 with a YouTube video that went viral. It featured a ‘behind the scenes’ look at a cosmetics model being ‘transformed’ before our very eyes, the result of which saw her being Photoshopped out of recognition. It carried the strapline: “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted”.

Ten years on, however, and Dove is still coming under attack from a wide variety of sources which claim the cosmetics giant doesn’t practice what it preaches.
Claims of product traceability can present a serious challenge to brands that play the provenance card but can’t back it up. On the flipside, however, it presents a powerful opportunity for natural brands that are able to authentically differentiate themselves on materials and manufacturing standards.

New COSMOS-certified organic skincare brand zk’in made its UK debut in September, launching with multi-award-winning online retailer LoveLula.com. The Australian-born range offers 12 self-select products to address every skin concern and life stage, but central to its brand positioning is ‘honest beauty’.

“For us this means a zero tolerance policy to unnatural ingredients, unsustainable business practises, animal cruelty, and unrealistic Photoshopping,” says brand founder and CEO, Grace Culhaci.

So for once, it looks like the natural beauty industry is leaps and bounds ahead of the mainstream cosmetics giants.

But to be honest, when it comes to transparency, it was always going to be.

Julia Zaltzman is a freelance writer and editor of The Natural Beauty Yearbook

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The post Gluten-free beauty claims on the increase appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Gluten-free credentials are increasingly finding their way into the UK beauty sector, with a 22% increase in the use of the gluten-free claims in 2013 compared with the previous year, according to a blog by Mintel’s Lucy Cornford.

With only 1% of launches specifically highlighting their gluten-free credentials on pack, she says that the potential to capitalize on gluten-free beauty product claims should not be underestimated when consumers are actively seeking those claims to integrate gluten-free products into their lifestyles.

41% of those products positioned as gluten-free in 2013 were in the skincare area, 14% were in the haircare sector, 39% colour cosmetics, 3% soap and bath products and 2% shaving products and depilatories.

But how relevant is a gluten-free tag on beauty and skincare products? Is it a necessary claim or just an over-sell on the part of manufacturers? Ingredients sometimes found in skincare products may include wheat bran, wheat starch, wheat protein, rye seed extract, barley, oat bran and wheatgerm oil, however most ingredients derived from grain sources are highly refined so that no trace of gluten proteins is retained.

And in any case, according to Coeliac UK,  “gluten will only cause a problem if you eat it; it cannot be absorbed through the skin”. The organization adds that it is unlikely that someone would swallow enough lip balm or lipstick, for example, to cause a problem.

Graeme Hume, founder and MD of Pravera Ltd, distributor of the Lavera brand in the UK, says: “Although the interest in gluten-free beauty products may be slightly up, it is still the case that whether a product is free from gluten or not is irrelevant to the majority of consumers. Especially considering that even those who are allergic to gluten in food can often tolerate it in skincare formulations. Keeping in mind there is only limited space on pack, each brand has to make a decision on what information should take priority and for that reason, many natural brands – including Lavera – decide not to put any info on gluten content on the product packaging. However, in-store sales staff can verify which products are gluten-free.”

Natural skin, hair and bodycare brand Aubrey does carry a symbol on its gluten-free products, which are certified by the US Food and Drug Administration. Gianni Quaglieri, director of operations for Au Naturel, UK distributor of the range, comments: “It’s something that certain consumers are aware of, they want gluten-free and are looking for that type of mark on a product. Because they are natural products people expect certain extras as well so we’ve had to raise our game in order to satisfy curious consumers who are asking more questions.

“Some people feel that if they are gluten intolerant they don’t want to have anything to do with gluten. We’re giving them the option and offering that service if they’re looking for a gluten-free product – it’s a question of making your own mind up really.”

Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, editor of the FreeFrom Matters sites, says: “There is the question of perception. Many of those who are gluten sensitive would rather be safe than sorry, so even though the risk may be vanishingly small, they would rather not take it.”

She also believes that the issue of transparency is paramount in the area of free-from. “Since ingredients names do not always enlighten consumers greatly as to what is actually in the product, we would much rather see a gluten-confining declaration than not in the interests of transparency.”

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The post Lavera reveals brand new cosmetics range appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Natural and organic brand lavera has replaced its entire make-up range with 109 brand new products.

Ranging from complexion products such as tinted moisturising creams and liquid foundations to lipsticks, eyeshadows and eyeliner pencils, the collection includes innovative products like Butterfly Effect Mascara and Lip & Cheek Tint.

“Lavera has succeeded in delivering an affordable, on-trend and innovative make-up collection, which really shows that natural make-up can compete with high street brands,” commented Graeme Hume, MD of Pravera which distributes the brand in the UK and Ireland. “Natural and organic skincare has become mainstream in the UK, but organic and natural make-up is not an established category as yet. Consumers are not willing to compromise when buying make-up and are looking for natural products that look stylish too, which is exactly what the new lavera range brings to the table.”

The entire range is NaTrue-certified and many of the products carry the vegan symbol.

To support the new offer, Pravera has launched a targeted advertising and PR campaign. There are also shelf displays, stand-alone displays and testers available for retailers.

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The post Certifiably organic appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Walk into any department store in Europe and you’ll find yourself assaulted on all fronts by a dizzying array of cosmetic counters, a thick fog of chemically enhanced fragrance and over-zealous, commission-paid reps wearing painted-on Cheshire cat grins.

It’s enough to make you feel like you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and wound up in Alice’s not-so-Wonderland, especially when you throw in the price tag, ingredients and carbon footprint of some of the products on display.

So why not make a small change this year, and in exchange for being as mad as a March hare, try being as certified as a September bee?

That’s the aim of Organic Beauty Week, to create a buzz around its ‘Small Change, Big Difference’ campaign.

Taking place on 8-14 September it’s a celebration of organic beauty as a whole, with a spotlight on Soil Association certified brands.

Seeking to raise awareness of the many benefits associated with using organic beauty products, it also ties into the wider Organic September festival run by the Soil Association, which champions all aspects of organic living, from farming, food and drink, through to beauty, textiles and fashion.

Myriad events, promotions and partnerships are planned by a host of credible organic pioneers — both brands and retailers — but when it comes to communicating eveything that certification has to offer, it’s fair to say they’ve got their work cut out.

Organic health and beauty sales may have increased by 17 per cent last year, but there is still no legal regulatory body monitoring organic beauty. The COSMOS-standard, developed by the five leading European natural and organic standards organisations, remains very much in its infancy.

Described by the chief executive of the Soil Association Helen Browning as the “gold standard”, COSMOS has been developed to try and make sure there is an international voluntary regulatory framework to ensure the consumer is not misled, and have rigorous standards around beauty the way we do around food.

But when journos, PRs and industry insiders gathered at the Organic Beauty Week press launch in June it was unanimously agreed that it will take a concerted marketing campaign to successfully communicate the intricacies of COSMOS and all it has to offer, not to mention certification as a whole.

Whole Foods Market, one of the leading natural and organic retailers and an active participator in Organic Beauty Week took the significant decision in 2010 to remove all beauty brands from its shelves in the UK that make organic claims without being backed up by certification. Now that’s the type of change that is needed.

Retailers taking accountability away from the consumer and placing it on their own shoulders is one sure-fire way of making sure change happens. But in those four years since Whole Foods made its brave leap, how many other retailers have followed its lead?

So how about this September, in addition to offering up tasty organic in-store delights labelled ‘EAT ME’ and ‘DRINK ME’, why not hang a ‘CERTIFY ME’ label on all false organic beauty claimants, and ship them back to sender? One small change that is sure to make a very big difference.

Julia Zaltzman is a freelance writer and editor of The Natural Beauty Yearbook

The post Certifiably organic appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

The post benecos’ beauty boosts appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Natural beauty brand benecos has added a number of new lines to its cosmetics range in the form of complexion enhancers and eye products.

Natural BB Cream 8 in 1 is a multi-use tinted face balm containing a blend of antioxidants and anti-ageing ingredients including organic acai berry oil, pomegranate seed oil, hyaluronic acid and shea butter. Natural Highlighting Powder – Stardust aims to give an iridescent glow to the complexion, and Natural Powder Blush Trio – Fall in Love offers three shades – Peachy Pink, Rose Champagne and Rosewood – to define the cheekbones.

The eight new eye products on offer are Eye Shadows – Natural Duo in Shady Greys; Natural Mono in Fairytale (pastel pink) and Mermaid (bold teal); and Natural Baked Duo in Celebrate (chocolate brown and light beige tones) and Party (purple-based hues) – a Natural Kajal Eyeliner in Violet and a Natural Eye Shadow Base.

The products are not tested on animals and contain only natural ingredients.

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The post L’Oréal to co-develop biosynthetic ingredient for cosmetics appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

GM ingredients may find their way into every day cosmetic products following L’ORÉAL’s recently signed agreement with Evolva for the co-development of novel biosynthetic production routes for an ingredient that, they say, has broad applications within the cosmetics industry.

Synthetic biology is a new science, a form of genetic modification that involves the laboratory creation of entirely new DNA sequences to create new synthetic life forms or for splicing this DNA into naturally occurring DNA.

The two companies will use Evolva’s fermentation technology platform to develop and optimise yeast strains for the “sustainable, cost-effective production of this strategically important cosmetics ingredient”.

Sarah Brown, founder of organic brand Pai Skincare, commented on the development: “My concern with the cosmetic use of GM ingredients is that they are entirely unregulated and have no safety testing record. Right now they are an unknown quantity. I suspect the motivation behind their introduction is to ease sourcing and guarantee a consistency of supply.

“However, I’d like to understand why these synbio ingredients are considered beneficial and a ‘breakthrough’ for the end customer. I would strongly question whether they have superior skin benefits compared to their natural equivalents.”

The post L’Oréal to co-develop biosynthetic ingredient for cosmetics appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.