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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.

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

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The post NATRUE raises profile at NPE with inaugural pavilion appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

This year’s Natural & Organic Products Europe saw the launch of the NATRUE pavilion, which brought together several European natural skincare brands under one roof.

The aim of the pavilion was to communicate the importance of certification for manufacturers when differentiating themselves from the greenwash beauty brands on the market, raise awareness of the NATRUE certification standards and flag up the fact that 70% of all certified natural cosmetics sold in Europe carry the NATRUE logo.

“Being part of Natural & Organic Products Europe with a pavilion was a great success for NATRUE – the interest was very high, demonstrating that the sector is more and more aware of the importance of a trustworthy certification mark, like NATRUE, which supports consumers in identifying truly natural and organic cosmetics. We will definitely be back next year bringing more NATRUE Label users with us,” Francesca Morgante, NATRUE label manager, told NPN.

The Pavilion hosted: Weleda, which used the show to launch its new Jardin de Vie fragrance range and Almond Sensitive Skin offer; Lavera which showcased its Re-Energizing Sleeping Cream; Gala, launching its Bio Happy shower gel range; Le Fate della Terra, introducing its Hydrating Serum for Body and Face for babies; BRANDPUR; Aromeda; and Vivienne Swiss Formula, which introduced its range of natural dietary supplements and skincare.

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The post NATRUE to host pavilion at NPE appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

This year’s Natural & Organic Products Europe will see the launch of the NATRUE Pavilion in the Natural Beauty & Spa area of the show.

The NATRUE Pavilion is designed to demonstrate the international nature of the NATRUE certification standard for natural and organic products, with over 4,700 products currently certified from more than 200 brands worldwide.

The Pavilion will include Weleda (UK), Lavera (Germany), Gala (Italy), Le Fate della Terra (Italy), BRANDPUR (Germany), Aromeda (Poland) and Vivienne Swiss Formula (Switzerland).

“The new Pavilion will bring together both established pioneering beauty brands such as Lavera and Weleda, who were founding members of NATRUE in 2007, and new brands to the UK from around the globe – Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and beyond,” explained NATRUE’s label & communication manager Francesca Morgante. ”Joining forces under the umbrella of the NATRUE Pavilion, we hope to communicate the importance of certification for manufacturers when differentiating themselves from all the ‘greenwash’ beauty brands on the market, and we will be raising awareness of NATRUE’s high certification standards and the benefits for consumers and indeed retailers.”

Klara Ahlers, president of NATRUE and managing director of Laverana GmbH commented: “We are delighted to be present at Natural & Organic Products Europe as a brand and manufacturer for the very first time. We deliberately decided to join the NATRUE Pavilion rather than having a stand of our own. The shared Pavilion will be a good opportunity for our brand Lavera to exhibit alongside other certified brands, and to highlight the quality and strength of true certified natural and organic cosmetics.”

“We are really looking forward to joining forces with NATRUE and other NATRUE-certified beauty brands in support for genuine and strict certification standards for natural and organic cosmetics,” said Weleda’s new MD Jayn Sterland. “The Pavilion will be a real information hub at the show where retailers can find out more about NATRUE and what the logo stands for, how it differentiates brands such as Weleda, and offers customers a real guarantee of authenticity. We are excited to be revealing our latest launches, including a range of NATRUE-certified natural fragrances”.

Visit the NATRUE Pavilion on Stand B3.

Hear Francesca’s Morgante’s talk Natural & organic cosmetic consumers – what drives their purchasing decision? On Sunday 17 April at 3pm in the Natural Beauty & Spa Theatre.

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The post As you like it appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Next month Stratford-upon-Avon will see the opening of a new natural and organic spa and shop, The Bard’s Mistress.

Described as a luxury retreat, the new venture combines a shop and treatment room offering signature facials, massages and treatments, and is the brainchild of beauty therapist Esther Cooney who teamed up with organic skin expert and Pravera MD Graeme Hume for the project.

Commenting on the launch, Cooney says: “Opening The Bard’s Mistress has been a life-long dream for me and I can’t believe it is finally happening.  For many years now I’ve been training beauty therapists about skincare and wider health benefits of using natural and organic products.  Now that I’m opening up my own spa and shop I’ll be able to offer the very best of these products and treatments to people in my home town.  It is incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait for the official launch day!”

So, what makes The Bard’s Mistress different from other stores? “We have a quirky ethos and like to stand out,” explains Cooney, “so instead of going glitzy and girly, we want our fresh, revitalizing products and spa treatments to be accessible for men as well as women. Besides this, we have a passion for ethically and naturally sourced beauty products. I believe that organic skin care products work on the skin as nature intended, and that there are no worries about irritations from nasty chemicals. Our customers deserve the best treatment, so we’ll use the best products.”

The store will offer natural and organic cosmetics, skincare, make-up, perfumes, supplements, make-up brushes and beauty bathroom accessories, and stock a variety of natural brands including benecos, Primavera (which will also be used for treatments), Florascent, lavera and Viridian Nutrition.

Hume explains the background to the partnership: “Esther and I met some years ago and I offered her the position of training manager for Pravera due to her extensive knowledge of natural and organic ingredients and previous positions in the industry.  Initially Esther rewrote the procedures for Primavera treatments using their unique Marma point massage, and we endeavoured to secure spas and salons to offer Primavera treatments. Over the years we discovered that many individual therapists were enlightened to natural and organic products and we generated a loyal following and solid customer base.

“By 2013 we decided the solution was our own salon and retail outlet to prove there was a demand for natural and organic spas. and ten create a successful business model that can be rolled out. So fingers crossed! My background is business to business and Esther’s is consumer. With our joint expertise and knowledge of the brands stocked in The Bard’s Mistress, it was a no brainer really!”

The grand opening is on 2 September, and as an introductory offer, The Bard’s Mistress will be offering a free gift with purchase from 2-6 September.

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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 CC yourself with Lavera appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

AN ALL-NATURAL eight-in-one anti-ageing moisturiser – Colour Correction (CC) Cream – is now available from Lavera.

The organic multi-tasking cream contains 100% natural ingredients and is enriched with ingredients including anti-ageing camu camu berries, willow bark, hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, and wheatgerm extract.

The NaTrue-certified product aims to hydrate the skin; brighten the complexion; cover imperfections; reduce the appearance of pigment spots; smooth fine lines and wrinkles; firm and plump; protect against free radicals; and offer SPF 6 protection.

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The post Luscious locks from Lavera appeared first on Natural Beauty Yearbook.

Already well known for offering natural and organic skincare products, Lavera has now branched out into hair care, creating a range of affordable products using natural organic plant extracts and fragrances.

The new range comprises six shampoos, two conditioners and four hair care treatments.

The offer includes Organic Balance Shampoo containing lemon and mint extracts to help regulate oily hair and scalp; Repair & Care Intense Treatment which rejuvenates hair with wild rose extract and natural plant keratin; Colour and Shine Conditioner with avocado and mango extracts, specifically for coloured hair; and Express Care Leave-in Spray – a quick fix for dull and lifeless hair.

All products are 100% natural and organic and carry the NaTrue certification logo. They are free from silicones, mineral oils, parabens, SLS and other artificial ingredients.

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