13 natural personal care predictions for 2013
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The latest report from the Campaign for Safe cosmetics, Retailer Therapy, shed more light on a major issue in the personal care industry: In the absence of government regulations, the onus is on retailers to screen cosmetics that enter their stores, offer safer alternatives and improve their private label offerings. Read: How 8 retailers measure up on cosmetics safety policies In addition to Whole Foods Market's high ingredient and labeling standards (which earned top rankings from the campaign and have impacted the entire personal care industry), independent natural retailers also enforce strict criteria to help ensure product purity and earn customer loyalty. In 2013, consumers will put more pressure on conventional retailers—many of which have fallen behind in cosmetics safety standards—to do the same. Some, like Walmart, have already used their purchasing power in categories such as banning BPA in certain products. Others such as CVS and Walgreens are slowly stepping up when in comes to natural beauty.
Highlights, blowouts, manicures… the salon and spa industry is booming in the U.S.—valued at about $40 billion. Unfortunately, among formaldehyde, toluene and other dangerous ingredients, it’s also one of the most toxic industries in the beauty world. The sprawling salon and spa industry contributed less than $1 billion to natural and organic beauty sales. The good news: Green chemistry could boost natural and organic salons and high-performance nail and hair care. Expect more salon-inspired natural beauty products to hit retail—Giovanni’s 2Chic straightening line, NATU Professional Colorist Shampoo and Conditioner, and Suki and True Natural skin care spa lines. Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients, recently revealed his quest to develop a truly natural, high-performance hair dye. Read: Horst Rechelbacher's advice for intelligent business There are even opportunities for natural products retailers to create "full-wellness" centers, incorporating salon and spa elements. In fact this concept first appeared in the ‘90s at Nature’s Fresh Northwest retail chain under Stan Amy but has yet to be reintroduced to retail.
The natural cosmetics industry largely recognizes the need for stricter FDA cosmetics safety regulations; it currently doesn’t require premarket approval of ingredient-safety testing for cosmetics. Congress did, however, meet on cosmetics safety for the first time in 30 years in 2012—though no legislative changes were put into effect. Read: Is your natural beauty brand ready for new cosmetics legislation? But last year the FDA did make one thing clear: It won’t stand for false claims about a product’s efficacy—particularly in the antiaging category. This will be more relevant than ever before for natural brands, which are increasingly pursuing research-backed ingredients and clinical testing. The cosmetics industry—natural and mass—heard the FDA’s warnings about “structure-function” claims loud and clear. The loudest of them all being a September smack down on cosmetic powerhouse Lancome. The takeaway for all brands, regardless of the market, is that cosmetics may not, in any way, be marketed as drugs (read claims such as “[B]oosts the activity of genes” or “re-bundle collagen.”) Read: FDA warns Lancome about cosmetic claims As for stricter FDA cosmetics safety? This past election could have an impact. Read: Will this election create a safer cosmetics industry?
The non-GMO conversation is far from over—in fact, you can expect it to gain momentum in other product categories such as beauty and personal care. Though consumer interest in non-GMO food and beverage products has largely been driven by fear of GMOs, purchasing non-GMO beauty products will be more about supporting the cause and the entire industry. Read: The latest on the non-GMO Project Some products already contain the seal. But this month, Andalou Naturals will be first complete personal care brand to be verified by the Non-GMO Project—proving this is an investment manufacturers are willing to make.
Speaking of labels, here’s another one to keep on your radar in 2013. Though USDA Organic will likely remain the most recognized organic certification, a more realistic lens of organic’s role in the beauty space prompts continued acceptance of the NSF/ANSI 305 “contains organic” certification—developed specifically for the personal care industry. The standard requires 70 percent organic ingredients but allows certain safe ingredients and “synthetic” processes common to personal care formulation but prohibited under USDA NOP standards. Read: Guide to personal care labels A steady flow of products and companies are opting for the certification—including the entire Avalon Organics line, which focused much of its ’12 marketing efforts around its dedication to this organic personal care label.
Confusion about personal care ingredients and labels has been a barrier to category growth. As a result, some manufacturers are creatively breaking down their ingredient labels and simplifying their messages. One such is example is Dolphin Organics. The brand, which launched in 2011, quickly left its mark on the natural industry with a baby and kids bath and body line that showcased a unique labeling system (clearly indicating which ingredients are natural and organic). Its latest 2012 addition, DO Naturals for tweens, takes that concept further, providing info on where the ingredient comes from and what it does. Read: Entrepreneurs Ayo and Nigel Hart hold Dolphin Organics to high standards Other brands such as Pomega5 are successfully showcasing glossaries of natural, organic and biodynamic ingredients on their websites to help consumers understand how nontoxic elements work.
Being natural is nice and all … but for most women, it’s not enough. Luckily, natural beauty brands are stepping up, using research-backed bioactive ingredients and investing in their own research. Though it comes with a high price tag, for brands such as Yes to Inc., finished-product clinical studies are a worthy place to put R&D dollars. For other companies, such as Hyalogic, the most important part of manufacturing a product that will yield results is working with ingredient suppliers that have the research—and formulating the Hyalogic products with the exact amount of the ingredient used in the clinicals. MyChelle Dermaceuticals continues using its own technology to test real customers’ skin and gauge results in Whole Foods’ aisles.
The skin care category is the largest of the natural and organic personal care industry. Antiaging is poised to be one of its strongest subcategories in 2013. Why? Demand, innovation and the cold, hard facts. Check out these numbers: Facial skin care is the largest segment of the natural and organic personal care market, capturing 3.3 billion dollars with nearly 7 percent growth in 2011, according to Nutrition Business Journal. Meanwhile, the U.S. market for antiaging products is expected to grow from $80 billion to more than $114 billion by 2015. This means there’s plenty of opportunity for natural antiaging products. Read: 18 natural antiaging ingredients and trends Within antiaging skin care, targeted systems continue to replace all-in-one formulations. One such product type gaining popularity are brightening serums and creams that use ingredients such as fruit enzymes: Yes To Inc.’s new line of grapefruit lightening products, Jurlique’s purely bright line and MyChelle’s apple brightening products are a few recent launches.
Finally, the once precarious beauty-from-within industry is finding a place in the U.S. market—and showing the most potential in the natural space, where it experienced 21 percent growth last year. We’re expecting its continued growth in the natural space, where consumers research products and may be more patient with results (topicals take time to work, too, but the instant sensory experience masks that delay). Collagen will lead the way for research-backed beauty-from-within ingredients. But for vegan and vegetarian shoppers, this animal-derived ingredient will fall behind others like EGCG, cocoa, resveratrol and hyaluranic acid. Read: 8 research-backed ingredients for healthy skin Also expect to see more focus on sustainable sourcing and packaging in the nutricosmetics space, said Paula Simpson, a formulation & marketing consultant for the nutraceutical and cosmetics industries. This prediction is aligned with the growth of nutricosmetics in naturals.
With many conventional brands touting the same plant-based active ingredients as naturals, nontoxic companies need to stand out by innovating for stable, plant-based preservatives and surfactants. Without them, even potentially high-performance products can spoil quickly or have a poor texture. With corporations such as Johnson & Johnson reformulating to take out some of the most harmful of these ingredients, a focus of the mass industry also will be on finding stable, affordable options. 2012 research from the Fraunhofer Insitute for Interfacial Enginerring and Biotechnology (IGB) looked at sustainable, biodegradable surfactants from plant stalks, fruit and vegetable skins, and husks and pods—waste from certified organic producers. Though it’s still young, the research is presenting various biosurfactants that could have a range of applications, from skin care to cleaning products, even for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Gone are the days when antiaging products are just for boomers. But getting millenials (people between the ages of 19 and 32) to think about what they’ll look like in 20 years remains a challenge for supplements and personal care manufacturers. In 2013, more manufacturers will target this demographic with marketing campaigns focused on prevention. And they’ll get help from education efforts such as American Academy of Dermatology’s 2012 Listen to Your Skin campaign, which helped to debunk the myth that only older adults are at risk of skin cancer and other sun-related skin issues.
According to natural retailers, a fundamental shift in lifestyles that prompts more health-oriented purchases across product categories will give the natural and organic personal care industry longevity. Customers who purchase natural and organic foods organically transition to the HABA department with the help of nutritionists and other in-store health and beauty experts. Read: Top retailers' strategies for growing their HABA departments Manufacturers such as Ayurvedic beauty and supplement brand Veria ID and SO and supplement and beauty brand NOW foods are also leading the way in promoting this holistic view of beauty with diverse product offerings.
Viewed by parents as a necessity for their kids, and embraced by young women as a key preventive antiaging measure, sunscreen in general is a hot category. Now, with the FDA’s new sunscreen requirements and the Environmental Working Group’s education efforts, all eyes are on mineral sun care, which not only is free from potentially harmful chemicals but also tends to offer better full-spectrum coverage. Read: 6 things to know about FDA's new sunscreen requirements Eighty percent of consumers are showing interest in “natural” offerings. Beyond that, 70 percent of consumers want sunscreens with antiaging ingredients—showing another key area for growth in the sun care industry.
Viewed by parents as a necessity for their kids, and embraced by young women as a key preventive antiaging measure, sunscreen in general is a hot category. Now, with the FDA’s new sunscreen requirements and the Environmental Working Group’s education efforts, all eyes are on mineral sun care, which not only is free from potentially harmful chemicals but also tends to offer better full-spectrum coverage. Read: 6 things to know about FDA's new sunscreen requirements Eighty percent of consumers are showing interest in “natural” offerings. Beyond that, 70 percent of consumers want sunscreens with antiaging ingredients—showing another key area for growth in the sun care industry.
Thanks to increased awareness about toxins in everyday personal care products, all eyes are on the natural and organic beauty industry. Between legislative advancements (Congress finally met on cosmetics safety for the first time in 30 years in '12); mass manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson investing in the space; and natural brands proving their high-performance, everyone wants in on natural beauty.
What should you expect in 2013? These trends, certifications and marketing strategies will drive the natural personal care industry in the year to come.
For more information, check out the NEXT Forecast—a comprehensive report on the industry's driving trends and market forces.
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