A rare event occurred in the latter half of 2010 Pravera instigated a market research study investigating consumer awareness about Natural And Organic Cosmetics. the aim of the research was to discover consumers perceptions and expectations of ‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’ products including recognition of certification logos ie soil association, Eco cert etc.
The results unveiled problems including the increasing availability of ‘pseudo-organic and natural ranges which have misleading ‘free-from’ claims and a general lack of understanding about (and interest in) certification bodies and exactly what the authentication logo’s on the product mean. The good news is that despite the recession the natural and organic sector is growing but the increasing market from mainstream retailers offering pseudo organic and natural products is on the increase. In skincare there is not the same regulations as there is for food, some manufacturers can state that their product is organic but only 1% may be present in that skincare treatment.
Facial skincare is usually the largest percentage of a brands turnover and it is the first product category the consumer turns to when looking for alternatives to mainstream brands. Although formulations are becoming more sophisticated certain brands are jumping on the ‘green bandwagon’ and their claims are becoming increasingly confusing to the consumer. Shampoos and other haircare are a huge market for this with btands using ‘natural and organic’ claims whilst offering minor formulation changes.
Which labels do consumers look for? The shocking results is that only 15% look for fair trade, 2% soil association, 2% vegan society and over 80% do NOT look for a symbol at all! What do consumers think about labels? 30% never notice them, over 25% think there are too many, over 25% never look for them and only 6% always look for labels.
The top five things consumers look for when choosing skincare:
1. Not tested on animals
2. Percentage of natural/organic ingredients
3. Packaging (how it looks)
4. Is it chemical free?
5. Does it work
Thank you for Pravera for the research and article. At Pure and Gentle we always but the certification on the products if known and always list the ingredients.
