Rewind ten years and you would have been hard-pressed to find any certified organic skincare at all. But today, there’s a virtual revolution happening in the cosmetics industry and everywhere you look there’s a new organic skincare line coming out.
Organic skincare is definitely the new black — but it’s not some passing trend. Like the little black dress you can always rely on, organic skincare is set to become a permanent part of our lives. We believe it’s a worldwide movement that’s here to stay.
The unbridled growth of the organic skincare industry has been so strong, in fact, that it is one of the few industries that didn’t slow down during the GFC.
According to a 2011 survey by Kline & Company, sales of ‘natural’ personal care products worldwide rose 15% to reach USD$23 billion.
Of course, ‘natural’ does not necessarily equal ‘organic’, but the statistics show a clear trend towards pure, clean, safe products and a scaling back of the use of toxic chemicals.
5 reasons why organic skincare is on the rise:
- Raw, natural materials (such as coconut oil, aloe vera, calendula and pomegranate) are becoming more accessible for skincare producers
- Due to the increased availability of natural ingredients, prices for organic or natural skincare products are more feasible for the average consumer
- Worldwide concern for the environment is causing consumers to re-think where their products come from and how they are made
- Increasing media attention on healthy lifestyle is prompting people to switch to safer, more natural products
- Disposable incomes in countries like Brazil, Asia and India are rising, resulting in previously untapped markets becoming more receptive to organic skincare products
New ‘free from’ labelling trend
As savvy consumers become more aware of greenwashing (companies marketing their products as organic or natural when they are not), and learn to read and understand the labels on their skincare products, skincare manufacturers are taking note.
It’s very difficult for a skincare company to be granted organic certification for their products – the rules are very strict — but they want to capitalise on new green cosmetics trend, so they are beginning to market their products as ‘free from’ the most common chemical nasties.
For example, we will soon start seeing more and more skincare and cosmetics packaging that says:
- paraben-free
- phthalate-free
- sodium lauryl sulfate-free
- free of synthetic fragrance
We believe certified organic products are the most trustworthy, because even if a product is labelled ‘paraben-free’, it may still be filled with a bunch of other toxic chemicals.
However, we do applaud the moves being made in the cosmetics industry towards phasing out dodgy chemicals like parabens and phthalates. Consumers are the ones who will benefit, so it’s a big thumbs up from us.
Do you think organic skincare is here to stay? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Image: Flickr
Yes,I think the organic industry on the whole will only continue to grow. As education (and evidence) increases, we are becoming more aware that the current ‘global crisis’ we face is also a direct mirror of the choices we are making at an individual level.
What we put in and on our bodies does matter. True beauty is simple, and we hope that the fallacy of attaining health and youthfulness through the application of chemicals is on the demise.
Thanks to companies such as Mukti, our choices toward health, happiness and wholesome living are made much easier!