UK to see growing demand for natural and local beauty products
Sales of certified organic and natural beauty products in the UK reached £75.9m last year, according to the Soil Association Organic Market Report 2018. And a second report by a major analytics firm says 50% of beauty shoppers want the ingredients to be natural.
The Soil Association report reveals an increase of 24% and the seventh year of consecutive growth for the UK certified organic and natural cosmetics market.
And according to Mintel’s Beauty & Personal Care Trends Report 2018, half of UK consumers who buy beauty products are looking for natural ingredients.
Because they are researching these products more than ever before, consumers are more in tune with related developments in science and technology.
They check the safety of products and the source of ingredients on smartphone apps while creditable certifications [such as NATRUE] are increasingly common – Mintel says 37% of UK consumers consider whether or not a product is tested on animals when shopping.
While naturals continue to be popular, many are choosing to ‘get back to basics’ by shopping small, buying locally sourced and locally produced small-batch products. They also see ‘being green’ as not only trendy but also a lifestyle choice.
“These efforts appeal to those who want products that reflect who they are and where they live, and that instill a sense of pride and guardianship for ingredient sourcing and production, as well as manufacturing processes,” says the report.
Interestingly, Mintel also expects science and natural sourcing to converge in the future.
“The possibilities for creating safe, allergen-free, pure, and efficacious ingredients through science could one day replace the harvesting of natural ingredients, particularly as we see increasing climate change and many ecosystems suffering a loss in biodiversity,” it says.
“With these environmental challenges, local sourcing and production of ingredients will become essential in 2018 and beyond, strengthening the idea of local pride — not just with brands and manufacturers, but with consumers too.
“From ingredients to packaging to branding, over the next three years brands will be challenged to focus on safety and purity to clearly communicate product benefits, and to turn to technology in order to take a local and ethical stance.”
Mintel researched among thousands of young internet users in the UK, US, China, Australia and several European countries.
Download the report here.
More on the Soil Association Organic Market Report here.
Read more Insights here...