Beauty -Organic Skin Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
in 2009 Organic Monitor predicted that the natural and organic beauty market will experience a further nine percent growth between then and 2015, despite the recession.
Elizabeth Thomas of TanOrganic agrees that the popularity of organic skin care is growing: “Organic skin care has become the fastest growing trend in the skin care industry. This is due, in the main, to access to fast, accurate information and education via international mediums such as the Internet, Facebook, and Twitter, etc”.
The skin is the largest organ in the body and therefore can absorb what is put onto it. “Sixty four percent of what we apply onto the skin can be absorbed into the skin and by limiting the chemicals in our cosmetics we limit the amount absorbed into our skin. On average women absorb over two kilos a year of chemicals into their skin via personal skin care products,” says Noelle.
By using products that contain natural or organic products, the intake of chemicals can be limited, which is becoming increasingly important to people, therefore improving the overall health of the skin and the body. Offering an organic alternative is vital as it gives your clients the choice that they need.
Anne McDevitt, distributor of Éminence products, also believes you should be offering your clients a choice: “With the increase in the population of allergic conditions and intolerances to chemicals and artificial foods, it is paramount that a salon or Spa offer treatments and products with no chemical additives. This can reduce the toxic load for the clients. Many individuals write off the concept of toxic load but the intolerances and allergies develop as a result of the cumulative effect.”
Choosing organic
Choosing to offer organic or natural products to your clients can bring your salon or Spa to the forefront and ahead of the competition, especially if you are the only salon or Spa in your area offering much sought after natural products and treatments.
But what makes a product natural or organic? Anne explains: “Organic products are made from organic raw materials which are each certified. In the case of skin care, the produce may be
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vegetables, flowers or herbal plants grown to strict standards ensuring a healthier environment both for humans and animals. As no man-made chemicals are used in the growing processes it is a more sustainable way of producing skin care.
“Natural ingredients from the earth and seas, such as fucus, pomegranate, jasmine and rose petals, rosehip, yarrow, green foods, nettles, ivy, paprika, natural thermal mineral spring waters, plus a variety of botanical extracts give rise to a beautiful, clear, balanced, revitalised and naturally glowing complexion, visible results that only nature’s potent nutri- ceuticals can produce.”
This then poses the question - how can we tell if a beauty product is organic?
One of the easiest ways to tell at a glance is to look out for an organically certified logo splashed across the packaging. “Organic Trust Ireland is the Irish certifying organisation,” explains Noelle. Other organic certifying bodies to look out for include ECOCERT, The Soil Association (UK), and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). For a product to be deemed as organic by these bodies it must comply with their strict requirements and regular testing.
Regarding cosmetics and skin care, you should also look out for the Cosmetics Organic Standard, or COSMOS, which is an initiative by Europe’s leading health and beauty standards organisations, including The Soil Association, to harmonise organic standards globally. The first products certified to these new standards are likely to hit the shelves in this Spring.
However, it’s also your responsibility to know what a natural product should and shouldn’t contain so that you can identify one easily just by looking at the list of ingredients. If a product calls itself ‘natural’ or ‘organic’, but doesn’t carry the logo of a certified body, do not dismiss it! Some companies pride themselves on their organic products, but choose not to take the route of becoming organically certified. “Check that the ingredients are certified and the percentage of organic ingredients in the products,” advises Noelle.
Recent research has actually shown that it’s not all about the certification of organic products, people tend to trust the brands that they know and trust,
according to industry expert Burkhard Schaer, founder of Ecozept. He believes that the absence of an organic certification does not hinder success.
He has found that it is trust building that is the key element to winning over consumers to brands. The trigger is to first hear about the brand and then discover a point of sale associated with the natural or organic product.
Underlining the trend is the fact that several key brands in Europe have invested in the brands and communicating their natural, organic and ethical commitments, rather than pouring resources into certification. He does, however, make the point that natural and organic certification bodies can still have an important part to play in European cosmetics.
Consider the composition of the products, the percentage of active ingredients and beware of products that contain just a small percentage of organic ingredients. Believe it or not, EU law on organic food does not extend to none-food products. “Unfortunately companies only need to have one ingredient that is organic to claim organic on the label, which is misleading to the consumer,” says Noelle.
One of the biggest tasks can be passing the message onto clients and getting them to understand the benefits of using organic products, particularly if they are apprehensive. “Unfortunately we have to educate [clients] about the negatives of not using natural and organic and that many ingredients in mainstream cosmetics can be bad for the skin and cause undue irritations and allergies,” she points out.
Ask your clients why they are apprehensive, is it a case that they believe organic products are good for the environment but doesn’t deliver results? Education is the key.
Turn the page to see a round-up of some of the Organic Skin Care ranges available...
information:
ANNE MCDEVITT PRODUCTS / ÉMINENCE 01 677 7911
TANORGANIC 045 480 82
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