WAXES
Martina Heldermann – Kahl Wax, Germany
Multifunctional for vegan and natural formulations
Natural cosmetics are one of the very few segments of the personal care market which has shown strong growth over the last 10-15 years. Even well-known multinationals, after years of appearing unwilling to play a part in this segment, have jumped on the bandwagon over the last few years. A formerly underestimated segment of the personal care industry has become mature and market reports show that the natural cosmetic market will continue to show growth all over the world, where countries like China now also seem to be ready for this trend. Formulating natural cosmetics, as all cosmetic scientists will know, is challenging. Over the years the number of raw materials which are suitable for natural cosmetics has grown tremendously, enabling the formulation of natural cosmetics with galenic and sensory properties which are much more appealing to the consumer than some years ago. It is still very much a challenge, though. Especially when taking into account the price of natural formulations, which tends to be higher on average than non-natural formulations. This is probably one of the main reasons why ‘green washing’ is such a common phenomenon on the cosmetic market still.
Natural certification There is no clear legislation on what can be considered natural and what cannot. This has given certifying bodies like Ecocert, NaTrue, BDIH and the Soil Association a reason for existence and many cosmetic brand owners have recognised the opportunity of having their natural cosmetics certified by these bodies and for using the logos of these bodies on their packaging, giving them a unique selling point. Although this may be true, recent reports on the natural cosmetic market have shown that the average consumer is confused by all the different labels used on the cosmetic market and does not know who to trust. This, especially in the light of the fact that the average consumer, who is much better educated now than in the past,
84 PERSONAL CARE September 2015
is aware of the fact that green washing is a common phenomenon. Consumer skepticism and the fact that the cosmetic industry is under growing scrutinity from governmental bodies, like the FDA in the US, seem to be some of the most important challenges for the cosmetic industry in the coming years.
A natural development The natural cosmetic trend now looks to be evolving even further. Vegan cosmetics have been growing rapidly over the last few years in countries like Germany, for
instance. Germany can definitely be considered one of the trendsetters when it comes to the segment of natural cosmetics, where it was already a big topic in the market, especially for private label brands, in the 1990s. The own brands of drugstore chains like Rossmann and DM Drugstore, searched for ways to differentiate themselves from brands like Nivea and that is where natural cosmetics were ‘born’ in Germany, at least for the mass market segment of the personal care industry. It seems that the natural cosmetic segment in countries like
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
