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The natural beauty and skin care trend skyrocketed a couple of years ago and is still flying high. Consumers are more conscious than ever before – and becoming more and more aware – of what’s beneficial for their bodies, with thanks to the internet. This article looks beyond the word ‘natural’ on a label to explore what the term really means.
BWy Emily Devon.
hen I was younger my parents gave me a good tip for deciding what to eat: ‘If you
don’t understand what half the words on the ingredient’s label mean, then you shouldn’t put
the product in your mouth, and the same goes for what you put on your skin’. Unfortunately, back then I was absolutely stumped by this. I thought: ‘Great, I can’t eat, and I can’t use makeup’. The times are different now. We’re living in a society full of label readers.
A label reader is today’s consumer: heavily influenced by what’s seen on their screen. Whether the information is correct or not, a marketing scheme or genuine health-promoting guidance, these days it’s all on the internet and influences what’s being bought in a retail pharmacy.
Clear growth in the industry
“Australian beauty consumers are becoming increasingly focused on improving personal health and following the growing global demand for clean, green and organic skin care products,” G&M Cosmetics Australia Global Marketing and Sales Manager Peter Bosevski said.
The Good Face Project founder and CEO Iva Teixeira agrees.
“The natural, organic and clean trends, which started in the food industry more than 10 years ago have now permeated all aspects of our lives, and they’re here to stay,” she said.
“Skin is our largest organ, and inquiring about what’s in the skin care products we buy for ourselves and our loved ones is only natural, no pun intended.
“This trend is more than just a trend. It’s a new way of living and therefore is unlikely to go away.”
According to IBISWorld’s ‘Organic Cosmetics and Toiletries Distributors in Australia’ report, increasing consumer awareness about the health benefits of using organic products and growing concerns about the danger of synthetic chemical compounds in traditional cosmetics have driven industry growth.1 Expansion of the cosmetics and toiletries industry’s range of organic products has amplified revenue growth over the past five years.1
Manufacturers of traditional cosmetics and toiletries have also responded to consumer trends, reducing their products’ concentrations of artificial chemicals and substances and
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incorporating more extracts from natural sources.1 ‘Greenwashing’ claims from several cosmetics products
whose brand name or packaging contains messages such as ‘organic’ or made with ‘certified organic ingredients’ have added to the challenges faced by industry operators distributing certified organic products. Despite this, industry revenue is expected to have grown at an annualised 16
per cent over the five years through 2018-19.1 This includes expected growth of 8.5 per cent in the current year.1
Natural: the elusive definition
Establishing a definition for the term ‘natural’ when used in the context of beauty products has proven to be quite difficult.
Professional beauty therapist Belinda Hughes (aka the Natural Beauty Expert) says ‘natural’ is such a broad term.
“Natural products could mean anything from a completely non-natural traditional product with some botanical ingredients, to something that’s 100 per cent plant derived,” she said.
Skin Health Institute dermatologist Associate Professor Rosemary Nixon said: “I think this is a pretty confused area because there’s no readily accepted definition. The marketing
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An allergen can trigger the immune system to release chemical substances such as antibodies that result
in allergy symptoms.5 Allergic reactions to cosmetics most often appear as itchy red rashes on the skin – or contact dermatitis.5
The US Food and Drug Administration has a list of the most common allergens found in cosmetic products:
• Natural rubber. Also listed as latex.5
• Fragrances. Also listed as amyl cinnamal, amylcinnamyl
alcohol, anisyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate,
benzyl cinnamate, with many other names.5
• Preservatives. May be listed as methylisothiazolinone
(MIT), along with other names.
• Dyes or chemicals and colour additives. May be listed
as p-phenylenediamine (PPD) and coal-tar.5
• Metals. May be listed as nickel or gold.5
RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • JUL 2020
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