More Than Skin Deep

The term organic usually evokes images of apples, peaches or bananas. However, consumers’ cravings for organic and natural products are not isolated to the produce section and grocery aisles. Today’s shoppers also care about the ingredients that are going into the products they put on their skin. 

“Social media has raised awareness and demand for organics and authenticity,” says Susie Hewson, owner, founder, developer and internal sales and marketing director of Natracare, based in Greeley, Colo. “Big corporations no longer capture their hearts, and conscience is a key word for this new generation of choosy consumers. Organic food started the revolution, and certified personal care is riding up there as the need for organic increases.”

While the demand for natural and organic personal care products is growing, consumers, especially Millennials, are becoming less likely to head to specialty stores in search of these items. More and more, consumers expect to walk through the grocery aisles and find tubs of natural hydrating cream and organic makeup removal wipes sitting conveniently next to the conventional brands. 

Wally’s Natural recently conducted internal surveys of Millennials, asking them how they shop for and use these products. 

“We’re seeing a lot of Millennials graduate to the food, drug and mass outlets, so they’re not really seeking out natural products in natural stores but looking for them on the shelves,” says Dan Fox, marketing director for Auburn, Calif.-based Wally’s Natural. “It’s super important that retailers notice what’s going on because it kind of helps spur the idea that you put the natural products next to their non-natural competitors. That’s where the Millennials are shopping, they’re not going specifically to the natural aisle.” 

Millennials may be hesitant to head to specialty stores for their personal care products, but many would make the trip to their nearest health food store if their go-to retailer did not carry the necessary natural products. 

“Millennials are looking for a story of authenticity, truth in labeling and organic products,” Hewson says. “They understand why organic is important and unless retailers come to recognize this demand soon, Millennials will source the products elsewhere.” 

Retailers can attract consumers in a number of ways. While Fox emphasizes the need to keep natural products near conventional brands of the same type, Barbara Roll, vice president of marketing for Simi Valley, Calif.-based derma e, says there is some merit to putting a spotlight on natural and organic products. 

“We’re seeing that a lot of the bigger chains are starting to save a part of their stores for the natural set,” Roll says. “Another thing retailers can do is have point-of-sale materials that call out natural and provide a couple of words to explain what that is, like ‘environmentally friendly,’ ‘better for your health,’ whatever it is that they want to pull out.” 

Products with labels that boast desirable qualities can be a huge win for retailers when it comes to the natural personal care category, say industry observers. Retailers can push keywords such as “certified organic” further by helping to educate consumers, observers add. As consumers get educated, usage goes up. There are also specific consumers that gravitate toward the category that retailers can target.

“The organic personal care category is growing at the fastest rate in households that are consuming at least one or two organic foods regularly,” Hewson says. “Amongst Millennials, the uptake of organic personal care is a growing norm due to their concerns for the environment, climate change and their own well-being. They understand that organic is best.”

Natural or Organic?

Even as the category gains traction there is still confusion, particularly the distinction between natural and organic. For example, as Natracare COSMOS certified organic cleansing makeup wipes make their way to market, Hewson says there are retailers that do not understand the difference between brands labeled as natural and those labeled certified organic. 

“We need retailers’ support to help consumers understand that unless the product carries an accredited organic logo, then it is not certified organic and consumers are not then buying the best product for their skin if they really want to avoid chemicals of concern,” She says.

Fox says certified organic labels can be helpful to retailers because it means consumers do not need to spend time determining what category a product falls into. Those labels can either be USDA Organic or NSF organic.

“To the consumer these labels mean a product has been certified organic by a third-party that knows what they’re looking for and that they don’t have to do all the research to find out what all the ingredients are. It’s already been certified as organic, which to them is being translated as ‘natural’ or ‘super natural.’”

So how can retailers help get the words “certified organic” into their customers’ heads? Fox says visibility is key. 

“Making the consumer understand a little bit more about what the USDA and the NSF organic logos mean helps, but that’s mostly the manufacturers’ responsibility,” he says. “For retailers, having the logos prominently displayed and giving credence to them is just as important.”

Organic is not the only word that helps personal care products jump off the shelves. Roll says a number of other qualities have proven to be favorable among today’s consumers. Natural is one, and there are certain trends within the natural category that have been catching consumers’ eyes. Among them, says Roll, are at-home exfoliation products as well as evening skin tones, natural masks and overnight pills. 

Some of the same trends can be seen among the beauty products consumers are putting on their faces. Consumers want similar beauty products to what they would be able to purchase in a specialty makeup store that they can use without guilt.  

“We are seeing the sort of Sephora style beauty and skincare products reconfigured to address the same thing in a natural way, so that’s another trend we see coming through specifically on the product side,” Roll says. 

However, just the term “natural” can be misleading.    

“We don’t talk about being natural because it doesn’t really mean a lot and it is not regulated. We call ourselves eco-ethical, and then we give a lot of meaning to that,” Roll says. “To us eco-ethical, means we are cruelty-, soy-, gluten- and GMO-free and 100 percent vegan. We clarify that on our packaging just to help the consumer notice the difference.”