Coming Soon

JIM KAROLEFSKI

New products are the lifeblood of the supermarket, and natural cosmetics are no exception. Experts say shoppers will be looking for products that have the following attributes:

* CONVENIENCE

Single-use cosmetics, multipurpose innovations, trial sizes and products designed for convenience such as solids or sheets instead of liquids are growing segments in personal care, according to Wendy Lewis, president of Wendy Lewis & Co., advisor to such manufacturers as Johnson & Johnson and others.

“With our busy 24/7 lifestyles, products that are easy to use and convenient to carry and store will score points with consumers, and are seen as worth the extra spend,” she said. “Portable beauty and cosmetics products are definitely picking up steam and are driven largely by the fact that people are traveling more, working longer hours, often from multiple locations.”

* HYDRATION

Cosmetics that direct moisture to the surface of the skin, known as “hydrating” cosmetics, are poised to become a potential innovative player in the category.

“Rose hip oil, a mainstay in many natural products, has been proven to increase hydration by 44%,” said Anne Francke, natural cosmetics expert and former marketing executive with Procter & Gamble. “Just as there have been more anti-aging products lately, there will be an increased growth of hydrating products as well.”

P&G's Cover Girl Smoothers, which uses the “Aquacurrent” system of hydration, is a good example of a mass market hydrator. According to the manufacturer, Aquacurrent is a scientific process that guides the optimization of moisture movement within skin and hair.

* ORGANICS

“Although rare, organic cosmetic products with certification, such as Origins Organics, Juice Beauty and Jason Naturals, are gaining momentum,” said Lewis. “Consumers are becoming more savvy about what to look for and the Certified Organic seal can be used to attract new customers.”

Although the first two products listed above are, for now at least, confined to specialty shops and online stores, Jason Naturals, a subsidiary of Hain-Celestial, is one of the most recognized healthy products manufacturers in supermarkets today, boasting a product portfolio of over 200 items. Its offerings in skin cosmetics include vitamin E moisturizers, tea tree oils and lip balm, among others. They range from 70% to 100% organic.

* STRINGENT CERTIFICATION

Francke believes that stricter standards are coming. There is currently no regulatory definition as to what is and what isn't natural, which confuses consumers. What are needed are the types of certifications that set those standards in Europe for the past 20 years and are only now getting known in the U.S., she said.

“A good example of this would be Origins Organics, who in addition to their certification by the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] applied for EcoCert, which is the European standard,” she added. “This is a good trend because it gives consumers a trusted third party to look to when looking at the shelf, and they can choose with greater confidence.”