Trade group calls for ‘appropriate, relevant and strict’ natural beauty definition
“To date, there is no official regulatory definition of finished Natural and Organic Cosmetics,” the group said in a recently released statement.
“Our beloved products are still an officially undefined sector of the tightly regulated European industry, and this is the reason for NATRUE’s advocacy role - that any future regulatory definition of Natural and Organic Cosmetics must be appropriate, relevant and strict.”
The naturals trend is has been on the rise for several years, and this shows no sign of letting up: last year, market research company Kline noted that the natural personal care market had enjoyed double-digit growth every year for the previous six years.
The firm predicts that the overall beauty and personal care market for naturals will hit a massive $50 billion by 2019.
Food and beauty: not alike?
Although many perceive the trend for naturals and organics, along with ‘free-from’ claims, to have risen in a parallel fashion for both the beauty and the food industries, NATRUE is keen to stress that when it comes to required regulation, the two should not be equated.
“It should be noted that cosmetics have a different specific function to food. Food does not need to cleanse, to protect, to beautify etc. and so organic agricultural regulation cannot be applied to natural and organic finished products,” the group asserts on its website.
Implied, unverified, marketing gold
Indeed, with food labels, such as gluten-free and non-GMO, entering into the cosmetics market with increasing dominance, and the superfood trend having crossed into beauty, consumer confusion as to the formality and validity of naturals claims made by brands is likely to be deepening.
Groups and individuals like NATRUE are keen to stress that ‘natural’, ‘superfood’ and similar offer only an ‘implied claim’.
For brands, with consumer appetite for these claims only growing (particularly as the wellness trend is now picking up global momentum), using naturals marketing claims on products remains a hot ticket to consumer success.
