CosmeticsDesign spoke to the co-founder of the Clean Beauty Co., Dominika Minarovic, who explained that she reckons Europe is slowly waking up to the potential of clean beauty. The trend, she believes, is being driven primarily by consumers becoming more discerning and engaged.
“The clean eating movement is driving it, and we’re starting to see it across different industries,” she says. “Consumers generally are becoming really savvy to the tactics big brands use, not just in beauty but across the board and globally: food, household products, clothes.”
A consumer-brand community
A key part of the appeal of clean beauty is the feeling of proximity between consumers and products, Dominika believes.
“In part, it’s about value for money and trust - consumers feel more confident having a closer relationship with the origin of their products, with the brands and with their suppliers,” she says.
In an effort to help build this sense of community, the recent Clean Cult beauty industry event - co-organised by Dominika - focused on allowing consumers to get close to the brands, making up for the lack of sensorial interaction that can be caused by products’ high price tags and niche nature of the clean beauty brands.
“With all beauty products, you want to be able to try it - you want to be able to touch it, smell it - and that can be a barrier for indie clean beauty brands, because consumers can’t get to them. They can’t try out the products and get that sensorial engagement,” Dominika explains.
Driven by food
“The clean beauty movement is definitely an extension of the clean eating movement,” asserts Dominika, noting that food and lifestyle bloggers such as Deliciously Ella have been particularly instrumental in driving the trend in the UK.
“If you're being conscious of what you’re eating - eating clean and making sure you’re not consuming anything processed - it’s a paradox not then to follow that through with what you’re putting on your skin,” she explains.
It’s all part of the rising wellness/wellbeing and health trend that’s already well-established: the market, Dominika reckons, is very much ready for a big rise in clean beauty, because “people already really enjoy taking care of themselves.”