In the UK, 53% of consumers use skin care products with natural ingredients, according to recent Mintel data, while 21% say they considered whether a product is organic/natural before making a purchase.
In Italy and Spain, a similarly substantial 48% of consumers buy natural and organic products, with survey respondents saying that they believe the products are better for their health.
Let’s take a look at one key example of the gastronomia trend gaining in popularity: honey.
Causing a buzz
Honey has long been a popular ingredient in beauty and personal care due to its sweet scent and moisturizing, dermo-purifying, healing and soothing properties. It is also sometimes used as a natural preservative.
This pre-existing consumer awareness of and enthusiasm for honey in personal care makes it a prime candidate to lead the way in introducing consumers to the idea of gastronomia, or the potential to marry health and wellness with the naturals trend.
Burt’s Bees is one company poised to make the most of this, and indeed, this week the company launched a new ‘beauty from within’, plant-based protein shake concept.
"Entering the functional foods space is a natural extension for us," said Jim Geikie, General Manager for Burt's Bees, confirming this link between naturals and wellness.
"For three decades, Burt's Bees has connected people to the beauty, wisdom and power of nature. And for just as long, we've held the belief that real beauty and well-being should be nourished from the inside out. We've been nurturing skin with nature's most powerful ingredients. Now we're helping to nourish the body with them."
Ingredients suppliers responding
Naturex is one ingredients supplier that has made steps to respond to the potential of honey in this regard. Its new ‘Superhoneys’ concept is hitting the market at next week’s Cosmetagora show, the company says.
“Naturex will showcase its ready-to-use cosmetic honeys selection, boasting 6 different honey varieties, from all around the world,” the company says.
“French-lavender, Romanian acacia, Spanish orange blossom or New Zealand Manuka, every Naturex honey is highly traceable, carefully selected and designed for perfect formulability. Three applications will be unveiled at the show, including a purifying honey powder, and a gentle honey face scrub.”