The Soil Association Certification is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Soil Association, the UK's leading membership charity campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. The Certification arm certifies over 70% of all organic products sold in the UK.
The new report, the Organic Beauty & Wellbeing Market 2019 report, reveals that sales of certified organic and natural beauty products totalled £86.5m in 2018.
It explains that sustainable shoppers have driven the market for certified organic and natural beauty products to an all-time high with a 14% growth in sales in 2018.
Indeed, beauty products in Europe certified with the Soil Association COSMOS standard doubled to reach more than 10,000 products across 794 brands, pushing the sector in its eighth consecutive year of growth.
- What is COSMOS certification? READ HERE
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The report findings
The report - which can be accessed here - finds that certified organic and natural products are being sought as shoppers increasingly seek products with a greater guarantee of sustainability, holistic wellness and ethical assurances.
Certification is providing trust for these conscious consumers with 65% of shoppers now expecting brands to share ingredient sourcing.
Georgia Barnes, business development manager for beauty & wellbeing at Soil Association Certification, said: “The certified organic and natural beauty sector is at an all-time high.
“Conscious consumers are seeking sustainable beauty products that promote a holistic sense of wellbeing while also upholding their ethical and environmental values.
“Organic and natural beauty certification delivers these values by working with nature and provides a stamp of trust that combats greenwashing and plays a central role in the movement towards a more responsible industry.”
Beauty trade show: Natural & Organic Products Europe approaches
Natural & Organic Products Europe is a trade show dedicated to this market, and its 2019 edition takes place at ExCeL London on 7-8 April.
Finn Cottle, trade consultant at Soil Association Certification, says of the upcoming event: “Natural & Organic Products Europe gives a great platform for innovative organic brands to showcase their range and communicate why organic is important to them.
“Organic is in the right place to capitalise on many of the current consumer trends as shoppers are looking to purchase sustainable products to reduce their impact on the planet.
“It is a really good time for organic as the market is in its seventh year of growth, with a steady rise in 2018.”