Natural Personal Care Products Gain Traction In Traditional Retailers, Benefit From Key TrendsNatural Personal Care Products

Non-toxic beauty is moving to the mainstream as strong sales growth – in 2015, natural and organic personal care grew 8 percent in natural retail – cause traditional retailers to make space available for natural products. It’s also gaining traction with high-end outlets as some natural products push into prestige, suggesting its penetration will continue to grow. New Hope identified nine important trends in natural personal care. These include a shift in consumer sentiment, with consumers increasingly buying natural products not because of what they avoid, but because of what they offer. Innovation and improvements now means naturals are making claims and offering benefits that consumers want.  Another important shift came with the FDA’s 2016 ban of triclosan and 17 other chemicals used in hand and body washes marketed as "antibacterial," which is causing some traditional products to reformulate, often in a naturals direction, shining a development light for other products.  Last, research is starting to show the potential of naturals. One example is growing understanding about how microbiomes matter, especially for skin health. Research is underlining the importance of gut health and ‘good bacteria’ on the skin in promoting healthy skin. Products with topical probiotics will emerge and could bring large benefits. [Image credit © Peter Muller]