UK sales of certified health and beauty products rose by 21.6% in 2015 to reach a value of £54.2 million, according to figures from the latest Soil Association Organic Market Report 2016, released today.
The report says that Soil Association Certification now has 214 licenced health and beauty symbol holders and that brands are recognizing the need for reliable guarantees and assurances about the ingredients products contain and the processes involved in producing them.
Organic Monitor figures show that 43% of consumers look for a certification symbol when they buy a natural or organic personal care product.
Clare McDermott, business development director, Soil Association, said: “The organic beauty market is flourishing with increased sales, product launches, availability and greater consumer engagement within the sector. It has relaunched itself as a credible and aspirational alternative to mainstream non-organic beauty and has outperformed expectations this year. Organic beauty continues to thrive and the next 12 months look to be even stronger.”
The report highlighted five key trends:
- New regulations are creating a benchmark standard for the industry. Over a quarter of the 214 Soil Association Certification licensees are now certified to the Cosmetics Organic Standard (COSMOS) which will become the SA’s core standard for beauty on 1 January 2017.
- Demand for organic ingredients is growing as more organic brands are creating new products.
- More companies are scaling up what they do. Not only are established beauty companies performing well, but newer companies such as Pai Skincare, which saw sales up by over 60% in 2015, are growing too.
- The sector is becoming more diverse and innovative, with clinical data to back up their efficacy. According to Planet Organic, organic make-up and cosmetics are seeing strong growth.
- Consumers are becoming more informed and educated about the benefits of organic beauty. According to figures from Organic Monitor, 31% of consumers first decided to buy a natural or organic beauty products because of increased awareness. The Soil Association says that this is thanks to better branding and marketing campaigns including its Organic Beauty Week. “Our Campaign for Clarity is raising awareness of the fake and misleading organic claims that are being made in the beauty industry,” the report says.
