Key findings from Organic Monitor’s Consumer Insights report Consumer Expectations of Natural & Organic Cosmetics were presented at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit which took place in Paris in November.
The research – produced through personal interviews with shoppers regarding purchasing triggers, buying motives, chemical awareness, certification, price premium and brand perceptions – found that health concerns were found to be the primary reason for consumers to buy natural and organic beauty products.
84% of male shoppers said that avoiding synthetic chemicals in personal care products was important or very important to them, and this percentage rose for female shoppers. Parabens were found to be the synthetic chemicals that most consumers look to avoid, stated by 63% of buyers, and awareness of all synthetic chemicals was seen to have increased significantly since 2007.
Certification is becoming more important, according to the report, with 43% of consumers looking for symbols and logos when they buy beauty products, up from 33% in 2007, with most shoppers looking out for the Soil Association logo.
The Internet is now the main source of information regarding natural and organic products, overtaking friends and family which came top in 2007, with general media remaining important for buyers over 55.
