Sales of organic beauty and wellbeing products in the UK soared by 23% in 2019 to be worth £106.4 million.
The figures are contained in a report launched today by leading UK organic certification body, Soil Association Certification (SACert).
It’s the ninth consecutive year that the organic beauty category has delivered double digit growth.
Shifting consumer mindset
‘Conscious consumerism’ was one of the big buzz phrases of 2019 and the certified organic beauty and wellbeing sector has spotted a shift in the consumer mindset to an active demand for sustainable and ethical products.
Soil Association Certification says that demand for organic beauty and wellbeing products has intensified as “an emerging generation of passionate and informed consumers” expect more transparency from brands – and clearer evidence of their performance on sustainability, ethical working practices, efficacy of products, and environmental practices.
Business development manager, Clare McDermott, said: “With the climate crisis dominating the headlines and a desire across the board for more sustainable living, certified organic beauty and wellbeing products are more relevant than ever as a way for shoppers looking for simple choices to reduce their environmental impact.
“2020 promises to be an exciting year of cutting through the noise, to drive real, heartfelt solutions to sustainability as more retailers’ stock certified organic and natural beauty brands in response to this demand with transparency being of the utmost importance to today’s citizen.”
No to no logo
In an effort to meet this new consumer behaviour, Soil Association Certification, says retailers are responding by increasing the availability of certified organic beauty and wellbeing products within their space. But it notes that shoppers are increasingly concerned, and aware of claims, that very often are not substantiated, and increasingly look for certification for reassurance. 56% of people surveyed for the report said they looked for logos to support them with their choices.
2019 also marked progression within brand support and recognition when, for the first time ever, the Soil Association COSMOS Logo appeared within a mass media TV advertising campaign for L’Oréal’s Garnier Organic Skincare launch.
Unlike organic food and drink businesses, beauty brands are not legally obligated to be certified – any brand can claim to be organic and may contain just 1% of organic ingredients. Soil Association Certification says it will “continue to push for transparency in the market, driving awareness of certified brands who truly have sustainability baked into their DNA”.