In the last few years, the number of research on Google by using the words “natural cosmetics” has grown considerably. Along with the increase in demand, the cosmetic market has adjusted its supply to more and more natural formulations.
Marketing has played an essential role in matching demand and supply by either interpreting or inducing the “natural” concept in the final consumer, so that the market went in that direction, too.
However, advertising and claims in general have sometimes resulted to be misleading, i.e. by emphasizing activities of ingredients being present in the product in very small quantities. Additionally, the statement “free from”, representing a special communication trend, has brought to some confusion. As a matter of fact, consumers are pushed either to avoid a certain ingredient or to think that a product is harmful or not well performing if it doesn’t carry such a statement.
From “natural” to “sustainable”, the ultimate challenge in cosmetics: here some tips
We at Carlo Sessa SpA recommend to the final consumer to go beyond advertising and follow marketing, leading to the policy of “with” and not that of “without”.
Therefore, on purchasing the product, we recommend to give importance to what it contains and to read the ingredients written on the label. A simple web search will allow you to find out infos about the active substances in the product, considering that they are given in descending order of quantity.
From “natural” to “sustainable”, the ultimate challenge in cosmetics: about certifications
Some certification bodies affix their mark on the claim “natural” in cosmetic products.
The certification iussue would deserve a separate chapter as it is not so clear the reason why an external body should certify a product being natural while the manufacturer himself cannot state it and is subject to possible penalties.
When we look for something natural, we have to consider that it not always stands for a benefit. In nature there exist harmful ingredients for human beings. Many of them have a high environmental impact and are hardly disposable.
From “natural” to “sustainable”, the ultimate challenge in cosmetics: some brands are more and more careful
Following the a.m. trend, we hope that the “natural” concept is ridden out quickly and the issue of sustainability gets more and more important for consumers (and manufacturers as well).
Already some cosmetic products are available with a compostable packaging, but we are convinced that something more is still possible. In our small way, we try to support research and development in this “challenge” through our Representatives, whose awareness is rising more and more.
For instance, Naolys produces active, high performant plant cells, having no environmental impact, as the original plants are not damaged by this kind of cultivation. This applies also to Greenaltech/Algaktv: with BodySKN they developed a cosmetic ingredient fully combining sustainability and upcycling, by using production waste of astaxanthin for the nutraceutical sector and a special technology based on microalgae fractions.
On our website you can find all infos about our cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food and nutraceutical range of products.