LONDON — The scene was very much green here at the Natural and Organic Products Europe trade show.
The event, which ran April 11 and 12, had a dedicated beauty area featuring more than 100 stands, 25 percent more than in 2009. (Visitor numbers at the show reached over 8,000, a 2 percent on-year uptick.)
The increased beauty presence at the show reflects healthy consumer interest in organic and natural cosmetics in the U.K. According Amarjit Sahota, director of Organic Monitor, sales of natural and organic beauty products in the U.K. are estimated to have grown 8 percent in 2009 to 195 million euros, or $272 million at average exchange for the year.
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At the show, Peter Kindersley, chairman of Neal’s Yard Remedies, hosted a presentation on the importance of natural and organic ingredients. He said Neal’s Yard has “said no” to parabens, among other controversial ingredients.
“Plants are Neal’s Yard’s chemical factories,” he continued. Certification and fair trade were also hot topics at the show. Victoria Morton of The Fairtrade Foundation noted the organization aims to facilitate the use of fair-trade ingredients in cosmetics. Boots, Bubble & Balm, Essential Care, Lush and Neal’s Yard Remedies were among the first beauty brands to introduce products bearing the Fairtrade symbol in the U.K. last June.
Michael Bronner, of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, told of how the brand has put its fair-trade ideals into action in Sri Lanka. “[We’re trying] to make fair trade a viable entity not just for cocoa and not just for coffee,” he said.
Sahota said among the challenges facing brands is deciding which certification to choose since organic and natural labels have proliferated in recent times. He also pointed to merger-and-acquisition activity within the industry, citing Shiseido’s recent purchase of Bare Escentuals as an example. Sahota said sustainability and ethical sourcing of ingredients are increasingly important.
Brands exhibiting at the show included:
• Balm Balm, a line of organic balms, oils, treatment products and fragrances.
• Fen & Carr, a face, body and hair care treatment line incorporating organic peat.
• Bulldog, a natural grooming and treatment line for men. Some of the brand’s products also include fair-trade ingredients. • Pommade Divine, a multipurpose balm. The brand also has items such as hand-and-nail cream and foot lotion.
• Pai, an organic skin care line suitable for sensitive skin. • 100% Organics, a colorful line of organic face-and-body products using ingredients including Madagascan tamanu oil, Italian tomato extract and gotu kola.
• Maison Boo, a baby and body care brand comprising the Baby Boo Organic; Baby Boo Organic Pamper My Baby and Body Bootique lines.