Beauty: Green is the Color for 2011

The ‘organics’ sector in the beauty industry is on the fast track. From cause-based consumerism to a rise in environmental consciousness, GREEN is the hottest hue for 2011.

Cosmetics industry veteran Edward (“Ed”) Schack, principal of EES Cosmetics Solutions, Inc., shares his top three eco-beauty trends for 2011, and they are in full support of the Green Movement finally gaining ground in the beauty sector:

• Cosmetic buying habits related to perceived health and safety concerns. According to Datamonitor, 28% of consumers currently deliberately avoid certain cosmetics or toiletries because of fears over certain ingredients, and 39% are somewhat or extremely concerned about parabens or petrochemicals used in beauty product formulations. FDA statistics confirm that cosmetics are one of the safest categories of products used by Americans: With more than 11 billion personal care products sold each year, only 150 adverse experiences (mostly skin rashes or allergies) have been reported.
• How being ‘green’ affects consumer spending in the cosmetic category. According to Grail Research, a full 93% of consumers feel that a company being green is important to their purchase decision, with 80% of consumers citing “natural” as the most important green attribute for cosmetic/toiletry products.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 Annual Survey, manufacturers of beauty products consumed less than a third of the kilowatt hours of electricity relative to the average of other U.S. manufacturers. However, most are either not aware or cannot recollect companies’ green initiatives.
• The importance of socially conscious business practices. Consumers also value brands that support causes—85% of Americans have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a good cause.  The cosmetics industry is very involved in philanthropy and contributes twice as much to charitable causes than any other industry.

An amazing opening exists in the wake of the importance of good ingredients and business practices, yet brands should head the warning that the potential backlash of half-heartedly jumping on the ‘green bandwagon’ can be even more damaging than the opportunity. Full commitment to the ‘greening up’ of a brand is necessary to gain and keep consumer loyalty and to stave off the toxic label of greenwashing.

(image from: Coco Eco Magazine)

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