Balance September 2017 - 61

BAC K TO BAS I C S

t h e nic
Orgi sas u e

The

Sales of
organic
skincare
products
are finally
booming.
But why
only now?

D

uring my time as a beauty and
grooming writer (and that's 17
years and counting), the idea of
organic skincare has been the
hardest of sells. Often viewed with scepticism
and suspicion - especially among men
- the efficacy of 'natural' products was doubted
and even derided. At worst, organic skincare
was seen as nothing more than a pretentious,
middle class gimmick.
How things have changed. Most of us now
have at least something in our grooming
repertoire that features organically-farmed
ingredients and we're (rightfully) becoming
a nation of avid label checkers. According to
the Soil Association, sales of certified organic
beauty products have increased by 13% in the
last year, helping grow a market now worth
more than £62million in the UK alone. So,
why the sea change?

LEE
KYNASTON

ASSESSING THE PROBLEMS
For the answer you only have to look at our
increasing interest in health and nutrition
- as we become more mindful about what we
put into our bodies, so we are more conscious
about what we put onto them. As well as the
sharp increase in veganism (the number of
people avoiding animal products has risen
by 360% in the past decade, which has a
knock on effect for the entire natural beauty
industry) and the awareness-raising impact
of high profile environmental stories like

Although a firm
believer that
real beauty comes
from the inside,
Lee sees no
harm in giving the
outside some TLC.

STAMP OF
A P P R O VA L

Look out
for the
COSMOS
logo on the
packaging
of skincare
products.
This means
they are
certified
as organic
by the Soil
Association.

the forthcoming ban on ocean-polluting
microbeads - the tiny plastic spheres used in
some skincare products to exfoliate skin.

MIND OVER MATTER
All these things have helped focus our minds
on what's actually in the lotions and potions
that populate our bathroom in pretty much
the same way we now think carefully about
what's in the food that fills our kitchen. And
it's not just old hippies who are leading the
charge - and I say this as an old hippy myself
in case you take umbrage - but millennials, too.
According to the Organic Trade Board, it's
the under-35s who are most engaged with the
current organic boom, which bodes well for
the future of the industry.
Scepticism, it seems, has been replaced by
acceptance and niche has become normal
- which isn't just great news for the beauty
industry but for your skin and hair, too. B

G O O RGA N IC W I TH SEV EN O F THE BE ST

MAIN IMAGE: STOCKSY

❷

❺

❸

good for

sensitive
skin

❶

❹

❻

❼

September 2017 BA LA N CE

1. Antipodes Manuka
Honey Day Cream, £39.99,
feelunique.com
2. Neal's Yard Remedies
Organic Facial Wipes, £6,
nealsyardremedies.com
3. Dr. Hauschka
Lemongrass Vitalising
Body Wash, £14,
dr.hauschka.com
4. Green People For
Men Exfoliating Face

Scrub, £13.50,
greenpeople.co.uk
5. Dr Bronner's Organic
Peppermint Shaving Soap,
£9.75, planetorganic.com
6. Daniel Galvin
OrganicHead Oh! Detox
& Purify Shampoo, £7,
danielgalvinjunior.com
7. Optiat Purifying
Exfoliating Face Mask,
£17.95, optiat.co.uk

61
http://greenpeople.co.uk http://www.feelunique.com http://www.planetorganic.com http://www.nealsyardremedies.com http://www.danielgalvinjunior.com http://dr.hauschka.com http://optiat.co.uk
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance September 2017
