| the earth-friendly topic being on so many | | | | percent report that exposure to fragrances is |
| people’s minds lately, consumers are realizing | | | | bothersome, with many synthetic fragrances containing |
| that using natural personal care products is a simple | | | | phthalates, which are linked to birth defects and |
| way to start with a greener lifestyle. Consumer | | | | health-related issues. However, the consumer must |
| demands for natural personal care products has | | | | know that there is actually a difference between |
| actually experienced double digit growth consistently | | | | unscented and fragrance-free. Unscented products |
| for the past few years, with this trend not expected to | | | | mask the odor of the actual formula with a fragrance, |
| slow. At the same time, non-natural personal care is | | | | which leaves the potential for skin irritation and allergic |
| typically seeing less than a five percent growth. | | | | reactions. |
| Natural is currently one of the fastest growing | | | | The Natural Products Association recently launched a |
| subcategories of personal care, with a large crossover | | | | Natural Care Product Seal and Standard so that |
| clientele emerging and many mass, grocery, and drug | | | | consumers could more easily identify products with |
| stores are now offering natural products. Success has | | | | truly natural ingredients. Adhering to these requirements |
| moved natural ingredients into mainstream brands, | | | | can prove difficult for manufactures of natural soaps. |
| opened doors to food, drug, and mass merchant | | | | Soaps and creams present several challenges to |
| distribution, and driven major consumer brands to enter | | | | formulators who are seeking to avoid chemicals and |
| the market. Larger mass market companies are now | | | | synthetic materials. Soaps made according to the |
| realizing the extreme growth potential and profitability | | | | above standards will cleanse skin and hair, although |
| of the natural market as compared to the traditional | | | | they may have an appearance and texture that was |
| personal care market. | | | | different than many consumers are use to. These |
| Manufactures have been trying many different things | | | | soaps may be thin, create minimal foam, and may |
| in the soap market including making soaps for sensitive | | | | have a shorter shelf life than other natural products |
| skin, using fair trade ingredients, and discovering new | | | | that are made according to alternative ingredient |
| ways to make creamier and more moisturizing soaps. | | | | standards. |
| Consumers are looking for their natural personal care | | | | Although bar soaps are staple products year round, |
| products to have the same easy use and | | | | liquid soaps are currently gaining popularity, as bar |
| performance level of chemical-based personal care | | | | soaps are often drying to the skin and have a high pH. |
| products. There is also an increase in interest in using | | | | Liquid soaps, on the other hand, have a pH closer to |
| food-based ingredients, as it is appealing on a | | | | that of skin and also have the ability to moisturize. The |
| consumer level due to the familiarity, because if you | | | | market should see an increase in liquid soaps in the |
| can eat it, it must be safe. | | | | future, as the population ages and skin is drier and |
| Fragrance-free and sensitive-sin products are also on | | | | needs more moisture, leaving the moisturizing abilities |
| the rise, with thirty percent of the population reporting | | | | of liquid soaps to meet these needs. |
| some sensitivity to fragrance, while more than eighty | | | | |