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Leaders of the natural cosmetics industry will gather at the second Natural Beauty Summit, held in New York, May 15-17th. This high-level summit will bring together founders, presidents, CEOS and senior managers of leading companies to discuss and debate the key issues the cosmetics industry faces in the areas of natural & organic products and sustainability.

High on the agenda for Natural Beauty Summit America is natural & organic standards. Analysts have tipped 2008 to be a defining year for the cosmetics industry. An industry shake-up is envisaged in which the adoption of private standards is to lead to a clear demarcation between pure natural / organic cosmetic and pseudo products.

The exact details of major standards like NSF and OASIS will be unveiled at the summit. The standards session will also feature the new Whole Foods Premium Body Care standard as well as give an update on the harmonized European natural & organic standards. Key executives involved in the development of natural & organic standards will chair a panel discussion that will look at the possibility of global standards harmonization.

Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients, will kick off Natural Beauty Summit America with his opening address on ‘Sustainability, Ethics and the Greening of the Cosmetics Industry.’ Key topics in the first session of the summit will look at sustainable business practices in the cosmetics industry like ethical ingredient sourcing, ecological packaging and green marketing issues. Key speakers include Erk Schuchhardt, CEO and president of the global natural cosmetics brand Weleda; Ulisses Sabará, president of Beraca, a Brazilian producer of ethical cosmetic ingredients that was a finalist in the World Challenge 2007 competition; and Dr. Charles J. Bennett, Vice-president of Aveda.

The second day of the summit will start with an opening address on ‘Product Innovations in the Naturals Arena. The third session will focus on market and product developments. Daria Myers, global president of Origins, will look at the complexities of expanding a successful brand into the organic arena. Mike Indursky, chief marketing and strategic officer of Burt’s Bees, will share his experiences in developing a global naturals brand. Top New York-stylist John Masters, founder and president of John Masters Organic, will discuss the specific requirements of the hair salon market. Other presentations in this session will cover nutritional cosmetics, functional skincare, ayurveda, and the spa market.

Formulation and technical issues is the theme of the fourth session. Leading cosmetic ingredient and chemical companies like Cognis, Eastman Chemical and Sederma will share their experiences with natural & organic ingredients. Key speakers in this session also include Michael Bishop, president of Active Organics; Ido Leffer, CEO of Yes To Carrots; and Dr. Ellen Kamhi from Bio-Botanica.

Dedicated workshops on natural & organic standards and sustainable packaging will round up the three-day summit. Judi Beerling, technical research manager of Organic Monitor will give a critical assessment of natural & organic standards, highlighting the formulation and ingredient challenges to cosmetic manufacturers and formulators.

Co-organized by Organic Monitor and Beyond Beauty Paris, Natural Beauty Summit is a series of international conferences that focus on natural cosmetics and sustainability. The aim of Natural Beauty Summit is to create a forum to learn and discuss the key challenges the cosmetics industry faces in the areas of natural & organic products and sustainability. The conferences bring together key stake-holders like cosmetic manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, packaging companies, retailers, industry organizations, and investors and create a forum to discuss and debate these critical issues.

For more details on the conference program and details of Organic Monitor preferential discounts, please contact:

Ms. Ewa Niecikowska
Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788
Email: ewa@organicmonitor.com

More details on the conference are on www.naturalbeautysummit.com

Source: Natural Beauty Summit / Organic Monitor

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., looking to capitalize on consumers' growing interest in sustainable coffees, is rolling out its own line of organic, Rainforest Alliance and fair trade certified coffees.

This month, the world's largest retailer will begin selling six coffees under the Sam's Choice brand in all of its U.S. stores. The line includes Sam's Choice Fair Trade certified coffee, Sam's Choice Rainforest Alliance certified coffee, and Sam's Choice USDA organic decaffeinated coffee.

Wal-Mart also said the six coffees are certified as "carbon neutral" because Cafe Bom Dia, its Brazil-based coffee roaster, has cut its net carbon emissions to zero.

"The socially conscious consumer is a growing area we're marketing to, and certainly this coffee fills that void ... in our line," said Matt Kistler, senior vice-president of sustainability at Wal-Mart, in an interview.

Increased consumer awareness about environmental issues and farmers' standard of living have created a growing market for products deemed sustainable.

As consumers show greater interest in where and how their coffee is produced, coffee chains like Starbucks Corp. and Dunkin' Donuts have started purchasing "fair trade" beans to make their drinks.

Fair trade certification requires specified economic, social and environmental standards be met, and farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price for their coffee.

Coffee purchased through the Rainforest Alliance program must also pass specific environmental, social and economic criteria that target long-term sustainability.

But Wal-Mart is also introducing the new coffee line as its shoppers, squeezed by a housing downturn, higher fuel costs and a weakening job market, are also confronting higher grocery prices as commodity costs soar.

Major U.S. roasters reacted by raising the list prices for well-known brands including Maxwell House, Folgers and Chock full o'Nuts. The market subsequently fell to a 31/2-month low and roasters lowered some of their prices by late March.

"Certainly, with the financial environment the way it is today, our shoppers are being stretched," Kistler said

But he said the retailer tested the new coffee line in select stores before deciding to roll it out nationwide.

"We would not have done it if we would not have seen the demand from our shoppers," he said.

Source: The Gazette (Montreal)

 

Organoderm Skin Care is launched by highly acclaimed plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Domanskis in Newport Beach, California. "I am excited to introduce my natural organic skin care products. They purposely contain fewer but more concentrated effective active ingredients in elegant formulations," said Dr. Domanskis.

Organoderm contains certified organic ingredients and natural botanical actives to help repair damaged skin and keep it healthy no matter what age. "As a plastic surgeon, I couldn't accept traditional skin care with its synthetics and chemicals," continued Dr. Domanskis.

Organoderm products display the USDA logo, certified as containing at least 95% organic ingredients, or the prestigious Circle of Green certification or both. This earth friendly natural skin care product line boasts of eliminating wasteful exterior packaging and cartons. Instead, all feature fully recyclable green conscious packaging. Each of the regimens' products is oversized. Not only do the larger dimensions add value, but help build an awareness of the need to reduce the number of containers cluttering the environment.

Dr. Domanskis points out that Organoderm skin care also introduces a unique online recycling program for all product purchases. Prices for Organoderm range from $12 to $42, with a portion of sales donated to breast cancer research.

"The time couldn't be better for launching a product line of this type," says Dr. Domanskis. "Currently, the skin care industry is experiencing phenomenal growth."

Research by Organic Monitor shows that the natural & organic personal care products market is growing by about 20% a year. Skincare is the major product category, comprising over half of total sales.

Related Report:#3001-60 The North American Market for Natural & Organic PC Products 

Source: Market Wire / Organic Monitor