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Asian Companies Turning to Natural & Organic Cosmetic
Standards
A growing number of Asian natural cosmetic companies are adopting
natural & organic cosmetic standards to differentiate their products
from competing ones.
New research by Organic Monitor finds a growing number of Asian
companies are taking the certification route, with most opting for
European standards. The Ecocert
standard is the most widely adopted, with
companies in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia adopting this
standard.
Natural & organic standards are increasingly
becoming a point-of-difference for these brands. In Malaysia, the Buds
Cherished Organics brand is reporting a sales surge since the Ecocert-certified
range was launched earlier this year. Produced by the Malaysian company
I-Green, it is the first Asian brand of certified organic baby care
products. The company believes organic certification is responsible for
its large take-up rate. Ecocert certification gives a guarantee to
mothers that the baby care products do not contain any potentially
harmful synthetic chemicals. The success of the Buds Cherished Organics
brand is leading the Malaysian company to start exporting to
neighbouring Asian countries and Europe. It is also looking to start
certification of its other brands.
Asian consumers are turning to natural & organic cosmetics as they
become more aware of the possible dangers of synthetic chemicals in
cosmetics & toiletries. Health scares, especially those involving
Chinese products, have raised consumer interest in product quality and
safety issues. Certification gives a guarantee that products meet high
production standards and do not contain potentially harmful chemicals.
In China, the Australian brand Jasmin Skincare is capitalising on
consumer demand for 'chemically-clean' cosmetics. The company is also
reporting a large sales rise since it started marketing its products on
its organic ingredients and certification. To highlight
these attributes, it markets its brand as 'the
best organic skincare in the world'. Although many organic brands would
argue otherwise, this marketing ploy is very successful in China where
many consumers have lost confidence in chemical-tainted cosmetics. To
gain confidence with such Chinese consumers, Jasmin Skincare executives
have even stated their products are safe enough to eat.
Certification is key to Jasmin Skincare's success. It is one of a
growing number of Australian cosmetic companies adopting the Organic
Food Chain (OFC) cosmetic standard. Its products are made from certified
organic ingredients, many of which are USDA certified.
Other Australian companies are adopting European cosmetic standards,
with Ecocert again the most popular. Nature's Care has recently launched
a range of certified organic personal care products. It has adopted
Ecocert standards because the standard is more internationally
recognised than OFC. To many companies, certification not only provides
a guarantee that high production standards are met, it also opens up
export markets.
In this respect, American brands risk losing out in the fast growing
Asian natural cosmetics market. American brands such as Nature's Gate
and Aveda are very successful in Asia, however these brands have not
adopted natural & organic cosmetic standards. With very few American
companies adopting standards, European and Australian brands look to
capitalise on growing Asian demand for certified
natural & organic cosmetics.
Related Report:
#8041-11
Technical Insights: Natural & Organic Cosmetic Standards,
A Critical
Assessment
Sustainable Cosmetics Summit
To help Asian companies adopt natural &
organic cosmetic standards,
Organic Monitor conducted a dedicated
workshop on this subject in Singapore (October 2009).
The next such workshop will take place at the Sustainable
Cosmetics Summit, New York (24-26th March 2010).
The summit will give an update on natural & organic cosmetic standards,
including presentations from the leading certification agencies in
North America and Europe.
More
details are on
www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com
Posted: Oct 9th 2009
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