Australia Natural Cosmetics

Green cosmetics' natural glow

"Eleven years ago I threw away all my makeup and skincare products," Miranda Bond, co-founder of Australian natural cosmetics company Inika, told a Tauranga audience recently. "It was a last resort to beat years of pain and infertility by eliminating chemicals from my lifestyle. People thought I was crazy. A year later, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter Lola." Frustrated by lack of choice and standards in "natural" makeup, Miranda set out to create her own brand, Inika (meaning small Earth), launched in Australia in 2006. Last month, Miranda launched the brand to the New Zealand public through Hardy's Health Stores. Says Miranda: "I was fed up with hunting for natural makeup and finding brown, brown and more brown." There has been a shift in the international cosmetics market. As people move toward a greener lifestyle, natural and mineral makeup is enjoying a global boom. "Women are recognising that they no longer have to choose between using makeup that works and makeup that is free from harmful ingredients that affect their health and the environment," says Miranda. Here in the Bay, another smaller local company, Bella Vi (meaning Beautiful You), has started to make waves in the industry with its natural mineral cosmetics. Like Inika's Miranda Bond, Bella Vi founder Melissa Furze spotted a gap in the market for safe beauty products that don't compromise on style. Launched in 2007, the Tauranga-based brand has gradually built up national success. It is used in more than 120 salons - 33 of them in the Bay. Bella Vi also has its eye on the Asian market.

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Expands to Asia

LONDON— Organic Monitor is launching its first Asia-Pacific edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit. Taking place in Hong Kong Nov. 7 to Nov. 8, 2011, the summit aims to help establish natural and organic beauty products in the region.

Natural and organic beauty is chosen as the primary focus of the summit because research shows the Asian region is lagging in terms of production and consumption of these products. Although the continent has more than 3.5 million hectares of organic farmland and become a major source of natural ingredients, very few companies are involved in production and marketing of natural and organic cosmetics. High consumer demand is leading European and American brands to mainly capitalize on business opportunities in the Asian market.

One reason for Asia to lag behind is the lack of technical know-how and expertise in green formulations. To address this, the summit opens with a dedicated workshop that covers the major formulation issues associated with natural and organic cosmetics. Judi Beerling, head of technical research at Organic Monitor, will go through the natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals like parabens, phthalates, SLS/SLES, etc. A critical review will be undertaken of the leading natural and organic standards, and practical advice given to Asian brands looking at developing “chemically clean" cosmetics.

Business openings and marketing challenges are the focus of the second workshop, also on day one of the two-day program. Titled “Business Opportunities In The Global Market For Natural & Organic Cosmetics,"’ the workshop provides the latest market data and key developments in this sector. The workshop leader will highlight some of the major marketing and distribution obstacles to growth in the Asian market. With many brands struggling to communicate natural and organic product features to consumers, the workshop shares best-practices from pioneering companies in Europe and North America.

The seminars (day two of the summit agenda) will also showcase leading Asian brands in the naturals arena. Lihua Song and Gordon Chalmers, founders of the organic skincare brand Jasmin Skincare, will share their experience in targeting Chinese consumers. Although the brand has Australian origins, Jasmin Skincare has set up manufacturing facilities and distribution infrastructure in mainland China. It is now one of the few organic brands to be successful in the potentially lucrative Chinese market.

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