As more and more of consumers increasingly question the harsh ingredients on their skin, the demand for natural and organic skincare products has substantially increased in Australia and around the world.

According to Women’s Facial Skincare Consumer Report 2017 conducted in the US * for nearly half of women using facial skin care products, ingredients determines their purchases with many becoming increasingly selective about the ingredients in their facial skincare products in the last two years – with increasing numbers describing their skin as ‘sensitive’ – according to The NPD Group.

The report found that 40-50 percent of US women now actively seek natural or organic ingredients in their products, and those free of ingredients such as fragrances, parabens, phthalates, sulfates and gluten.

In addition the report found that “More women today perceive their skin as sensitive compared to two years ago (48 percent among facial skincare users in 2017 versus 44 percent in 2015), and at the same time there has been a significant uptick in the usage of products that are free from ingredients considered harmful”.

“Among facial skincare users, 50 percent typically use skincare products that are hypoallergenic/formulated for sensitive skin and fragrance free (compared to 47 percent in 2015); 48 percent usually look for products that are made from natural/organic ingredients (43 percent in 2015); and 40 percent usually buy products that are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and/or gluten (33 percent in 2015).”

Coinciding with these findings, NPD’s retail point-of-sale data shows that prestige skincare brands with an environmental focus that promote wellness or natural ingredients increased their sales by 13 percent in the 12 months ending July 2017 (outpacing the overall market growth of five percent during the same period) to now account US$1.4 billion, or close to one-quarter, of total skincare sales.

“Current trends across industries, from the food we eat to the clothing we wear, have been geared towards natural and safe ingredients; the same holds true when it comes to consumers’ purchase criteria for skincare,” said Larissa Jensen, executive director and beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Consumers today are expecting transparency and full disclosure, and it is critical for brands to clearly state their position on such issues such as ingredient usage and product testing.”*Source: The NPD Group, Inc. / Women’s Facial Skincare Consumer Report 2017

At the recent Naturally Good Expo, Melissa Fagen, head buyer for Priceline Australia also suggests these findings are emulated in Australia consumer habits and for Pricline, the organic ingredients in a product are the key factor they look for when sourcing new products “we have such a big naturals customer and so the purity of the products is really important to us.” The Naturally Good Expo dedicates itself to finding and exhibiting the best and newest brands in this space and with a substantial increase in the major retailers sourcing these products, it is clear that natural and organic products will continue to have a huge influence on the skin-care market.

Find out more about the retailers who visit the show and how you can get involved here

*Source: The NPD Group, Inc. / Women’s Facial Skincare Consumer Report 2017