It’s all about stewardship, life, and energy, and it’s playing out in the beauty and health and wellness categories.
In the 1990s, the word “natural” conjured up images of burlap, Birkenstocks, and granola. Marketers often packaged beauty, skin, and hair-care products in a relatively uninspiring manner, utilizing earthtone colors as a primary communication mechanism of what was contained inside.
Today, the meaning of natural differs significantly. Packaging and ingredients are luscious and vibrant. They indicate the key ingredients inside, like botanicals, fruits, and florals—full of life, energy, and succulence. Emotionally, the meaning of natural has changed, too. It’s about stewardship and our connection to nature as much as it is about lifestyle choices. And there is heightened awareness and concern about what we consumers are putting into our bodies, and the ramifications for our planet.
As a society, we are putting more effort toward incorporating natural products and philosophies into our lives. Natural food, free-trade coffee, yoga, pro-biotics in yogurt, antioxidants in colas, heart health screenings, and an abundance of on-demand fitness programs are fast becoming mainstream rather than a lifestyle choice for a select audience. Natural is all around us; examples are evident in materials or ingredients “from the earth.” They also are demonstrated via aesthetic inspiration derived from nature—from building materials to organic produce and from eco-chic fashion to guides to “green living.”
Engaging a lifestyle
The natural lifestyle appeals to consumers as a way to balance or ground them by rejecting old ways and forging ahead with new thinking. A growing environmentally conscious market segment, dubbed LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), is a $209 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services. These consumers focus on health, the environment, social justice, personal development, and sustainability.
Researchers refer to consumers attracted to this market as “Cultural Creatives.” Currently, 35 million people in the U.S. are LOHAS consumers. They dedicate themselves to planetary health and focus on more than just natural/organic products. They surrender to these ideas, and their buying power proves it.
Natural products, in this age of sustainability, represent premium or the new luxury. Consumers embrace natural products because they communicate purity, safety, protection, and sophistication. Some manufacturers, like Giovanni at mass merchandisers and Borba at specialty stores, convey this positioning through white or transparent packaging so consumers can view the product inside the container. That approach enhances brand trust and also builds integrity.
Consumers also think of products like shampoo or lotion that contain natural, edible ingredients, as good for their hair and skin. Cargo’s PlantLove Botanical Lipstick, for example, contains all natural botanicals, with no mineral oil or petroleum. To further engage consumers in the natural product positioning, Cargo’s lipstick tube is made entirely from corn, a renewable resource, and the outer carton is made of seeded flower paper. The carton, when moistened, will actually sprout wild flowers.
Ingredient combinations
Health and wellness are also intertwined and ingrained in what it means to be natural. Often, there are concerns regarding the efficacy of products that have been on the shelf because of florescent lighting and stock rotation. M-13 Functional Drink is one brand that has taken a leap forward in addressing this concern by creating an innovative design that puts more of the control in the consumer’s hands. M-13 combines natural medicinal and non-medicinal ingredients with 100% juice to produce a premium “life-assisting” beverage. M-13 contains high levels of herbal extracts and vitamins that allow consumers to control dosing through the cap.
Another company integrating natural technology in beverages and confections is BORBA. BORBA, a beauty brand available at Sephora, includes beauty beverages and gummy candy that contain next-generation crystalline technology designed to hydrate the skin from the inside out using antioxidants and other skin renewing ingredients. Increased acceptance of beverages as the entry point for consumers into the health and wellness movement is due to on-the-go convenience and all-in-one packed power that consumers demand.
What’s next for natural in beauty care and health and wellness? An unprecedented number of initiatives are heading toward mainstream assimilation. One to consider is Biodynamics, the next phase of organic. It is a method of sustainable organic farming that emphasizes the relationship between soil, plants, animals, and the lunar calendar to determine planting, fertilizing, and harvesting times. New ingredient combinations also will be key in reflecting consumers’ evolving and sophisticated palettes. The influence of Ayurveda also is on the rise. It is an ancient holistic healing system supported by natural health pioneer Dr. Deepak Chopra. It encompasses herbs, tea, massage, breathing, food combinations, and the environment for energy balance.
Increased awareness and acceptance of “good cultures,” “living cultures,” good germs, pro-biotics versus antibiotics, and the inclusion of pre-biotics are potential innovation platforms. Personal control and customization also will continue to be key drivers.
The concept of natural provides an excellent opportunity to create sound consumer brand loyalty, and is proving to be a strong point-of-purchase differentiation on shelf. Natural is a way for companies to reflect consumers’ elevated values and principles through their overall business proposition and products. Natural is a trend with a lasting and stable market opportunity. It will have positive implications for beauty care and health and wellness products, as well as for the consumers who use them. [SI]
The author, Valerie Jacobs, is Director of Trend Analysis at LPK, a design agency in Cincinnati, OH. Contact her at Valerie_Jacobs@lpk.com.
