Vivaness: 10 years of growth in Natural & organic cosmetics

Over the past decade the international natural cosmetics market has developed magnificently. With continual growth of 5 to over 10 % per year, the care products sales figures excluding petro-chemicals and problematical preservatives have left the conventional cosmetics market behind. In Germany over the past decade the market volume for certified cosmetics has even doubled. Not only revelations on critical ingredients in conventional cosmetics have led to increased demand. According to the experts, the main reasons for the natural cosmetics boom lie particularly in their availability today in all retail channels along with increased product diversity coupled with professional performance.

Germany is the European champion in terms of natural cosmetics. In 2014, with a value of 1.009 billion Euro*, sales exceeded the magic one-billion mark for the first time. This conclusion was reached by a joint market survey conducted by the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK, Society for Consumer Research), Information Resources Germany IRI, IMS health and Biovista – Marktforschung für den Bio- und Reformhandel (Market Research for the Organic and Health Food Retail Trade). The retail sales for 2014 were evaluated with all retail channels taken into account.

But there are also indications of clear growth of around 8 % for the first half of 2015. In contrast, the conventional cosmetics market is stagnating and continuing to lose customers to natural cosmetics. Elfriede Dambacher, owner of the Naturkosmetik Verlag and editor of numerous special publications on the natural cosmetics market, said commenting on the reasons: “Today, consumers decide in a much more (self)-assured way which materials and ingredients they allow to come into contact with their skin, and they are also well informed. Critical reports on potentially health-hazardous materials (e.g. hydrocarbons) in conventional cosmetic products, a broad range of natural cosmetics along with the increasing significance of value-oriented consumption are contributing to this positive trend.”

Europe: four nations top the cosmetics turnover rankings

In Europe, according to statistics from the European Cosmetics Association (Brussels), over 72 billion Euro is spent on cosmetics, in the EU member countries around 69 billion Euro. Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy are among the top consumers: in 2013, at 42.8 billion Euro, these countries already generated over 60 % of cosmetic sales in the EU.

The situation on the natural cosmetics market is similar: Germany has been the leader for years. Here, natural cosmetics has a market share of almost 8 %. Second place is taken by France, where according to Cosmetics Europe, turnover generated in 2013 was around 410 million Euro. That corresponds to a market share of approx. 5 %. Great Britain occupies third place with an estimated 313 million in sales, followed by Italy with 306 million. Euro. As a result, these countries account for the lion’s share of natural cosmetics turnover in Europe. But in Austria and Switzerland too, natural cosmetics is booming: in each of these countries 80 million Euro is spent on natural personal care.

Worldwide: green growth registered

According to Amarjit Sahota from English market researchers Organic Monitor (London, GB), the global cosmetics market is also being increasingly driven by the demand for green, natural-state and sustainable care products. The producers of conventional cosmetics are already responding to these developments and are increasingly banking on natural ingredients. Sahota speaks of a positive trend in the global natural cosmetics market. In recent years, global sales of natural cosmetics have risen from 6.5 to over 10 billion US Dollars. Market research company Kline International (New York, USA) is predicting an annual growth rate for the sector of 10 % – including natural-based cosmetics. For Sahota, the other challenges facing the sector include the competition with natural-based cosmetic brands, which conduct greenwashing, raw materials procurement as well as environmentally-compatible product packaging.

Vivaness: the international meeting place for the sector

The market remains in flux and is faced with major challenges, the experts are agreed on this. Well-founded specialist presentations on current international developments along the entire value-added chain are being offered by the Vivaness Congress, which in 2016 will be held for the first time directly in Hall 7A and thus at the heart of the action at Vivaness, International Trade Fair for Natural Personal Care. At this event, natural cosmetics manufacturers and producers will be showing tried-and-tested new products as well as innovative raw materials. In 2016, trade visitors will be able to experience young, innovative companies presenting natural cosmetics “made in Germany” in a pavilion at Vivaness sponsored by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWI, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy). The Novelty Stand at Vivaness and the “Novelties” special show enable a compact overview of the natural cosmetics sector. In addition, Breeze will continue to deliver an inspirational special show for international newcomers and niche brands.

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