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, including companies in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia.
Health scares have raised consumer awareness
“Natural and organic standards are increasingly becoming a point-of-difference for these brands,” says Organic Monitor. 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. 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 and organic cosmetics as they become more aware of the possible risks associated with certain synthetic chemicals in cosmetics and 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 are less likely to contain potentially harmful chemicals,” explains the market research firm.
Safe enough to eat
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 certified products.
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.
International recognition
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 the Ecocert standard because it 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 and organic cosmetic standards. With very few American companies adopting standards, European and Australian brands look to capitalise on growing Asian demand for certified natural and organic cosmetics,” Organic Monitor comments.
Workshop and Summit
To help Asian companies adopt natural and organic cosmetic standards, Organic Monitor is conducting a dedicated workshop on October 14th in Singapore. Titled De-mystifying natural and organic cosmetic standards, the workshop is led by Judi Beerling, technical research manager at Organic Monitor.
Natural & organic cosmetic standards will also be featured in the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, held in Frankfurt, Nov 16-17th.
