With a lack of industry definition on the classification of ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ much has been left for consumers to interpret. Additionally, the lack of classification has resulted in a range of certifications, adding to consumer scepticism of certification. Consumers have therefore associated free-from claims with natural/organic products, which is the area in which the category has traditionally played in.

Recent launches in the period January-October 2014 show a shift away from free-from claims and more towards functional/appearance claims. For example, the use of preservative/additive-free claims made up 38% of new natural launches in the period January-October 2014, declining from 61% in 2013, whilst anti-ageing claims rose by 45% in the same time period. This offers opportunities for brands to be more competitive against regular beauty and personal care products, as well as to present functional benefits to the consumer which are more likely to resonate with a wider range of people.

Within this report we investigate the purchase of regular beauty and personal care products as well as the preference for natural/organic toiletries and reasons for preferring natural/organic toiletries. The report also investigates where people are buying natural/organic toiletries from as well as factors which indicate that a product is natural/organic.

The scope of this report does not cover the size of the market, channels to market, market forecast or market share data.

This report examines the market for natural and organic toiletries in the UK. The following categories are included in the remit of this report:

• Colour cosmetics – facial make-up, lip make-up, nail make-up and eye make-up

• Deodorants and body sprays

• Fragrances (male, female and unisex)

• Haircare – shampoos, conditioners and treatments, styling agents, colourants and home perms and relaxers

• Shaving and depilatories – shaving preparations and depilatory products

• Skincare – for the face, body, hands and feet as well as suncare protection, after sun, and self-tanning including gradual tanning

• Soap and bath products – shower gels and creams, body washes, soaps, bath foams, gels, additives.

At present there is no legal definition of natural cosmetics.

Mintel GNPD classifies products as natural or organic based on the claims made by the individual manufacturers on product packaging. Such products may not meet these standards, but still be classified by the manufacturer as natural or organic. As a result, there are various degrees of naturalness in terms of the percentage of natural ingredients or organic ingredients used within individual products. This may vary depending on the product, brand or manufacturer. There may also be varying degrees of how natural or organic products are within the same brand or product line depending on the product itself.

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