by Harold Zimmerman
You can’t fool Mother Nature. Nor can you fool the American consumer, for that matter, who longs for the Earth’s effective elements. The fear of free radicals and toxins runs rampant among today’s skin care and cosmetic consumers, who purposefully seek out natural, effective alternatives to the inert, synthetic and imitation ingredients in beauty products.
Research supports this back-to-nature mindset, as consumers at varying income levels become increasingly aware of the health and safety issues connected with chemicals used in personal care products. A recent report by Packaged Facts projects the market for natural and organic products in the U.S. will grow 50 percent in two years—from $4.3 billion to $6.6 billion in 2010.
In short, it’s a return to Old World traditions of beauty—to time-tested formulas hand-crafted from robust, botanical ingredients. It’s a process of adopting basic concepts, such as The French’s beauty philosophy: to maintain healthy skin that ages well, naturally. No cover up. No quick fixes. Indeed, there is no substitute for natural beauty.
Datamonitor estimates by 2012, the beauty beverage category will grow to be a $1.3 billion market in the United States. Many nutraceutical beverages are focused on internal cleansing and health; yet, amongst the hundreds of benefit beverages that came out three years ago, there weren’t any that concentrated on benefitting the skin overall—the body’s largest organ. Rather, an effective wish list of ingredients—from collagen and acai berries to baobab and Aloe vera—is more in line for overall skin health.
According to a June 2009 Reuters report, consumers who were once reactive, treating illness as it hit, are now proactive, scouring store aisles for healthful, functional foods to avert sickness. Lastly, purchasers of upscale, naturally based skin care lines recognize the benefits of such topical ingredients as collagen and Aloe vera, acknowledging the potential of these elements to work from the inside out.
It is anticipated that women and men alike will recognize that true functional beverages include naturally beneficial ingredients, such as the anti-aging superfruits mango, pomegranate, and the Brazilian acai berry. No doubt, the industry will continue to respond, delving farther into power ingredient products, such as baobab fiber for digestive health; Aloe vera for healing properties; collagen to boost skin’s strength and elasticity; as well as teas, foti, Ginkgo biloba and vitamins.
The trend toward plastics—a.k.a. Botox and plastic surgery—will subside, while the desire to return to nature escalates. To be truly healthy in your natural appearance is to be true to yourself. Otherwise, psychologically, you will forever chase something you may never achieve. After all, you cannot fool Mother Nature.
Ten years ago, Harold Zimmerman founded a multimillion dollar consulting company for direct selling firms. Continually aspiring to streamline the industry led this entrepreneur on a quest to develop his own lovemark brand in Votre Vu, a new luxury French skin care company. In the first two months of operation, Votre Vu rung up close to $1 million in sales and already boasts more than 2,000 independent consultants selling the company’s 50-strong botanically based product line via its Web site.