Socially-conscious consumers drive 21.6% growth in organic beauty market

Sales of organic health and beauty products increased to £54.2m in 2015, according to The Soil Association’s new Organic Market Report.

The market grew by a massive 21.6% last year, with shoppers spending an extra £800,000 a week on these products, the figures show.

A general interest in wellness, along with consumers being better educated in the benefits of organic products, is behind the boost, with 31% of respondents saying they bought these products because of an increased awareness.

43% also said they now look for certification symbols on natural and organic products after recent marketing campaigns, such as Campaign for Clarity, highlighted the misleading organic labelling practices of some companies.

“The organic beauty market is flourishing with increased sales, product launches, availability and greater consumer engagement within the sector. Organic beauty continues to thrive and the next 12 months look set to be even stronger,” said Clare McDermott, Soil Association's business development director.

With socially-conscious consumers on the rise, the health and beauty industry has been diversifying to meet their needs with leading brands scaling up what they do. For example, Neal’s Yard Remedies launched its first organic sun protection range last year and organic brand Pai Skincare invested in marketing to raise its profile, resulting in a 60% increase in sales.

The Soil Association developed the Cosmetics Organic Standard (COSMOS) in 2010, alongside four other European certification bodies, which collectively certify 80% of the certified organic and natural beauty market worldwide.