The organic beauty and wellness market grew from strength to strength in 2022, with sales reaching £147.63m as consumers continued to prioritise sustainable choices despite economic difficulties.
Sales were up by almost 7% (6.8%) last year, with shoppers spending a total of £12m every month on certified organic and natural beauty products, according to the latest report by industry body the Soil Association.
The findings demonstrate that sustainability remains a priority to consumers, despite inflation and the cost of living crisis impacting beauty brands’ sales.
Nine out of ten shoppers said that sustainable and ethical considerations are important to them when purchasing beauty products.
Information on how sustainable a product is, meanwhile, is now three times more important to consumers than other factors such as product reviews and social proof, according to the report.
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"Consumer appetite for sustainable and clean beauty solutions shows no sign of slowing down with the market nearly doubling in the last five years,” said Alex Cullen, Commercial and Marketing Director at the Soil Association.
“The rapid market growth is an indication of the level of innovation in the sector, as the beauty industry continues to clean up its act, across harmful chemicals, microplastics and single use packaging.”
However, consumers are also quicker to question brands’ sustainability efforts: 79% said they have doubts about how trustworthy the claims brands make on sustainability or social impact are.
Third-party organic certification was reported to be the most effective way of persuading customers to make a purchase, with 41% of consumers saying that this would encourage them to buy a product, according to the Soil Association.
“Organic beauty and wellbeing offers a certified and trusted solution for consumers to navigate this space, and will only further its position as a source of trends,” added Cullen.
“The experiential and storytelling nature of the category has power as a bigger changemaker, in engaging consumers with the wider benefits of organic, as a standard for sustainable food and farming."
