10 reasons for my hate: Organic cosmetics
The title of "10 reasons for my hatred" you should not be taken literally - we, of course, do not hate anyone. On the contrary, as the hero of Heath Ledger in the film of the same name, we treat the objects of our attention with heightened tenderness - and, therefore, exactingness. Because from hate to love you know what, and vice versa.
"Buy our organic cosmetics - and you will save the world / make the planet better / support women in Zimbabwe who collect five dollars a month of macadamia nuts / avoid dangerous “chemical” ingredients ”, have drilled us the last years with the eco-brand and many media Do you have many organic cosmetics at home? No? We will tell you why.
Packaging
The appearance of the jar - its weight, fonts, colors - is 80% of the success of cosmetics. When a jar of organic cosmetics certified by EcoCert is in the region of 2000-3000 rubles, and at the same time it looks like at 300 - something does not add up to it. And the reasons are clear: EcoCert makes demands not only on the fields on which the plants grow, on the plants themselves, the final formula, but also on the packaging. Plastic should decompose, paint on plastic too. As a result, the jars come out nondescript. Yes, not all. But organics are so few, and few people will be looking for a brand with beautiful packaging among them.
Price
Production of organic cosmetics is expensive. It also includes concern for nature (fertilizer cannot be used in fields where ingredients grow, soil should be treated carefully), and business ethics (as long as competitors pay five dollars for African women in the fields, we will pay 15 and build a school) and certification fees. EcoCert comes to certify the production of a specific batch of a particular product at each stage. As a result, the price of the organic product may be even higher than that of ordinary cosmetics, while the manufacturer will still get half the profit.
Places to buy
Natural and organic brands are practically not represented in large networks such as “Ile de Bote” or “L'Etoile”. The only variety is Cosmotheca, where most brands are eco, but how many Cosmotheca stores we have? The same can be said about the Organic Shop, although it opens all new stores. Melvita has seven stores and an online site. British Organic Surge is sold only through the site. Fans go shopping at iherb.com, again the site. Just going out and buying something organic is not such a trivial task.
Consultants
But even if you came out and found something on the net, it’s not a fact that you will meet a consultant who will tell you about the merits of organic rose oil versus inorganic oil or why parabens are evil. So study the range of brands on sites on the Internet and make your own choice.
Allergenic ingredients
No, this is absolutely not a statistical statement, not supported by any scientific facts. But a brief survey showed that girls prefer to buy something for body and hair from organic brands and avoid buying face products for fear of allergies (natural essential oils and extracts may be allergenic than their chemically modified counterparts) or not believing in efficacy.
Efficiency
And this is the main current problem in positioning organic-brands. Efficiency. Speaking about the protection of Amazon forests from logging, the brands forgot to tell us that in fact their cosmetics removes wrinkles, fights acne, evens skin tone and solves another million problems that are of concern to a modern woman thanks to advertising on TV. They also do not tell about what modern technologies and what scientific researches are going on in the R & D centers of their brands - although they are going. Apparently, “technological and scientific” is difficult to mix with “naturalness” in one communication bottle. It is better to draw a daisy beautifully in 3D.
Uninteresting textures and flavors
Many organic brands, having understood that they are losing in the category of "sensual pleasure", today pay much more attention to both texture and flavor. But eco-production imposes some restrictions on the manufacturer. To make the cream easy to apply and distribute and quickly absorbed, conventional brands put in it silicones and emulsifiers, which organic-brand will not use. Essential oils are often used for fragrances as aromatic additives - or the product is made without smell.
Shelf life
Many novice followers of the eco-trend are convinced that natural cosmetics cannot be stored for a long time, because evil parabens have been removed from it. In fact, it can, on average, up to two years. And the problem here is different. Two years is not enough for our market. To take cosmetics in the network, its shelf life must be at least two years. As long as the shipment is brought to Russia, it passes through customs, Russian stickers are stuck on it — a year remains from the shelf life. And this leads to point 3.
Animal tests
"We do not test on animals." And on whom? It seems to us something is not enough to say? Yes, the company itself may not conduct tests on animals. The fact is that very few people carry them out on their own - for this there are third-party laboratories and suppliers of raw materials. And even they have not often tested the ingredients on animals in recent years. Over the past XX century, more than 20 thousand ingredients have already been tested on animals and are used now, including by companies that have a logo with a rabbit on the packaging. (We are also for the happiness of the rabbits. And we are for the full picture.)
Fanaticism
Reluctance to belong to a sect. For some reason, fans of all natural breathes a serious brain drain. And this is the most unpleasant in the whole story with eco-cosmetics. Being a part of people who sincerely believe that "up to 60% of the substances applied to the skin immediately enter the bloodstream," do not want to.
FOR WHAT Does all this result? Manufacturers themselves estimate the sales share of organic cosmetics in Russia to be less than 1% - and through long years of development they increase shelf life, make packaging more attractive and begin to tell us that they are effective, and not just organic. Today it is no longer a competitive advantage even in the West. After all, we still want at first less wrinkles, and then world peace. Otherwise, why do we need this cream?
Text: Anna Kryuchkova Illustrations: Masha Shishova