Video: Rachel Bock and Chris Horn
If you look at the bumper stickers on cars or the cabinets in someone's kitchen, you will notice that the eco-friendly green movement is alive and well in Lawrence. Some local beauty suppliers are riding the coattails of this cultural phenomenon and they're reaping the benefits.
A 2006 study by Klein & Company found that the global market of organic beauty products, known today as nutricosmetics, was valued at $1 billion. The study also reported a 50 percent growth since 2002 and predicted the industry will double its revenue over the next five years. Mintel Global New Products Database has predicted that more organically-based products will hit the market in 2007 and that people have started looking for internal health and external beauty in one package. According to an article on cosmeticsdesign.com, David Jago, director of GNPD custom solutions at Mintel anticipates positive long-term effects associated with this movement.
"We're talking about trends, not fads here," Jago said, "so we predict that all of these developments will be around for some time to come."
Many salons and beauty supply stores in Lawrence have noticed the trend and have made an effort to offer eco-friendly products to their shelves.
The Community Mercantile offers more than 100 organic body-care products ranging from shampoo to deodorant. Becca Evanhoe, general merchandise buyer for the Merc, has an extensive routine she must go through when she buys products for the store. She examines a product's ingredients, ethics, and most of all, its national sales. She associates the increase in organic beauty product sales to the rise in organic food consumption.
"More people are realizing that what's put on the skin is as important as what's put into the body," Evanhoe said.
Lee Heeter, salon manager at Headmasters Salon at 8th and Vermont streets, has realized that healthy products have become an important factor in consumers' decisions for body care needs. Heeter said that in 2006, Headmasters had a 10 percent increase in product per client dollar sales. The rise in sales, he said, was because stylists were giving individualized product suggestions to every client. Heeter explained that Headmasters, an Aveda concept salon, carries a variety of organically based products.
"Aveda prides itself on being a botanically-based product line, and whenever they can, they use organics," Heeter said.
Nutricosmetics are only a fraction of the multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry in the United States. While the U.S. has remained lenient on cosmetic ingredients, many non-American governments have started voting for legislation that reduces the amount of harmful elements in beauty products. This being said, foreign companies produce the majority of the nutricosmetic products available to consumers.
Australian organics company Organic and Natural Enterprises Group has begun to build a strong consumer base in America. Mary Veerkamp, one of 6,000 independent representatives for ONE Group, just started to sell products from the USDA-certified beauty line. In the last 18 months, her company has grown approximately 3,000%, an increase she attributes to the rise in awareness of the elements people use and how those elements affect our lives.
"I believe the company-wide increase has to do with the fact that more consumers are becoming aware of how they take care of themselves and how their products choices affect our planet," Veerkamp said.
One major downfall of the organic beauty products industry is the price of the products.
Prices tend to be higher because the ingredients are natural and organic because production costs are higher. Brad Hensler, co-owner of Solution, a high-end salon in Houston, has noticed a recent trend in prices.
"Prices are getting lower," Hensler said. "More and more companies are making these products and there is a growing demand. Because of this, prices have to stay competitive and they go down."
Consumers have started to prioritize beauty and health, which is evident in the increasing sales statistics of organic beauty products.
Juliet Hart, professor in the School of Education, purchases face wash at Salon di Marco on Massachusetts Street. Her skin is dry, even more so because of the winter weather. Since she began using her organic facial cleanser, Hart has recognized a major difference in her complexion and also enjoys the perks that come along with being eco-friendly.
"My skin isn't dry," Hart said. "There are no harsh chemicals and I know when I wash it off my face, it won't screw anything up in the environment."
Michelle Dick, Leavenworth senior, purchases Aveda products for her hair and face. She understands that organic products tend to be higher in price, but she is willing to pay more for the positive effects.
"I like how the products work on my hair and skin," Dick said. "I understand that it's more expensive, but I feel fresh and energized after I wash and I don't feel like I'm putting fake stuff on my body."