INSIDE
PLANT-BASED BEAUTY
Beauty from the Earth A host of plant-based offerings — from CBD to vegan formulations — are hitting the beauty aisle and driving innovation By Seth Mendelson
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s plant based the next big thing in the beauty category? Many industry officials believe that it could be, especially since beauty trends frequently mirror the food industry. In fact, plant-based food sales soared 27% during the pandemic as consumers purchased products they considered healthier, according to SPINS data. More than 57% of households bought plant-based foods. Now that is spilling over into beauty and could supplant the current move to “clean” formulas, an enigmatic term with no regulations from the Food and Drug Administration. As the beauty category looks to rebuild from its 16-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many in the industry are looking to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to consumer demands. Some are willing to bet that plant-based products could catch on with shoppers and lead to a big uptick in sales at mass-retail outlets that get involved with the segment. Industry officials said that plant based is more transparent and gaining momentum from some beauty companies. A quarter of consumers report they are buying plant-based skin care already, according to Linkage research, while 39% indicate they would like to buy products with plantbased ingredients. Although sometimes used interchangeably with vegan, plant based has its own
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nuances. Plant-based entails that no ingredients are derived from animals, minerals or petroleum, while vegan means there are no animal-derived ingredients. Vegan can also include synthetics. Some beauty experts said they feel the term “plant-based” is more approachable and can appeal to a larger audience than vegan. Perhaps the best example of plant-based products are those from the cannabis sativa plant — CBD and hemp seed oil. Both ingredients are making moves in beauty
and personal care. With shoppers scampering for toilet paper and protective masks, CBD and hemp seed oil were not always at the top of conversations last year. That led some industry pundits to mistakenly assume the buzz was gone. Stressed-out consumers studied up on ingredients like CBD and hemp seed oil to help them sleep or relax. With skin irritated by constant washing and protective mask wearing, people looked for the antiinflammatory properties of cannabinoids.
June 2021 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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