Manufacturers could be misleading consumers over preservatives, report

11-Mar-2009 - Highlighting the absence of certain preservatives in a product when the formulation contains others is misleading to the consumer, according to France’s body for competition and fraud control (DGCCRF).

How ethical is the cosmetics industry? A new barometer may tell...

11-Mar-2009 - An initiative to determine the position of the industry and consumers on ethical matters will be launched at a conference in April.

Berkem invests in vegetal extract capabilities

10-Mar-2009 - In an effort to maintain growth during the downturn Berkham is refocusing its business to concentrate on vegetal extracts for the cosmetics and food industry.

Competing natural and organic standards explored in workshop

04-Mar-2009 - The relationship between the European harmonised standard Cosmos and its cousins on both sides of the Atlantic will be explored in a masterclass on natural and organic cosmetics.

Natrue and QAI work towards cross-border recognition of organic standards

24-Feb-2009 - Natrue is working on a mutual recognition agreement with Quality Assurance International (QAI) that the certifier hails as a step towards international harmonisation.

Botanical actives are leading the ingredients market, says report

17-Feb-2009 - Improved performance and consumers' love of all things natural is pushing the trend for plant-based active ingredients, according to a recent Kline report.

Weekly comment

The Body Shop’s woes cannot be blamed on the economic crisis alone

17-Feb-2009 - The Body Shop needs a health check, judging by L’Oreal’s 2008 financial results. The brand reported a sales drop of 2.3 percent, not accounting for new stores opened during the year.

Organic fine fragrances not sophisticated enough, says expert

11-Feb-2009 - Consumers will have to change their expectations before the market for organic fine fragrances can take off, says industry insider.

Naturals may save the day for European personal care players

10-Feb-2009 - Riding a wave of extraordinary market growth, the naturals personal care category could be one of the few areas where growth will continue amidst the economic gloom.

CPL Aromas launches range of organic fragrance ingredients

23-Jan-2009 - CPL Aromas has released a range of 100 percent organic fragrance ingredients to meet the growing demand for certified organic products.

LibraGen launches range of stable polyphenols for cosmetics

15-Jan-2009 - France-based LibraGen is looking for partners to help develop its range of stable polyphenol compounds for cosmetics products.

Natural and organic cosmetics tipped to resist downturn

09-Jan-2009 - Industry insiders predict that natural and organic cosmetics will hold up well in 2009 even if they do not enjoy the dramatic sales growth of previous years.

Plant-based ingredients may have a future in sun protection

11-Dec-2008 - Plant-based compounds with antioxidant properties are likely to be playing an increasingly important role in the sun care of the future.

Ecoflation could hit companies hard in the future

10-Dec-2008 - Companies already struggling in the current economic climate will soon have to contend with a new phenomenon, ecoflation, according to a study by ATKearney.

LycoRed goes under the skin of UV protection complex

04-Dec-2008 - LycoRed has, for the first time, looked at the effect of its tomato lycopene complex on the histological characteristics of the skin.

Ethical market will grow despite economic worries, Co-op report

28-Nov-2008 - ‘Values’ will not necessarily be sacrificed for ‘value’ when it comes to ethical purchasing in an economic downturn, according to a recent Co-op report.

European organic and natural standards will be released next Spring

10-Oct-2008 - The publication of harmonised European organic and natural standards is just around the corner, according to leading certification bodies at the Natural Beauty Summit.

Dr Straetmans signs Eastern European distribution deal

08-Oct-2008 - Dr Straetmans is expanding into Eastern Europe to capitalise on the growing demand for natural cosmetic ingredients in the region.

Botaneco gains Ecocert approval for oleosome emulsion

07-Oct-2008 - Oil-seed specialist Botaneco has received approval from European certification body Ecocert for the natural emulsion base Hydresia G2.

European naturals market set to break records this year

03-Oct-2008 - The mainstreaming of natural and organic personal care products means that the value of the European market is set to exceed €1.4bn this year.

France leads the way on Fairtrade personal care

01-Oct-2008 - A new market report highlights the fact that strong development in the French natural and organic cosmetic market has given way to the largest market for fair-trade products.

Arylessence launches high-end organic fragrances

24-Sep-2008 - Arylessence has created a range of organic fragrances in response to the growing market demand for luxury ‘green’ products.

Alban Muller launches plant dyes for personal care

17-Sep-2008 - Natural ingredients supplier Alban Muller has launched a range of plant based dyes to add colour to personal care formulations.

Silab showcases new organic ingredients line

11-Sep-2008 - France-based ingredients supplier Silab has been showcasing its recently released organic ingredient lines at New York’s HBA trade show.