The Organic Cosmetics Market in full swing!

One of the main objectives of cosmetics is to protect and maintain personal hygiene, whether for women or men. We can understand this with the etymological meaning of the word: the prefix "cosmos" means "beauty and order" and the suffix "-ico" means "relative to", i.e. the order and beauty of someone. Historically, cosmetics have been associated more with the care of women but nowadays this is no longer the case.

Today, men have their own lines and ranges of cosmetic products at their disposal, and the market has only been growing over the last ten years or so.

For example, specific products for men have increased by about 70% in recent years. As for the rest of cosmetics, a wide variety of organic products are available to men. Organic products with a natural image and friendly with the environment, as well as with the user's skin.

Thus, men's cosmetics are a booming market. This explains why the major groups of female cosmetics companies now also have brands aimed at men. However, it is the new brands, created by young StartUps, that have the most important role to play!

But when did all this change? How did the trend change? How and why are cosmetics moving more and more towards organic, natural and masculine? We will explain this later!

The beginnings:

We use cosmetics to cleanse our skin, to improve our beauty, to protect the skin from...

the environment, to hide imperfections and even to increase self-confidence.

While beauty care for the male face or body may seem like something new and revolutionary, some cultures have been using it for a long time. The first records of use date back to the Egyptians. Around 10,000 BC, Egyptians used animal oils and fats to protect their skin from heat, light and wind, to which they were exposed for long hours because of outdoor work. Egyptian men also used eye contours to reduce the impact of the sun's glare. We also find the use of products with a cosmetic purpose under the Roman Empire, (27 a.C - 476 d.C) with men applying paints on their heads to hide their baldness! Can you imagine Julius Caesar with the coloured head?

The role of television, cinema and music

Television, music and film have had a strong influence in increasing the notoriety of male cosmetics. For example, great artists such as Elvis Presley or James Dean in the 1950s were major contributors. Nowadays, this is easier to observe with social networks or the infinite number of cameras during a sporting event for example.

However, the use of cosmetics for the face or body remains a predominantly female practice. For example, in 1990 only 4% of men reported using a facial care product. Since the 21st century, 21% of men say they use products to look "good", to wash or care for themselves, while adapting the products to their skin or hair type.

Men's cosmetics today

Twenty years ago, for many men it was still difficult and even uncomfortable to buy products.

such as eye contour and concealer creams. The difference between feminine cosmetics and cosmetics

Men use them both as skin care and for hygiene, but to a lesser extent for beauty, unlike women.

Today, one in two men say they use a product for their daily skin care, leaving behind gender judgements or stereotypes. Moreover, it is they themselves who choose the products and buy them in specialist shops. Today there are thousands of products and services for which it is advisable to be well informed about their origin and components before buying and applying them. This can prevent, for example, allergic reactions.

There are a large number of products of all types. Today we find products for hair, beard, moustache, face, body and even erotic products. However, what is a man looking for when he is in front of a catalogue of facial and body cosmetic products? Often these are logical and diverse answers that vary according to each customer. Thus, the research and needs will be different according to

how they are used, their consistency, the textures after use, the smell, etc. Studies show that men are especially looking for products with the label "product for men".

Today we are observing very marked trends. The most sought-after products are beard oils, self-tanners, hair dyes, slimming creams and hair removal products. These products are in great demand on the internet, as confirmed by MenCorner or Comptoir de l'Homme. While other products such as shower gels, shampoos and deodorants are more in demand in shops, boutiques or supermarkets. These behaviours may suggest that men wish to maintain a certain degree of anonymity when making these purchases. For example, Yves Saint Laurent's female corrector was so much in demand by men that the brand decided to launch a specific line for them.

"Young urbanites".

Since 2010 with the appearance of the fashion or current known as "hipster" an increase in demand has been noted. In 2015, the market for male beauty or "grooming" (i.e. maleskin and haircare ) represented 17,400 million euros in Europe, a 30% increase compared to 2011. Studies also show that men buy less cosmetic products than women, but that they are willing to pay for high quality products, a large part of which comes from organic products! We also notice that they are becoming loyal to certain brands even though their purchases represent only 10% of total cosmetics sales.

Towards a more responsible way

Burning forests, polluted oceans, countries without water, Antarctica melting, etc., etc., etc. We all know it: the planet needs us and we need it! Thus, organic production has great advantages for the environment, for mankind, for animal welfare and for the dynamics of territories.

Nowadays, when we go to the supermarket, we are looking for quality products: seasonal fruit, fresh meat, good cheeses, etc. Often it is organic products that meet this need. According to the Agence Bio barometer, one French person in three consumes organic products at least once a month. Eating organic is a gesture for the planet but also for our health. If you consume organic products during meals, why not also use organic products when it comes to your daily care?

The organic boom

The organic phenomenon in agriculture is not new and we have been living with it for some years now. Other organic fields have appeared such as household cleaning products, gardening or textile products. The care and cosmetics sector is no exception to this great turning point! Organic cosmetics are beginning to cover all areas of care, whether it be beauty products, make-up, hygiene or even accessories made from natural products.

It is important to be aware that by nature men's skin is different from women's skin. There are structural and physiological differences. For example, men's skin is 24% thicker than that of women. This is due to the different hormones and justifies the fact that it is not possible to "recycle" the partner's products. Men's products adapt to these needs. This means that without any gender discrimination, it is possible to find specialized organic cosmetic brands for both men and women.

A few figures

Currently the organic cosmetics market is almost as strong as the conventional cosmetics market, it has a growth rate of almost 98%!

On a global level, it is a very buoyant field that represents 7 billion euros. According to the Kline Institute, there was a 10% growth last year and it is expected a 10% growth again for the year 2020.

In France

The use of organic productsis not limited to people who are committed to the planet or to a minority who are fans of natural products. We observe more and more French people testing organic cosmetics to try, validate or test their effectiveness while moving towards a more sustainable path towards the environment. According to IFOP figures, France can be proud to say that today three thirds of French men and women have already used an organic cosmetic product in their lifetime. Moreover, these trends are only increasing. For a large number of consumers, the experience of natural cosmetics is not far away, indeed the figures have almost doubled in eight years, rising from 33% in 2010 to 58% in 2018.

As far as certified products are concerned, Europe is more advanced than the rest of the world, it produces 70% of certified products. Today, the hexagon is in full growth with a rate of between 5 and 10%, depending on the region. An organic and certified product will therefore have an even more responsible effect both on the environment and in terms of active ingredient. This will tend to increase sales.

The price

Many people say they don't buy organic products because of the price. However, this is often just an excuse. Certainly, in the beginning the prices of natural products were more expensive because of their more complex manufacture, a not yet well established market and a public that was not very interested in the subject. This is no longer the case today and organic products do not stand out on the basis of their price, which is very competitive.

Rather, the differences are more in terms of the company's fashions and the positioning of the product range.

Compositions of certified organic cosmetics

In 2018, the IFOP (Institut d'Etude d'Opinions Marketing) carried out a survey for Cosmetics Europe. The survey confirmed that 88% of consumers are interested in the list of ingredients of the cosmetic products they buy.

In general, cosmetics should not present risks to human health. This may create a concern about the materials used in the creation of organic cosmetics.

A certified organic cosmetic is thus composed of 4 main types of ingredients:

• Water: can represent up to 80% of the final result of the
• Natural minerals: their use requires very specific environmental rules. They are mainly found in organic sunscreen creams by
• Ingredients of plant origin which will vary according to the product and the brand but whose quantity will represent a large part of the cosmetic.
• Other ingredients: they are not certified organic but approved by the ECOCERT standard. They must represent a maximum of 5% of the

Made in France

France is a world leader in cosmetics, with a few brands such as La Roche-Posay and Bioderma.

are all the rage internationally! The French organic product is not the exception. For example, L'Oréal launched its own organic brand in 2018, which it named "La Provençale" or "Garnier Bio". New brands in the organic cosmetics market are also appearing, brands 100% made in France such as Alaena, 66°30 or Big Moustache.

Four reasons to adhere to organic cosmetics

First of all, we must be aware that everything we apply to our skin will be absorbed and will have an impact on our body. This is already a good reason to think carefully about the products we are willing to spend our money on. According to Kline, "Men in general are less sensitive to organic products since they don't associate it with the effectiveness they are looking for mainly in their cosmetics. »

So it's time to change this for men and focus on the benefits that organic products can provide.

can get on your skin, I assure you you will not be disappointed:

1. Skin that absorbs natural ingredients

This is in my opinion the most important reason to switch to organic products. As mentioned before, the skin "absorbs" which means that at some point during the day, even if we remove our make-up, some of the products have been internalized by our pores. Natural products will therefore allow us to have a healthier skin without toxic waste. We can even take advantage of the multiple vitamins, antioxidants or trace elements of the product used at the base of the cosmetic.

2. Quality control

The products used in ecological cosmetics are certified and must pass under various quality controls. Indeed, to have an organic certification it is necessary to meet certain criteria and respect the standards imposed. With the help of these controls, the consumer is aware of the benefits of the product both for his skin and also for the environment.

3. No allergic reactions

The use of organic products considerably reduces the risk of allergies. Many people react with skin changes such as rosacea or psoriasis when using so-called industrial cosmetics. With natural products this concern is over since the natural ingredients are well specified and allow a better interaction with the skin.

However, depending on the case, we must continue to be careful not to buy products made with bases that do not suit us, such as red fruits or nuts for example.

4. True effectiveness

Organic products are more friendly to different skins since they offer a better assimilation thanks to the similarity between the epidermis (superficial layer of the skin) and the natural product of plants. For example, essential oils react very well with hair and skin throughout the body. This is justified by the fact that our body has specific needs and essential oils respond in a natural way to all of these needs.

We can therefore conclude that the field of cosmetics is a major topic of current interest. Men are playing an increasingly important role in the consumption and use of cosmetic products, especially in the use of organic products.

To conclude, we can refer to the French writer and poet, Paul Valéry, who said: "what's more

deep in men, it is the skin".