You may be familiar with the ‘farm to table’ movement in the restaurant sector – where the restaurant ‘owns’ the entire supply chain of produce. Today, this evolution is being embraced by the natural beauty industry too.
Dubbed ‘farm to face’, the notion is being heralded in with a greater consumer demand for product ingredient transparency. As noted in our ‘Four beauty trends to look out for in 2018’ feature, according to Mintel, locally-sourced ingredients will become a priority for brands, who may also chose to educate consumers on the importance of preserving resources.
Mintel director of global innovation and insight for beauty, Vivienne Rudd, further explained: “In the coming year and beyond, the beauty industry will navigate the conflicting demands of the naturals-hungry consumer with shrinking natural resources and it will be through harnessing biotech advantages that a new generation of enhanced natural products is created.”
To cater to this, companies are endeavouring to ‘own’ the entire supply chain of its products – from seed to serum.
The ultimate aim of ‘farm to face’ is to ensure that every single extract, oil or distillate isn’t tampered with between cultivation and production, as well as to safeguard ingredients from harmful insects and stay GMO-free.
Walgreens Boots Alliance managing director Lyle Tick called out the development of the category last year: “Natural is evolving. People are conscious of what they put in and on their bodies. It doesn’t always have to be 100 percent natural. What they want is total transparency and knowing their products are sourced properly with good ingredients that work.”
Traditionally ‘farm to face’ referred to ingredients sourced locally, but as evidenced by a new slew of brands committing to owning the entire process (including the farms where its ingredients come from) the phrase has taken a more literal turn. Here are five more brands committing to the movement:
Weleda
In the 1920’s in Switzerland, Weleda established one of the very first Biodynamic gardens; and today, the natural skincare giant has 135 acres of Biodynamic gardens in Germany, with more in Switzerland, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil and New Zealand – collectively growing more than 300 healing plants and flowers.
Dr. Hauschka
Dr. Hauschka grow its own medicinal plants in a medicinal herb garden located directly behind the company building in Eckwälden, an agricultural town in southern Germany at the foot of the Swabian Jura Mountains. The local farmers sold a plot of land with heavy clay soil to company founder Dr. Rudolf Hauschka back in the 1950s, and now the company grows over 150 species of plant on the 4.5 hectare plot.
Plantae
Latin for plant kingdom, Plantae, is New Zealand’s only fully organic skincare range - it's the only brand whose ingredients are all 100 per cent organically certified. Plantae started as a boutique family business and has since grown into a successful international organic skincare company, with their factory and office team still entirely based in Nelson, New Zealand. Due to only using organic raw materials they are passionate about materials being farmed under fair labour practices. Those involved in the harvesting process are not exposed to any harmful synthetic chemicals, must be given meal and bathroom breaks, access to drinking water and are paid a fair wage.
LUSH
True to their slogan, "fresh handmade cosmetics", a large majority of LUSH's range is made in "kitchens" around the world, including right here in New Zealand - there's one located in Silverdale, Auckland. LUSH marks its trademark recyclable black tub products with stickers of the actual creators of the product being sold. Where they can, the brand makes product into solid form, ditching the packaging ain favour of 'naked' substitutes.
Avene
At the heart of the brand is Avène Thermal Spring Water sourced in Avène - a small provence in France. It is a natural soothing source clinically shown by over 150 studies to soothe, soften and calm the skin. There is a direct connection that links the Spring to the production plant and the hydrotherapy centre, where the Avène Dermatological Laboratories manufacture the products. The production plant was built in 1989 in an ecological reserve, where last year, it mixed 7000 tons of formula and packaged 63 million products.
(Pictured: The Avène production plant)
(Pictured: The Avène Valley)
