Three-quarters of US beauty consumers consider organic ingredients important in personal care products, according to a report by NSF (National Sanitation Foundation).
NSF commissioned TGM Research to survey 1,000 Americans on personal care products such as skin care, cosmetics, soaps and shampoos.
Some 74% of consumers consider organic ingredients important in personal care products.
Meanwhile, 65% of consumers want a clear ingredient list to identify potentially harmful ingredients.
The report found consumers do not trust voluntary labels; only 9% of Americans completely trust voluntary labels – among older consumers (ages 60 to 75), this shrinks to 3%.
NSF found personal care product purchasing is driven by health and quality; the top incentives for buying organic in this category include “better for personal health,” “less processed and less chemicals” and “higher quality.”
Paying a premium for organic is acceptable: 45% of survey respondents are willing to pay more for certified personal care products with organic ingredients.
Younger consumers (ages 18 to 29) are even more willing at 62%.
“NSF’s survey results clearly indicate that today’s consumers are seeking clean beauty products made with organic, toxin-free ingredients,” said David Trosin, Senior Director of NSF’s Global Certification team.
“Despite this growing demand, greenwashing is more prevalent than ever and consumer trust in voluntary organic labels is lacking, underscoring the importance of third-party testing and certification.”
In 2009, NSF introduced NSF/ANSI 305: Personal Care Products Containing Organic Ingredients (NSF/ANSI 305), one of the only consensus-based standards for the growing product category.
“NSF’s research proves that consumers also want to see more organic options when selecting personal care products, further validating why certification to NSF/ANSI 305 is so valuable,” added Trosin.
