Sales of natural cosmetics increase.

Two studies of the natural cosmetics market by the same London-based market research firm, Organic Monitor, were recently reviewed on the cosmeticsdesigneurope website. The first study, focusing on the market in the United Kingdom (UK) was reviewed on January 30, 2006. The second study, focusing on France, was reviewed on March 28, 2006.

Before providing details on the UK study, a mention of a related study by New Woman magazine (London) is in order. The study, titled, "The Female Beauty Survey of Great Britain 2006," canvassed 5,000 women 29 years old on average. Among other things, the study found British women spent a "whopping" average of us$5,370 per year on "beauty products and treatments." This study was reviewed on cosmeticsdesigneurope on April 7, 2006.

The UK natural cosmetics study found that the market there was growing rapidly with sales doubling between 2002 and 2005-an average growth rate of 20 percent per year "far out-stripping growth in almost all other sectors of the market."

Hair care, the next fastest growth product category, "is currently touching low double digit figures." And other categories are growing at around 3.0 percent.

The market, though, is small and amounts to 5.0 percent of the UK personal care market.

According to the Organic Monitor report, a well-established healthier-lifestyle trend is responsible for the burst in growth, and the low market share is due to a lack of regulations defining "organic" and "natural" and a corresponding lack of consumer awareness.

The French cosmetics market overall, according to a February 2006 Australian government report, can be classified into five categories as follows. Beauty products are 37.1 percent of the market; hair products are 23.3 percent; perfumes, 19.8; toiletries, 19.3, and other products, 0.5 percent.

Natural products and aromatherapy are "well-established."

Nonetheless, the Organic Monitor study says that the French market for natural cosmetics is "booming" having increased 40 percent between 2004 and 2005.

In particular, the study says that the surge in demand is attributable to media attention given to harmful chemicals in mainstream cosmetics. After a March 2005 documentary on the subject retailers reported a surge in business.

As in the UK, market share is low. In France naturals have 2.0 percent of the market. Skin care sales are highest.

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