The Natural Beauty Market

Rise of Naturalist consumer

The organic natural beauty trend has seen African consumers make lifestyle changes, particularly when it comes to the use of cosmetic products. The natural beauty industry in Africa is steadily growing as African consumers opt to buy organic natural beauty products as opposed to strong harsh chemically produced beauty products that contain harmful preservatives. The lifestyle change has resulted in the rise of organic beauty brands which make use of ancient African beauty techniques, rituals and indigenous ingredients. With the aim to provide their customers with a unique, safe, and highly-effective product offering.

Organic products:  contain ingredients that are produced without the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers. The use of organic ingredients by beauty brands in the continent  is beneficial to consumers and the environment.

Countries such as  Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique have  the biggest consumer market in this sector which has resulted to the industry’s growth over the past decade.  Euromonitor International states that the natural beauty market is approximately valued at  US $25 billion  and is expected to grow by 6.4% annually.

Natural indigenous ingredients

Brands creating organic beauty products draw form the healing, cleansing and moisturising properties of African plants and fruits. Some of the most popular natural beauty products include: West Africa’s Shea butter and black soap. According to WGSN’s Global beauty- Africa Women report. East Africa’s Singo body scrub is one of the  popular African beauty products that is made from natural ingredients. The Marula fruit from South Africa is also noted as a widely used ingredient as it contains  antioxidants, nutrients and fatty acids.

The hair sector

The organic hair market has seem a sprouting of brands catering to the conscious consumer. Brands such as My Natural Hair provide affordable organic hair products for all African hair types.  African Organics produces vegan products targeted to Caucasian women. Other well-known brands include Afrobotanics, Suki Suki Naturals, and Nubian Nature.

In addition to the increase in organic haircare products there has been an increase in the number of salons that promote the use of organic haircare brands. The Fringe Retro Salon is an eco-friendly salon based in Cape Town ,South Africa. The salon decided to switched to organic hair care products after their clients complained of allergic reactions due to the use of harsh chemicals found in some of the products being used.  The salon also takes great pride in having gone ‘green’, stating that it was a one of the best decisions they have made thus far.

Cosmetics

The demand for organic beauty products has also stretched to makeup. With makeup brands such as Suziebeauty  , the  Kenyan beauty brand was founded by professional makeup artist Suzie Wokabi. Suzie felt that the beauty market in Kenya did not have affordable makeup products of good quality for the African woman’s skin. It is for this reason that she started her own makeup brand. Some of the key ingredients used in SuzieBeauty products include: Avocado, Aloe, Coconut, and Olive Oil.

Skincare sector

The skincare industry in the continent has also expanded to organic products. Luxury eco-friendly brand Africology not only sells products but also provides skin care services in South Africa. Nigerian beauty brand Ajali is well known for its unrefined gels available in shea and cocoa butter, virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and aloe vera which accompany a pleasant aroma. Oriki a Nigerian brand caters to male skincare. The brands products include exfoliators, moisturisers and beard oils.

Promoting the organic beauty market

Faithful to Nature and Shop Organic have made it easier for customers to find African organic products through their online directory. Hair expo’s such as the Johannesburg hair expo  have shed light on the benefits and accessibly of locally produced hair products.African organic natural beauty brands such as Afrobotanics, Africology, and Oriki have benefited from the use of social media platforms and online stores. These platforms have allowed them to raise awareness about their products which enabled the reach of a large audience from different countries. These platforms have also created the opportunity for  businesses to present a product offering that is local and unique to the world.