The market for natural and organic products continued to grow in 2016. According to the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) annual survey of the U.S. Organic Industry, organic sales as a whole totaled $47 billion, with a growth of $3.7 billion for the year. While organic food sales still top the list, non-food products in the organic market went up by 8.8%, proving that consumers are looking beyond the pantry for healthy and safe ingredients.
One sector of this non-food market is personal care with it’s own projected growth of almost 9% by the year 2024. The Global Market Study on Natural and Organic Personal Care Products, conducted by Persistence Market Research, attributes this growth to increased health awareness, along with higher levels of income and living standards, that has led to a demand for non-toxic personal care products.
More and more people are coming to understand that when it comes to health, it’s crucial to not only care about what you put in your body, but also what you put on your body. While the Moms Meet mom audience has always been highly attuned to a natural and organic lifestyle, we surveyed them to learn more about their purchasing habits and influences in the natural and organic personal care market specifically.

Six out of 10 Moms Meet moms surveyed buy natural or organic personal care products. Toothpaste topped the list, with almost 60% of moms choosing a natural or organic option for oral care. Roughly one in two moms also buy natural or organic lip balm, shampoo and conditioner, hand soap, deodorant, facial cleansers, and moisturizers.

While natural and organic products found their early home in local health food stores, natural products chains and local co-ops, mass market retailers have taken over, most likely due to convenience and cost. Amazon, Target, and Walmart are the top three preferred retailers where Millennial moms shop for natural and organic products. Whole Foods Market, which offers a robust in-store personal care section, came in fourth amongst all retailers surveyed.

Given that there are no industry-wide safety standards for personal care products, it’s up to the consumer to determine how safe a product is. Studies have shown some personal care ingredients cause cancer, damage the reproductive system, and act as hormone and endocrine disruptors. With hard-to-pronounce chemical names, multiple terms for the same ingredient, and the ability to hide chemical compounds under the umbrella term “fragrance”, deciding which ingredients are potentially harmful can be confusing. Despite the daunting nature of the personal care ingredient list,virtually everyone polled reported that they do read the ingredients before making their purchase decision.

The top ten ingredients our audience avoids are: DEET, formaldehyde releasing preservatives (FRPs), synthetic colors, parabens, petroleum, microbeads, fluoride, phthalates, sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), and polyethylene. Considering the widespread use of hand sanitizers, it’s interesting to note that our moms were less aware of triclosan. This antibacterial, used in soaps and household cleaners, acts as an endocrine disruptor.

Continued education on the harmful ingredients lurking in personal care products is key. Our moms look to Moms Meet as their source for guidance and recommendations on what’s best for their family. They trust our thorough screening program and enjoy discovering new healthy products in all categories, including personal care, through our Sampling, Influencer, and Blogger Programs.
One of our moms who only uses organic hair color, toothpaste, and mouthwash had this to say, “Moms Meet helps me locate more products that are helpful to my family, group, and I, which I really appreciate!” Another mom wrote, “I LOVE Mom’s Meet, because I learn about new healthier products for my family! I worry about what my family and I use, and that’s why I like using natural and organic personal care products.” Overall, our moms are always looking for new products to help them lead a healthier life, and personal care products seem to be the natural next step in their personal evolution.

Learn how you can get your brand seen and products reviewed by influential mom consumers. Contact us at advertise@maymediagroup.com.