UK beauty industry gets a Fairtrade makeover

After two long years of speaking to the cosmetics industry and key stakeholders, yesterday saw the launch of the first UK Fairtrade-certified beauty products to reach our shelves. Green living expert Jen Marsden reports for Greenmystyle.com from the event.

With existing ethical beauty companies such as pioneering Essential Care, Visionary Soap and Neal’s Yard Remedies receiving Fairtrade certification, this is an opportunity for small-scale farmers to be given a greater voice in democratically-organised cooperatives and given a fairer wage, with the added social benefit of the Fairtrade premium.

Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, explains their journey: “Obviously we had Fairtrade beauty products in our sights for a while, and producers, companies and the public kept asking, but it was quite a challenge. We wanted to get it exactly right for the industry, recognising that the beauty industry is different from food.”

By setting minimum thresholds of Fairtrade-certified ingredients at 5% for leave on products and 2% of wash off products, the estimation is that Fairtrade labelling products could make up 53% of the total cosmetics and personal care market in the future.

And, the hope is that within the next five years they will impact 5% of the market, as Lamb states: “These are international set standards and so we’re very confident from here that it will roll out, probably France and the USA next and then right across the world.”

And with products from both the budget end of the market to luxurious treats, are the new products up to scratch on performance? Click through to discover the products…

Fairtrade beauty: Neal’s Yard Remedies…

Filed Under: Beauty, Just landed, What's New
Tagged: boots, Bubble, Essential Care, Fairtrade beauty, Fairtrade Foundation, lush, Neal's Yard Remedies