Beauty terminology: "chemical-free" brand
Is misleading consumer a calculated risk or an intentional strategy ?
Having been immersed in the beauty industry for many years, as both a consumer and journalist, I don’t shy away from thorny conversations, even though I don’t share publicly too often the type of behaviour I see from brand founders or their teams, as it’s not my job to slay others. Being a beauty brand founder is tough and success is often elusive, so I have tremendous respect for beauty entrepreneurs. Having said that, I also believe that any relationship - personal or professional - should have respect in its foundation and if the brand doesn’t appreciate your custom or intentionally misleads you, I believe you should look for a beauty brand that treats you in a way you want to be treated, with courtesy and respect.
Those who know me well know that I can’t stand dishonesty. Be what you want to be, do things the way you like, but be honest about it and stand your ground with pride. However, if you intentionally mislead me (or the consumer), I am known to take personal offence and take the reins into my own hands. Being a beauty brand in the current environment is harder than ever and having worked with many brands I understand the inner kitchen pretty well. Founders not only have to work extra hard to bring something truly innovative to consumers, but figure out a way to market themselves in a way that resonates with consumers and gets attention from retailers (and possibly investors in the future as well). After all, this is a business and in order to succeed you need to make money, rather than spend it.
In the last year more and more brands (and retailers) have chosen a strategy to monetise themselves by stoking consumer fears. We are ‘chemical-free’ shout the brands and retailers are chiming in. Every time I hear this statement, I feel angry because there is no product in existence - in skincare, bodycare or haircare - that can make this claim. Our bodies are chemical reactions, every beauty product contains chemicals - water is a chemical, so is air we breath and soil contains micro elements and nutrients that are chemical compounds.
Earlier this week I saw a relatively new French brand on a well known e-beauty website and the description of the brand read “A unique and revolutionary make-up range - the name of the brand - is the first of its kind in the world’. So far, a huge claim that actually doesn’t stand up well to closer scrutiny. But it wasn’t that which peaked my attention, it was this continuation: “A safe yet uncompromising alternative to chemical cosmetics…” Wait, what?????
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