When it comes to beauty products, what's better: high-tech or natural?
Less surgery, more product
Dr. Fred Weksberg, a Toronto dermatologist who has been practising for almost 20 years, says that his clients are moving away from surgical procedures. "Sure, I have some women who say 'I don't care as long as I get rid of the lines!' But, overall, people are more curious than they were 10 years ago. They ask many more questions and are concerned about side effects."
This consumer apprehension also means that manufacturers must promote their high-tech launches with care and common sense. According to a Euromonitor International study released this year, when it comes to outlandish claims, Canadian women aren't buying -- literally. When Avon released its Anew Clinical Laser System last year, it was touted as a home replacement for wrinkle-smoothing injections. But the product did little to put consumers at ease. "Last I heard, they were planning to discontinue it," says Uduslivaia. "Even the name made people wonder whether it was safe to try at home. Canadian consumers are educated and not as trusting. Manufacturers must be extremely careful about what they promise."
Natural wonders
While you may think of organic products as the preferred skin care of sandal-wearing Whole Foods shoppers, they are actually becoming as sophisticated as their high-tech counterparts. As Joseph Gubernick, chief marketing officer of Estée Lauder, recently said, "There is nothing more high-tech than nature; it's the ultimate Einstein." Now, many companies are seeking mother nature's expertise. "The truth is, modern natural skin care has grown leaps and bounds since the woodsy-goodsy, homegrown formulations of the '70s," says Kenney. She points out that many natural-based companies are now using botanical versions of clinical ingredients. "For example, Juice Beauty has added plant-derived versions of DMAE, coenzyme Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid," says Kenney. "These ingredients are the naturally derived versions of ingredients that are used by scientific brands like Perricone."
So, with the two worlds colliding, what's science and what's nature anymore? The real struggle within the industry, according to Lauren Thaman, global director of beauty science for Procter & Gamble (P&G), is that the data for botanical products is based on experience, not trial. "There are only a handful of botanicals that have actual scientific data, such as tea tree oil," she says. "Australia has spent a tremendous amount of time and money researching tea tree oil, and it does have anti-inflammatory efficacy. I have seen many papers on it. But the question is, Can you make claims based on your actual product formula and not just on the ingredients?"
Product images courtesy of Geoffrey Ross
