When it comes to beauty products, what's better: high-tech or natural?
Organic or not?
And while the organic trend is growing, these products still account for a small share of industry sales. Euromonitor International's Uduslivaia thinks it could be because some products that claim to be organic aren't totally so -- most of them need synthetic stabilizers so they will have a longer shelf life. Currently, there are no regulations in Canada about what can be called "natural" or "organic," says Uduslivaia. "Some products are packaged and marketed as natural, but they are only based on natural elements. If anyone really looked at the ingredients, they would see they aren't really that different from any other product." But all of this could change -- very soon. Health Canada has introduced regulations that call for cosmetics companies to list all of their ingredients. This full disclosure could impact consumers' feelings about botanicals. While Thaman does see a future in natural products (and explains that P&G Beauty is currently working with the Indian government to learn more about Ayurvedic medicine and botanicals), she believes that any skin-care product should be held to three criteria: "It should deliver meaningful, noticeable and measurable results."
Split decision
So with nature borrowing from science and science finding inspiration in nature, why should women have to choose? Kenney says that the two sides are starting to meet in the middle; she points to L'Oréal's acquisition of The Body Shop this year as just one example. As for Weksberg, he sees no need to take sides at all. In his office, he uses a clinical anti-aging kit from Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories (DCL) that contains small amounts of antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. He also distributes Yon-Ka, a line known for its essential oils and aromatherapy products. He says that patients love the products because they make their skin look and feel better and, really, that's the bottom line. "Often, we suggest a combination of the two," says Weksberg. "I think if you can blend them both, you can have the best of both worlds."
Product images courtesy of Geoffrey Ross
Read more in our Beauty channel
