Thinking about green ingredients: COSSMA

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The coronavirus pandemic is raising demand for natural ingredients from the personal care industry. Ecovia Intelligence expects demand to remain buoyant after the current crisis.

Natural ingredients with antibacterial and antiviral qualities are highly sougth after in today’s crisis. Australian companies are reporting a surge in demand for lemon myrtle, which is used in hand sanitizers and cleaning products. Australian Natural Products, the largest producer, is planting 180,000 new lemon myrtle and anise myrtle trees to ramp up production. Tea tree oil, well-known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties, is also experiencing a coronavirus boost. It is used in a wide range of personal care and home care products. Based in New South Wales, Gelair has developed a line of tea tree oil-based cleaning products for the maritime industry. Virus fears are leading commercial ships and cruise liners to use Gelair products to decontaminate ducted ventilation systems.

Antiviral effects

Aloe vera, already established in the personal care industry, is also experiencing high demand. Its use has extended from companies to consumers making hand sanitizers at home. Seeing the shift in purchasing behaviour, the American supplier Desert Harvest has started producing hand sanitizers for the first time.

Amyris, a producer of sustainable ingredients, has also launched natural hand sanitizers under its Pipette brand. The natural essential oils company EO Products has increased production of its hand sanitizers 16- fold since the virus outbreak.

Other natural ingredients in high demand include eucalyptus oil, propolis and oregano. Asian ingredient suppliers are reporting a spike in demand for eucalyptus oil. In Indonesia, the agriculture ministry is actively using eucalyptus oil to help stop the transmission of the coronavirus. It has developed ointments, balms, inhalers and diffusers.

Double demand

The popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) is also continuing doing the coronavirus crisis. CBD is featured in many new product launches, including hand sanitizers, creams, lotions and balms. The UK online retailer Alphagreen is reporting a doubling of interest in CBD-based products since the virus outbreak. Consumers are buying CBD products to help give them relief from anxiety, insomnia and pain. Many natural and organic food retailers are reporting a sales surge during the current crisis. With COVID-19 changing the way people meet and clean, consumers are turning to natural and health products to improve their overall health and wellness, as well for disease prevention. Many of them expect to see more natural ingredients in the products they use.a