Is hemp the new argan?

COSSMA: What makes Vivaness special in your eyes?

Helga Hertsig-Lavocah, Futurologist & Trend Watcher, Hint Futurology Creative Consultancy (HHL): Biofach Vivaness is one of the first shows on the calendar, and a great way to get insights as to what to expect at beauty shows later in the year. Actually my key take-away wasn’t from the beauty sector, but from home care! Attitude is a major Canadian brand. They are active across beauty and home care, and their SuperSeeds line was one of the first to shine a spotlight on pollution. Your readers might have seen their laundry detergent bottles with penguins and polar bears on them. They have changed the pack front, adding a big shout out: “Nature+Technology.” This signals two big shifts in the organic and naturals market: that organic is no longer a USP and tech is now the saviour. Think of Madara – at last year’s shows their key message was that plant stem cells are a more sustainable way to use resources under threat.

At the same time, it’s good to see brands educating consumers that not all tech is bad. The organic and naturals market still has to carry a banner about things such as processing. They still have to be disruptive.

Speaking of disruption, finally it is happening with one of the slowest categories: oral care. It is the category that many brands are now scrambling for, partly because others are saturated.
Lithuanian You & Oil, a relative newcomer to the naturals market place, showcased toothpastes with activated coconut charcoal, papain and “mineral water rich in microelements such as Mg, Ca, Na, K and F,” plus a “bioactive” mouthwash. Pay attention to the claim “bioactive”. It is very strong in health food. Ingredients alone are not enough, they have to be active, available, effective.

Ben & Anna famous for disrupting the deo stick market with their paper tubes, has turned its focus to oral care, launching pastes and powders in wide mouth glass jars, packed in an outer cardboard box, which really stands out on the shelf. It ticks the “free from/less-is-more” clean beauty trend.
Niyok is a Berlin start up that uses the antibacterial properties of coconut oil, known from oil pulling, as the key ingredient in a line of natural toothpastes.
Elixr, another German start up, has launched oil pulling with aroma-therapeutic benefits. They use sunflower or sesame oil instead of coconut oil.