Did you know that in 2018 the organic and natural cosmetics market grew by 14% to be worth £86.5 million – making it the eighth year of consecutive growth.*
It is so important for the hairdressing industry to consider these facts and to really understand what their clients want from a salon. Increasingly consumers are seeking out products that deliver on authenticity, purpose, integrity, transparency and sustainability and they are questioning what is in their hair and beauty products. Purchasing decisions are being made with the environment in mind and this swell in conscious consumerism is set for long term growth.
So how is the hairdressing industry reacting to this? Are salons even on board and prepared for this growing breed of mindful consumers who will be actively seeking out salons with a sustainable ethos and who also offer natural products and colour that deliver on all levels?
We spoke to Adam Reed, UK Editorial Ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel to discover if he is witnessing the growth in the conscious client.
How have you seen the client demographic in your salons shift with the rise in natural?
The rise of interest in natural would definitely be the biggest overall changing factor I have noticed with clients in my salon. We have clients asking more questions about natural products and generally more curious about our natural offering and ingredients within products we use. Normally with a trend we have to talk to educate the client and drive conversation our side but interestingly with naturals, clients are mentioning it to us first. Also, the rise in organic products on the high street has certainly driven an interest in the professional products market. Natural seems to be much more of a movement as opposed to a trend.
Why do you think salons have a fear or aren’t necessarily all embracing natural colour alternatives for professionals? (i.e. they believe the consumer isn’t in their salon but how do they actually map this?)
The thing with natural hair colour is it gives a natural result – of course this is great for clients looking for a subtle colour result but as we know there is a very large demand in salons for hues like platinum blonde and this could be one challenge. Natural hair colour like L’Oréal Professionnel Botanea is incredible for tone, shine and depth and I definitely think that the more it is used, the more it will be loved. I know that salons also struggle with the need for continuing allergy result testing as consumers struggle to understand why they are needed when the product is 100% natural but again it is our job to educate on why this is important.
What did you love about working on the new launch of Botanea and what doors as a salon owner can you see it opening up for the clients of today?
I think L’Oréal Professionnel Botanea is great for a client looking for first time colour, it’s a suburb natural offering, easy to recommend and gets really strong natural result – a perfect way of introducing a non-colour client to colour for the first time or a client who is looking for a natural alternative as they shift life stages, I’ve seen new mothers opt for this alternative for example.
Why do you think it is important for salons to have a 100% natural colour offering for clients?
I think it’s important because the consumer demand is growing and the need for natural beauty offerings is only going to continue to strengthen. It’s early days for this new generation in natural colour but the message is starting to spread and it’s going to be huge – natural alternatives are here to stay!
What do you think are the barriers that salons have when it comes to getting to grips with new pro ranges like Botanea? Are they simple to overcome?
For me it is absolutely the continued allergy test which is a struggle, it is hard to get clients to come in to the salon twice every time they want their natural colour, as well as the confusion as to why it is needed. I like to explain to clients that like any natural ingredient, you can still be allergic – for example some people can be allergic to grass or pollen. Another barrier is time, the colour can actually take a lot longer than you think, especially if you are doing two applications, and with the results sometimes being very subtle is it hard to show the worth to the client – always make sure you are being totally transparent with your client before with the results they will achieve.
Do you see the rise in natural colour in salons happening in the near future?
Absolutely, with consumer demand and their knowledge of the natural market growing extremely fast, I see the natural professional colour offering in salons rising rapidly in the next few years.
