Back in the day when the Red Green Show, a popular Canadian television program, was on the air, Red Green, aka Steve Smith, used the phrase, “Keep your stick on the ice” as an ending of one of the program’s sequences. Being a Canadian and probable fan, Red Green was alluding to hockey, where players had to be vigilant and ready for action during the game; that is, by keeping their sticks on the ice, the players were prepared.

For those of us in the cosmetic industry -ingredient suppliers to manufacturers and retailers, we always have our stick on the ice. Failing to track industry trends can spell disaster at any point in the chain. We watch, we react, and we hope we score.

One of the trends that has been around a few years but continues to offer direction is the trend toward “green and clean,” a bit of a catch-all term for natural, sustainable, certified products free of synthetics, packed in recyclable materials, and made from sustainable, environmentally friendly ingredients.

“Consumers are becoming increasingly invested in sustainable beauty trends and tell us that the most important attributes they look for when shopping for beauty and personal care products are those that use natural ingredients (40.2%), respect the environment (17.6%), and use reusable and recyclable packaging, at 7.9% and 15.8%, respectively.” (2030 Glow-up: The future of clean beauty.)

Note those statistics. While 7.9% and 15.8% seem relatively small, those two categories have been growing and will continue to grow. And no manufacturers or retailers with their sticks on the ice will ignore those figures.

And certainly no one should ignore the 40.2% figure for natural ingredients. That is a trend that continues its momentum and will only see an increase in 2023 and 2024. “The global natural skin care products market size was valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% from 2022 to 2030. One of the primary factors driving the market is growing awareness about the adverse effects of chemicals on the skin, such as irritation and dullness. The increasing awareness about the benefits of organic ingredient-based items has prompted customers to seek out eco-friendly, natural skin care products.” (Natural Skin Care Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report)

“Green and Clean” is here to stay for a while. Let’s keep our sticks on the ice, ready for action, as this trend plays out.