FtC culture
Alaffia Models A Balance Of Success, Sustainability + Fair Trade For a More Transparent Beauty Industry By David Aiello in partnership with Alaffia It’s hard to talk about body, face, and hair care products without talking about the burgeoning natural product category. Due to lifestyle shifts that have been driven in part by expanding wellness education, current health concerns and environmental awareness, consumers are now demanding to know where their products come from and what exactly they are made of. Balancing customer requirements, price, sourcing materials, and producing a safe, effective product is not an easy or inexpensive task. With this in mind, we take a look at the natural care product industry with Daya Fields, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at Alaffia, and beauty industry veteran, to further understand the movement away from chemical-filled cosmetics to plant-based alternatives.
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ALAFFIA: A TRUE PIONEER IN THE LAND-TO-WHOLE BODY MOVEMENT Both Olowo-n’djo Tchala from Togo, West Africa, and Prairie Rose Hyde from rural Washington State, were raised by parents who shied away from processed foods and synthetic materials. It was second nature to them to grow much of the food they consumed and handcraft their own personal care necessities. In 1996, Olowo-n’djo met and fell
in love with Peace Corps Volunteer, Prairie, while she worked in Togo. After her service ended, the couple moved to the United States with a shared goal—start a business and use it as a means to help alleviate poverty throughout West Africa. With their learned “ground to shelf” values, it only made sense to implement these practices when they
looked to create a business of their own. In 2004, they formed Alaffia, an organization whose mission is to produce ethically sourced and manufactured personal care products. With their common upbringing, as well as, the opportunity to create a fair trade model in Togo via exports, it was a marriage of two ideas that continue to have a global impact.
Olowo-n’djo Tchala and Prairie Rose Hyde, pictured here, formed Alaffia in 2004 to produce ethically sourced and manufactured personal care products. Photo: Ben Moon www.facethecurrent.com
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NATURAL VS.TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS With additives like parabens, synthetic colors, and phthalates in many skin care products, it’s no wonder companies like Alaffia are finding success by offering alternatives. A recent study by Kline Research reveals consumers are choosing to pay more for products that are natural or that they “perceive to be natural.” Indeed, a report from Grand View Research indicates the natural and organic personal care industry is on track to be worth $25.1 billion by 2025. Interestingly, the growth in this market has come from smaller producers like Alaffia, at
the expense of larger manufacturers who have been slow to innovate and react to this growing consumer preference. It’s hard to believe that additives like parabens and phthalates, found to be endocrine disruptors linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, are still being used in the production of cosmetics. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, revealed in a recent study how a short break from certain skincare products made with chemical ingredients can result in a significant
drop in levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals. Alaffia’s Authentic African Black Soap is made from a centuries-old recipe of handcrafted shea butter and West African palm oil†. Black soap is known by its Yoruba name, Ossé Dudu. Dudu means “black,” which comes from extensive cooking of the soap to the point of charcoal. Many cultures in West Africa use charcoal to detoxify and purify the skin.
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Alaffia’s Authentic African Black Soap is made from a centuries-old recipe of handcrafted shea butter and West African palm oil†. Black soap is known by its Yoruba name, Ossé Dudu. Dudu means “black,” which comes from extensive cooking of the soap to the point of charcoal. Many cultures in West Africa use charcoal to detoxify and purify the skin.
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CONSUMERS DEMAND GREATER TRANSPARENCY “Because of shocking and undeniable findings like this, we know our consumers have a real desire to learn about the ingredients in our products,” explains Fields “At Alaffia, we educate consumers and retailers through conventional methods, social media channels, as well as through product storytelling and statistics on the benefits of going chemical free. As an example, our website has a tab for Alaffia’s Made Safe (Made with Safe Ingredients™) certification. This is a third-party certification database that lists ingredients that are safe, meaning they are not known or suspected to cause harm to human health. It’s a transparent tool for the public to discern whether or not a product is as ‘natural’ and ‘safe’ as a company reports. It also educates consumers on the specific ingredients we use here at Alaffia.” Surprisingly, at least in the United States, body care products are subject to little regulation. So what actually constitutes “natural” and “safe?”
Fields acknowledges that currently there is not a legal definition for the word “natural.” However, she is quick to point out that when the term is used, “it must not be misleading or misrepresent the product it refers to.” Consumers must do their homework. “If a consumer is interested in ‘natural products,’ they should always develop a relationship with the brand they are considering.” In May of 2017, US Senator Dianne Feinstein, introduced the Personal Care Products Safety Act, a bill to strengthen regulation of ingredients in personal care products. In her testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Feinstein said, “There is increasing evidence that certain ingredients in personal care products are linked to a range of health concerns, ranging from reproductive issues, such as fertility problems and miscarriage, to cancer.”
Both organizations and individual consumers must keep the personal care industry accountable. Fields notes that while it is true that selfcare regulation is limited, a number of certification programs exist to ensure safe and ethical products are produced. “For example, Alaffia is certified Fair for Life, Made Safe, and adheres to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). We also have NonGMO certified ingredients and all of our products undergo strict quality control evaluations, including batch analysis microbial testing.”
But until meaningful regulation is passed, the personal care product industry must regulate itself.
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THE COST OF GOING GREEN With more and more consumers realizing the benefits of natural personal care products, the question becomes, is the market growth sustainable? Some analysts point out issues like higher costs and shorter shelf life could prevent the movement from catching on with the majority of users. It’s true that natural ingredients are perishable so manufacturing is very much like food processing. And through time and use the formula changes. There is nothing wrong with the products, it’s just a result of being synthetic-free. When using natural products, consumers should absolutely expect variation in scent, color and texture. The personal care product industry has used synthetic ingredients for decades to extend shelf-life, keep formula texture and colors looking “perfect,” the scent artificially fragranced, and costs to manufacture as low as possible. However, Fields indicates that going green does not have to be costly. She
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points out that natural products are as varied as conventional options. This means there are value lines as well as premium lines available to consumers seeking natural products. “Alaffia offers product collections ranging from value-conscious to mid-tier. However, if consumers have specific ingredient preferences, preferences based on geographical sourcing and how those ingredients are extracted and/or manufactured, they should absolutely, without a doubt, expect to pay more for products from companies that can guarantee these requirements.” Fields also points out other factors that can impact natural product pricing. She says, “Generally speaking, our overall pricing ideology highly reflects Fair Trade (trade in which fair to premium prices are paid to producers in developing or underdeveloped countries so as to not take advantage of their labor and natural resources), which is different from a traditional business model (selling the cheapest ingredients at
the highest price).” Paying a bit more for fair trade and sustainability practices seems to be acceptable to conscious consumers. According to a 2017 study by the NDP Group, these consumers are largely made up of younger millennials (18-25) who are concerned with environmental issues and are already familiar with the principles of natural ingredients, and an older generation (40+) focused on identified health concerns, benefits and maintenance. Fields indicates that as part of their purchasing decisions, this group seeks out companies with similar values to their own. “They demand transparency and business integrity. With this in mind, coupled with their personal daily commitment to healthy life choices, in every way they possibly can, these individuals have a growing conviction to avoid unknown chemicals.”
IT’S GOOD BUSINESS The personal care products industry is taking notice of niche marketers like Alaffia, with companies looking to expand their own natural product lines or acquire smaller rivals. And to the benefit of consumers, natural care products are now available at more and more outlets. Mass retailers such as Target, CVS and Nordstrom are executing and expanding their natural beauty sections. Companies like Alaffia welcome the expanded availability, especially if those distribution channels
promote a corporate strategy of transparency and diversity among the manufacturers they carry. For example, it’s imperative these channels offer access to brands that are mission driven and value based, from socially conscious organizations, that deliver price and ingredient options for natural lifestyle product consumers. Fields notes, “One of our key areas of focus in marketing is to be as transparent as possible with our consumers. It’s why we dedicate
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a large portion of our budget to educating consumers on where and how Alaffia’s ingredients are sourced, which ingredients each product uses and why, as well as, the social enterprise impact of their purchase. Our goal is to encourage other companies to strive for safer, more ethical products, and if larger manufacturers are going to be making those efforts as well, there will be global economic, health, environmental and social benefits.”
“It’s a global movement towards awareness, better health, and advancements in consumer products,” Fields adds. “Decades ago, consumers demanded and achieved the elimination of product testing on animals. Much like that movement, the shift to natural care products is part of the ongoing realization that many of the things we grew up with, and repurchase without active engagement, now require pause, further inspection and inquisition.”
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THE BOTTOM LINE While analysts still question whether the natural personal care product market will continue its expansion, most agree it is here to stay. The lasting benefit may be that established companies will follow the lead of new niche competitors and provide this growing conscious consumer base with products containing a short list
of ingredients and more transparency about their origins. “It’s a global movement toward awareness, better health, and advancements in consumer products,” Fields adds. “Decades ago, consumers demanded and achieved the elimination of product testing on animals. Much like that movement,
the shift to natural care products is part of the ongoing realization that many of the things we grew up with, and repurchase without active engagement, now require pause, further inspection and inquisition.”
ymore info: www.alaffia.com www.facethecurrent.com
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