Eating seasonal has long been a hard and fast way to reduce environmental footprints. For the UK, different fruits and vegetables are synonymous with the changing seasons eg. Strawberries signalling the arrival of summer and blackberries that autumn and winter are starting to draw in. In beauty ‘seasons’ are only typically marked by new product development and novelty products that are only available at specific times of the year. Think: spooky makeup looks or a beauty advent calendar.
"...the natural beauty industry is set to reach $54bn by 2027."
Experts predict that the beauty industry is on the cusp of a brand new trend and it’s about to make big money and have a big impact on the environment at the same time. We’re just starting to see a rise in seasonal switch-ups in the skincare industry with people opting for lighter serums and moisturisers in summer and oils and more indulgent textures during winter to combat dry central heating and falling temperatures. It will come as no surprise that as the natural beauty industry is set to reach $54bn by 2027 (Future Market Insights), brands are looking for new ways to stand out from the crowd…
Enter, ‘farm to face’. Early adopters Jurlique, Tata Harper and the P&G giants have been ploughing their considerable products into advocating that the new beauty trend should in fact be seasonality which includes harvesting ingredients at their best in order to support sustainable practices and in turn produce better formulations. By adopting the local harvesting methods, it would mean that some products would not be available year round therefore tapping into the ‘scarcity’ and ‘cult’ mindset that permeates many beauty messaging - a clever win, win.
FRIEND OR FOE?
You’ll be forgiven for thinking this has another faint whiff of ‘greenwashing’ about it but hear me out. It’s true that already natural based brands have no choice but to carefully choose their ingredients based on the seasons but at the moment they are a minority. It’s also true that in order to truly work seasonally these companies will have already reduced their carbon footprint, so why not simply buy more from them instead?
As always it becomes a question of the majority. If the majority are still using virgin plastic in their manufacturing and unethically sourced ingredients then the actions of the minority are vastly outweighed however, good the intention. Producing seasonally sensitive products is as great for the consumer for their bodies, skin and health as it is for the planet.