• by Sarah Mahoney , June 6, 2007

When it comes to looking natural, women are getting fed up with fakes. New data from market researcher Mintel shows that more than 40% of its survey respondents prefer makeup with all-natural ingredients, an area that has seen more than 200 introductions in the U.S. this year.

Of course, that explains why more than one-fifth of global organic and natural new-product makeup launches have come from the U.S. alone and why it's a market segment many experts think will continue to see rapid growth.

But at least one company is angry with the cavalier way many mainstream marketers toss the word "natural" into product claims. Burt's Bees, a Durham, N.C.-based personal care company with deep roots in the environmentalist community, is urging its customers to get militant.

Its research has found that 83% of American women think there should be one meaning for a personal care product labeled "natural," while 86% agree that there should be a symbol to certify a natural personal care product. Two-thirds of American women think a personal care product labeled "natural" should contain at least 95% natural ingredients.

On its Web site, Burt's Bees urges customers to ask five questions before making a personal care product purchase, including whether it contains such widely used ingredients as parabens, sulfates, chemical sunscreens or petro chemicals.

The Burt's Bees poll finds that 78% of American women think natural personal care is currently regulated or don't know if it is, while 97% think it should be. While the U.S Department of Agriculture now has a stricter definition for the term "organic" in marketing speak, "natural" is pretty meaningless and can encompass everything from a chemical fragrance to products that are made from 100% authentically natural ingredients.

But there's growing evidence that women are getting a little worked up about just what the heck might be lurking in their lipstick. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington D.C.-based environmental watchdog that tracks potential health hazards, recently launched its third annual version of the Skin Deep database, with information on more than 25,000 products and 10,500 ingredients. EWG says the site generates more than 1 million unique visitors a month.

EWG also urges cosmetics shoppers to e-mail their Congressional representatives. "Due to gaping loopholes in federal law, companies can put virtually any ingredient into personal care products," EWG says. " Even worse, the government does not require pre-market safety tests for any of them."

Marketers should expect consumers to become increasingly proactive in their ingredient research. "As consumers increasingly embrace natural and organic foods in the grocery store, health and beauty items will also mirror this trend," Mintel predicts. "Women are paying closer attention to what they eat, as well as what beauty products they choose."