Cosmetisch wetenschapper Johann Wiechers reist de hele wereld over om op congressen te spreken. Zojuist is hij terug uit Nieuw-Zeeland en hij heeft zich verbaasd over hoe iedereen in de ban is van natuurlijke, ofwel groene, cosmetica. De nieuwste marketinggig. En hij waarschuwt dat als je 'groen' wilt verkopen je beter de goede kanten kunt benadrukken en niet gaan roepen wat er allemaal NIET in zit aan zg. slechte stoffen voor mens & milieu. Interessant want dezelfde bevinding zal te lezen zijn in een artikel dat ik over natuurcosmetica schreef voor NRC.Next, dat 7 april gepubliceerd zal worden.
Johann Wiechers over natuurlijke cosmetica (hij zal ook een van de vooraanstaande sprekers op de komende In-Cosmetics beurs in Amsterdam zijn in april):
'The NZ SCC just finished up here in Aukland, New Zealand. And 
what do I see as an emerging theme throughout the conference? Naturalness, nature-derived, three or four green leaves … It makes no difference wherever I go in this big world of ours, the questions are the same. Should my product be certified by Ecocert or by the Soil Association? Is a natural product better or worse than a traditionally formulated product? Even here in one of the most environmentally aware countries of the world, they are looking for answers to these universal questions.
Although we all know that scientifically the natural theme is a bit of wishful thinking (the body cannot differentiate between natural and synthetic chemicals), our customers think differently and insist on contributing to the maintenance of our environment. What answers can we give if science is actually falling short? In one of the presentations today (Peter Gibson of Henkel, New Zealand), it became clear that the various definitions of naturalness do not really help to create clarity in this mess of changing definitions, but his attempt to label cosmetic ingredients with a number of green leaves can provide the clarity that cosmetic formulators are looking for when having to create products that need to meet these customer requirements.
Another interesting aspect of the meeting here was the dislike of the so-called negative claim. A product that does not contain preservatives, no fragrances, no this and no that, is no longer perceived as positive but as a negative. Natural products should sell themselves on their own strength, not on the lack of negatives. So, we therefore need to be able to formulate these products well, not as bad alternatives that people might accept because they will make them feel good, but because they are equally good products that will make you feel good. Even science skeptics like myself who simply know that organically certified water is just as good as my tap water will need to know how to formulate these products for the future if we would like to have a job in the future. Countries like New Zealand teach us that. But Conferences like the Green Summit tell us how to do that! Knowing is one thing, doing is another. Likewise, knowing about the Summit is one thing, going there is another. If you want to keep your job in three years time, you will know where to go. See you in Amsterdam next month. Welcome to my country. Welcome to the old Zealand to become the New Zealand.'
bron: Cosmetics & Toiletries Green Summit
Lees ook:Makeup looks: talking green and organic
Lees ook:Haarstylist Kevin Murphy bekeert zich tot ‘all natural’
Lees ook:Paula Begoun: duur echt niet beter…..
Lees ook:Meer duidelijkheid over vermeende onderkin-creme
Lees ook:Programma In Cosmetics beurs april 2008