Opening Lines
Wellness Products to Feel Good About
There's some debate in the personal care industry over what makes a product worthy of the wellness distinction. One camp says that pure plant-derived essential oils are the only ingredients suitable for stimulating a sense of well being. Another says that synthetic fragrances mimic plant-derived scents and offer users wellness benefits in their own right.
Rather than debate this (since consumers decide this for themselves), companies must turn their attention elsewhere. They must carve out a niche for their products. Companies that do this will find they are capable of competing in the wellness arena, whether they sell 100% natural ingredients or not.
This is because consumers' choices are based on more than just ingredients. Sure, there are those who will buy only all-natural products. For them, what's in the product is paramount. But they are not immune to a product's presentation. If given the choice between two 100% natural products, the consumer will clearly choose the one whose package best communicates the benefits of use.
And then there are consumers who don't look first at the ingredient list. To them, a product that has some synthetic ingredients and whose packaging conveys the product's feel-good properties is an option. It might even be a cost-effective alternative to a totally plant-derived product, which can have a higher price point. The way a product smells or feels or looks, or a combination of such factors, is most critical. Product contents are, for these buyers, secondary.
For these reasons, truth in the packaging and labeling of wellness products can be every company's best friend. There is a buyer out there for your well-being-type product, whatever its makeup, provided it is safe and lives up to its promises. So don't be timid—tout your product proudly for what it is. Display 100% natural ingredients prominently on your label if such a claim is honest. Similarly, be clear if your product contains synthetic fragrance, and explain what aroma-related and other benefits the end-user may enjoy. Because one thing that wellness products should have in common is truthfulness—something every consumer, personal preferences aside, can feel good about.
Lori Bryan
Editor