Transparency in beauty has reached a new milestone, as both Procter & Gamble and Unilever have announced initiatives to provide consumers with their fragrance ingredients lists down to the very scarce elements of their formulations. These initiatives help position the mega corporations as relevant and responsive to the growing consumer concern over ingredient impact on their bodies. They also place P&G and Unilever at the forefront of change, as fragrance ingredients have generally remained out of sight, especially pertaining to trace elements. (Both P&G and Unilever will be disclosing ingredients down to the 0.01 percent of the product formulation.)
Unilever will provide full ingredient disclosures online, along with scent details, by 2018. Its new “What’s in our Products” section online, offers consumers answers to common questions, and explanations of ingredient types to equip them in their research. The brand will further expand its labeling of fragrance allergen information in the United States, which will also be available online.
“We are committed to ensuring people have the information they need to choose the right product for them. So that is exactly what we are doing, going the extra mile beyond what is already on the label. We strongly believe that providing this transparency will help build further trust in Unilever and our brands,” said Unilever’s chief research and development officer, David Blanchard.
P&G says that it currently shares its full fragrance palette, however it intends to provide this information in greater detail by the end of 2019. It too will be available online. The brand is working to complete the initiative for more than 2,000 fragrance products.
“Our goal is to give people information that is clear, reliable and accessible. This is another step in our sustainability journey toward enabling consumers to make informed choices,” said Kathy Fish, chief technology officer at Procter & Gamble. “We want people to feel great about putting our products in their shopping baskets. We’re providing more information about fragrance ingredients because we believe this will build even greater trust in the quality and safety of all of our products.”
As transparency in beauty is becoming a requirement; consumers want to know what’s in their products to best protect themselves and their families. Providing consumers with this key information via brands with transparent product labels, etc., may give retailers a competitive edge in the marketplace.
[Image via pg.com]