Category feature: Natural beauty products

Clean beauty, organic beauty and natural beauty products have been a trend for quite some time now, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of that coming to an end. With this in mind, our team have been bringing some exciting suppliers to Avasam – we’ve got some fantastic household name products, as well as some absolutely incredible independent suppliers of natural, organic and cruelty-free beauty products on board.

If you’re looking to expand your existing beauty business with all-natural, organic products or you want to start a company selling this type of product, there has never been a better time to get started. Set up your business selling natural beauty products, cosmetics, and self-care items such as shampoos and soaps, bubble baths and moisturising creams – there are products that suit men and women of all ages, as well as products that are ideal for children. Let’s take a closer look at the niche.

Why sell natural products?

As we’ve already mentioned, there has been a huge shift away from chemical-based products by consumers – not only for their health, but in order to benefit the planet too. The worldwide market value for natural and organic cosmetics currently stands at around $38.2 billion, which is expected to grow to at least $54.5 billion over the next seven years.

People are looking for natural alternatives that don’t contain animal products, or that won’t irritate their skin – and the demand spans pretty much all demographics. Finding natural products that provide the same luxurious experience as well as having a similar (or better) impact on their skin to a non-natural counterpart is a quest that many consumers are on. The evidence is clear from social media too – as we write this, #cleanbeauty has almost three million posts, while #organicskincare has more than 3.75 million posts on Instagram – and that is just one platform.

There is clearly an enormous demand for natural products, and businesses can potentially make a lot of money by selling them, you’ll feel good about doing so. While there is still an impact on the planet when a natural beauty product is created, it is far smaller impact than a mainstream product with chemicals has, both while the product is being manufactured, and when it is being used by the consumer.

What about regulation for organic and natural beauty products?

In the past there was little regulation in the organic and natural cosmetics industry. However, customers are looking for reassurance that the products that they are looking for are certified organic, or vegan, or are subject to other regulations. There are a number of bodies that are providing such reassurance, and while you’ll need to be aware of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, since that currently applies to the UK, these other organisations should also be on your radar:

Simply because a product is organic or natural, that doesn’t mean it won’t cause a reaction to someone’s skin. Different skin types may encounter reactions, even if the product is completely natural – humans can be allergic to almost anything, so remember not to over-promise and don’t guarantee no allergic reactions!

Getting started selling natural beauty products

The process to start selling natural beauty and toiletries can be pretty simple – as long as you know where to find great suppliers. Although finding suppliers isn’t always the first step in starting to sell products online, in the case of natural and cruelty-free items, it is easier to start by identifying your suppliers before moving to the next step.

Sourcing natural beauty products

There are a number of ways you can source products to sell online, but when you want to be absolutely certain of the quality of the product, it is often simpler to work with a supplier that has already been accredited, or is open about their credentials and their supply chain.

We’ve taken the hard work out of locating strong suppliers with great natural and cruelty-free products, and we now have a wide range of natural and organic products that can be sourced through the Avasam platform. You can sign up for a free account here to explore our current range – and we’re adding new suppliers regularly.

Once your account is set up, explore the product catalogue, either searching by keyword or browsing through the categories. When you find products that you want to sell, simply roll the cursor over the product and click the blue source product button, which will add the product to your inventory ready for you to list on your sales channels.

Featured Avasam supplier: Mary Jean

We have recently brought Mary Jean products to the Avasam platform, and we’re excited to help you share their products with more customers than ever. The company is a cruelty free beauty and home fragrance brand that was created out of necessity – problematic, sensitive skin with an allergy to zinc. The Mary Jean business is family owned and operated from their base in Scotland, and creates luxurious soaps, balms and home fragrance products such as candles and diffuser fragrances.

Not only is their supply chain ethical and cruelty-free, they are dedicated to using sustainable packaging such as glass and aluminium, to allow customers to feel good about the products that they buy as well as seeing (and smelling!) the results.

Create your sales channels

Once you have found and sourced the products you want to start selling, it is a case of deciding where you’re going to sell those products. You’ll have a target customer in mind – so it is a case of choosing your sales channels. Setting up your seller accounts on marketplaces, and setting up your website (perhaps using Shopify to make it quick and simple to get started) are the next steps on your list.

When you’ve done that, you’ll need to integrate your sales channels with Avasam, so inventory information is updated automatically, and your orders from those channels get pushed to Avasam and your suppliers can dispatch.

Start marketing your products

Once you’ve found your products and you have set your sales channels up, you can market your products wherever your target customers are. This might mean setting up Instagram accounts, creating product images to share on Pinterest, or writing blog posts that include the products that you’re selling – the options for marketing natural beauty products are plentiful.

Why use DropShipping for natural beauty products?

There are a number of companies that entrepreneurs could use to create a business selling natural beauty products – The Body Shop has empowered people to create their own business with The Body Shop At Home since 1976, while Tropic Skincare has been working with Ambassadors since their launch in 2011.

These are of course, options for you to start your business with, but the problem with many of these brands is that you end up needing to buy stock up front, which may not be an option for you. Alternatively, you may want to curate and sell the products that you know and love – but they all come from different suppliers, which brands offering franchise and home-business models frown upon, or simply don’t allow you to do.

By using the DropShipping model, you’re free to work with whichever suppliers have the products you want, without needing to commit to a particular brand. In addition to that, you’ll also have the ability to diversify your business outside of the category, and you can start and stop selling products instantly – with absolutely no upfront cost.