Organic Monitor is hosting its first Asian Natural Cosmetics Masterclass to help tackle the technical and marketing challenges associated with natural & organic personal care products in the region. The masterclass will be hosted in Bangkok, on 2 and 4 November, co-located alongside the In-Cosmetics Asia trade show.

Although the Asian market for natural & organic cosmetics is showing healthy growth, the market is lagging behind that in Europe and North America. Natural and organic products comprise less than 1% of cosmetic sales in Asia, compared to over 5% in parts of Northern Europe and North America. Adoption of green standards is also very low, with a recent study by Organic Monitor showing that just over a third of natural & organic cosmetics are certified. Asian brands face many formulation issues when developing such products.

This new masterclass aims to help operators overcome the technical and marketing obstacles in Asia. The first workshop discusses the technical issues when formulating green cosmetics, whilst the second workshop highlights the marketing challenges and identifies business openings in the Asian market.

Judi Beerling from Organic Monitor will conduct a workshop on formulating green cosmetics. An update will be given on green labelling schemes, placing emphasis on natural & organic standards. Guidance will be given to cosmetic brands looking to replace contentious synthetic ingredients in their formulations. Advice will be given on raw material selection and adopting standards.

The second workshop will highlight the business openings in the Asian natural & organic cosmetics market. With greenwashing rife in the region, how can natural & organic brands get their message across to consumers? The major marketing obstacles will be highlighted, followed by case studies of brands who are successfully riding the green wave.

Future projections will be given for the global market for natural & organic cosmetics. Although sales are expanding by over USD 1 billion per annum, growth openings are becoming more limited as competition has stepped up. Market and competitive information will be given for each geographic region, including details of the opportunities for new entrants and existing operators.