Organic Monitor is hosting its first-ever Natural Cosmetics Masterclass in North America next month. Taking place September 29-30, in New York, the event will be hosted alongside HBA Global Expo 2010 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The Masterclass aims to de-mystify natural & organic cosmetic standards for personal care and ingredient firms.

The timing of the Natural Cosmetics Masterclass follows the recent news that Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural product retailer, will only be marketing certified organic personal care products next year.

Whole Foods Market is the latest in a number of organic & natural product retailers making a commitment to third party verification schemes. PCC Natural Markets, a leading food cooperative retailer in Seattle, has been ensuring all its personal care and beauty products meet NPA standards since January. Organic Monitor research finds certification has already become a prerequisite for many European organic food retailers when considering new personal care products. The same trend is also catching on in Asia where leading natural food retail chains such as Country Farm are increasingly seeking certified personal care products.

Retailers are demanding certified products in response to consumer confusion about natural & organic beauty products. A large number of products are marketed on natural and organic claims, however Organic Monitor finds few such products would meet the requirements of natural and organic standards. Some brand owners are using organic ingredients to promote their products as “organic,” although the formulations remain conventional. Just last week, the Advertising Standards Agency in the UK upheld a complaint that a professional hair care brand was making misleading organic claims.

With growing consumer confusion about natural and organic, and retailers increasingly demanding third party verification schemes, Organic Monitor’s new Masterclass helps companies take the certified route. It is designed for personal care manufacturers, formulators and ingredient companies looking at the practical implications of natural and organic cosmetic standards.

Judi Beerling, head of technical research at Organic Monitor, will critically review the various natural & organic cosmetic standards in North America and other regions. Her workshop will give precise details of the adoption criteria in terms of permissible / prohibited ingredients, processes and formulations. Guidance will be given on “cleaning up” product formulations, especially replacing synthetic chemicals such as parabens, SLS / SLES, etc. The workshop will also scrutinize the ingredient composition of leading organic / natural / semi-natural brands to see if they stand up to their marketing claims.

The second workshop in the Natural Cosmetics Masterclass will focus on the “Business Openings in the Global Market for Natural & Organic Cosmetics.” Latest research by Organic Monitor finds growth is continuing at a healthy rate, however the competitive landscape is changing. An influx of new entrants as well as M&A activity are raising the competitive stakes. The workshop will give a global analysis, highlighting the major market trends & developments, and outline the business opportunities to existing participants and new entrants.

Organic Monitor is a specialist research & consulting company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries.