In our last guest episode with the indie beauty co-founder Tara Pelletier, we heard how her business Meow Meow Tweet was not only driving a successful bulk refill scheme for its beauty products, but also how it was shunning the pressure to churn out new products.
Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier follows up on Meow Meow Tweet’s direction in this short Green Beauty Opinion. Lorraine asks if by committing to improving current product ranges rather than investing constantly in the search for new shiny cosmetics makes business sense for indie brands.
Will the beauty media bother with indie companies that can’t push out press releases about their latest new cleanser? Will opting for deeper rather than wider product ranges self harm an indie brand?
Listen in to Lorraine’s opinion short in which she asks the ultimate question: can the beauty business model be built on slow beauty?
Dare the beauty industry slow its growth for sustainability's sake? The @FormulaBotanica podcast challenges us to reject fast beauty's release of shiny new products. #sustainablebeauty #beautytrends #greenbeauty Click To Tweet
It takes a brave business owner to call out the traditional beauty business model that is built on bringing out a constant stream of new products. But, for the sake of sustainability, this should be happening if we are to consume less and save the planet’s resources more.
Can we change the culture around product development? Lorraine says that on this podcast she has heard numerous brand and industry stories about improving packaging, finding sustainable suppliers and striving for circular beauty, but none about a brand choosing to slow its growth for sustainability’s sake.
The beauty industry model is still all about fast churn; in fact, we can talk about ‘fast beauty’ just as we do about fast fashion. The beauty media thrives off reporting the latest innovation and product release. The worry is that a beauty brand consciously choosing to reject fast beauty may not get the publicity it deserves. Lorraine’s point is that a brand with loyal customers enjoying its current range has no need to keep pushing out new products. Are customers really waiting for something new?
Lorraine has come across one other well-known brand owner rejecting fast beauty: May Lindstrom said she felt no pressure to add more to her capsule range of eight products unless there was a real purpose.
And, we have seen fast beauty rejected by many of Formula Botanica’s graduate brands. They may launch with a hero product, see it succeed and then gently add the next products when it makes sense to complete their offer and when budgets allow. After all, why would an indie brand wish to upstage its hero products with new ones all the time?
Lorraine challenges all brand founders in the indie beauty community, and beauty consumers, to be loyal to the fabulous products already out there and reject fast beauty and, in so doing, shift mindsets on beauty’s traditional business model.
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
FREE FOUNDATION COURSE
How to become an
Organic Skincare Formulator
FREE TRAINING
How to become an
Organic Skincare Entrepreneur
FREE TRAINING
How to become an
Organic Skincare Entrepreneur
Leave us a comment
Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.
