Commentary: Major Cosmetics Brand to Acquire Former Natural Beauty Brand

Time and time again we have seen what happens to once coveted natural brands when they are purchased by major corporations.  The company continues to be branded as ‘natural’ despite having lost all of its integrity as a natural product just before or after it was acquired by a major corporation.  Supporters of the brand are left feeling conflicted.  One on hand they are happy that their favorite brand has gained the notoriety to be acquired by a major corporation. On the other hand, reality sets in that the products will likely change–and not for the better.  This same story applies to the brand featured in the article, as well as various others over the years.

IMPACT

Carol’s Daughter was once a well known and respected brand heralded for its high quality products and natural ingredients.  It was particularly unique because it was a small business that catered to an audience of African-American women that had not been specifically marketed natural products before.  Over time as the brands’ notoriety grew and it attracted well known investors the integrity of the product began to change.  The changes got worse over time.  Over the last four years some of the brands marquee products have become unrecognizable due to ingredient changes.  The company has had its share of woes including bankruptcy, losing its core customers (after the brand abandoned them), changing ownership, etc.  Their story is a cautionary tale to companies and consumers alike.

BE AWARE

Pay attention to the ingredients in your products.  Mainstream companies often change the formulas and/or ingredients of their products without notice.  Thus when smaller brands get acquired by large corporations the formulas and ingredients change, meanwhile the packaging typically does not.  This has likely happened to most of you at least once.  If you do notice a change in your products be prepared to complain, and if that does not work, do not continue to buy the product!

Another company listed in the article, Kiehl’s, also has a reputation for being ‘natural,’ with ‘quality’ ingredients.  The packaging has not changed much, nor the price, so most consumers don’t notice the changes in ingredients.  The irony is some of their long term users have noticed a change in how the products work, even if they don’t make the connection to the ingredients.

Many people do not realize that several of their favorite natural brands are not what they think they are or used to be.  Be an educated consumer!   Pay attention to your products!  Company logos on the bottle may be a key indicator of a change even if you do not notice a change in the ingredients right away.

 

Thank you for reading!  Please share any similar experiences you’ve had in the comments!