Here at Siam botanicals we’ve always used natural ingredients – organic where possible. They simply make the best products, and bring a whole host of benefits with them that synthetic formulations cannot provide. However, using grown ingredients in our skincare preparation brings with it a different problem to engage with: supply chain.
We are proud to say we’ve always been a natural company, but we found ourselves ahead of the curve – the natural beauty movement has turned in to a global phenomenon with more and more consumers each year choosing to go natural, organic, vegan, parabens-free, fairtrade or all of the above. According to one estimate by market research company Grand Review Research, the organic beauty industry alone will be worth a cool $25 billion worldwide by 2025. This is fantastic for consumer choice, and shows that organic beauty and skincare are here to stay. It also leaves us wondering: what is the impact of more and more brands trying to source specialised organic ingredients in a market that is limited by maximum production capabilities and could be threatened by poor harvests or the affects of climate change? For example, in 2017 due to a combination of factors including a very poor harvest, organic rosehip oil became very scarce and the price leaped 400%. In 2011 there was a jojoba oil shortage due to demand outstripping supply that saw online wholesalers out of stock for months – which led to difficulties for specialist skincare and beauty brands further down the line. In a world full of confusing, overlapping terminology, we not only need to source ingredients grown organically, but also products that are sustainable, and we must look to long term plans for stable supplies both as individual businesses and a united industry.
A jojoba nut. Jojoba plants are native to desert areas in North America, and their waxy oil is intensely moisturising and nourishing
At Siam Botanicals, we do our best to get to know our suppliers, and where possible we buy our ingredients directly from cooperatives or the farmers/distillers themselves. Ingredients produced by people who care about their workers are always inherently better quality, because workers who are paid fairly and hired regularly are more likely to be diligent in their work and care about the products they are growing. So sourcing ethically grown ingredients isn’t just the right thing to do from an ethical point of view, it directly contributes to the quality of our products too. It’s a win-win situation!
Our organic coconut oil is a sustainable crop
COSMOS natural and organic certifications are the strictest out there, and in order to win the right to use their coveted logo we had to scrutinise our entire supply chain, making sure that we knew where every single ingredient came from, so we can state beyond doubt that our products were responsibly grown and ethically sourced. We’re always looking for the highest quality ingredients, we’re committed to making a positive difference to our suppliers and the natural environment with our buying power as a company, and we believe you’ll notice that every time you reach for your favourite Siam Botanicals product!
