Organic Mass Market in Mexico

Looking and feeling good is a global trend that shows its nuances within the local market in Mexico. Women between their twenties and forties have begun to question the content of all products that come in contact with their bodies, from food to personal care products, and try to reduce the synthetic elements they consume.

Some consumers could tell that this attitude was initiated by a health need; however, such specialized products usually have higher price points than mass-market items. Bigger brands saw an opportunity and began to include vitamins or herbal extracts in their merchandise, not only highlighting a new aesthetic qualities for products, but also a different standard of health.

Garnier was born as an alternative for the consumers that were looking for something more natural, but also still sophisticated. In Mexico, the brand has reinforced its green identity, with the slogan "Cuídate (Take care)" and with a wide range of hair products, deodorants, creams and treatments, all under the name Garnier Bí-O. Nowadays, the ingredients are not just natural elements, like plant extracts, they are also minerals. They have gone a step further to add more value to their products and make a difference of the rest of "green lines" of competitive brands that usually use names like  "Botanicals Effects," "Naturals" and "Nutriorganics."

Another example is Colgate-Palmolive, the leading global brand of cleaning products and personal care. They jumped from a basic and neutral image to a more colorful and dynamic one, developing their "Naturals” line, featuring plant extracts, exotic fruits and aromatic flowers in their product ingredients. Supermarket and other private labels have as a result followed in the mass-market branding shift by developing their natural lines too.

Mexican consumers are grateful for having these types of products, but they often question their integrity. The benefits are questionable compared to traditional home remedies, such as medicinal plant treatments, or even vitamins. Many Mexican consumers see the mass-market natural products as a complement to their regimes, rather than a solution.  

On the other hand, consumers are buying other products of medium-sized companies, like Brazil’s Natura whose products claim to contain more natural, raw ingredients. Natura not only sells products such as all-natural creams and hair products, but also cosmetics that offer extra healthy contributions to the skin.

Local brands have jumped on board with the natural trend too. One example is "Por amor a Mexico," produced by Genomma Lab, who produces a variety of personal care products created only from locally grown plants and flowers. Such companies seek direct empathy with consumers by emphasizing small-batch production and artisan processeses. But despite the production output of each brand, it’s safe to say Mexican consumers are looking to look and feel good with the most natural ingredients possible.