NBSA, the Natural Beauty Summit America, took place May 14 and 15, 2012 [see ‘Why Online Conversations Matter’ at Natural Beauty Summit America 2012 Panel Discussion and Social Media for Consumer Awareness: Natural Beauty Summit America]. It was fascinating and the source of considerable in person conversation relating to sustainability and green practices!
I learned about the Principles of Green Chemistry. Did you know that green or sustainable chemistry consists of "the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, and use." That's according to the US EPA.
In addition to well known brands such as Estee Lauder and Aveda, I heard about Beraca, a Brazilian company which produces sustainable products for cosmetic, food, veterinarian and water and effluent treatment markets. And Oakbio, Inc., a company based in California, which creates and develops "breakthrough biotechnology-based process and proprietary microbial platform for cost-competitive manufacture of sustainable non-petroleum derived chemicals and fuels to address society’s most pressing industrial and environmental needs."
DataMonitor's Tom Vierhile shared insights on Ethical and Environmental Consumerism and its Impact on the US Personal Care Market while eCairn's Dominique LaHaix highlighted what beauty consumers across countries have in common [conversations about nails] and how they differ [only in France do you find a strong beauty DIY community].
My presentation - Social Media and Natural Buzz. Why Online Conversations Matter - explored the benefits of taking part in online conversations. I referred to BlogHer's Beauty is in the Eye of the Blog Holder research and reviewed what I had uncovered researching the social profiles of several beauty brands - Burt's Bees, Estee Lauder, Aveda and Sephora. I also referred to L'Oreal's Dermablend. Most fascinating was experiencing how each brand and its customers differed in their online conversations and interactions.
[You may also want to read Get Found Online To Redefine Beauty: Beyond Beauty Blog Interview if you haven't already.]
I'd love to hear your reactions. For me, Natural Beauty Summit America was an eye-opening event and I look forward to discussing my green and sustainable observations with Robert Clark from Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York's Sustainable Business Committee.
