March 3, 2010

H&M Launches Organic Skincare Line

via: Stylist

Several weeks ago, we blogged about H&M's upcoming eco-friendly line The Garden Collection. But shortly after, their move toward sustainable practices backfired when news spread that they were using 30% genetically modified cotton. Since then, we've been keeping an eye on them to see where the company was going in terms of their efforts to go green. We were a bit skeptical if their green efforts were genuine, or just a publicity act.

So this month, H&M announced their interest of the skincare world with the launch of their first organic skincare collection. All items priced under $8, they offer shower gels, body lotions, scrubs, and lip balms certified by Ecocert, Europe's leading organization for the certification of natural and organic cosmetics. They also offer makeup and toiletry bags made of organic cotton, and all products are packaged in recyclable packaging. Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M's head of design, states it was a natural step for H&M, and includes, "There's also a strong demand from our customers for organics, and I hope they will be as excited as I am about the new products."

As a fast fashion retailer, we are glad to hear H&M's continued efforts to be more eco-conscious and the support they have been receiving from their customers. Although we have been critical of their efforts, we applaud them for continuing to bring more eco-conscious products to the mass market. As sustainability is still a relatively new concept in the fashion and beauty industry, H&M's small steps are commendable, especially since most of their competitors do not offer similar eco-friendly alternatives. H&M promises that sustainability will only grow to be of more importance in their work, committing to increase the use of organic cotton by 50% each year until 2013.

And on a side note, their UK-based competitor, Topshop, also plans to launch their first beauty line, not organic, this coming May.



 
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