The company has always positioned itself within the natural trend and includes a range of essential oils and natural ingredients in its products. However, this is the first time it has tackled fair trade.
Bulldog Eco-System Shave Gel and Moisturiser are the first two products to be launched in the new Eco-System range, which the company plans to grow in the future.
“Fairtrade will certainly play a great part in Bulldog’s future. We really hope that consumers will embrace these industry leading products and we expect to add to the Eco-System range over time,” Bulldog’s press manager Patrick Hobbs told CosmeticsDeisgn-Europe.com.
Fairtrade is of growing importance in the sector, although the choice of certified ingredients for cosmetics products remains relatively limited.
For its range Bulldog used fair trade green tea from Sri Lanka, shea butter from Ghana, sesame seed oil from Nicaragua and brazil nut oil from Peru, all certified by the Fairtrade Foundation.
“Obviously the process to make a skincare product Fairtrade is a lot more complex than, say, that of a Fairtrade banana. All ingredients that can be certified Fairtrade, must be sourced from Fairtrade certified producers under Fairtrade terms,” explained Hobbs.
These terms include a minimum price to be paid for the ingredients calculated to cover the costs of sustainable production, as well as the Fairtrade premium which is invested in social, environmental and economic projects according to a committee of producers.
This means the products are unlikely to be the cheapest on the retail shelf but Bulldog has strived to remain affordable; the Eco-System Shave Gel (175ml) retails at ₤3.69 (€ 4.22) and the moisturiser (100ml) at ₤6.49.
The company has launched these new products in time for Fairtrade Fortnight in the UK which starts Monday 22 February. This year, the project is attempting to persuade individuals to ‘swap’ some of their everyday products for Fairtrade versions.
Fair trade cosmetics
Although the fair trade movement in health and beauty is tipped for growth, the number of certified products remains limited.
In the UK, retailer Boots has a number of products certified by the Fairtrade Foundation, part of the international Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO), as do Lush and Neal’s Yard Remedies, and in France, Themis and Lea Nature offer a number of Fairtrade certified products.
Furthermore, the Australian representatives of the certification are currently looking into potential certification of a number of cosmetic ingredients sourced from Aboriginal lands and communities, and marketed by Switzerland-based company Cosmetochem.
FLO's solution is not the only fair trade certification available; the Institute for Marketocology (IMO) has a Fair for Life certification that has been applied to a number of cosmetics products.
The most recent to gain certification is Alaffia’s shea butter-based products, using fair trade shea butter from Togo.