Pangea sells what it calls "ecocentric bodycare" products : cleansers, scrubs, creams, toners, masks, lotions and soaps, among other items. Its niche is in its claim that it uses only "whole organic herbal extracts and whole organic essential oils." Products are advertised as chemical- and additive-free.
Hundreds of competitors claim to be 100% natural or organic, but only a few, Pangea included, actually are. The company backs its claims by transparency in ingredients use.
Pangea also promises natural packaging in its products. Consumers are told that if they remove the label from a box, soak the box in water, then plant it, a basil, amaranth or other plant will grow.
The organic skin care industry is small compared with the traditional skin care business. But sales have been growing. In 2006, personal care organic sales totaled $350 million, according to the Organic Trade Association. Although it doesn't have final numbers for the past two years, it estimates sales were $445 million for 2007 and $564.5 million last year. Growth may have slowed because of the economy, but it is still robust.
The problem Pangaea faces is that many companies call their products organic, but there is no national organic standard. "I have heard that there are 3,000 companies that sell organic skin care lines, the competition is fierce."
The organic market is growing increasingly, but there is no norm to regulate it. Thus, it is urgent to claim for comon rules concerning this market. If we don't, the risk is that the consumer won't trust organic label anymore and go back to the traditional market
