Consumers seek out ingredient transparency and natural claims in the personal care and food categories, and, increasingly, household cleaning products, too.
Sustainability. Transparency. Natural ingredients. Clean & safe. These terms describe the majority of growing personal care and beauty brands, and now, these terms often extend to the laundry and home care aisle.
One primary consumer concern is that there are no federal regulations that require manufacturers to list the ingredients of their products on their packaging. Consumer advocacy groups try to keep up with monitoring new product releases and providing select products with their stamp of approval, but they struggle to keep up with the influx of available products. Shoppers must educate themselves and follow the guidance of such consumer groups, industry watchdogs, and trusted retailers to help them make their purchasing decisions.
Retailers such as Target are making it easier for consumers to make smarter choices, as they have sections of their websites and brick and mortar stores devoted to Natural Cleaning, as well as their own Clean certification that is only given to brands and products that adhere to their strict requirements.
Within this Natural Cleaning category, shoppers are interested in these claims:
Plant-based ingredients | Non-toxic |
Cruelty-free | Ammonia-free |
Biodegradable formula | Natural fragrance |
Recyclable packaging | Dye-free |
Natural Cleaning Products, right to left: The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar | Tide PurClean Plant-Based Detergent | Seventh Generation Free & Clear All Purpose Cleaner | Ever Spring Multi-Surface Cleaning Wipes
In 2018, Mintel predicted the rise of the following trends, many of which we are already seeing reflected in the US consumer space:
Soap is an incredible cleansing agent, and it binds to dirt, oil, and other unwanted materials in the presence of water. When the surface is agitated, by hand or by a machine, the soap removes grime and grease away from clothes or dishes and into the surrounding water. Thoroughly rinsing the clothing item or dish fully removes the stain or food under proper conditions.
Soap shines especially bright as a cleansing agent when compared to traditional liquid alternatives. A liquid cleanser is fairly diluted and contains approximately 30% of cleansing actives in its formula, while bar soap is much more efficient and 70% of its composition is made up by cleansing actives.
Bar soap is sought after for its intense cleaning power, solid & travel-friendly format, and sustainability claims. Many conscious consumers are switching from shower gel to bar soap in the shower or bath in an effort to reduce their single use plastic consumption, and the same switch can be made for the kitchen sink.
Real Simple shared a bar soap cleaning hack with their readers, focusing on the format’s high foam, non-toxic claims, gentleness on the skin, and plastic-free packaging.
To clean dishes, bar soap works best paired with a wet brush or sponge. Use the brush or sponge to generate a strong foam with the bar, and wash dishes as normal.
The same approach can translate to using bar soap on surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom counters, and dining tables. Using a wet dishcloth or rag, build up a generous amount of foam from the soap and wipe down desired surfaces, and then wipe the area down with a wet cloth alone to remove soap and grime from the surface.
Bar soap is commonly used in many parts of the world to wash loads of laundry by hand or to spot treat smaller stains. It is an affordable and very efficient alterative to costlier detergent, and is a travel-friendly solution to save shirts from stains at dinner. Portable products such as Tide To-Go sticks are purchased for their convenience, but as more consumers look to avoid disposable single use plastics, they are looking for new options to help keep their clothing looking its best on the go.
Benchmark Analysis:
|
If this is an area of interest for your product development team, we encourage you to reach out to our Sales Team to learn more about our capabilities and the flexibility of bar soap to clean both the body and the home.
Sources: https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/bar-soap-dish-washing-hack | https://www.mintel.com/blog/household-market-news/home-care-trends-for-2018