During Mark Tucker’s tenure as managing director of L’Oréal Australia from 2002 to 2010, annual revenue grew from $12 million to more than $400 million. But over a decade later, it’s the booming clean beauty space that has caught his eye. In August, Tucker joined Live Verdure, an ASX-listed plant-based food and supplement company that sells hemp-infused porridge, muesli, honey, protein powder, supplements and other wellness products under the direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand 13 Seeds. As ge
As general manager of skincare, Tucker will be responsible for developing and bringing to market 8 Seeds, a new line of skincare products containing hemp seed oil, which is purported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits.
Set to launch this year, 8 Seeds is part of the rapidly growing clean beauty trend currently generating US$5.4 billion in annual revenue globally and expected to reach US$11.6 billion by 2027, according to a recent report by Brandessence Market Research.
“It’s a great place for new brands [to launch] because established brands can’t change their positioning or ingredient story from synthetic to natural,” Tucker told Inside Retail.
“Those big global corporations end up starting new brands with natural ingredients because that’s the way in.”
Confusion around clean beauty
There’s no single definition of clean beauty, but Brandessence Market Research describes the sector as selling products that are “safe, non-toxic, and [with] transparent labelling of ingredients”.
While the lack of clear language has led some to criticise the clean beauty movement for implying that synthetic ingredients are bad and only natural ones are good, it’s impossible to ignore the real concerns about potential harm caused by certain chemicals in skincare products.
Scientific research suggests that parabens, found in 90 per cent of common grocery store items, may disrupt people’s hormone levels and increase the risk of cancer, although it’s not clear how much exposure is required.
In light of this uncertainty, a new generation of beauty brands has found success by eschewing synthetic ingredients for plant power. Tata Harper, a clean beauty brand started in the US in 2010, is valued at over US$65 million today.
“The natural and organic skincare market began developing 20 years ago, but in the last 10 to 15 years, it has worked more into the mainstream both here [in Australia] and internationally,” Tucker said.
He believes that 8 Seeds’ ability to source its hemp seed oil from a company-owned farm in Tasmania, giving it complete control over the production process, will provide a strong point of difference.
Global rollout
8 Seeds is now working with British e-commerce operator The Hut Group (THG) to launch a DTC online shopping site. The brand will make its debut in the Australian market, before rolling out internationally.
While sister brand 13 Seeds sells on Amazon in the US and Australia, Tucker said the plan is to focus on finding and reaching 8 Seeds’ target market before taking a broad approach through an online marketplace. The same goes for wholesale partnerships.
“You want to do a great job with your target market and be successful with your target market, and then think about extending beyond there,” he said.
The target market for 8 Seeds is men and women with specific skin issues aged 30 and up. Tucker expects the brand to appeal to ‘wellness warriors’ and ‘progressive shoppers’ who are open to clean beauty.
“Sceptics are harder to turn around, obviously, but we’d like them to become more aware of the benefits of hemp, and as a result, take the leap and try,” he said.