Articles

Cosmetic brands have been selling themselves as 'paraben free 'or 'sulphate free' for years now but that may be about to stop in EU based markets in a move that for once, sees (un) common sense prevail.

New Directions have been sourcing and supplying ingredients for well over twenty years and what started with an essential oil has developed into a thriving multi-dimensional hub of ingredient activity. But what does it take to keep all of these ingredients on the shelf and how do we choose what to purchase? Here's a look at the intricacies involved in maintaining the range at New Directions and where our ingredients come from!

"Today, an average person living in Western Europe or North America consumes 100 kilograms of plastic each year, mostly in the form of packaging"

You know that old saying 'the devil is in the detaiel'; well I've been wondering what that means and more specifically how that saying might relate to the success of a cosmetic brand. Despite well over twenty years of cosmetic industry experience spanning manufacturing, testing, material supply and management, brand development and customer service you will not find any of the staff here at New Directions singing out about how easy it is to become the next Body Shop or L'Oreal. That said, people do come through the NDA doors, month after month, year after year fired up and willing to give it a go, some of them succeeding in the most delightful ways. So why is that and more importantly how can we help YOU become one of the success stories?

With so many preservatives to choose from how do you work out which one is going to give you the protection and label claims that you require? The answer is that it is actually quite complex.

Many of our brands start mixing in the kitchen, excited to get turn their beauty product ideas into reality and spread a little joy! This is awesome and empowering but at some point if things go to plan the brand takes off and your kitchen needs to be replaced by a factory.

As some of our clients BECOME their own factory we thought it would be a good idea to talk about Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

I get asked this quite a lot and sometimes I don't get asked why but I do meet with prospective brand owners who have decided that their philosophy is simplicity with what few ingredients they do want having to be pure, natural and recognisable (i.e.: nothing that sounds like a chemical).Commercial brands often seem like a chemical soup with ingredient lists stretching into 15 or maybe 20 ingredients and making the same but different - with only say 5 natural lovely things is ultra appealing.

This year it is projected that New Directions Australia will deal with many thousands of customers be that in person, through our website, Facebook pages or twitter or on the phone. Each one of those has something in common - an interest in personal care and a desire to build better connections between them, their passion and their target audience (even if their target audience is their cat). Helping develop and explore that is our passion and our pleasure.
However, in order to get the most out of our interactions with our customers some key questions must be asked. Do you know your public?

As a business owner or brand manager there are so many things to learn and take in. Feeling overwhelmed is nothing unusual especially these days when the world wide web of misinformation penetrates every waking second. Big decisions rest on your shoulders and it is up to you to lead from a solid base. One of the most common areas for concerns is around-ingredient choice, safety, legality and suitability for purpose especially in light of the fact that the cosmetics industry can whisk you away to the four corners of the globe in an instant. While being at the helm of a globe-trotting brand sounds like a whole lot of fun, trying to cater to varying ingredient preferences and legal frameworks can be a nightmare. So, what do we do?

Support, Education, Motivation and a great cup of coffee

As a business owner you can sometimes find yourself feeling alone, out of your depth and in need of a shoulder to cry/ laugh or just talk openly on about the challenges and triumphs that surround you. Over the last twenty years New Directions have helped thousands of people start up and grow their own personal care brands and related businesses and now that it is your turn we want you to know that we are here to help.