Alba's Honest Beauty Launch Travels Light With 'Natural' Baggage

One week after a consumer filed suit alleging deceptive "natural" product marketing, Honest Co. unveils a skin care collection without "natural" allusions. SPF-containing items in the line feature non-nano zinc oxide in higher concentrations than the Honest sunscreen lotion that allegedly has failed users.

There's a conspicuous shortage of "natural" references on web pages showcasing the Honest Beauty line, suggesting the Honest Co. couldbe playing it safe this time around with the problematic buzzword.

The line launched Sept. 9 features more than 80 makeup and skin care SKUs and is supported by a new website, blog and dedicated social media pages.

Honest indicated in August it would commit capital from a recent $100 million financing round to the launch, which promises to fuel further growth of the firm currently valued at around $1.7 billion (Also see "Honest Company To Launch Color Cosmetics On Back Of $100 Mil. Financing" - HBW Insight, 28 Aug, 2015.).

The firm's existing offerings include baby care items ranging from diapers, bottles and nursing pillows to nutritional supplements to support mom's breast milk production, and baby's brain and eye development as well as home cleaning products and multivitamins for women, men and children.

Honest's personal care portfolio already included numerous categories, including hand sanitizers and soaps, skin- and hair-care items, bath products, toothpaste and deodorant.

The new collection marks a deeper dive into skin care. Products are divided into Cleanse, Hydrate, Protect and Enhance ranges, carrying prices from around $10 to $34.

Highlighted offerings include Elevated Hydration Mist, containing chamomile and calendula to calm and soothe, aloe vera to condition and hyaluronic acid to lock in hydration, and Magic Balm, "an honestly magical blend of organic fruit and botanical oils to soften and soothe everything with just a touch."

Product packaging across the Honest Beauty collection comes in soft pink, gray and white hues with an overall sleeker, more upscale look compared with the company's original product line.

The firm is using familiar, socially responsible messaging to promote Honest Beauty. "The most important thing for us was effectiveness and safety, so we led with that. It's about giving people peace of mind," says Alba, who serves as Honest's chief creative officer, on the brand's Instagram platform.

On the line’s website, the company explains its "Honestly Free Guarantee" regarding "questionable" ingredients it does without in its formulations.

"We're guided by transparency and the strictest (self-imposed) standards to ensure our products perform safely and beautifully. We're thoughtful about the pure, raw ingredients we use and the hundreds of harsh chemicals we don't."

Among ingredients Honest eschews are parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde donors, synthetic fragrances, sulfates and chemical sunscreens, it says.

Elsewhere on the site, the brand emphasizes its "uncompromising standards for quality, design and safety."

Allusions to "natural" formulation standards are harder to find. With a consumer lawsuit filed Sept. 3 in California district court contesting Honest's use of the term in its marketing, it could be that the company has chosen to avoid the subject entirely as it rolls out Honest Beauty (Also see "Honest Co. Sunscreen Accused Of Making Shady Natural, Efficacy Claims" - Pink Sheet, 21 Sep, 2015.).

ZnO Content Boosted In SPF Items

The lawsuit – which seeks class certification, damages of at least $5m and a "corrective" ad campaign – also alleges Honest's SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion – now out of stock – was deceptively marketed because it did not provide adequate UV protection. The plaintiff note a firestorm of related consumer complaints earlier in 2015 (Also see "Honest Co. Sunscreen Failure Triggers 'Natural' Debate, FDA Criticism" - Pink Sheet, 10 Aug, 2015.).

Honest Beauty's makeup and skin care lines both include products with SPF, and the active ingredient is the same as that which featured in the sunscreen lotion – non-nano zinc oxide.

However, the ZnO content has been increased – from 9.3% in the controversial sunscreen lotion to 13.6% in Everything Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, for example, and 19.7% in Beyond Protected Daily Beauty Fluid SPF 30. Both Honest Beauty offerings retail for $28.

[Editor's note: “The Rose Sheet” also published this article. "The Tan Sheet" brings selected complementary coverage from our sister publications to our subscribers.]