It seems the big guys can’t help themselves. They see a “natural” company a lightbulb goes off. They know that people are shopping more and more at places like Whole Foods, and 
that “natural” products demand a much higher price than your regular run-of-the-mill cosmetics. As we recently discussed in this post about the Body Shop, L’Oreal had this idea. Now, it looks like personal care giant Colgate had the same idea. According to this story, they paid $100 million to buy Tom’s of Maine.
Tom’s of Maine is one of those “natural” companies who say they use no artificial ingredients. This is interesting because in looking at their Natural Anticavity Flouride Toothpaste, I see they use Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Last time I checked, SLS was a synthetic ingredient. I wonder how they justify that.
No matter. They don’t have to anymore. Now, it’s up to Colgate to keep the “natural” myth alive. Time will tell, but if they can it will certainly earn them a lot more money than any of their tubes of Colgate earn. And really, that’s why these big guys buy the little guys, to make a lot more money.
Left Brain
Loading ...
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Well…y’know… SLS is derived from lauric acid, which comes from palm trees. So that makes it, like, natural, right? (Oh wait, I don’t work for the Body Shop anymore….)
Incidentally, napalm also comes (partly) from palm trees. I’m just sayin’.
You’re right Glitterati. And oil comes from the ground as a result of ancient decaying forests so I guess mineral oil and petroleum are also natural.
arsenic is also a natural ingredient as well.