Personal Care Products – 3 Reasons They Belong in Your Dispensary
Most integrative practitioners sell dietary supplements to patients, but very few sell personal care products. Why is this? Is it because we are trained to treat patients from the inside out? Is it because we believe that personal care products do not affect human health? Is it because we don’t think our patients will buy them? I would challenge all of these questions. A truly holistic approach to wellness treats not only from the inside out but also from the outside in. The following are 3 compelling reasons why all integrative practitioners should offer personal care products in their patient dispensaries.
#1. Body Burden
Contaminated soil, pesticide-laden foods, and total body burden are not new concepts to
integrative practitioners. Some test patients for exposure to heavy metals or environmental pollutants. Some prescribe detoxification protocols. Some follow the 4 Rs protocol, beginning with removal of irritants. Most agree that toxic exposure interferes with healing—it is an obstacle to cure. Minimizing exposure to environmental toxins is foundational to naturopathic medicine, functional medicine, and any other therapeutic approach that treats the underlying cause of disease.
Toxins are present in our air, water, soil, food, and yes—even our personal care products. More than 10,000 chemical ingredients are used in personal care products, none of which require premarket approval or safety testing by the FDA. The average adult uses 9 personal care products each day, containing 126 unique ingredients.[1] Babies and children are routinely slathered with diaper creams, lotions, and sunscreen.
Personal care products are applied topically, but the ingredients cross the skin barrier—and many of these ingredients are suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors. Parabens, the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, deodorants, and toothpaste, have estrogenic effects in human breast cancer cells.[2] Phthalates, used in hair sprays, lotions, soaps, and perfumes, may have developmental and endocrine disrupting effects.[3],[4] Chemical exposure from personal care products is a pervasive problem and may have unforeseeable effects on human health.
#2. Consumer Demand
I have worked on the front lines of retail, selling health and beauty products in an integrative pharmacy. Companies know that impulse buys mean a greater bottom line at the end of the day, so we were encouraged to suggest products for customers to add to their cart. , , hand wipes, and breath fresheners were common add-on products. I was continually amazed at the willingness of customers to add things to their order as well as the amount of money they would spend on things like , baby lotion, mouthwash, and lipstick.
According to a report by the Business Insider, personal care products are a $300 billion dollar industry in the United States, making these products second only to groceries in total annual retail sales.[5] When retail sales of personal care products are analyzed by segment, consumers spend the most money on and , followed by shampoos, soaps, and .[6]
Natural and environmentally friendly products make up a significant share of the market. A 2016 survey found that consumers purchase natural beauty products because they are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, or free of artificial ingredients.[7] Buzzwords like cruelty-free, animal-friendly, earth-friendly, eco-friendly, and organic speak to the deeply held beliefs of people who value
natural products.
One interesting trend related to personal care product sales is that more and more
Americans are purchasing these items online. About 36 million US consumers shopped online for health and beauty products during the spring of 2014, which was an increase from 20 million in 2010.[10] Of these online shoppers, 38% said they signed up for a subscription service. The trend toward online and subscription sales opens a unique opportunity for practitioners who have an online dispensary—particularly if that dispensary allows for automatic reorder of products.
#3. Value-Added Service
“The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” Originally stated by Voltaire, this has become a popular sentiment among integrative clinicians.
You may prescribe a homeopathic remedy, a therapeutic diet, and nutritional supplements, but patients want to feel that they are actively and directly treating their symptoms. You can add to these protocols (and “amuse” the patient) with creams for a rash or balms for sore knees. Offering nontoxic and therapeutic personal care products adds value to your service. Consider the following examples.
Parents are quick to purchase products that will ensure the health and safety of their babies, making them some of the most committed consumers of natural products. A child with ADHD might calm down more easily at night with a lavender bubble bath free of artificial fragrances or dyes. A baby with diaper rash may heal more quickly with a zinc oxide cream that is fortified with organic calendula and chamomile extracts. A child with eczema might be soothed with a healing skin salve. The family that just received notification about lice at school may be thrilled that they can purchase a natural anti-lice hair mist.
For adults, personal care options are endless. You might offer a , a neem lip balm, a Manuka honey body lotion, or a fragrance-free hand sanitizer. You can support oral
health with probiotic lozenges and natural toothpastes and mouthwashes. Patients with high stress will appreciate portable packets of scented with a variety of essential oils: lavender for calming, mint for energy, and rosemary for focus. Women concerned about aging may want a repairing night cream with chicory and mango extract or an exfoliating adzuki bean and rose polishing powder.
Offering in a patient dispensary reduces toxic body burden, boosts sales, and adds value to the services you already provide. Choose products that fit your patient population. Display them in your dispensary, offer samples, or simply sell the products through your online dispensary.
Sarah Cook, ND, is a freelance medical writer for the integrative medicine community. She is a graduate of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and a faculty member at the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Denver, Colorado. Her favorite supplement is elderberry syrup, and her favorite food is dark chocolate.