(Newsweek) — If beauty is pain, the makeup industry must be a glutton for punishment: the U.S. cosmetic and toiletries sector generated more than $10 billion in revenue last year from 13,000 beauty-centered stores nationwide, according to Ibis World Reports, an independent publisher of U.S. industry research. And there are few signs this trend will slow down: young women ages 12–24 already outbuy all other age groups when it comes to cosmetics and skin-care products. But even with healthy sales and a strong customer base, the environmental and ethics concerns often associated with makeup have led to a growing natural/organic sector in recent years. Some retailers have launched their own lines of natural products, like Tesco’s Bnatural. Similarly, well-established cosmetics companies have acquired existing natural brands or developed their own specialty labels. In 2006 L’Oréal acquired the Body Shop, and in 2007 Clorox, a brand most widely known for its potent cleaning products, bought the all-natural brand Burt’s Bees. This year Clarins acquired the natural brand Kibio after maintaining a stake in the company for years.
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