Personal Care

NEW YORK — Review websites have become an essential tool for the discriminating consumer, so it's only natural that one would crop up for consumer goods.

Consmr provides ratings for product categories ranging from consumables and personal care to hair care and household items, allowing users to give products between one and five stars. Advertising Age described it as a consumer product version of restaurant review site Yelp.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday promoted Mike Spear to divisional merchandise manager of the retailer’s personal care division and announced that Lauren Vondrasek is transitioning to the company’s beauty merchandising unit, which is headed by Barbara Larson.

Spear has more than 20 years of retail experience, most recently as director of category planning at Walgreens.

NEW YORK — Organic baby brand Green Babies has teamed up with manufacturer MZB Accessories to introduce its baby body care line at Whole Foods Markets throughout the Northeast region.

The full spectrum of skin, hair and bath products for babies is tear-free and contains no artificial fragrances, dyes, parabens or sulfates. Green Babies products retail for between $8.99 and $10.99.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Sales of cosmetics and toiletries in the United States increased 2.4% to $36.5 billion in 2010 — which is above pre-recession levels — thanks to technological advances, promotional activity and rising consumer confidence, according to worldwide consulting and research firm Kline.

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Nature’s Gate is expanding its portfolio in May to include the new Herbal Blend hand creams, the first hand products from the personal care brand and the latest additions to the Herbal Blend collection.
 
Nature’s Gate Herbal Blend hand creams combine certified organic shea butter, soybean oil and sunflower oil with botanical extracts to hydrate, nourish and pamper dry hands.
 
The Nature’s Gate Herbal Blend hand cream collection includes:

NEW YORK — Colgate-Palmolive is bolstering its foothold in the European personal care market by acquiring from Unilever the Sanex personal care brand for about $940 million.

Sanex is a multicategory personal care brand with 2010 net sales of about $260 million, primarily in western Europe. Liquid body cleansing and deodorants each represent nearly 50% of the business.

The deal is structured as an all-cash acquisition for shares and net assets. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter this year.

SUPPLIER NEWS — Pacific World is launching exclusively at Walmart in March its new GeoGirl eco-friendly beauty line for tweens. The 69-SKU collection, which has suggested retail pricing between $3.98 and $5.98, includes makeup for face, lips, cheeks and eyes, as well as skin and body care. The formulas are made with 100%-natural fragrances, and the packaging is made of recyc­lable materials.



ANN ARBOR, Mich., and BRUSSELS — NSF International, a U.S. testing and certification organization, has partnered with Natrue, the international natural and organic cosmetic association based in Brussels, to develop a national standard for natural personal care products.