Why are natural products so expensive?? A rant

Honestly, I’m so fed up with this.

I make my own products. I grow many of the herbs myself.

I know exactly what goes in them. And I still look at some so-called “natural” brands and think… are you joking?? £24 for a face oil with four ingredients I could buy for a fiver? Or less. Seriously??!!

It feels like a joke, but, no, it isn’t. Yes, I understand there are overheads to pay, marketing, staff, you name it. But, still, we’re losing the gist of it.

This is become a full-blown industry now. A trend. A label. A marketing strategy. Which is really what “natural” beauty is moving away from? Is’t it??

In fact, if you didn’t know about this, “natural” isn’t even regulated properly in most places, so it ends up being a vague, feel-good word companies just slap on everything from toothpaste to shampoos.

And then they triple the price.

What frustrates me most is that people start to think this is what natural has to cost. That if you’re not spending loads, you’re not doing it properly. When I did my first skincare formulating course back in 2018 the company told us that they had to MAKE THEIR PRODUCTS MORE EXPENSIVE because people found them “too cheap” and they thought that they were “crap” (just because of the price perception).

The said they were making a profit already, but that they realised people bought A LOT MORE once they put the prices up.

What??!!

So now organic and natural are “buzzwords” and if they’re not expensive, they’re not… hm… “chic”??

Natural is supposed to be accessible. Grounded. Local, even. Something your nan might’ve made. Something you could grow or cook or whip up in your kitchen. CHEAP!! EFFECTIVE!! EASY TO MAKE!!

But somehow it’s turned into this polished, glass-bottled, beige-branded luxury fantasy that’s so far removed from how it all started.

Do you not see this?? Is it JUST ME?

As I said before, some things are expensive to produce. If you’re buying fresh hydrosols or working with rare plants or paying your staff properly, yes, the cost adds up. I’m not saying everything should be cheap. But there’s a difference between fair pricing and straight up taking the piss.

I once saw a tiny jar of body balm for £45 (and that’s just a “normal” price in the “natural” world). LOL, I couldn’t stop laughing. I read the ingredients and thought I can whip this up in no time for a fiver (for a large batch!!).

Then I got angry. Because I know people who want to make changes, who want to do better for their skin or their health or the environment, and they look at that and think, well, I guess this isn’t for me. It’s too much. I can’t keep up.

Or, they spend the money and think that all of this is expensive and that’s, well, how it is.

There’s real harm, I think. Making something simple feel EXCLUSIVE. Turning a basic human instinct (to heal, to nourish, to care for yourself) into a lifestyle brand.

So if you’re feeling this too, no, you’re not wrong. You’re not being cheap or cynical. It is ridiculous.

And you don’t need to buy into it.

Make your own stuff if you can. Share with friends. Buy from the local person who’s making oils or soaps in small batches.

Support those who aren’t trying to scale up and sell out.

And remember: natural doesn’t need to come in a fancy box to be real. It doesn’t need a brand. It just needs to work!!

FFS.

Love,

Patri xx