The Rise of the Conscious Consumer: Demand for Transparency

Demand for more Transparency

Consumers are increasingly conscious of the impact the products they purchase has on the environment. Whilst priorities may differ, some consumers have started consciously (or unconsciously) changing their purchase behaviour, deciding where to shop and who to purchase from based on the brand’s social and environmental impact.

What is conscious consumerism?

Conscious consumerism is the increased awareness of the impact of one’s purchase decisions on the environment. Who am I purchasing from? What does the brand stand for? Is the company I am supporting environmentally responsible? Are they committed to social equality?

These are some of the questions that conscious consumers ask before making a purchase. With this in mind, at NAYA we have come to understand the importance of conscious decision-making and committing to a cause.

“Naya is a company committed to giving back what we take out. We love the world we live in and we want to make a true difference to your skin and the environment we source from.”

At NAYA, our relationship with our customers is more than just a transaction, it is an alliance, a human connection as we seek to provide an authentic experience. We look holistically at how consumers are connected to the world, how their actions can influence another person’s life and nature and we tell the story.

Conscious consumption speaks to us on so many levels. Consumers today have far more tools at their disposal to research the products they purchase. This access to information has given informed consumers a voice, empowering them to raise their concerns via social media or write online reviews and hold brands accountable for their actions.

Millenial’s are the first generation that want to invest in brands that make a difference, strive for better and think beyond their bottom line. The same applies to companies we sometimes forget that companies, large and small, are made up of employees who are ultimately also consumers and who have the same tools available to them.

“As a consumer myself, I became frustrated at companies who lacked transparency. I wanted to build a brand to lift the curtain and focus on building an ethical and sustainable supply chain to promote authenticity. As well as being a small company, we don’t have the marketing spend that larger enterprises have at their disposal, so we need to distinguish ourselves in a different way. This increase in awareness and shift in demand means that transparency is now crucial. We strive to be a company that provides this insight into who our suppliers are, so that every step in the supply chain is known and traceable”, says Sarah Zimmer – founder of NAYA Skincare, “ Companies can no longer say to their consumers that they simply don’t know.”

Consumers are trying to be responsible citizens of the world, and they expect the same from corporations. So when it comes to purchasing, they are doing their homework, and so they should. “Consumer have so much power to change the world by being careful how they invest their money and what they buy”, Sarah Zimmer – founder of NAYA Skincare.

Does sustainability lose meaning?

‘Sustainability’ as a word has been creatively utilised by companies, the definition stretched and reinvented to suit the corporate agenda. Sustainability inherently carries a lot of depth and power, yet it isn’t something that we can buy. It is a lifestyle, a holistic way of living consciously in all aspects of our lives and it is up to companies to apply this lifestyle and associated values to their practices. We need to ask ourselves with every purchase or decision we make what the consequences are? Living in a truly “sustainably” manner demands us to become aware of the footprint we are leaving behind and it may at times require us to make compromises and commitments.

Becoming a conscious and committed citizens requires us to fully connect with nature so that we understand why we are doing this in the first place. It requires us to be considerate of our fellow citizens, especially those who are less fortunate and who suffer the most from our unsustainable choices. Not only future generations, but people and nature in many developing countries are victims of the impact of our past and current choices.

Our objective at NAYA is to drive transparency across our supply chain and work in partnership with our suppliers and where possible source our ingredients directly from the local communities. For us, Cacay Oil is our starting point and we want to roll out this concept across our future ranges.

Feed your skin with plant-based ingredients from the Earth’s rich soil

When using NAYA’s EVERYDAY Range, you are giving your skin the gift of beautiful community-sourced, plant-based ingredients. It is a minimalistic range to streamline customers skincare routine as a little goes a long way. NAYA believes in using relevant ingredients to address customers skin concerns. NAYA’s products and each ingredient has been chosen to perform a specific function for their customers skin. NAYA’s community-sourced Cacay oil from the prime rainforest boosts collagen production, regenerates your skin and is an excellent ingredient to moisturise your skin. We work with local families and indigenous communities in symbiosis with nature to source our beautiful ingredients and make a difference in the way we work with nature and not against. While enjoying NAYA’s products in the comfort of your home, you not only save a tree, and with that hectares of prime forest. You also support a family to generate another income stream on the other side of the globe.

At NAYA we chose a cause we care about. One that we are passionate about. And we are not afraid to accept anything less than what we and our values stand for. We want to work directly with people on the ground to drive transparency and build a relationship with our suppliers and show our customers what impact they have when supporting committed companies like us, how they touch another person’s life and nature and the difference they can make and their choice makes an impact.

Become an advocate of our mission. Become part of our program and support to spread our mission by joining our Brand Ambassador program. Every time we sell a NAYA product, we contribute a percentage of our revenue to a bigger cause. Our objective is to protect up to 50ha of land in Colombia from being deforested and instead turn it into an agroforestry area. You not only support us planting a Cacay tree, you also help us save trees from deforestation and ultimately achieve our and our partner’s conservation goal. But overall, you will support us engage more families locally to show them another way to make an income for their families. Many families in Colombia still suffer from the recent conflicts. The route to recovery is long but you can directly touch those lives by working with us. And ultimately re-connect with nature by supporting us save one tree at a time, while transforming one skin at a time.