26 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com GOING NATURAL By the Numbers Sales of organic foods rose almost 13% in 2020, moving the organic product market to $60 BILLION. Source: supermarketnews.com The global beauty industry sells $500 BILLION in products yearly. Source: mckinsey.com Expect to spend approximately 10 HOURS and $1,800 TO $2,500 to have your hair professionally dyed gray. Source: behindthechair.com Eye cosmetic sales increased 150% during the mask-wearing days of COVID in China. Source: mckinsey.com FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT of Americans report using at least one form of alternative medicine or a natural remedy to treat a health problem. Source: valuepenguin.com Black-owned beauty brands that offer natural and selfcare products. Again, NielsonIQ reports that 21% of Hispanic shoppers have also been seeking more natural products. Finally, for some, “going natural” has been as simple as using stay-at-home time to let those annoying gray roots finally grow out. Only a woman who has colored her hair for years fully understands how time-consuming, tiring and expensive the cover-your-gray process is as a part of trying to maintain a youthful appearance. It has also helped that celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Cindy Jacobs, Andie MacDowell and Kim Kardashian have boldly heralded the current popularity of silver hair and made it not only acceptable but stylish. However, as fashionistas will, these and other influencers probably will soon move on to other looks, and their devoted followers will switch styles and colors once more. It remains to be seen if the graying of America will be a lasting trend. Time will be the judge of which pandemic lifestyle changes will become permanent and which ones will go the way of fads or temporary impositions. While it does appear that many health-conscious people are choosing to continue the natural lifestyle changes they have adopted, the only certainty is that “going natural” in the future will continue to mean many different things for different reasons to our diverse population.
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