Kiss My Face body care range hits big stores

New York-based Kiss My Face has teamed up with Old Navy to launch Onbody, a line of natural-based body care product that will be sold in Old Navy retail outlets throughout the US.

The new line is said to bridge the gap between practical personal care products and the growing desire to pamper and is also the first time the company's products have appeared in larger stores.

The complete range will include private label products such as moisturizers, self-foaming hand soaps, the original success story olive oil bar soaps, together with four lip balms in white chocolate and orange, green tea and mint, pearl and white tea and lavender and sandalwood.

The partnership with Old Navy, which is a division of retail giant Gap, has given the company one of its biggest retail opportunities to date. Kiss My Face started up in on a barn located on the Hudson Valley more than 20 years ago and has since grown to become one of the major players in the niche US market for organic and natural-based cosmetic products.

However, until the partnership with Old Navy, the company's products were largely sold through health stores and through its own mail order service. The deal itself is another example how such products are broadening their customer base and reaching out into the extremes of the mass market category.

Bob MacLeod, co-founder and co-owner of Kiss My Face, said that the opportunity to form a partnership with Old Navy was a good fit because the companies share a common goal to provide consumers with natural personal care products.

Sheryl Clark, executive vice president of merchandising at Old Navy said, "When we decided to introduce a personal care line, we looked for products that not only shared our attitude about delivering high quality products, but also offered value that our shopper expects… We share a similar brand philosophy, as we both strive to make our customer feel good and smile."

The products went on sale at US Old Navy's 850 stores across the US at the end of October, with prices ranging from $1 to $25.

The Kiss My Face range is growing in popular because the increasing demands consumers have to purchase products that are natural and that pose a minimal threat to the environment. The company's policy to combine natural and organic ingredients with minimal packaging made from renewable sources has been a recipe for success that many in this segment have followed.

Kiss My Face has also marketed its products on the strength that the natural products they contain are better for people suffering from allergies. One of the most significant causes of allergies in cosmetic products are the approximately 5,000 fragrance ingredients currently used in cosmetic and toiletry products.

In response to the problem this poses for consumers many companies have been launching fragrance-free product lines. This summer Kiss My Face launched a range of fragrance-free soy-based Soft Facial Cleansing bars that also contains shea butter.