Dearest Friends and Customers!
Due to circumstances beyond our control, starting on July 15, 2017, there will be a 20% price increase on all Benedetta Skin Care products. This will be effective both in the store and online. We encourage you to take full advantage of our current prices until then.
For nearly 22 years Benedetta has been in the forefront of plant-based, 100% botanical efficacy, [r]evolutionizing the way we think about “skin care”.
Prior to the internet, sourcing raw materials and ingredients took networking directly with farmers and processors around the world. Imagine, no Google search available. As the world has grown smaller due to the internet, the barriers to finding raw materials, formulas, and other resources for creating organic and natural skin care have been knocked down. This has not only affected the ability of newcomers to enter the natural and organic skin care industry, but it has also affected the demand for raw materials. More and more companies are turning towards the small-batch, seed-to-bottle efficacy that Benedetta has always lived and breathed. Just as in any industry, when demand increases, availability decreases, and subsequently prices increase.
At Benedetta, we stand by our ethics of providing the highest quality ingredients, sourced from small, family-owned farms locally and globally. In order to continue to meet our own quality standards, we are faced with the need to increase our prices now and potentially in the future. But ingredients are only one portion of this equation. As I mentioned, DIY skin care formulas are a dime a dozen these days. It has become apparent in this recent climate that everyone knows at least 3 people in their social circle who make or who have tried to make their own products.
So how does this effect Benedetta?
As a pioneer in authentic formulas and creating synergies, formulas, and systems of use that did not exist, no suppliers or labs understood my needs. So I was responsible for creating the ingredients, contracting with farmers, and experimenting with food-grade oils and emulsifiers to make all of our complex preparations, some of which took years. In the past few years, we have been confronted with many copycat companies using the same packaging (Miron glass) as Benedetta, touting farm-sourced ingredients, and emphasizing their high quality standards with ingredients. They may look like us but rest assured, they are not.
Benedetta stands alone as the pioneer in the 100% botanical, nutrient-rich skin care industry. Our first innovative preparation to aid hydration and balance, The Crystal Radiance Hydrating Elixirs were the catalyst to the entire Benedetta line of products, and have stood the test of time for more than 30 years.
So again, how do these companies affect Benedetta and why am I mentioning them here?
Many of the natural and organic skin care products out on the market come with a big price tag, many double, triple or even quadruple the price of Benedetta, and I may add…without merit. Even with the price increase we are implementing, we continue to be lower than most other lines out on the market. It is true that this greatly impacts consumer perception, and brings into question our authenticity when our pricing has been considerably less. This is extremely relevant to our growth, as we will not be able to do so at the current price structure.
In the end, our price increase simply boils down to supply and demand. We’ve been lucky in our 22 years of business in that our overhead has always been low and allowed me to keep our pricing low. As things with the world economy shift and change, so does our overhead and we can no longer continue to keep our prices where they currently are.
Benedetta employs 6 staff members of which 3 work full-time and 3 work part-time:
- Administration, Sales, Customer Service, and Marketing: 2 full-time staff members
- Production: 1 full-time staff member and 2 part-time staff member
- Order Fulfillment and Shipping: 1 part-time staff member
- Retail: 1 part-time staff member
As always we are here to help you with your skin care health needs. Wishing each and every one of you the best in health and vitality!
From my heart to yours,
–Julia and the Benedetta Team