Faith in Nature has u-turned on its decision to discontinue its Fragrance Free range, following calls from severe allergy sufferers.
The personal care brand recently announced it had halted production of its Fragrance Free 400ml body wash, shampoo and conditioner, and five-litre refills.
However, consumers living with severe allergies and their loved ones soon took to social media to complain of the move.
One such consumer, Cristina Trifonescu, tagged Faith in Nature in a LinkedIn post, writing: “I wanted to make sure this message lands with decision makers in the company.
“You have recently announced you’re planning to discontinue the fragrance free range. Please don’t.
“Thousands of people with Mastocytosis, Mast Cell Activation (two conditions which are causing severe allergic reactions), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity as well as others with regular allergies are relying on your fragrance-free products and are using them on a daily basis.”
Trifonescu, whose husband has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome [MCAS] – a condition that causes mast cells, a type of white blood cell found in all body tissues, to become sensitive to triggers such as scents, causing severe allergic symptoms – wrote that she and her family had “been using your fragrance-free products for the past three years”.
In response to Trifonescu’s post, Faith in Nature’s commercial director Sara Fisher wrote: “Thank you so much for posting this as it really made us sit up and (re)think.
“In trying to make our products as affordable as possible, we do need to conduct regular reviews and delist those that sell least – which has meant losing some real personal favourites over the years and was why we’d initially chosen to delist our Fragrance Free range this time round.
“But your post, and others from similarly concerned customers, has highlighted for us that numbers don’t always tell the whole story.”
Faith in Nature “will be relisting… Fragrance Free as soon as possible”, Fisher wrote.
“In the meantime, stock is still available at Holland & Barrett (and other independent stores).”
A ‘significant’ move for allergy sufferers
When approached by The Grocer, Faith in Nature’s marketing director Hannah Whittaker confirmed the brand would recommence production of its 400ml Fragrance Free products (rsps: £5.90-£6.50), sold through Holland & Barrett and its webstore.
Whittaker said Faith in Nature was also “exploring” whether to keep the five-litre refills, while reviewing its “entire sensitive skin offering”.
“We place a huge focus at Faith In Nature on listening to consumer feedback – a lot of our time is spent ensuring we are making it as easy as possible for our community to shop better and [access] more sustainable products – and so we responded immediately by agreeing to keep Fragrance Free for this audience who so loved and valued it.
“The type of feedback was also so insightful. We lacked knowledge about MCAS but have used this as an opportunity to ensure we better understand the needs of our consumers who are experiencing this distressing condition.”
Joy Mason, director of operations, services & engagement at UK-based charity Mast Cell Action, described Faith in Nature’s decision to reinstate its fragrance-free range as a “significant and positive development for the MCAS community”.
“This move demonstrates a commendable commitment to inclusivity and sensitivity to the needs of customers with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome,” she told The Grocer.
“It’s incredibly encouraging to see a business not only listen to feedback but act upon it, ensuring their products remain accessible to those who rely on them for health and wellbeing.
“Faith in Nature has set a powerful example of how customer feedback can drive meaningful change.”
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