United States President Donald Trump believes in the power of tariffs and that U.S. trade partners have been abusing their relationship with the nation. A major decision he’s hammered on, from the beginning of his presidency, has been the implementation of tariffs, on friends and foes alike.
This month alone, President Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. trade partners and additional reciprocal tariffs on countries he called “worst offenders,” including China and the European Union
The tariffs have spurred an emergency response from several countries. On April 9th, the president announced he’ll be placing a 90-day pause on all extra levies, with the exception of China which saw 145% tariffs go into effect, after more than 75 countries have requested negotiations with the White House.
This news and the ongoing pull-and-push between the United States and its trading partners has created a feeling of uncertainty and worry in many major industries that affect the U.S. consumer directly, such as agriculture and auto-manufacturing. But, it’s also sent the beauty industry into a crisis as many hair and skin care brands source their ingredients internationally.
There’s been an increase in plant-based beauty products in the market in recent years, with the uptick of the health-conscious consumer. However, a lot of the ingredients that make up some of our favorite products might not be produced in the United States or are victims to seasonality.
Blissoma, a botanical-based skincare brand with products containing 75% or more active ingredients from plants sourced both locally and internationally, is one of the few brands that will be affected by the newly implemented reciprocal tariffs once they’re back in motion.
To learn more about the impact these tariffs might have on the beauty industry, The Tease spoke with Blissoma’s owner and founder Julie Longyear. In our chat, the owner discusses the challenges the botanical beauty industry will undergo and how they should be navigated as tariffs drive up costs for her business.
The Tease: Tell me a little bit about your brand, Blissoma.
Julie Longyear: Blissoma is a botanical skincare brand that creates organic, holistic, and whole plant beauty products that are formulated to solve a range of skin problems. Our balancing facial care products are made with premium, nutritious botanicals that soothe sensitive skin and minimize the appearance of redness, acne breakouts, aging and other skin issues.
What are some main ingredients in Blissoma products?
Longyear: Blissoma’s products feature a blend of certified organic botanicals, bioavailable vitamins, essential fatty acids, and skin-soothing seed oils, often including ingredients like rooibos, burdock root, licorice root, and rose oil.
Where are these ingredients sourced from?
Longyear: The brand’s ingredients are sourced from a variety of regenerative, independent, and organic farms, both locally and internationally including Brazil, Vanuatu, and Africa, with a focus on supporting sustainable practices and high-quality botanicals.
With trade being a notoriously important issue, how do tariffs affect the botanical industry?
Longyear: The botanical industry is especially globally based. Plants often have a specific place in the world where they grow best. They evolve to suit the soil, weather, pests, and other factors in that part of the world. So, tariffs would risk the wellbeing of our supply chain, affect our sourcing, and the ingredients we import.
For example, Blissoma imports its Baobab oil from Africa since Baobab trees grow throughout sections of Africa including Zimbabwe and Madagascar, India, Ceylon, and Australia. They do not grow or thrive naturally in the U.S.
Our Tamanu oil comes directly from Vanuatu, and our Cupuacu butter comes from Brazil. The rose industry is heavily based in places like Turkey, Bulgaria, and Morocco. Frankincense also comes largely from Somalia and Oman. In turn, the global connections we have built are amazing. We also love sourcing herbs super close to home, but we absolutely cannot make our formulas without the ingredients we import.
What is the main impact tariffs will have on the beauty industry?
Longyear: They will increase the cost of raw materials, ingredients, and finished products, potentially leading to higher prices for consumers causing supply chain disruptions.
For instance, our brand has chosen to use glass bottles for the vast majority of our products for a wide variety of reasons including environmental sustainability, preventing waste, and limiting chemicals that may leach from plastics. There are very few U.S.-based glass bottle manufacturers, so unfortunately buying within the states is not an option.
The majority of the glass bottle industry is based in China and Italy. There are a number of plastic bottle manufacturers in the U.S., but the main glass containers that are manufactured domestically are items like jugs and basic food containers.
We also source a lot of our ingredients from other countries, due to the industry’s reliance on diverse plant resources from various regions. Tariffs raise the price of imported botanical extracts and other key ingredients, leading to higher costs for manufacturers and potentially higher prices for consumers.
Based on profit margins and pricing schemes that are common in the beauty industry, we can estimate that increases in raw materials costs will increase the cost change times six.
What aspects of your business might be highly affected?
Longyear: We’re a small business and we don’t need any more challenges like a reckless, ill-considered tariff policy that risks the wellbeing of our supply chain, which will be highly affected. We know that if we have to increase prices again, we’ll lose a chunk of our customers. Sometimes a small business does not survive that process.
What are some possible ways to work around the new tariffs or solutions, if any?
Longyear: Tariffs present new hurdles for small businesses like ours, but there are ways I think to mitigate the impact. One way is by communicating with customers and being upfront about the changes ahead. If you have to raise prices to combat the higher cost of goods, it’s important to be transparent. As a business owner, I also think it’s important to review current operations and create pathways that encourage efficiency. Some options can be cutting costs or diversifying supply chains.
