STYLE : LOOKS : The Trickle-Down Trend

The upscale successes of Estee Lauder’s Origins line and the London-based Body Shop stores indicate that natural ingredients and simple packaging have struck a chord. Now Target is testing the discount waters by introducing Body Elements, skin- and hair-care products made mostly from organic ingredients and packaged in recyclable plastic bottles.

“There was a good deal of consumer interest in natural products,” says Target spokesman George Hite, “but they were available only in high-priced places. Our aim was to jump on that trend and make it more affordable.”

The Body Elements line--which ranges from $2 to $7--includes lotion, glycerine soap, shower gel, foaming bath oil, bath crystals and bath pearls, all in fragrances such as Rain Forest (pleasantly green), Ivory Coast (redolent of coconut) and Almond Glen (lush and warm).

Shampoos and conditioners come in Cherry Almond. For the face, the normal-to-oily skin-care line is scented with Raspberry Orchid, while the sensitive-skin line smells of Almond Passion Flower. There’s also a cucumber eye gel to reduce puffiness and an eye-makeup remover laced with chamomile and rose hips.

How natural is natural ? Some preservatives may be used to keep scents and emulsions stabilized, Hite says, “but on the whole, we try to make the line as natural as possible.”