Patanjali, a consumer goods brand founded by a yoga guru, has taken the Indian market by storm, giving multinationals a run for their money with its offer of natural products ranging from toothpaste to honey. Why are Indians looking for herbal and organic items in the food and personal care aisles?

Wellness brand Goop has come under fire for peddling ‘alternative medicine’ with pseudoscientific claims – yet the backlash had little effect on fans. Amid increasingly unaffordable healthcare and falling pharmaceutical trust, how are unconventional remedies giving people a sense of control?

Coconut oil is currently one of most fetishised natural items. Boasting antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties, people are pulling their jars out for everything from teeth whitening to healing infections. How has this fatty oil come to be seen as a multipurpose beauty and health booster?

After slumping during the recession, sales of organic food, fashion and beauty are on the up again, tapping into a consumer desire for authenticity and transparency. But what does the term ‘organic’ actually mean to consumers? And where do the opportunities lie for businesses?