Our Senior Account Director, Juliette Cooney, caught up with Beauty Consultant, Samantha Freedman, to talk about the beauty industry and how it’s undergoing a transformation, with sustainability becoming a non-negotiable aspect for modern brands. 

With consumers demanding more transparency and ethical responsibility from brands, this means it’s practically impossible for a beauty brand to exist in today’s landscape without any kind of sustainability practice. This can include anything from ingredient sourcing, packaging, ethical values, return systems and a brand’s carbon footprint. Gen Z are leading the charge in holding brands accountable and actively seek out companies that align with their values.

Sustainable Packaging 

One of the biggest challenges in beauty is packaging waste. In order for sustainability efforts to be successful, brands must make it easy for consumers – because people end up choosing convenience over sustainability. A whopping 56% of people do not recycle their bathroom empties.

Beauty brands need to lean into this by offering convenient packaging options whether that be refillable, biodegradable, or non-toxic packaging alternatives. 

Effectiveness Over Sustainability? 

A common concern has been whether sustainable beauty products perform as well as traditional ones. While early iterations of organic or natural makeup often fell short in quality, today’s formulations have improved significantly. This is especially true for the millennial generation who were amongst the first to use sustainable beauty products when they were still emerging but may still be skeptical about their effectiveness.

Today though, consumers no longer need to compromise on efficacy for sustainability with many brands now prioritising both, ensuring products are effective whilst maintaining ethical standards.

Price vs. Sustainability

Although sustainable beauty brands are now incredibly effective, the next barrier to widespread adoption can be due its cost. It often comes at a higher price, making it hard for smaller, sustainable, independent brands to compete with larger companies like Unilever or L’Oréal. They face higher production expenses, making their products more expensive. However, as demand grows, economies of scale will likely drive down prices, making it more accessible.

The Role of Creators and Social Media

Many small sustainable beauty brands lack the marketing budgets of larger companies, making it harder for them to reach consumers. Awareness and education are essential in helping people discover and understand these brands. This also feeds into the previously mentioned skepticism of early users of sustainable beauty products. 

Creators play a crucial role in educating and shaping consumer behavior. Partnering with the right Creator for a sustainable beauty brand can be a game-changer. Many Creators are also now more selective in the brands they endorse, avoiding companies with poor sustainability practices ensuring they remain credible to their own audience. 

As sustainability becomes more important, there’s a shift toward more selective gifting from beauty brands, reducing waste and being more mindful about collaborations. The shift towards long-term, meaningful partnerships between Creators and brands suggests a more conscious approach to marketing which will ultimately affect how consumers purchase beauty products. 

Certifications and Accountability

Accreditations such as B Corp certification are helping consumers identify genuinely sustainable brands. The rigorous process of obtaining such certifications ensures that companies commit to ethical, environmental, and social responsibility standards. Those working in the beauty industry are typically well-versed in the various accreditations available and the process of obtaining them. And whilst securing these certifications can be challenging for brands, they offer a valuable way for consumers to understand a company’s values and principles. 

Brands like Evolve have pioneered transparency by publishing sustainability reports, allowing consumers to track their progress and commitments. They openly share with consumers their efforts, such as producing products in the UK and using natural, organic ingredients, while acknowledging that, as a business, they still needed to be profitable.

To Conclude

Everyone is on a different journey when it comes to sustainability, and there needs to be a way for people to make easy and informed beauty purchases. Misinformation and greenwashing, such as brands falsely claiming products are ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ with minimal actual ingredients, complicate the decision-making process. To help consumers, retailers and brands must be as transparent ahs possible to support a genuine shift toward sustainability.

There is a great initiative from the British Beauty Council for brands and retailers to work together to improve recycling and sustainability efforts, with the hope that education and collaboration will make a big impact. 

Samantha is also working on an exciting new business, BRiMM, which delivers a box of more sustainable options of beauty products for you to try. It’s a new content and commerce platform launching soon, encouraging a more planet positive way of living. Their first launch will be a bathroom reset box, which offers sustainably focused brands for those interested in discovering something new. Check them out on Instagram.