Sustainable Beauty Coalition launches guide to help consumers spot “greenwashed” products

The British Beauty Council’s Sustainable Beauty Coalition has launched the Planet Positive Beauty Guide to help consumers confidently make greener beauty choices and spot when companies are “greenwashing” products.

Created with independent experts from across the industry, the guide aims to decode sustainability jargon by giving straightforward descriptions of beauty industry buzzwords, such as “net zero” and “sustainable”, which can often receive different interpretations.

It also helps consumers to begin asking crucial questions regarding their shopping, aiming to steer them towards making greener and more sustainable choices, and explains how companies are “greenwashing” products to make consumers believe they are purchasing something that is more environmentally sustainable than it is.

The guide comes as a study by Provenance revealed that 48% of beauty shoppers are searching for more information surrounding the values and environmental commitments of their favourite brands; while a poll by We Do revealed that 61% struggle to tell if the products they are purchasing are sustainable or not by their packaging alone.

This also comes at a time when other recent research has revealed that only 42% of natural skincare products are actually natural. 

What does the Planet Positive Guide cover?

“Greenwashing not only means shoppers are making what they think are ‘green’ choices, which can actively be harming the environment, it also drains credibility from brands genuinely dedicated to sustainability and being environmentally-friendly,” said Jayn Sterland, chair of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition.

The guide focuses on four main elements – ingredients, packaging, people, and sustainable sourcing – giving consumers a guide on what to look out for to ensure they are shopping sustainably when purchasing new beauty products. 

Each element has a section listing the terms and claims to look out for, explaining what each phrase and buzzword means in simple terms, as well as what the logos often seen on the packaging of beauty products represent.

 It also provides a list of easy swaps beauty customers can make on their journey to become more planet positive.

The British Beauty Council launched the Sustainable Beauty Coalition in July this year to help tackle the global climate change emergency by creating a framework of action that the beauty and wellness industry could collectively follow to boost its sustainability efforts.

Read the Planet Positive Guide now.

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