How Cosmetics Companies Can Improve the Credibility

of Green Marketing – A Consumer Perspective

Emma Mäkiä

Bachelor’s Thesis
Degree Programme in
International Business
2021
 Abstract

25th of April 2021

Author(s)
Emma Mäkiä
Degree programme
International Business
Thesis title Number of pages
How Cosmetics Companies Can Improve the Credibility of Green and appendix pages
Marketing – A Consumer Perspective 52 + 6

AN ABSTRACT

This thesis was conducted to provide information for consumers and cosmetic companies
about the credibility and improvement of green marketing in the cosmetics industry. An-
other objective was to give guidance for consumers who use color cosmetics on how to
identify greenwashing companies from authentically sustainable cosmetics brands.

The theoretical framework of the thesis consists of three separate perspectives that influ-
ence the creation of green cosmetics claims. The company perspective focuses on differ-
ent marketing practices, such as the 5 I’s of Green Marketing. The consumer perspective
aims to understand the mindset of consumers. The governing body perspective consists of
different legislations and standards related to cosmetics marketing.

The empirical segment of the thesis was gathered from primary and secondary data that
was obtained through an online survey and secondary data research. The online survey
was quantitative with open-ended questions making it a mixed-mode survey. The second-
ary data was obtained from company websites, social media accounts, and product pack-
ages.

The results indicated that cosmetics companies could improve the credibility of green mar-
keting by creating green claims that are truthful, clear, and specific. Companies should
also be transparent about their operations and be certified by a responsible third party. Vis-
ual suggestions were associated with greenwashing; therefore, the focus should be on ver-
bal marketing.

The results of this thesis could be utilized by cosmetics companies that are involved with
sustainability. Additionally, the thesis can be helpful for consumers that are struggling to
identify greenwashing from green marketing.

Keywords
Green marketing, Greenwashing, Cosmetics industry, Green claims, Sustainability
Table of contents

1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background...........................................................................................................1
1.2 Research Question ...............................................................................................2
1.3 Demarcation .........................................................................................................3
1.4 International Aspect ..............................................................................................4
1.5 Benefits .................................................................................................................4
1.6 Risks and Risk Management.................................................................................4
1.7 Key Concepts .......................................................................................................5
2 The Credibility and Consumer Perception of Green Cosmetic Marketing ...................... 7
2.1 Green Marketing Methods .....................................................................................8
2.1.1 Green Marketing ........................................................................................8
2.1.2 The 5 I's of Green marketing ...................................................................... 9
2.1.3 Greenwashing .......................................................................................... 10
2.2 Green Cosmetics Claims .................................................................................... 12
2.3 Customer Mindset ............................................................................................... 14
2.4 Commitment to Sustainability .............................................................................. 15
2.4.1 Cosmetics Industry Standards and Certifications ..................................... 15
2.4.2 Laws and Legislations .............................................................................. 17
2.4.3 ISO Standards ......................................................................................... 19
2.5 Summary ............................................................................................................ 20
3 Research Methods ...................................................................................................... 21
3.1 Research Design ................................................................................................ 21
3.2 Population and Sampling .................................................................................... 22
3.3 Data Collection.................................................................................................... 23
3.4 Data Analysis Methods ....................................................................................... 25
3.5 Reliability, Validity, and Relevance...................................................................... 25
4 Results and Data......................................................................................................... 27
4.1 How Cosmetics Brands Practice Green Marketing .............................................. 27
4.2 Respondent Background..................................................................................... 31
4.3 Consumer Perceptions of Green Marketing and Greenwashing .......................... 33
4.4 Practicing Credible Green Marketing................................................................... 38
4.5 Summary of Results ............................................................................................ 41
5 Discussion...................................................................................................................42
5.1 Key Findings ....................................................................................................... 42
5.2 Reliability, Validity, and Relevance...................................................................... 44
5.3 Recommendations for Consumers ...................................................................... 45
5.4 Recommendations for Companies ...................................................................... 46
 5.5 Recommendations for Further Research............................................................. 46
5.6 Reflection on Learning ........................................................................................ 47
References ......................................................................................................................49
Appendices ......................................................................................................................53
Appendix 1. Online survey .......................................................................................... 53
1 Introduction

This is a research type of bachelor's thesis for the Degree Programme in International
business in the major specialization of Customer Relationship Management and Commu-
nication in the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. In the first chapter of the the-
sis, the reader is introduced to the thesis topic and objectives. The first subchapter will ex-
plain the background of the thesis, while the second subchapter presents the main re-
search question and investigative questions. At the end of the first chapter, the reader will
learn about the thesis's risks, benefits, and key concepts.

1.1 Background

Sustainable development is defined as the act of operating without risking the current and
future generations' resources (Bruntdland, G.H. 1987, 16). It has become an important
part of doing business due to multiple reasons. First of all, public authorities such as gov-
ernments have started introducing different mandatory and voluntary actions that encour-
age and guide companies to become socially responsible. (European Commission s.a.)
Second, consumers have started to demand companies to reduce the negative environ-
mental impacts their operations might cause (European Commission s.a.). According to a
research conducted by IBM, eight out of 10 consumers find sustainability important. The
same research figured out that six out of 10 of the respondents were ready to reduce their
environmental footprint by changing their shopping habits. (Research Insights s.a., 1.)

The demand for sustainable and green products has increased in the cosmetics industry
as well. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 43 percent of the respondents pre-
ferred cosmetics brands that have environmentally sustainable practices (2020). This has
caused some cosmetics companies to start developing their operations towards more en-
vironmentally friendly. Simultaneously, the changing consumer demands have affected
how cosmetics companies do marketing.

Green marketing, referred to as the act of marketing products by emphasizing sustainable

and green attributes, has become popular (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 462). At its best,
green marketing can help consumers identify cosmetics brands that share similar values
and improve brand reputation. Unfortunately, the popularity of green marketing has
caused companies that are not operating sustainably to adopt the practice. Greenwashing
is a marketing practice that is referred to as the act of exaggerating a company’s involve-
ment in sustainability. If a company gets caught on practicing greenwashing, it can nega-
tively impact its reputation.

1
 Green marketing and greenwashing can seem similar in consumers' eyes which has cre-
ated the problem of consumers struggling to identify green marketing from greenwashing.
(Callaghan 2019, 134.) Similarly, cosmetics companies that are committed to operating
sustainably can unwittingly be mixed with companies that are practicing greenwashing
and vice versa.

This thesis explores in more depth the problem of consumers not being able to identify au-
thentic green cosmetic companies and green cosmetics companies being mixed with
greenwashing companies. The goal is to offer some suggestions to both consumers and
cosmetic companies.

1.2 Research Question

The goal of the thesis was to understand what is perceived as credible green marketing in
the cosmetics industry and how consumers can identify greenwashing. In order to reach
the goal, a research question and a set of investigative questions were created.

The research question of the thesis was: "How can cosmetics companies improve the
credibility of green marketing from the perspective of the consumer? " Investigative
questions were created to support the main research question. The point of the investiga-
tive questions was to bring essential information related to the research question.
The investigative questions were:
IQ 1. How do cosmetics brands engage in green marketing/greenwashing?
IQ 2. What type of certifications cosmetics companies use to indicate commitment to sus-
tainability?
IQ 3. What are the consumer perceptions of green marketing?
IQ 4. How to do credible green marketing for a cosmetics company?
IQ 5. How can consumers identify greenwashing of cosmetics companies?

Table 1. below explains what theories and research methods were used in order to an-
swer the investigative questions. The results of each investigative question can be found
in the mentioned chapters.

Table 1. Overlay Matrix

Investigative Theoretical Research Meth- Results
Question Framework ods (chapter)
IQ 1. How do cosmetic brands en- Green marketing, Secondary data 4.1
gage in green marketing/greenwash- Greenwashing, Green qualitative re-
cosmetic claims
ing? search

2
IQ 2. What type of certifications cos- Standard certifica- Secondary data 4.2
metic companies use to indicate tions & qualitative re-
Regulations
commitment to sustainability? search
IQ 3. What are the consumer per- Customer mindset Online survey 4.3
ceptions of green marketing?
IQ 4. How to do credible green mar- The 5 I's of green Online survey 4.4
keting for a cosmetic company? marketing, Standards
& certifications, Laws
and regulations, and
ISO Standards
IQ 5. How can consumers identify The 5 I's of green Online survey 4.5
greenwashing of cosmetic compa- marketing, Standards
& certifications, Laws
nies? and regulations, and
ISO Standards

1.3 Demarcation

The thesis focused on the green marketing of cosmetics products. The general definition
of the term cosmetics is broad, but in this thesis, the term was demarcated to concern
color cosmetics used in the face like foundation and eyeshadow. The term that is often
used to describe color cosmetics is makeup, which is an established term to describe cos-
metics used for the face. Makeup is a substance used on the human body and face to im-
prove appearance (Terve.fi 2020).

The topic was demarcated so that it utilized three different perspectives; company, con-
sumer, and governing body perspective.

The company's perspective focused on the different marketing practices companies can
utilize to support their green claims. The company perspective did not speak out about the
best way to be green or sustainable.

The consumer perspective focused on understanding what consumers perceive as green-

washing and what they perceive as credible green marketing. The target respondents
were consumers that use color cosmetics.

The third and final perspective was governing bodies such as the European Union. The
aim was to understand the laws and legislations related to cosmetics marketing. The per-
spective was demarcated to only focus on European legislation because other non-EU
countries have similar legislations (Callaghan 2019, 94).

3
1.4 International Aspect

This thesis has an international aspect because it utilizes globally operating makeup
brands and includes a survey aimed at globally situated cosmetics users. Additionally, the
obtained data can be utilized by cosmetics companies operating internationally.

The secondary data collection includes analyzing globally operating cosmetics companies
Mádara and Tarte, with the goal to understand how they practice green marketing. The
primary data collection is done by creating an online survey. Respondents of the online
survey are not demarcated geographically, and the survey is done in English to provide
individuals from around the world the opportunity to respond.

1.5 Benefits

Due to the perhaps sensitive topic of the thesis, there is no commissioning company, but
regardless of that, this thesis can be beneficial to multiple parties.

This thesis can be helpful for cosmetics companies that are authentically sustainable but
not sure how to market their products without being perceived as conducting greenwash-
ing. Simultaneously, the thesis can act as a manual for consumers eager to understand
how to identify authentic, sustainable cosmetics brands.

The author can benefit from the thesis project by learning more about the cosmetics in-
dustry and green marketing practices. The thesis project can act as an example of the au-
thors capabilities and can be used, for example, when applying for marketing-related jobs.

1.6 Risks and Risk Management

The most significant risks related to the making of the thesis were lack of usable data and
low amount of responses in the survey.

In order to avoid the risk related to lack of responses and lack of usable data, the survey
was conducted in English to make sure that people from around the world were able to re-
spond. The survey link was published on various Websites and was open for responses
for nearly two weeks.

Due to the risk related to lack of usable data, the thesis utilized secondary and primary
data, meaning that the survey was not the only data resource used.

4
1.7 Key Concepts

The Average Consumer is described by the EU Cosmetic Regulations as observant,

considerate, and well-informed consumers to whom cosmetics are marketed in the EU
(Callaghan 2019, 18). In this thesis, the term was used to describe average consumers
worldwide.

Brand associations refer to mental images of attributes, benefits, interests, celebrities,

and attitudes that consumers associate with a brand. Associations can differentiate
brands from each other, while they can also add or reduce the value of the brand. (Bhasin
2019.)

Certified organic is a term used to describe cosmetic products that have met the require-
ments set by a certifying party and been given the organic certificate. The term organic
can be used by any cosmetic company, but certified organic is allowed to be used only if
the company has been certified. (Dayan & Kromidas 2011, 21.)

Cosmetics products are defined as any substance or mixture of substances used to

clean, enhance, protect, perfume, change appearance, or correct the human body exter-
nally or orally (EC Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetics. Article 2.1.a).

Eco-friendly is a term often used to promote products that are not harmful to the environ-
ment. Eco-friendly is not a regulated term, meaning that it can be used even if the adver-
tised product is harmful to the environment. (Holzer 2018.)

Green marketing is a marketing practice in which the company's true or perceived sus-
tainable benefits are emphasized in the marketing (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 462).

Greenwashing refers to the marketing practice of misleading consumers by providing

misleading or exaggerating information about a company's sustainability and environmen-
tal friendliness (Grant 2017, 62).

Natural often refers to substances that are not synthetically derived or synthetically pro-
cessed. Because the term does not have a specific definition, it is not regulated in the Eu-
ropean Union. (Dayan & Kromidas 2011, 5.) In this thesis, the term was used to describe
products that include natural ingredients but might also include synthetical ingredients.

5
Perception is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as a belief or opinion people have of
something (Cambridge Dictionary s.a.). In this thesis, the term was used to describe the
feelings, beliefs, and opinions consumers had towards green cosmetic claims, and green
marketing.

Sustainability is an extensively used term that can have multiple definitions. In this the-
sis, sustainability was defined as: "development that meets the needs of the present with-
out compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (Bruntdland,
G.H. 1987, p16.)

6
2 The Credibility and Consumer Perception of Green Cosmetic Mar-
keting

The second chapter of the thesis will go through the theoretical framework. The reader
and researcher need to understand the theoretical framework before going into the re-
search and result phase. Each theory and concept have been carefully chosen for the
framework and will be explained and justified in the chapter. As shown in Figure 1 below,
the theoretical framework has been divided into four categories: commitment to sustaina-
bility, customers, and marketing practices, which all influence the central concept, green
cosmetic claims. Each category has its focal point, which will help reach the research ob-
jectives.

Cosmetic
claims

Commitment to sustainability Marketing practices

o Standards and o Green marketing

Certifications o The 5 I’s of green marketing
o Laws and Regulations o Greenwashing
o ISO Standards
Consumers

o Customer mindset

Figure 1. Theoretical framework.

7
2.1 Green Marketing Methods

The first category of the theory framework focuses on green marketing practices from a
company perspective. The category aims to explain how companies can communicate
their involvement with sustainability in a credible way. Simultaneously it tackles the issues
and challenges related to green marketing and greenwashing.

2.1.1 Green Marketing

Green marketing refers to the process of marketing products with their environmental ben-
efits ahead. The goal is to make the products more attractive in consumers' eyes by em-
phasizing the environmentally friendly characteristics of the products. (Keller & Swamina-
than 2020, 462.) When green marketing is authentic and the products genuinely have ex-
isting environmental benefits, it can enhance brand image and competitiveness. Respec-
tively it can backfire and result in negative publicity if consumers find the claims to be falsi-
fying or exaggerative. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 463.) Green marketing is part of
cause marketing, a type of marketing. Companies that practice cause marketing aim to
gain a competitive advantage by enhancing the issues of the environment and society and
consumers' welfare. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 596.)

Author John Grant writes that there is an existing risk that green marketing might work
against green issues because the latter is about reducing consumption and the other one
wants to increase it. According to Grant, green marketing represents a new kind of mar-
keting, which is about getting involved with sustainability, rather than looking at it from the
outside. (Grant 2007, 2.) It means that first, there should be a company that has adopted
sustainable practices, and only after that, the company should practice green marketing.
(Grant 2007, 32.) Even though it was suggested in the first paragraph that green market-
ing can improve brand image, it should not be the main objective. In fact, it is false to think
that green marketing is about making company's look green. (Grant 2007, 56.) Green
marketing should be considered to be a holistic approach to doing business, aiming to im-
prove consumers' attitudes and lifestyle and willingness to go green. To change the atti-
tudes towards green products and lifestyle, John Grant has created a list of activities that
are the following: Educating consumers through marketing, making green normal instead
of presenting it as a niche lifestyle, extending green to apply all classes, and acculturating
green to fit different cultures and making current practices unattractive. (Grant 2007, 32.)

Some of the challenges of green marketing are the complexity of the topic and finding an
approach that will have a positive impact commercially, environmentally, and culturally.

8
For consumers, the challenges of green marketing lie in identifying what authentic green
marketing is and what it is not. Another consumer challenge is understanding when the
overall product is considered green and when the product only contains a single green
feature. Companies should be specific in their marketing, but that may not always be the
case, leading to misleading consumers. (Ottman 2011, 133.)

2.1.2 The 5 I's of Green marketing

The 5 I’s of Green marketing

Integra-
Intuitive Innovative
tive

Inviting Informed

Figure 2. The 5 I's of Green marketing (Grant 2007, 56).

Figure 2 above introduces the 5 I's of green marketing that is mentioned in the book “The
Green Marketing Manifesto” by author John Grant. John Grant explains that in order to
succeed in green marketing, the said five elements should be utilized in the company's
operations and marketing (2007, 56). In fact, the whole concept of the 5 I's of green mar-
keting is based on the idea that being green should be a company principle rather than a
proposition (Grant 2007, 56). The 5 I's are introduced in more detail in the following para-
graphs.

Intuitive is about creating easily accessible green alternatives and making green seem
normal rather than an alternative. Consumers might feel overwhelmed by the offering of
green products because there are constantly new green inventions popping up in the mar-
kets. Especially if the consumer is not well educated on the subject matter, they might as-
sociate green products with negative and oppressive topics such as climate change. This

9
might cause consumers to avoid purchasing green products because they do not want to
purchase products that create negative associations. The challenge lies in making green
products sound tempting and inviting without intimidating or confusing consumers. John
Grant suggests that marketers should think about the choice of words they use in market-
ing because they can make a huge difference in how consumers see the products. (Grant
2007, 51.)

Integrative as in adopting approaches that tackle multiple issues at the same time.
Sustainability is a breakthrough example of the mentioned because it combines economic,
social, and environmental development and focuses on the current and future situation.
Suppose a company manages to adopt sustainability or create its own integrative ap-
proach. In that case, marketeers may not have to think about looking green because the
company's actions speak louder than words. (Grant 2007, 51.)

Innovative, as in creating new green innovations and redesigning existing ones. By cre-
ating innovative products, companies may improve their efficiency and possibly enhance
their competitiveness. The end-product does not necessarily have to be highly innovative,
but the actual production phase could be. (Grant 2007, 52.)

Inviting products are attractive, efficient, durable, and affordable, which is why consumers
want to purchase them. The issues are that, because green products in the past perhaps
lacked quality and dysfunctional, it has remained so in the minds of people. The challenge
and need are to market green products so that they are seen as better, affordable, and at-
tractive. (Grant 2007, 53.)

Informed as in educating consumers about the subject matter, rather than aiming to cre-
ate a brand image. Lack of knowledge often scares consumers away, which is why com-
panies should inform their consumers. (Grant 2007, 53.)

John Grant mentions a sixth possible element, image, but explains why it is not included
in the final list. The term image clearly refers to creating a reputation, but rather than fo-
cusing on looking green, companies should focus on doing green. (Grant 2007, 54.)

2.1.3 Greenwashing

Due to green being trendy, some companies practice green marketing without being
green or exaggerating their involvement. Often, these companies are not changing the
ways they operate towards more sustainably, but they are only aiming to create a greener

10
image by changing their marketing strategy. The mentioned example is called green-
washing. As John Grant writes in his book “The Green Marketing Manifesto,” being green
requires companies to set new green standards instead of just making the company's ex-
isting practices look green. (Grant 2017, 62.) The term was originally created in 1986
when environmentalist Jay Westerveld used it to describe a situation where a company
was trying to falsely ensure they were operating sustainably, when in fact, they had done
nothing to improve their practices. (Ottman 2011, 133.)

Similarly, as in green marketing, one of the issues of greenwashing is the lack of

knowledge companies and consumers might have. Consumers might have a false under-
standing of what being green or sustainable means. As John Grant mentions in his 5 I's of
Green marketing, companies should aim to educate consumers about the topic. If con-
sumers accept greenwashing claims as facts, it can result in a biased understanding of
what green and sustainable is. (Grant 2007, 53.) Jacquelyn A. Ottman writes in her book
"The New Rules of Green Marketing" that she does not believe all companies are practic-
ing greenwashing intentionally. She believes that some companies do not simply under-
stand what being green and sustainable means because sustainable practices are devel-
oping so fast. (2011.) All products affect the environment to some extent, but the point is
to find ways to have a lesser impact. Therefore, companies must be specific in why and
how their products are green or sustainable instead of exaggerating their involvement.
(Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 463.)

Adryan Corcione has listed examples of greenwashing methods in their article "What is
Greenwashing?". The methods they listed are the following: unclear language, suggestive
pictures, unreliable certifications, exaggerating claims, and unreliable claims. In addition to
the mentioned methods, when a company lacks transparency, it often generates doubt
about whether the company is hiding something. (Corcione 2020.) Thanks to the internet,
it can be a lot more challenging to practice greenwashing nowadays because of the possi-
bility to search for additional information regarding the company's claims (Ottman 2011,
134).

Regardless of the reasons for greenwashing, it not only harms the trust between consum-
ers and companies, but it also makes it challenging for authentic, sustainable companies
to earn credibility. Since green claims are so common nowadays, consumers have be-
come doubtful of their validity. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 463.) When consumers can-
not trust the information companies provide, they might choose to purchase from competi-
tors, which results in reduced revenues (Ottman 2011, 134). Simultaneously, if consumers

11
do not trust companies, it does not matter how factual the company's claims are because
every claim will be taken in with doubt.

2.2 Green Cosmetics Claims

The second category talks about green cosmetics claims, which are an essential part of
the theoretical framework. The aim is for the reader and researcher to understand what
are green cosmetics claims and how they are made.

According to Theresa M Callaghan, cosmetics claims are statements used in the advertis-
ing of cosmetic products that address the benefits gained from using the product and posi-
tive aspects associated with the product's performance. Products are rarely sold using
negative claims because they do not benefit consumers. (Callaghan 2019, 74.)
Another definition for cosmetic claims is by the EU Cosmetics Directive Regulation No
655/2013. This amplifies the definition to include "texts, names, trademarks, pictures, and
figurative or other signs that convey explicitly or implicitly product characteristics or func-
tions in the labeling, making available on the market and advertising of cosmetic prod-
ucts." The EU Cosmetics Directive Regulation No 655/2013 also points out that claims are
not always facts. (The European Union 2013, 2.) Nevertheless, there are regulations and
legislation on what can be claimed to protect consumers and guide cosmetic companies.
Laws and legislations will be covered in detail later on in the theory.

Creating a claim is a multipoint process that requires the company to consider what evi-
dence is needed to back up the claim, how relevant is the claim, whether the claim fulfills
legal requirements, and whether it makes sense to consumers (Callaghan 2019, 109).
The first steps in creating cosmetics claims include identifying the target market and the
needs of the target group and finally defining where the claim will be used. The mentioned
steps will define what regulations and rules must be followed because regulations depend
on where and to whom the claim is directed. In order to substantiate the claim, companies
must have evidence they can refer to and which will strengthen the claim. (Callaghan
2019, 108.) Because claims are based on consumer needs, companies must understand
what consumers want. For creating claims, Therese M Callaghan has made three key
points that should be understood: what the consumer says, what the consumer actually
does, and why the consumer does what they do. Using these three key points will help
companies create effective product claims and produce products that address the needs
of consumers. (Callaghan 2019, 77.) Once the creation process is done, the final claim
should include clear and general language and terminology; otherwise, the message will
not translate to average consumers (Callaghan 2019, 109).

12
Theresa M Callaghan has divided the anatomy of cosmetics claims into the three following
key points: what the product says it does, what the product actually does, and why it does
what it does (Callaghan 2019, 75). These three key points can be identified in cosmetics
advertisements, such as Shiseido's self- refreshing foundation. All of Callaghan's key
points can be found from the following statement "A weightless foundation, with ActiveFor-
ceTM technology, that synchronizes with skin and self-refreshes nonstop for a 24-hour
just-applied look and flawless finish". (Shiseido 2021.) Average consumers might find the
claim tempting, but after reading it a few times, the claim might turn out to be confusing
and hard to understand.

The thesis focuses on identifying authentic green and sustainable claims from false
claims. Green and sustainable claims are used in marketing with the goal to make the
products seem more attractive and by emphasizing the green features of the products.
There are multiple issues in green and sustainable claims, such as alternating levels of
knowledge, lack of term legislations, and lack of methods to prove sustainability. Consum-
ers might have a different level of knowledge on what is green and sustainable, which
might cause them to think that false claims are true and factual claims are false. This cre-
ates challenges for cosmetic companies trying to create understandable and clear claims
to average consumers. Another challenge is that many terms are not legislated, which
means that cosmetic companies can use terms, such as natural, without having natural
products. Because there are no definite methods to measure sustainability, it can be diffi-
cult for companies to justify their claims. Because there are no ways to measure sustaina-
bility, companies should not claim to be sustainable but rather point out the features in
their products or processes that are green or environmentally friendly (Callaghan 2019,
135).

Some of the common mistakes that have been made in green cosmetics claims are
claims related to animal testing, claims exaggerating the performance and benefits of the
products, misleading claims, and denigrating claims (Callaghan 2019, 101-102). False or
falsifying claims are not only misleading consumers, but they also harm a brand's reputa-
tion and credibility, which might then result in loss of business (Callaghan 2019, 101). On
the other hand, third parties can also greatly impact how cosmetics claims are viewed.
Theresa Callaghan points out that pseudoscience, the media, and influencers can
threaten a cosmetics company's reputation. This is due to the phenomenon of the media
and influencers spreading claims that are based on pseudoscience and other non-scien-
tific sources. Just because a person believes in something does not make it a fact, and it
should not be presented as a fact. Everyone from cosmetics companies to consumers has

13
the responsibility to clearly state when they are referring to a fact and when to their own
opinion. When referring to a fact, it is according to fairness to state the source for the fact.
(Callaghan 2019, 103.)

2.3 Customer Mindset

The third category of the theory framework focuses on understanding customers' mind-
sets. The aim is to form an idea for the reader and thesis writer of what is happening in a
customer's mind when they think, see or hear about a brand.

Customer mindset is a concept that aims to explain all the experiences, images, percep-
tions, beliefs, feelings, thoughts, and attitudes customers have of a brand. The concept is
the second stage of the brand value chain, a theory used to create brand value. This theo-
retical framework focuses on the customer mindset because the model can help compa-
nies understand their customers and bring value to them. Customer mindset includes the
following five models: brand awareness, brand associations, brand attitudes, brand at-
tachment, and brand activity. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 129.)

Brand awareness indicates the recognition and recall of a brand. For example, Apple can
undeniably consider being an extremely well-recognized brand. When a brand enjoys high
recognition, it still does not mean that they are consumers' first choice. (Keller & Swamina-
than 2020, 129.)

Brand associations are mental images of attributes, benefits, interests, celebrities, and
attitudes that consumers associate with a brand. Associations can differentiate brands
from each other, while they can also add or reduce the brand's value. (Bhasin 2019a.)
Everything associated with the brand can influence the brand value, which is why associa-
tions are one of the key sources of brand value (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 129).

Brand attitudes are evaluations of the satisfaction the brand brings and the quality its
products hold. The attitudes towards a brand can vary between customers because each
customer values different things. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 129.)

Brand attachment measures the level of customer loyalty. Brands that have highly at-
tached customers are more likely to stick with the brand, regardless of the type of news
they hear concerning the brand. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 130.)

14
Brand Activity refers to how actively customers interact with the brand or talk about the
brand. A brand with active customers might bring more customers to the brand by spread-
ing the word about the brand. (Keller & Swaminathan 2020, 130.)

2.4 Commitment to Sustainability

The fourth and final category of the theoretical framework focuses on measures cosmetic
companies can take to demonstrate their level of commitment to sustainability and natu-
rality. Some of the concepts are suggestions, while some are compulsory actions set by
governing third parties. The theoretical framework focuses on laws and legislations, stand-
ards, and certifications that guide companies in creating cosmetics claims and that can be
used to bring credibility to cosmetics claims.

2.4.1 Cosmetics Industry Standards and Certifications

Cosmetics certifications are attestations given to products or companies to ensure that

they meet the specifically set standards (FINAS 2021). Companies use certifications as
proof to support their claims and to bring more credibility to their products by demonstrat-
ing their involvement in whatever they are claiming. For consumers, certifications can act
as evidence that the company's claims are reliable and help identify the different attributes
the products hold.

Essentially, any party could create a certificate. Still, often the most credible certificates
are provided by organizations, governments, and companies that have knowledge and ex-
perience from the industry and are not dependent on the companies that are applying for
the certificates. The process of applying to a certification varies between different certifi-
cating parties, but what is similar with all is that they are not automatically awarded. It
means that if a company wishes to get certified, they must independently apply for one.
Once a company has been awarded a certificate, they will be continuously observed so
that they indeed continue fulfilling the certification criteria. Depending on the certification,
they might be admitted for a period of time, after which the company must apply again.
(FINAS 2021.)

What might be unreliable for consumers is that some companies create certifications by
themselves. It means that instead of having a third party providing the certification and ob-
serving the company's ability to follow the standards, the companies do everything on
their own. Motivations behind creating a company's own certificate are variable. Some
companies may not simply be able to meet the requirements, and other companies might

15
think that the certification process is too expensive, and some might disagree with the set
standards. Regardless of the reason for creating a company's own certificate, it can seem
suspicious for consumers' because no third party is observing if the company is doing
what they are claiming.

Another challenge for consumers is identifying different certifications because multiple

certificates use similar visual attributes. A great example is the use of bunnies in cruelty-
free certificate logos. PETA, Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetic (CCIC), and
Choose Cruelty-free are all independent organizations that use a bunny in their certificate
logos. Choose cruelty-free requires companies to demonstrate that they have not been
using animal-tested products or ingredients for the last five years before applying. The re-
quirement concerns the whole company, manufacturers, and suppliers that the brand has
been involved with. (Choose Cruelty-free s.a.) CICC requires, in their leaping bunny pro-
gram, that companies only use ingredients or formulations that have not been tested on
animals or purchased from third parties that have used animal-testing on the specific in-
gredient (Leaping Bunny program s.a). PETA's global beauty without bunnies' program re-
quires companies never to be involved with animal testing in any stage of the develop-
ment of the ingredients or the final products or with suppliers that have conducted animal
tests (Peta s.a). The problem with three similar certificates is that consumers start may as-
sociate all bunny containing logos as a guarantee for animal-test-free products. This cre-
ates an opportunity for companies to put bunnies into their product packages and utilize
the associations the bunnies make without actually having non-animal-tested products.

There are plenty of different cosmetics certificates concerning sustainability, naturalness,

and animal testing. The following certifications are just a few examples mentioned in the
book Formulating, packaging, and marketing of natural cosmetics products. (Dayan & Kro-
midas 2011.)

The COSMOS standard certifications are certificates for natural and organic cosmetics.
The Cosmos standard was merged from six individual European organizations that pro-
vided their own certificates with their own standards. The goal in creating COSMOS was
to harmonize the standards for natural and organic in Europe. (Dayan & Kromidas 2011,
36.) Nowadays, COSMOS certifications are being used in over 60+ countries in over
22 000 products. The COSMOS standard takes into account the "origin and processing of
the ingredients, the composition of the total product, manufacturing and packaging, envi-
ronmental management, labeling, and communication inspection and certification and
control." (Cosmos s.a.A.) In addition to these, the final products must include a minimum
of 20% percentage of organic ingredients (Dayan & Kromidas 2011, 79). After a company

16
meets the set standards, it can apply for multiple COSMOS certifications through individ-
ual certification bodies. The bodies are the following Australian Certified Organic, Bureau
Veritas Certification, Ecocert Greenlife, Cosmecert Sasu, IONC, ICEA, Control Union Ko-
rea Co. Ltd., CAAE, Soil Association Certification, Ekolojik Tarim Kontrol Org, and Korea
Testing and research institute. (COSMOS s.a.C.) COSMOS Natural and COSMOS Or-
ganic are meant for products, and COSMOS Certified or COSMOS Approved are meant
for ingredients. (COSMOS s.a.B.)

ECOCERT is a French located non-governmental organization that is represented in mul-

tiple countries. The organization awards companies with Ecocert certificates such as Nat-
ural Cosmetic or Natural and Organic Cosmetics. Ecocert follows standards created by
different organizations such as COSMOS and Organic Agriculture Europe. The standards
have differences, but all focus on environmentally friendly practices. A cosmetic company
that has obtained one of the certificates can use either the term certified natural or certi-
fied natural and organic in the product packaging. (Dayan & Kromidas 2011, 63.)

2.4.2 Laws and Legislations

Creating cosmetics claims is a process that must consider the laws and regulations of the
country where the products are being sold and produced. Laws and regulations were cre-
ated to monitor that products are being advertised with honesty, evident credibility, and in-
tegrity (Callaghan 2019, 94). Laws and regulations not only guide how cosmetics products
can be marketed, but they also define what must be included and what cannot be in the
product packaging (Callaghan 2019, 84). Regardless of the legislation, some cosmetics
companies have chosen not to follow them. This often results in the company losing credi-
bility (Callaghan 2019, 101).

In Europe, the governing law for cosmetics is called the cosmetic directive EU 1223/2009,
and it includes six requirements or criteria's that must be met when developing a claim.
Each criterion is linked with each other and, therefore, must be viewed as a whole. The
following criterion and requirements are from the cosmetic directive of the EU, but similar
ones exist in multiple other countries.

The first criterion is legality, which implicates that cosmetics products must meet the re-
quired legal requirements and be provably safe before entering any market. Regarding the
product being considered safe, it must be authorized or approved by an authority within
the EU, accepted based on the "average-consumers" perceptions, and finally proven to
include the claimed benefits. (Callaghan 2019, 94.)

17
The second criterion is truthfulness, which indicates that companies must tell the truth and
facts in their claims. This also means that companies cannot publish false or irrelevant
claims. For example, a company cannot say that their product is vegan if the product
should not typically include any animal origins ingredients. The claim would be irrelevant
because it distorts the truth about the ingredients and gives the idea the product is animal
friendly because it is vegan. This requirement links with the first one so that if a claim is
not legal, it is not truthful. (Callaghan 2019, 95.)

The third criterion is evidence, which means that there must be evidence, such as studies
and conducted tests, to justify the truthfulness of a claim that is made. This includes any
sort of claims that are related to the performance or characteristics of the products. (Calla-
ghan 2019, 96.)

The fourth criterion might sound similar to truthfulness, but when truthfulness focuses on
facts, honesty refers to the credibility of the claims concerning average consumers. This
means that the claims must be honest and clearly explain what the products do, without
exaggeration. What should also be considered is the relevance of the claim. For example,
if a company claims its foundation will last on the skin for 24 hours, it can be proven, but it
may not be a relevant attribute. (Callaghan 2019, 96-97.)

Fairness, the fifth criteria, indicates that claims should be fair without denigrating any com-
petitors. Callaghan uses the example of companies claiming their products are preserva-
tive-free, which suggests that preservatives might be harmful, even though they are not.
This kind of claim might confuse average consumers, but it also denigrates competitors
that might have products with preservatives in them. (Callaghan 2019, 97.) Generally, the
claim free-from is considered misleading because it might confuse the consumer to think
that the removed ingredient is harmful. Therefore, it is not recommended to be used (Cal-
laghan 2019, 98).

The sixth and final requirement is informed decision making, which means that any claim
that is made should be understandable and clear to average consumers. This means that
claims should only contain information that average consumers can understand with com-
mon sense and without being an expert on the topic. (Callaghan 2019, 98.)

The EU cosmetic directive has also listed claims that are non-permitted to be used in cos-
metics advertising in the EU. The non-permitted claims include chemical-free and cruelty-

18
free. Cosmetics products cannot be chemical-free because everything is made of chemi-
cals (Callaghan 2019, 62.) A cruelty-free claim is considered illegal in the EU because it
suggests that the product has been produced without animal testing. In reality, many cos-
metics companies use data that has been acquired through tests performed on animals,
meaning that the production process has required animal testing. (Callaghan 2019, 66-
67.)

Regardless of the EU's mentioned non-permitted claims, there are unregulated terms,
such as organic and natural terms. The problem is that unregulated terms do not require
any proof, meaning that they can be used by any company without having to prove their
claim. The difference is, if the company wishes to use the term certified organic, this re-
quires the company to be certified. Some of the terms have not been regulated because
the EU has not been able to create a specific definition of the terms. (Dayan & Kromidas
2011, 20.) This means that companies have a huge responsibility in determining when
they are morally entitled to use the terms.

2.4.3 ISO Standards

International Organization for Standardization, shortened as ISO, is an international, inde-

pendent, and non-governmental organization. ISO was formed in 1946 and nowadays
consists of 165 member body countries with their own representative. Together all the
member bodies have united their knowledge to consensually create international stand-
ards regarding business practices in technology and manufacturing. Some of ISO's goals
are to provide standards and guidance that can help companies face global challenges
and support innovation. (ISO s.a. A.) In 2021 there are over 23 705 international ISO
standards consisting of multiple fields of business (ISO s.a. B).

ISO as an organization does not issue certifications, but they do have a Committee on
Conformity Assessment that provides certification standards that third parties can utilize.
Some certifying third parties are accredited by ISO, meaning they can be considered to be
competent. Still, it is not an obligation to be accredited to use ISO standards for certifica-
tion. If a company manages to get certified by a third party, the company can display the
certificate in their content by clearly defining which ISO standard is in question. (ISO s.a.
C.)

ISO 26000 is an international standard meant for companies that are committed to operat-
ing in a socially and environmentally responsible way. The standard was launched in

19
2010, and it aims to introduce guidance to help companies implement corporate social re-
sponsibility into their operations globally. (ISO s.a. D.) The guidance focuses on social re-
sponsibility comprehensively and includes implementing sustainable practices and princi-
ples to the whole organization, characteristics, and issues of social responsibility and
communication about social responsibility. The standard also encourages companies to
consider their locations' political, environmental, societal, legal, and cultural perspectives
when implementing the ISO 26000 standards (Discovering ISO 26000 2018, 7).

Utilizing ISO 26000 can be beneficial in many ways. It can increase a company's competi-
tive advantage, help earn a reliable reputation, improve relationships with different parties,
and help prove its commitment to sustainable development (Discovering ISO 26000 2018,
5). Unlike some ISO standards, ISO 26000 cannot be certified, meaning that it can only be
used as an example to address how the company practices corporate responsibility (ISO
s.a. D).

2.5 Summary

The difference between green marketing and greenwashing is small but meaningful.
Green marketing can be beneficial for a brand image when done correctly while green-
washing can cause reputational harm. Companies that wish to utilize green marketing
should first develop their business practices and operations to be more ethical and sus-
tainable - then create cosmetics claims utilizing the sustainable benefits of the products.
Companies that exaggerate their sustainability or aim to look greener and do not change
their practices towards actually more sustainable are conducting greenwashing.

For average consumers, it can be challenging to identify authentic green marketing from
greenwashing. Therefore, companies should create cosmetic claims that are understand-
able and truthful for each individual regardless of their demographic background. Laws
and regulations are continuously developed to guide businesses on how green cosmetic
claims can be made. Despite that, there are still highly used terms such as natural and or-
ganic that are not regulated and can be very misleading. This means that consumers have
to identify truthful claims from misleading ones.

Cosmetics companies can take different measures to demonstrate that their green claims
are truthful. The measures include following sustainable standards and applying for a
third-party certificate.

20
3 Research Methods

The next chapter goes through the research process of the thesis. The research process
was done according to the steps mentioned in the book Marketing research by Alvin C.
Burns (Burns et al. 2017, 69). The first step was to establish a need for a research and
identify the main problem. This thesis has two main problems: consumers not identifying
authentic green cosmetics companies and green cosmetics companies getting mixed with
greenwashing companies. The main research question and investigative questions were
created based on the problems. This thesis has five investigative questions and one main
research question. Next, a suitable strategy was created based on the investigative ques-
tion and main problem; this is called research design. This thesis's research design in-
cludes two individual phases that required secondary and primary data. Once the data
was obtained, it was analyzed using suitable methods. (Burns et al. 2017, 70-77.)

3.1 Research Design

Research design is a plan that includes the methods used to collect data needed to solve
the main problem of research (Burns et al. 2017, 92). The research design of this thesis
included two individual phases. Figure 3 below reflects the whole research design, which
was a mixed-mode design.

Research
phases Phase 1. Phase 2.

Respondent/
Secondary data Survey
Data source
respondents

Secondary data collection: com-

Data collec-
pany website, Instagram ac- Mixed-mode sur-
tion method
count, and product packages vey

Data analysis
method Content analysis Content & statisti-
cal analysis

Relationship IQ 1. IQ 2. IQ 3.
to IQs

IQ 4 and IQ 5

Figure 3. Research design.

21
Quantitative data collection refers to the collecting of measurable data in a standardized
and structured way. Quantitative research includes observational methods and interroga-
tive methods (McGivern 2013, 189.) Another way to collect data is to use qualitative meth-
ods. Qualitative data collection aims to gather more detailed and rich data from the re-
spondents. When quantitative research provides measurable data, qualitative research
primarily produces descriptive results. (McGivern 2013, 52.)

The first phase focused on collecting secondary data from company websites, social me-
dia accounts, and product packages. The data was collected from two individual cosmetic
companies, Tarte Cosmetics, and Mádara. The secondary research was done by first
identifying accessible and relevant data sources, reviewing and analyzing the data using
content analysis, and then finally combining the data collected from multiple sources and
using it to answer the first two investigative questions (McGivern 2013, 111). The research
design's secondary data collection differed from the theoretical framework by being con-
ducted later in the thesis process. The theoretical framework focused on existing litera-
ture, while the secondary data research focused on understanding existing company prac-
tices while it utilized the already gained knowledge from the theoretical framework. The
first phase aimed to answer the first two investigative questions.

In the second phase of the research design, the collected data was primary. The data was
collected through a self-completion survey, which is part of quantitative interrogative
methods. A self-completion survey made in English and provided through Webropol al-
lowed respondents worldwide to respond to the survey anonymously at their preferred
time. The survey consisted of structured and open-ended questions, meaning that the
data was analyzed using statistical and content analysis. A self-completion survey is the
most effective when it is suitable in length, precise, and uses clear terminology. (McGivern
2013, 201.) The second phase aimed to answer the final three investigative questions.

This thesis is a cross-sectional exploratory research because it represents a point in

time and investigates a problem. The design was a mixed-mode design because it uti-
lizes qualitative and quantitative methods (McGivern 2013, 217).

3.2 Population and Sampling

A population is defined as the entire group studied in a research project defined by the re-
search objectives. (Burns et al. 2017, 238.) The population for the thesis was consumers
from all over the world that use makeup, such as foundation, lipstick, or mascara. There
were no demographic requirements for the population because the thesis was not done
for a specific cosmetic company with a target group.

22
Non-probability sampling is one of the two methods commonly used to select samples
for research. Non-probability sampling is a suitable technique if the research is exploratory
and does not require highly accurate estimates. If the research must acquire precise infor-
mation from a sample, probability sampling is more suitable.

This thesis’ research is quantitative, and for that, non-probability sampling has its weak-
nesses because it includes techniques that mainly provide subjective outlooks and per-
haps vague information. On the other hand, the research aimed to provide generally appli-
cable information for cosmetic companies rather than in-depth information about the sam-
ple unit, making non-probability the more suitable sampling method. (McGivern, 2013,
234.)

Volunteer sampling is a non-probability sampling technique that is valuable when it is

considered to be challenging to identify the wanted population. The sample of the thesis
represented individual consumers within the population that voluntarily decided to respond
to the survey. The sample unit was one person. The used volunteer sampling technique is
called self-selection sampling, which requires that sample units individually identify their
desire to respond to the survey. (Saunders et al. 2019, 323.) Self-selection sampling is
useful for exploratory research, such as this thesis. The technique can provide useful in-
formation regarding the sample units because they voluntarily respond to the survey. Sim-
ultaneously, the data obtained through self-selection sampling should not be regarded as
representative of the whole population's opinions and feelings because it requires that
each sample individually evaluates their suitability to the population. (Saunders et al.
2019, 318.) It was essential for the research objectives that the respondents had opinions
and some knowledge regarding makeup, and therefore self-selection sampling was con-
sidered the most suitable technique.

In non-probability sampling, there are no rules concerning the sample size. What should
be taken into account is the purpose and objective of the research. (Saunders et al. 2019,
315.) The goal was to get at least 100 responses from individuals worldwide. Considering
the lack of financial resources and tight schedule, it was thought to be challenging to ob-
tain more than 100 responses. Because the research utilized secondary and primary data,
around 100 responses from the survey were considered appropriate and realistic amount.

3.3 Data Collection

Data for the thesis was collected through a secondary data collection and self-completion
online survey, which required no interviews and offered the respondents the opportunity to

23
answer anonymously (McGivern 2013, 201). Secondary data collection is beneficial be-
cause it provides quickly accessible data, is inexpensive, and can enhance the obtained
primary data. On the other hand, secondary data has its disadvantages because it might
be incompatible, lacking needed information, and utilize definitions differently (Burns et al.,
2017, 124). To avoid the disadvantages, primary and secondary data were both utilized in
the thesis.

A survey is an effective collection method because it provides standardization, is easily

administrable and analyzable, and provides somewhat detailed information (Burns et al.
2017, 173). An online survey should be used if the topic is considered interesting enough
for individuals to respond to it and if it provides a suitable way to reach the target popula-
tion. Using an online survey method includes the risk of having a low response rate.
(McGivern 2013, 201.) Self-selection sampling is considered a suitable technique to avoid
a low response rate risk. As was mentioned, self-selection sampling requires that sample
units individually identify their desire to respond to the survey, meaning that most likely in-
dividuals interested in the topic will respond. (Saunders et al. 2019, 323.)

The secondary data collection was done by analyzing the company website, social media
accounts, and product packages of Tarte Cosmetics and Mádara. These are internation-
ally operating cosmetics companies that have used green cosmetics claims in their mar-
keting, which is why they were chosen for the analysis. The data collection was done in
April 2021, meaning that the data was collected from sources published before that.

The survey was open for responses from the 7th of April until the 16th of April. A link to
the survey was posted to social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
The posts included a short introduction of the survey topic and information about whom
the survey was aimed at. The goal was to gain the attention of the individuals that are part
of the thesis population to maximize the response rate. Additionally, the researcher sent
the survey through WhatsApp to individuals believed to be part of the thesis population.
The survey included statements with response options that the respondents were asked
to rate. A few open-ended questions were included, but none were compulsory to ensure
that respondents would finish the survey. The survey was designed to be easy to follow
and quick to complete (McGivern 2013, 201). The respondents were not expected to be
familiar with some of the used terminology, which could have caused a bias in the data.
Therefore, some terminology was explained in the survey.

The survey was open for responses from the 7th of April 2021 until the 19th of April 2021.
Eventually, the survey was opened by 365 individuals, from whom 145 started replying.

24
Ultimately, the survey was finished by 107 individuals, meaning that the response rate
was 29,4%. Of all of the 107 respondents who started responding, 91 were eligible to
continue after the respondents were divided into two groups by the first question. The sur-
vey ended for those who answered that they do not use color cosmetics.

3.4 Data Analysis Methods

The acquired secondary qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis meth-
ods. The secondary data included text and pictures, making content analysis a suitable
method. First, the data was collected and organized. Then the data was analyzed using
categorizing. Then the researcher aimed to identify themes, patterns, and possible rela-
tionships between the data. Finally, the data was compared with concepts from the theo-
retical framework, and the findings were introduced. (Saunders et al. 2019, 573-574.)

The primary data acquired from the online survey was analyzed using quantitative & sta-
tistical methods. The statistical analysis was performed using Webropol and Microsoft Ex-
cel. Open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis methods and compared
with concepts from the theoretical framework.

3.5 Reliability, Validity, and Relevance

The research design aimed to provide reliable, valid, and relevant data. In order to mini-
mize the risk of obtaining or creating invalid or unreliable data, specific actions were taken
during the secondary and primary data research.

The first step in the secondary data research was to identify the possible risks related to
unreliability and invalidity. The most significant risks in obtaining the secondary data were
that it would be biased, invalid, and of poor quality. In order to avoid the mentioned risks,
the obtained data were evaluated. According to Burns et al., a researcher must consider
the following questions when evaluating secondary data. What was the motivation for cre-
ating the data, who collected the information, how the data was collected, and the type of
information provided. (Burns et al. 2017, 126-127.) The theoretical framework, which in-
cludes secondary data, was considered reliable if multiple literature sources provided sim-
ilar information. The secondary data obtained from company websites, social media ac-
counts, and product packages were considered to be prejudiced because the obtained
data was used in marketing. Therefore it was recognized that the data had been created
to advertise the companies and possibly only provided beneficial and positive information.

25
The first step in designing the online survey was identifying the possible risks related to
unreliability and invalidity. The most significant risk was considered to be question bias,
which refers to the act of influencing the way the respondents answer. Question bias can
be avoided with four steps; determining what is measured and how, precise wording, or-
ganizing the questions logically, and testing the survey before launching. (Burns et al.
2017, 216.) The online survey was made using general terminology, and the questions
were put in a logical order. The goal of the survey was explained in the beginning, and at
times some terms were defined according to literature sources. Before the final survey
was launched, it was sent to five individuals who gave feedback and improvement tips.

The thesis topic was considered to be relevant because positive attitudes towards green
cosmetics products have increased (Deloitte 2020). The more consumers wish to pur-
chase green and sustainable cosmetics, the more important it is that they learn to identify
authentic green cosmetics companies.

26
4 Results and Data

The next chapter introduces the results and data obtained from the secondary data re-
search and an online survey. The results were divided into four subchapters that repre-
sent the investigative questions. The first subchapter utilizes the data collected from quali-
tative secondary data research, and the last three utilize data collected from the online
survey.

4.1 How Cosmetics Brands Practice Green Marketing

This first subchapter presents the results obtained from the secondary data research. The
aim was to answer the first two investigative questions, “How do cosmetic brands engage
in green marketing/greenwashing?” and “What type of certifications cosmetic companies
use to indicate commitment to sustainability?”. The point was not to measure the effective-
ness of green marketing but to understand the methods the brands use to communicate
their sustainability and if the brands hold any certifications to back up their claims. The
theoretical framework was also utilized to point out some of the methods used.

The first company is Mádara Cosmetics, a Latvian certified natural cosmetics brand
founded in 2006. Mádara cosmetics claims that their products are natural, organic, and
packed in 100% recyclable packages. They also aim to reduce their carbon emission, pro-
vide energy-efficient manufacturing and shorten the pay cap between male and female
employees. In 2019 the brand offered over 400 legal and psychological consultation ses-
sions to those in need due to their contribution to the non-governmental organization
MARTA. (Issuu s.a.)

As is seen in Figure 4 below, Mádara’s logo includes the sentence “Mádara organic skin-
care” written in a simple black font. The logo does seem to utilize any attributes that sug-
gest that the brand is green, other than the name “organic skincare.”

Figure 4. Mádara logo (Mádara organic skincare s.a.).

Mádara's Instagram feed includes pictures of their products, nature, and people using
their products. As shown in Figure 5 below, the color theme of the feed is primarily green,

27
with lots of pictures of nature, plants, and Mádara products. People in the pictures are
mainly supposed females dressed in neutral clothes with natural hair colors. The feed
seems to suggest that the products are natural, which is also seen in some of the product
packages that include illustrations of plants.

Figure 5. Screenshot of Mádara Cosmetics Instagram page (madaracosmetics s.a.).

As was defined in the theoretical framework, cosmetics claims are not only verbal state-
ments but also names, trademarks, pictures, and other symbolic statements utilized in the
marketing of cosmetics products. (The European Union 2013, 2). Although the Instagram
feed of Mádara does not provide any specific information regarding how the products are
green, it clearly includes green claims in the form of pictures, product labeling, and figura-
tively. Because the feed promotes nature so heavily, it can start shaping the mindset of

28
consumers towards Mádara. If consumers look at the feed and are then asked to de-
scribe, they most likely remember the colors, nature, and other green attributes. Next time
when they see the brand, they might remember the green claims they saw on Instagram,
which might then meant that they have started associating the brand with nature. The as-
sociations have nothing to do with facts because, as was said, the feed did not include
any specific information regarding how the brand might be green. On the other hand, the
brand's logo suggests that Mádara is an organic brand. Consumers that value nature and
organic cosmetics products most likely develop a positive brand attitude towards Mádara,
while those who do not value those things might not find it attractive.

A simple color theme is repeated on Mádaras website/online store, which utilizes black
and white colors and a minimalistic theme. The website includes symbols suggesting that
the brand is green. (Mádara organic skincare s.a.). Mádara advertises their foundation
Skin Equal Soft Glow Foundation SPF15 as follows: “Born from organic skincare exper-
tise, this light as air mineral foundation worships your skin and shares your values”. The
claim emphasizes the product's green attributes while also following the anatomy of cos-
metic claims; what the product says it does, what the product actually does, and why it
does what it does (Callaghan 2019, 75). The product is packed in a simple glass bottle
with no suggestive symbols. The claim can be considered to be done according to the EU
Cosmetics Directive because it is; legal, truthful, honest, provable, and fair. To confirm
the claim that the product is organic, Mádara has been issued the COSMOS Natural certi-
fication by Ecocert.

The second company, Tarte Cosmetics, is an American cosmetics brand founded in

1999. Tarte uses high-performing natural ingredients, their self-created trademarked term,
and has been a subsidiary of Japanese cosmetics Group KOSÉ since 2014. The brand
claims that all of its products are formulated from clinically proven naturally-derived ingre-
dients and are paraben-free, mineral oil-free, and gluten-free. Tarte holds PETA´s cruelty-
free certificate, although they are owned by KOSÉ that is not cruelty-free. Tarte has an
online shop that offers consumers the opportunity to purchase their products worldwide
(Tarte s.a.)

Tartes has a simple logo, as shown in Figure 6, which includes the word “Tarte high-per-
formance naturals” written in a simple purple font. The logo is visible on the brand's web-
site that utilizes the colors white and purple similarly. Similarly, with Mádara, the brand
logo includes a green claim because it suggests that the products are high-performing and
natural.

29
Figure 6. Tarte Cosmetics logo (Tarte s.a).

Tartes' Instagram feed includes pictures of their products and people using their products,
as shown in Figure 7 below. The color theme of the feed is similar to the purple shade
Tarte has in their logo. Similarly, with Mádara, Tarte has figurative claims in their Insta-
gram posts because they include plants and fruits, which are easily associated with na-
ture. The product packages that are seen on the Instagram page do not seem to include
any green claims. The overall feeling of the feed does not create as strong associations to
nature as Mádara. (Tartecosmetics s.a).

Figure 7. Screenshot of Tarte Cosmetics Instagram page (Tartecosmetics s.a).

30
On Tarte’s website, they use similar tones of purple as they have in their logo and Insta-
gram feed. The product packages that are on display on their website include little details
like wooden-looking corks. Additionally, the names of the products include terms that sug-
gest that the products contain organic ingredients such as clay, water, and bamboo. Tarte
advertises their foundation Amazonian clay as follows: “12-hour full coverage foundation -
This oil-free, vegan, matte liquid foundation will breathe life back into your skin”. In addi-
tion, the brands' website says that a dermatologist has tested the product. (Tarte s.a. a.)
The product is packed in a brown tube, with a leaf symbol and a cork that looks like wood.
Once again, the claim and packaging follow the anatomy of cosmetic claims and empha-
size the products' green attributes (Callaghan 2019, 75). The claim includes the statement
oil-free, which, as we know from the theoretical framework, is considered misleading be-
cause it might create an idea that the removed ingredient is harmful. On the other hand,
free-from claims are not illegal in the EU. (Callaghan 2019, 98.) The claim can be consid-
ered to be done according to the EU Cosmetics Directive because it is; legal, truthful, hon-
est, provable, and fair, even though the product does not have any certifications to prove
that it is vegan.

Overall, both companies use similarly pictures, terms, and symbols to create green asso-
ciations, although they are targeted at different audiences. One thing that separates the
two brands is that one of them holds certifications by a third-party provider and the other
one has none. Consumers might still find both brands credible because Mádara does not
visibly advertise that they hold such certifications. The mentioned two brands are just two
examples among many cosmetics companies that provide green cosmetics claims in their
marketing.

4.2 Respondent Background

The second subchapter focuses on the background of the respondents. Because the only
requirement was that the respondents are individuals who use makeup, the background
questions were placed at the end of the survey.

As shown in Figure 8, the age distribution was relatively even. Most respondents were be-
tween the age of 19 to 24. The following largest age groups were individuals between the
age of 25 to 29 and individuals between the ages of 35 or older. Perhaps surprisingly, only
7% of the respondents were between the age of 30 to 35, making the age distribution rela-
tively broad.

31
 26%
40%
7%
27%

19-24 25-29 30-35 35 or older

Figure 8. Age distribution.

The second background question was about gender identification. Females clearly over-
powered the gender distribution of the respondents, as is shown in Figure 9. Of all the re-
spondents, 98% identified themselves as females, while only 2% identified themselves as
males.

Female 98%

Male 2%

Other 0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Figure 9. Gender distribution.

The next question was about location. The survey was shared on internationally used plat-
forms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, with the hope that individuals around
the world would reply to it. As the Figure 10 below indicates, of all the respondents, 93%
were located in Europe, 5% were located in America, and 2% were located in Asia.

32
 Africa 0%

America 5%

Asia 2%

Australia/Oceania 0%

Europe 93%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Figure 10. Content of origin.

The final question in the whole survey was “What is your educational background?”. Fig-
ure 11 indicates that the results were dominated by respondents with bachelor's de-
grees/undergraduates by 73%. The rest of the responses were nearly equal together, with
14% of respondents having a Master’s degree or higher and 13% of respondents having
graduated from secondary school. What can be said regarding the respondents is that all
of them had obtained at least a secondary level education.

0%
14% 13%

73%

Elementary school Secondary school Undergraduate/Bachelor's degree Master's degree or higher

Figure 11. Educational background of respondents.

4.3 Consumer Perceptions of Green Marketing and Greenwashing

The third subchapter presents the responses obtained from the online survey. The investi-
gative question of the subchapter answers was: “What are the consumer perceptions of
green marketing in the cosmetic industry?”

33
The survey was open for replies from the 7th of April 2021 until the 19th of April 2021. As
Table 1 below indicates, the survey was opened by 362 respondents from whom 145 indi-
viduals started responding. The first page of the survey included an introductory text that
explained to whom the survey is aimed at. Out of all the individuals who opened the sur-
vey link and started responding, 107 submitted their responses, making the response rate
73% if only the ones who began responding were included. If the individuals who opened
the survey were included as well, the response rate was 29%, making it relatively low. It
was expected that the response rate could be relatively low because of the nature of the
topic. It was considered essential to obtain responses from individuals that are interested
in the topic.

Table 1. Survey follow-up statistics.

Percent-
Follow-up statistics Total age
(N) %
Submitted responses: Public weblink 107 73
Survey opened by respondents 362 249
Started responding 145 100

The first question in the survey was, “Do you use any color cosmetics?” Below the ques-
tion was a definition of what was meant with color cosmetics in the survey. As shown in
Figure 12, 88% of respondents answered yes, while 12% answered no. The survey ended
for those who answered no because the wanted unit was individuals who use makeup.

Yes 88%

No 12%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Figure 12. Distribution of makeup users.

The next question was about purchasing makeup and what affects the respondents' deci-
sion. The question was intended to work as a warm-up question so that the respondents
would not be asked too heavy questions right away. Of all the respondents, the three

34
clearly most important attributes when purchasing makeup were price (76% of respond-
ents), brand (65% of respondents, and recommendations (59% of respondents).
The results indicate that green attributes were more important than tempting advertising,
certifications, or country of origin but still not the top reasons for purchases.
As can be seen from Figure 13, Natural ingredients and no animal testing were the fifth
and sixth most important attributes.

Price 76%
Brand 65%
Natural ingredients 38%
Sustainably produced 24%
Product performance 45%
No animal testing 42%
Tempting advertising 15%
Country of origin 21%
Certifications 20%
Packaging 24%
Other 9%
Recommendations 59%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Figure 13. Effects on the purchasing decisions regarding makeup.

In the next question, the respondents were asked to rate statements utilizing a 5 point Lik-
ert scale. 1 was equal to Strongly Disagree, and 5 was equal to Strongly Agree, while 3
represented a neutral opinion. The statements can be seen in Figure 14 below and were
designed to help understand the respondents' attitudes towards green marketing.

First, the respondents were asked if they know what green marketing is. The mean of the
statement was 3,9, indicating that most of the respondents had quite a neutral opinion.
The most agreed statement was, “Cosmetic companies should be specific in how they are
green/sustainable,” with a mean of 4,6. The next most agreed statements indicate that the
respondents believe that cosmetic companies are more attractive if they are green or sus-
tainable (mean of 4,0) and that their green claims are reliable if they can prove them to be
true (mean of 4,1).

The overall results of Figure 14 indicate that the respondents care whether a cosmetic
company is green or not and that their attitudes towards green claims are skeptical. On
the other hand, if a company can specify how they are green or prove its green claims, the
respondents trust them more.

35
 Please rate the following statements (1= Strongly disagree, 5= Strongly agree)

I am aware of what green marketing is 3,9

Cosmetic companies are more attractive if they are green/
4,0
sustainable.
I don't care if a cosmetic company is green/sustainable 2,2
Cosmetic companies should be specific in how they are
4,6
green/sustainable
I believe when cosmetic companies claim they are
2,8
green/sustainable
I believe green cosmetic claims are reliable, if a company
4,1
can prove them to be true
1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0

Figure 14. Attitudes towards green marketing.

The following question was about attitudes towards greenwashing. To ensure that the re-
spondents understood what greenwashing is, they were explained the term before the
question.

Once again, the respondents were asked to rate statements utilizing a 5 point Likert scale.
As shown in Figure 15, the results strengthen what was already indicated in the results of
the previous question, that the respondents are doubtful over green claims. With a mean
of 4,5, the respondents believe that cosmetic companies are using misleading attributes in
their marketing to create a greener or sustainable image. The respondents found green-
washing to be unethical (mean of 4,3), and some agreed that they avoided purchasing
products from greenwashing cosmetic companies (mean of 3,5). Perhaps surprisingly, the
respondents were neutral regarding whether they could identify greenwashing (mean of
3,0) or if they struggle understanding green claims such as vegan or natural (mean of
2,6). What can be said of the results overall is that the respondents believed that some
cosmetic companies are practicing greenwashing but that were not necessarily able to
identify it.

36
 Greenwashing in the cosmetic industry

I believe some cosmetic companies use misleading

attributes in their marketing, such as colors and figures, 4,5
to suggest that their products are green or sustainable

I am able to identify greenwashing from cosmetic ads

3,0
and claims

I believe all cosmetic companies are greenwashing, to

3,1
some extent

I think greenwashing is unethical 4,3

I avoid purchasing products from companies that are

3,5
greenwashing

I struggle understanding cosmetic claims such as:

2,6
natural or vegan

1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0

Figure 15. Attitudes towards greenwashing in the cosmetic industry.

Figure 16 presents the result obtained from the statement “I search information about cos-
metic products and their sustainable and green attributes.” The aim was to understand
how many of the respondents are willing to search for more specific information regarding
companies' practices. The results were relatively equal, with 55% of the respondents an-
swering yes and 45% answering no.

45%
55%

Yes No

Figure 16. The distribution between consumers looking for information about cosmetics
products and their sustainable and green attributes.

37
Next, a follow-up question was asked, aimed at those who answered that they do search
information about cosmetics products and their sustainable and green attributes. The
question was open-ended, voluntary and requested the respondents to specify where they
searched information from. The answers were analyzed using content analysis.

Thirty-seven respondents answered the question. All of the respondents looked for infor-
mation from the internet, intending to find a source that could prove a point beyond the
company’s advertising. Twenty-four of the respondents mentioned third-party websites
and product packages, and 12 cited the company's website as a source for information. Of
all of the respondents who were using the company’s website, nine said they used other
third-party websites. Eight respondents mentioned that they used Peta or Animalia as
sources when studying animal testing claims. Six respondents said that they also relied on
the word of beauty influencers in addition to the company website. However, they did
point out that they understand that the influencers might not be cosmetics professionals.
To conclude the answers, it seems evident that most of the respondents used third-party
sources, although some of the sources may not be considered scientific or reliable. The
results of the open-ended question confirm the theory of John Grant that companies need
to focus on being green rather than looking green (Grant 2017, 62). If a company has
green and sustainable practices and mentions that in their marketing, no matter where
consumers search for information, they will always come to the same results; the com-
pany has green and sustainable practices.

4.4 Practicing Credible Green Marketing

The fourth subchapter presents the rest of the data obtained from the survey. The aim
was to answer the final investigative questions, “How to do credible green marketing for a
cosmetics company?” and “How can consumers identify greenwashing of cosmetics com-
panies?” The data obtained from this part can be modified and then used in practice.

The respondents were asked to name attributes that they associated with greenwashing.
The question was open-ended and free of choice. 57 of all respondents replied, and the
answers were analyzed using content analysis. Out of all respondents, 51 associated the
terms natural, eco-friendly, cruelty-free, or vegan with greenwashing. Some respondents
added that they found it especially suspicious if a product had all the mentioned attributes
or if the product or brand did not have any certifications. One respondent specified that
they disliked it when cosmetics companies used negative marketing by describing what is
not in their products instead of advertising the included ingredients. Around 34 of the re-
spondents mentioned that long ingredient lists and non-recyclable packages also created

38
associations with greenwashing. 9 respondents said that they associated suggestive vis-
ual attributes such as green colors, leaves, or bohemian fonts to greenwashing if they
were used in the packaging without any other green claims. Another mentioned green-
washing association was ownership structures where large corporations own smaller com-
panies committed to sustainability. Sometimes the owner corporations might not follow
sustainable practices. Altogether, the respondents seemed to believe that any green
claims that were not specified, explained in detail, or supported by certification caused as-
sociations to greenwashing.

Figure 16 below presents the results gained when the respondents were asked to rate
statements regarding cosmetic claims. A 5-point Likert scale was utilized again, with five
representing strongly agree and one representing strongly disagree. The results indicate
that the most well-understood claim was Cruelty-free with a mean of 3,8. The following
most understood claims were organic (mean of 3,5), eco-friendly (mean of 3,3), and para-
ben-free (mean of 3,2). All of the other claims were below the mean of 3 but over 2,1. The
results indicate that the respondents had mostly neutral or understanding opinions about
the listed claims.

If I see any of the following claims in cosmetic products, I understand what

they mean.

Eco-friendly 3,3
Chemical-free 3,0
Paraben-free 3,2
Cruelty-free 3,8
Green 2,3
Organic 3,5
Natural 2,8
Clean 2,1
High-performing 2,6
0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0

Figure 17. Understandability of cosmetics claims.

Figure 18 presents the results gained from the statement “I know what the ISO 2600
standard is”. Regardless of what the respondents answered, they were explained the term
afterward. Clearly, most of the respondents did not know the standard, with 81% of the re-
spondents answering no.

39
 19%

81%

Yes No

Figure 18. Knowledge regarding the ISO 26000 standard.

In the following question, the respondents were asked if they knew what cosmetics certifi-
cations are. As can be seen from Figure 19, this time, 63% of the respondents answered
yes. Regardless of the answer, all of the respondents were defined the term cosmetics
certification.

37%

63%

Yes No

Figure 19. Knowledge regarding cosmetics certifications.

In the final question related to the actual topic, the respondents were asked to rate state-
ments. This time the statements were about green cosmetic claims and the actions com-
panies could take to make them more trustworthy in the eyes of consumers. Once again,
a 5-point Likert scale was utilized, with 5 representing Strongly Agree and 1 representing
Strongly Disagree. As Figure 20 presents, the results were considerably even. The three
most agreed actions were clear and understandable language (mean of 4,5), being spe-
cific in how the brand is green or sustainable (mean of 4,4), and transparency (mean of
4,3). Following ISO 26000 Standards and having a certificate were also considered to be
positive actions that improve trustworthiness.

40
 Green cosmetic claims can be more trustworthy if the company is:

Transparent 4,3
Certified 4,2
Follows ISO 26000 standards 4,1
Specific in how they are green/sustainable 4,5
Using clear understandable language 4,4
I will always doubt cosmetic companies 3,3
Having positive reviews from neutral parties (such as… 3,2

0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0

Figure 20. Trustworthiness of green cosmetic claims.

4.5 Summary of Results

In this subchapter, the results are summarized in the same order they were presented in
the subchapters.

The results of the secondary data research pointed out that cosmetics brands engage in
green marketing by using verbal statements, suggesting pictures and packages, symbols
across different marketing channels, and certifications. Out of the two studied brands, only
Mádara had a certificate to indicate their commitment to sustainability while Tarte was cer-
tified cruelty-free.

The online survey results indicate that the respondents found green marketing attractive
but unreliable unless companies are specific about why they are considered green or had
certifications to prove their claims. Greenwashing was perceived as negative, unethical,
unattractive, common but hard to identify.

The results indicate that in order to do authentic green marketing, a cosmetics company
needs to be transparent, specific, clear, and certified. Similarly, consumers could identify
greenwashing if they see unrecyclable packages, long ingredient lists, unclear language,
and suggestive symbols but no certifications or detailed information to support the claims.
When a cosmetics company is not able or willing to share precisely how they are green or
sustainable, the consumers should become suspicious. On the other hand, if the company
is a subsidiary of a large corporation, consumers should research the owner corporation's
sustainable practices.

41
5 Discussion

This is the final chapter of the thesis. The chapter goes through the key findings, recom-
mendations, and reliability of the finished research process. In the last subchapter, the re-
searcher will reflect on her own learning during the thesis process.

5.1 Key Findings

The research objective of the thesis was to understand what is perceived as credible
green marketing in the cosmetics industry and how consumers can identify greenwashing
cosmetics brands. The research question for the thesis was "How can cosmetic compa-
nies improve the credibility of green marketing from the perspective of the consumer? " In
order to reach the research objectives, a set of investigative questions were created.

The first investigative question was, “How do cosmetics brands engage in green market-
ing/greenwashing?”. The results of the secondary data research pointed out that the stud-
ied cosmetics brands engage in green marketing by using verbal green claims, suggestive
pictures, and symbols. Green marketing was visible everywhere, starting from product
packages and websites to the brands' Instagram profiles. The message was similar in all
channels, and the aim was clearly to create associations with nature and point out the
green attributes and benefits of the products.

The second investigative question was, “What type of certifications cosmetics companies
use to indicate commitment to sustainability?” Out of the two studied cosmetics brands,
only Mádara had a certification, and that was the COSMOS Natural certification by
Ecocert. The certificate is provided to companies that meet the standards regarding natu-
ral ingredients. Tarte Cosmetics was provided with PETA's cruelty-free certificate that indi-
cates that they do not have animal-tested products or ingredients. Both of these certifica-
tions are from third parties, so they can be considered credible. However, consumers
should be careful when they see a brand with a certificate because numerous certificate
logos look alike but might have very different standards.

The third investigative question was “What are the consumer perceptions of green market-
ing?”. The results were obtained through an online survey. As explained in chapter 4, the
results indicated that green marketing is a pretty well-known marketing practice that is
seen as an attractive practice among the respondents. On the other hand, the respond-
ents did not find green marketing credible because the results suggested that the re-
spondents met green claims with suspicion. Cosmetics companies that are able to prove

42
their claims enjoy a higher degree of credibility. The methods to verify the claims included
having a certificate, being transparent, avoiding vague claims, and using clear language.
Greenwashing was perceived as an unethical marketing practice, although the respond-
ents believed it to be common among the cosmetics industry. The respondents mostly felt
that greenwashing was hard to identify, which is perhaps why so many of them perceived
green marketing as a slightly uncredible practice. The results suggested that even though
greenwashing was seen as a negative practice, it did not affect the respondents' purchas-
ing decisions.

The fourth investigative question was “How to do credible green marketing for a cosmetics
company?” The survey results indicate that in order to do authentic green marketing, the
company needs to be transparent, reputable, and specific. Additionally, the green attrib-
utes of the products should be expanded to the product packaging. Most of the respond-
ents said they looked for additional information from company websites and third-party
sites to confirm the green claims. This points out the importance of having green practices
rather than just aiming to look green because if a company is hiding something, it can get
easily caught. Perhaps surprisingly, suggestive symbols were not seen as a credible
method to do green marketing.

The final investigative question was “How can consumers identify greenwashing of cos-
metics companies?” A good way to identify greenwashing is to look for unregulated terms,
suggestive symbols, and vague claims in cosmetics advertising. Consumers should also
be careful with certificates because sometimes companies might use suggestive symbols
such as bunnies that look like certificates but are not.

The research question was answered based on the data obtained from the investigative
questions. Companies can improve the credibility of green marketing by becoming trans-
parent and specific in what they do.

First, the company should define what sustainability and being green means to them. As
we know from the theoretical framework, the terms can have multiple meanings and mean
different things to different individuals. After the terms have been defined, the companies
should shift their focus on developing their practices towards more sustainable. Optionally,
a company could start following sustainable standards such as the ISO 26000 that has
been created by a third party. The ISO 26000 standard is meant to guide companies that
want to get involved with sustainability.

43
Once the company practices are sustainable and constantly developed, the focus can
shift to marketing. As we now know, consumers appreciate transparency and clarity.
When the company practices are sustainable, the marketing team can focus on telling the
truth about the green and sustainable benefits. The marketing should be informative but
suitable for the target audience Certifications can be used to verify the claims, but most
importantly, any green claims should be truthful. Too much information should not be
shared simultaneously, but the company could create an easily accessible database to
their website to provide more detailed information regarding their practices.

Overall, cosmetics companies should not exaggerate or share false information. Creating
claims based on the actual green benefits of the products is considered wise. Truthful
claims will help build trust between the company and its customers.

5.2 Reliability, Validity, and Relevance

The thesis's reliability, validity, and relevance were discussed in Chapter 3. The goal was
to avoid the risks that could affect to the reliability and validity of the data. As was ex-
plained in Chapter 3, specific actions were taken during the secondary and primary data
research to minimize the risks of obtaining or creating invalid or unreliable data.

The first source of data in the thesis was literature used in the theoretical framework. The
researcher read multiple books about the thesis’ topics. Each section of the framework in-
cluded at least two individual literature sources. The theoretical framework can be consid-
ered reliable, valid, and relevant because multiple literature sources provided similar infor-
mation that was used in it. The used literature was as new as possible, although some
older literature was utilized.

The secondary data obtained from company websites, social media accounts, and prod-
uct packages were evaluated. The goal of the secondary data resource was to understand
the different green marketing practices of the studied cosmetics companies. The collected
data was considered to be reliable, valid, and relevant because it was collected directly
from the cosmetics companies' websites and social media accounts.

The most significant risk in the primary data collection online survey was question bias.
Question bias was avoided by creating the survey using general terminology and by put-
ting the questions in a logical order. Some terms were defined to ensure that the respond-
ents understood what they were referring to in the survey. The answers were analyzed us-
ing Webropol and Microsoft Excel, which are reliable tools.

44
Overall the thesis can be considered reliable, valid, and relevant because it utilized sec-
ondary and primary data and had a current topic. Because the number of responses was
not as high as the researcher hoped, the results represent the opinions of a small group of
individuals.

5.3 Recommendations for Consumers

This subchapter presents recommendations for consumers that want to learn how to iden-
tify authentic green and sustainable cosmetics companies.

The first recommendation is to think about personal values regarding sustainability. Just
because someone else thinks a company is not deeply enough involved in sustainability
does not mean that everyone must feel the same way; everyone's values are different.
Once the consumer is aware of their values, they can more easily identify what they con-
sider to be acceptable green marketing and what not.

The second recommendation is to carefully think about what is said. Often, companies
provide consumers with green claims that sound tempting, but when they really start to
think about them, they might turn out to be vague claims that mean nothing. Especially
terms vegan, eco-friendly, natural, organic, or free-from claims should be considered a
warning sign unless the company has been certified. The mentioned terms are not regu-
lated and therefore can be used by any company. Authentic green or sustainable cosmet-
ics companies do not have to use unclear claims. Also, if what the company is saying
sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

The third recommendation is to look for additional information. Unfortunately, identifying

authentic companies often requires additional work, but the information should not be diffi-
cult to find. The company website should include easily accessible information about the
company's practices. If the company cannot clearly explain how they are sustainable or
green, it should be considered alarming.

Sustainability is not only about the ingredients of the products. What should be considered
is the source of the product packaging. If there is no mention of the packaging material, or
the information is hard to find, consumers should question the products sustainability.

The final recommendation is to look for certifications provided by independent parties. Be-
fore a company is admitted with a certificate, it must meet the set requirements. Once a

45
company has been provided with a certification, it acts as proof that its practices are at
least according to the specified requirements. Certificating bodies often share their re-
quirements online, making it possible for consumers to read the requirements.

5.4 Recommendations for Companies

This subchapter presents recommendations for cosmetics companies that want to prac-
tice green marketing and be as credible as possible.

The first recommendation is to have actually sustainable practices. Green marketing

should not be about aiming to look green but about doing green. When a company is just
aiming to look green, they risk losing their reputation if they are caught greenwashing.
When the practices are sustainable, it is easier to create green claims.

The next recommendation is to be transparent. Companies should be open about what

they do, how they do it, and how they aim to develop their practices. Being transparent
while practicing green marketing is easier when the company practices are authentically
involve sustainability.

Green claims should be informative, clear to average consumers, concise and specific.
Green claims should not be too long; otherwise, they might be ineffective. The company
should provide more detailed information on their website so that those consumers that
want to know more can easily access the data. Perhaps surprisingly, companies should
avoid using suggestive symbols such as leaves, trees, or natural colors, because the sur-
vey respondents associated them with greenwashing.

Finally, companies should not use terms such as natural or vegan unless the company is
certified. The survey results indicated that consumers find terms such as natural, organic,
vegan, and eco-friendly suspicious. Similarly, using free-from claims was considered
harmful because it sounds negative. Instead of using those terms, the company could ex-
plain what “good” is in the products, what makes them sustainable or green, and what
value the product brings to the consumer.

5.5 Recommendations for Further Research

This subchapter introduces recommendations for people wanting to research the topic fur-
ther.

46
First of all, further research could focus on individuals of one country or continent rather
than the whole world. This way, the research would produce more detailed data that is
perhaps easier to utilize in practice. Alternatively, the research could compare the differ-
ences between different countries or genders.

Greenwashing and green marketing is a relevant topic concerning any industry, so a simi-
lar study could be expanded to other industries as well. It would be interesting to analyze
the green marketing practices of the food industry or fashion industry, for example.

Finally, to make sure that the further research is credible, any surveys should be done so
that they reach at least 1000 individuals. This way, the obtained data can be considered to
be more reliable and representative of the sample unit.

5.6 Reflection on Learning

The whole thesis process was challenging but interesting for the author. Since the author
started her studies, she had known that she would want to do her thesis about green-
washing in the cosmetic industry. Overall the author believes that she managed to finalize
the whole thesis well, although she understands that some things could have been done
differently.

Covid-19 restrictions caused the biggest challenges for the author. During the writing pro-
cess, the author worked full time at home and could not see any of her friends or go to the
gym. Due to this unnormal situation, the author felt tired a lot of the time. On the other
hand, because the author found the thesis topic so interesting, she learned many new
things during the process. The author had a lot of opinions regarding the topic in the be-
ginning but, during the process, learned that a lot of her opinions were shared by the re-
spondents.

During the writing process, the author understood how important it is to have a flexible
plan which can be easily modified. The more further the author got with the process, the
more she understood that she needed to modify the original plan. The author understands
that the writing process could have been scheduled better because it was very tight. Es-
pecially the survey was published a bit too late, meaning that the number of responses
was low. On the other hand, the author finished the thesis by the deadline, meaning that
she successfully carried out the thesis process within the set time.

47
The author is most proud of the theoretical framework for which she studied over ten
books, although not all of them were utilized. She also got a lot of good feedback from the
online survey respondents.

The overall level of the thesis is not as good as the author's previous level of work, but this
was due to the challenging situation. In the end, the thesis did manage to reach its objec-
tives making the author happy with the overall work.

48
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Appendices

Appendix 1. Online survey

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