Global research brand Mintel’s latest consumer trend is New Green Beauty, which is focused on sustainable beauty and personal care in Southeast Asia.
The beauty and personal care industry is massive in Southeast Asia, with more businesses making strides towards becoming more sustainable. Ethical and environmental claims have risen by 66 percent over the last five years; however, consumers have cited high costs and concerns about trustworthiness as barriers that discourage them from purchasing eco-friendly products.
Huiqi Ong, Mintel’s senior consumer lifestyle analyst, believes that brands must balance consuming beauty products and being sustainable to strengthen consumer confidence.
“For one, beauty brands can establish guidelines, rules and goals on their journey toward sustainability and communicate these properly to consumers through universally user-friendly platforms,” explained Ong.
International sourcing has been difficult following the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning product prices have increased. This has pushed brands to find more affordable alternatives, compromising the sustainability of their products. Ong suggests using locally produced ingredients and packaging to reduce costs while supporting local businesses to combat this.
Ong's tips for the beauty community were to design labels to provide more information about the sustainable aspects and to be transparent about their ingredients.
Beauty brands have the opportunity to become the reliable sources consumers need when navigating the popular industry. Mintel believes that not addressing the climate crisis and aligning campaigns or products with local needs will strike an imbalance between waste and beauty consumption.
