Across many shelves of beauty stores, skincare brands market themselves as clean, containing natural ingredients, or having environmentally friendly packaging.
People are more likely to spend money on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. But are these brands actually sustainable, as they claim to be, or is it all just a marketing scheme?
According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, when toxic chemicals in beauty products are washed down the drain or thrown in the trash, they impact the environment, whether through their effect on water quality or the endangerment of wildlife.
Brands like L’Oréal, Aveda, Tarte, and many more have gained controversy due to their practices.
For example, according to a sustainability report from L’Oréal, the company claims that its goal is to have 100% of its packaging materials recycled from bio-based materials by 2025; however, in a 2020 report, only 40% of its packaging was sustainable, which raises concerns about whether it is realistic for L’Oréal to meet its goal this year.
In 2022, Aveda was accused of violating Proposition 65, also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, according to the State of California Department of Justice. Customers were exposed to methyl eugenol, a toxic chemical. It can expose organisms to toxicity and is linked to a substance that can cause cancer, according to the Environmental Working Group.
Countless other companies have followed through with such practices. According to Top Class Actions, Tarte agreed to pay $1.7 million in a class action lawsuit in which a customer was financially injured after purchasing a product from Tarte, as it was advertised as containing natural ingredients when, in reality, it contained synthetic ingredients.
But why is it so controversial for companies not to be environmentally friendly? Brands need to build trust for their audiences to gain profits. Lying to customers decreases credibility, ultimately leading to bankruptcy and a bad reputation.
However, those are not the only consequences. Products that can trigger allergic reactions while claiming they are clean and cruelty-free trigger controversies and harm customers, whether it is financially or physically.
Still, it can be challenging for companies to be environmentally friendly due to factors such as high costs or a demand for specialized expertise in creating sustainable packaging and products. While businesses need to grow and gain a brand image, exaggerated claims are not the answer.
Good ethics are more relevant than ever before. It is imperative that not only individuals do their research, but also that companies are more transparent with their ingredients, rather than relying on false claims to boost their marketing.
