By Robert E. Williams II
Over the past couple of the years, the consumer market shifted their attention from a buying mentality to an eco-friendly outlook. Attention to fast-fashion company production allowed for consumers to gain insight about the products they purchase. The price points of major fast-fashion companies such as H&M, ASOS, Zara, and Topshop allow for consumers to obtain “in vogue” looks. Though in recent years consumers have made strides to stray away from fast-fashion retailers and seek out eco-friendly shopping, there remains a mass market overlooked in the discussion.
Beauty brands stand tall in the consumer market with the help of Youtube Beauty Bloggers, Instagram marketing campaigns, and celebrity endorsement. With the rise of the conscious consumer, the consideration for smart buying goes beyond clothing retail.
Beauty brands have gained notoriety amongst the masses. In a report by the BBC using the estimates from market analysts at Mintel, Youtube in 2018 saw the average of one million beauty videos watched per day and the global cosmetic market in 2017 seeing $45.5 billion in revenue with the United States of America contributing $12 billion in sales. A study on beauty shoppers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain displayed young women between the ages of 16 and 24 were most likely to purchase face make-up. The impact of modern media unmistakenly paved way for the beauty boom within the past couple of years, but what is the price of this boom?
With a boom this big, it’s no wonder new beauty brands spring up faster than the consumer can give them attention. Notable brands, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills and Too Faced, turn out new products it seems like almost every month with ABH releasing 8 new eight shadow palettes in 2019 so far. Make-up lovers and collectors seek out limited edition collections from beauty brands and desire the latest products on the market. However, this mass production of goods and this consumption mentality may not be the way to move forward in the market.
Packaging of products and ingredients contribute to harmful effects on the planet. Magnets and mirrors in make-up compacts cannot be recycled, even with the packaging claiming that it is recyclable, these components of the packing need to be removed before moving forward with recycling a finished compact. Ingredients such as synthetic fragrances, chemical SPFs (avobenzone and octisalate), and triclosan all cause negative side effects to marine wild-life.
Recognition of the current condition of the beauty industry at this moment in time can produce a better industry. With the rise of the beauty community also comes the rise of the conscious consumer. It is the responsibility of consumers to speak up about methods of production and regulation of ingredients in products. Purchasing certain brands over others and condensing the amount of make-up consumption can lead to a less inflated market. For more information about the statistics of the beauty industry, ingredients in beauty products, and brands that are eco-friendly, please see the links listed below.
@therobertw
@therobertw
BBC YOUTUBE BEAUTY SALES
INGREDIENTS IN COSMETICS
ECO-FRIENDLY BEAUTY