What: Are beauty brands less environmentally friendly than fashion brands?

Why it is important: It exposes the lack of transparency and accountability in the beauty industry's sustainability claims, urging for greater consumer awareness and industry reform.

A new report by sustainability rating platform Good on You highlights the challenges consumers face in navigating the beauty industry’s vague marketing terms like “clean” and “natural.” The report, which analysed nearly 240 beauty brands, found that the industry lacks transparency, with brands often failing to substantiate claims about their products, such as cruelty-free formulas or eco-friendly packaging. Compared to the fashion industry, the beauty sector struggles more with supply chain transparency and addressing human rights concerns. Good on You, which has previously assessed over 6,000 fashion brands, ranked most beauty brands as “Not Good Enough” or worse, with only a few, such as Disruptor London and Odylique, achieving high marks.

One major issue is the fragmented and complex nature of the beauty industry’s supply chains, making it difficult to track the sourcing of raw ingredients, such as palm oil and mica, both of which are linked to environmental and ethical concerns. Despite the industry’s struggles, some top-performing brands like Tropic, Pai Skincare, and Lush were recognized for their sustainability efforts. Good on You’s expansion into beauty comes as retailers face increasing scrutiny over greenwashing, with regulatory bodies demanding more transparency. The organization aims to empower both consumers and businesses to encourage positive change in the industry by providing clear sustainability rankings.

Are big beauty brands greenwashing worse than fashion?