The cosmetics industry. Market evolution and costumer behaviours

The expectations of today’s consumers are constantly evolving, and nowadays the cosmetics industry has become an essential component in ensuring quality of life and well-being, especially in the most developed countries. Over the years, consumer needs have changed and thanks to the process of certification, consumers are better informed about the presence of contaminants in the products they buy and about their consequences for human health and the environment. In the food and cosmetics industries, consumers have become more sensitive regarding ethics, paying more attention to animal welfare and fair trade labels (Jeffries 2013). To meet ever changing consumer demands, science and innovation together with the responsible use of resources, has seen the implementation of best practices in the cosmetics supply chain (Pereira de Carvalho and Barbieri 2012) by promoting quality and safety consciousness as part of a sustainable and integrated vision. This study examines a random sample of women with the aim of analyzing the key variables that influence the process of purchasing sustainable cosmetics. The theoretical model is based on exogenous variables related to the qualities of the ingredients in cosmetics to determine the relationship between the purchasing process and environmental awareness in the promotion of sustainable consumption in this sector. The results lead to an analysis of the biological cosmetics sector and its future scenarios related to customers’ willingness to pay for sustainability.