Consumers say the beauty industry needs to be more transparent
By Sophie Nutt | 25 September 2019 | Movers & Shakers, News
A recent survey conducted by Showerstoyou.co.uk sought to test the knowledge of British consumers on common ingredients in beauty products.
Out of 2,014 individuals, 59% couldn’t identify the purpose of certain ingredients within beauty products. What’s more, only 37% could state the potential risks that such ingredients carry. This means 63% of respondents were completely unaware of carcinogenic, allergenic and reproductively toxic properties associated with some ingredients included in products.
In light of this, the survey also investigated further consumer attitude towards the cosmetics industry as a whole. The survey reveals over half (56%) of respondents don’t check the ingredients of a product before they buy it, with 25% saying they do and 19% stating ‘sometimes’.
Over half (61%) of respondents said the cosmetics industry should be more regulated to avoid potential dangerous ingredients. In addition to this, British consumers also strongly favour more transparency, as 66% of respondents agreed that brands and manufacturers should share more of their processes and list all ingredients in their products.
Finally, consumers were asked whether they think governing bodies should have more control over the cosmetics industry, with 50% saying yes. Others were less emphatic, with 27% suggesting they should have power in some areas and 23% disagreeing.