Germany Attitudes towards Eco Claims and Circular Beauty: 2026
Eco messaging is now widespread across the beauty space, making sustainability harder for consumers to navigate.
Eco messaging is now widespread across the beauty space, making sustainability harder for consumers to navigate.
"Eco messaging is widespread but hard to navigate, making sustainability a supporting factor that only drives growth when it aligns with performance needs and broader consumer expectations."
Silke Lambers, Senior Analyst - Beauty and Personal Care
Eco messaging is now widespread across the beauty space, making sustainability harder for consumers to navigate. While a large number of products are making environmental claims, they are not doing so with clarity, creating a gap between what brands communicate and what consumers actually understand.
At the same time, economic pressure is reinforcing selective purchasing behaviours, with most consumers mixing eco and conventional products. This shift changes the role of sustainability; sustainability claims no longer drive purchase on their own but support consideration when they align with performance needs. Products that deliver performance alongside eco-friendliness are more likely to resonate.
Growth is therefore less about converting highly eco-committed consumers and more about appealing to a broader group who expect sustainability but do not prioritise it above other benefits. Moving forward, eco products need to keep up with wider market expectations, combining new developments, such as biotech, with a more human, relatable brand approach, while clearly delivering on performance.