Page 16 - IMDR JOURNAL- 2022

A Study based on Factors that affect Consumer Decision Making on
Sustainable Cosmetic Products
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Iyengar
(Professor- Data Science and Marketing Analytics)
Sai Ranjani Chandrashekar, Koustubh Ingale, Kirandeep
Kaur, Ranjit Kumar Pal, Himani Pant

Mandali's Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management
Development and Research, Mumbai

Abstract:
With world moving towards achieving carbon neutral targets and clean energy, businesses need to
concentrate on making products with sustainability in mind. Manufacturing of cosmetic products is a highly
intensive chemical process. Cosmetic products also contribute to environmental abuse in the form of
product packaging made of plastics, paper, glass and metals. An environmentally sustainable product will
cause less environmental damage compared to normally available products. The difference lies in the
environmentally friendly characteristics of the materials/ manufacturing/ recycling etc. Every individual
has a responsibility towards a greener environment and sustainable future. Consumers today are conscious
about the detrimental effects of chemicals on health and there is a growing demand in sustainable and
environmentally friendly cosmetic products.

The authors can be contacted at

Dr. Vijayalakshmi Iyengar - vijayalakshmi.r@welingkar.org
Sai Ranjani Chandrashekar - 1RBA2021-ranjani.chandrashekar@welingkar.org

Koustubh Ingale - 1RBA2021-koustubh.ingale@welingkar.org
Kirandeep Kaur - 1RBA2021-

kirandeep.kaur@welingkar.org
Ranjit Kumar Pal – 1RBA2021-ranjitkumar.pal@welingkar.org

Himani Pant - 1RBA2021-himani.pant@welingkar.org
This paper aims to study the factors that affect consumer decision making on buying the sustainable
cosmetic products. It provides an insight into what factors influence the consumers decision making the
most while buying a sustainable cosmetic product. The approach used was to analyse consumer behaviour
and how likely they were to buy a product on basis of various factors. A self-developed questionnaire was
used to collect data from men and women using Simple Random Sampling. Responses of the questionnaire
were collecting using a five-point Likert Scale. To achieve the goals of this research, the data was collected
from a sample of 200 consumers. Through our study, we inferred that the Product content, Product longevity,
Product recyclability and reusability emerged to be significant factors that influence consumers decision
making on buying sustainable cosmetic products while Product eco-label did not emerge as a significant
factor. We have measured consumer decision making as a function of level of satisfaction among them on
using sustainable cosmetic products.

Introduction
There are many definitions and interpretations of sustainability, but the most common comes from the 1987
report "Our Common Future." The term "sustainability" is derived from the term "sustainable
development," which is defined as actions that meets current population requirements without jeopardising
future generations' ability to meet their own needs (1)(Bruntland 1987). Sustainable products are those that
benefit the environment, society, and economy while protecting public health and our environment

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