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Discussion
From the study conducted by Ezlika Ghazali, Pat Chen Soon, Dilip S. Mutum and Bang Nguyen on “Health
and cosmetics: Investigating consumers’ values for buying organic personal care products”, the findings
suggests that hedonic value had strongest impact on driving the consumer’s decision in buying organic
personal care product. Though our study did not cover hedonic value aspects, we imply from the study that
hedonic value arrives from natural ingredients used in organic products to signify safety have given
consumers a complete
peace of mind to enjoy the use of these organic products. When consumers enjoy and are happy using
organic PCP, their attitude toward the products becomes more positive. Consumers experience pleasure and
delight and become more loyal when a product satisfies or exceeds hedonic criteria, according to Chitturi et
al. (2008), and so become repeat buyers for an organic personal care product.
According to a study by Yifeng Lin, Shaohua Yang, Haniruzila Hanifah, and Qaisar Iqbal titled "An
Exploratory Study of Consumer Attitudes toward Green Cosmetics in the UK Market,"
(51) respondents strongly associated green cosmetics with natural and organic cosmetics and were
inclined to environmentally friendly cosmetic product production. Also, according to the results of the
study, because some respondents had prior knowledge of green cosmetics, they were able to better analyse
the contents and distinguish them from non-green cosmetics. Overall, consumers were aware of the
components in their cosmetics as well as their environmental impact, according to the survey.
Our study also concludes that respondents pay more attention to ingredients of the products before buying
and statistically, it is a significant factor and acts as one of the driving factors in influencing consumer’s
decision making in buying the green cosmetic product.
Researchers have discovered that product longevity is a key factor in consumer decision- making on buying
sustainable cosmetic product. This aspect has not been widely addressed in contemporary studies, according
to the literature. In our study we inferred that product longevity occurs to be significant. Consumers
nowadays verify the product's manufacturing and expiration dates before purchasing it. They also believe
that organic products will last longer. They also avoid buying things on sale only because they are about to
expire. Men and women, based on our informal observations in the market, are concerned about product
lifespan. Our data gathering was validated by statistical analysis.
According to our study reuse and recyclability supports the purchase decision of the customer and it can be a
dominant factor as supported by Testa, F, Iovino, R, Iraldo, F who state that packaging influences purchasing
decisions and that consumers seek consistency between personal attitudes, other pro-environmental
behaviours, and the circular attributes of packaging. Our study also agrees with the findings of Leslie Lu,
Dora Bock and Mathew Joseph, which stated reuse and recyclability have strong association with millennial
intent to purchase green products.
According to our study, product eco-label augments the purchase decision of the consumer, but it cannot be a
dominant factor which is in contradiction with the study proposed by Chekima, B.C.; Syed Khalid Wafa,
S.A.W.; Igau, O.A.; Chekima, S.; Sondoh, S.L., Jr, which states environmental attitude, eco-label and
cultural value significantly influence the green purchase intention. Eco-label, which emphasises product
sustainability, is the most important factor influencing customers' product purchases. The result of our study
implies that Eco-label is a necessary condition but not sufficient condition to buy the sustainable cosmetic
product which is in agreement with previous studies (Zhang, L.; Li, D.; Cao, C.) that reported that many
businesses have attempted to repair or enhance their public image in recent years by projecting an image of
environmental stewardship. Consumers' enthusiasm for buying green products has been harmed by
"greenwashing" instances, which have occurred on a regular basis. The negative impact of "greenwashing"
is more pronounced, especially for people who are concerned about environmental issues.
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