Shift in Attitude and Perception- Study of Cosmetic Users
Dr. Pavitra Shrivastava, Shefalli Chhibber
Abstract: Natural ingredients have been a part of the cosmetic industry for centuries before it got over powered by the use of various chemicals in the beauty products. Now a days, the natural ingredients in the cosmetic products have become more prevalent in formulations due to consumers’ awareness and concerns about the chemical substances. The term “natural” is defined as something or an ingredient that is produced by the nature or found in nature and is directly extracted from plants or animal products. Sources of natural ingredients can include herbs, fruits, flowers, leaves, minerals, water and land. The use of plant extracts in skin care products is highlighted by consumer demand, who are increasingly concerned with buying ecologically friendly products. The trend of using natural cosmetics is not just because of the awareness among the consumers but also because of the advertisements that the natural cosmetic brands are using. Since the consumers have developed a positive attitude towards the natural products, it has made even the multi-national cosmetic brands to enter the cosmetic industry with products having natural ingredients.
Keywords : Advertising, Beauty, Consumer behaviour, Cosmetics, Natural
I. INTRODUCTION
The word “cosmetae” was first used to describe Roman slaves whose function was to bathe men and women in perfume. In Egypt, as early as 10,000 BC, men and women used scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin and mask body odour. Dyes and paints were used to colour the skin, body and hair. They rouged their lips and cheeks, stained their nails with henna and lined their eyes and eyebrows heavily with kohl.
Kohl was a dark-coloured powder made of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, ash, malachite, chrysocolla (a blue-green copper ore) or any combination thereof. It was applied with a small stick. The upper and lower eyelids were painted in a line that extended to the sides of the face for an almond effect. In addition to reducing sun glare, it was believed that kohl eyeliner could restore poor eyesight and reduce eye infection. Kohl was kept in a small, flat-bottomed pot with a wide, tiny rim and a flat, disk-shaped lid.
Cosmetics were an inherent part of Egyptian hygiene and health. Oils and creams were used for protection against the hot Egyptian sun and dry winds. Myrrh, thyme, marjoram, chamomile, lavender, lily, peppermint, rosemary, cedar, rose, aloe, olive oil, sesame oil and almond oil provided the basic ingredients of most perfumes that were used in religious ritual and embalming the dead. For the lips, cheeks and nails, a clay called red ochre was ground and mixed with water. Henna was
used to dye fingernails yellow or orange. Makeup was stored in special jars that were kept in special makeup boxes. Women would carry their makeup boxes to parties and keep them under their chairs.
SK Chaudhari and NK Jain say that few evidences of cosmetic usage have been found in China around 3000 BC. Chinese people began to stain their fingernails with gum arabic, gelatin, beeswax and egg. The colours used represented social class. The Chou dynasty royals wore gold and silver and later royals wore black or red. The Chinese used one word to represent perfume, incense and fragrance. That word was Heang. Heang was divided into six aesthetic moods: Tranquil, reclusive, luxurious, beautiful, refined or noble. The Chinese upper classes made lavish use of fragrance during the T’ang dynasties that began in the 7th century AD and continued until the end of the Ming dynasty in the 17th century. Their bodies, baths, clothing, homes and temples were all richly scented, as was ink, paper, cosmetics and sachets tucked into their garments. China imported jasmine- scented sesame oil from India, Persian rosewater via the silk route and eventually, Indonesian aromatics – cloves, gum benzoin, ginger, nutmeg and patchouli – through India. The famous Materia Medica Pen Ts’ao was published in China during the 16th century. It discusses almost 2000 herbs and contains a separate section on 20 essential oils. Jasmine was used as a general tonic; rose improved digestion, liver and blood; chamomile reduced headaches, dizziness and colds;
ginger treated coughs and malaria.
When we say, environment friendly components/ ingredients in cosmetics, on a large scale we are generally talking about four types of environment-friendly ingredients; Natural, herbal, Ayurveda, Organic. A confusion exists in the consumer market regarding the difference between natural and organic products. A further complication is created by herbal and ayurvedic product categories.
- Natural Products
Natural products are made from plants and minerals that occur in nature and have not been produced in a laboratory and are not man made. However, pesticides and chemical fertilizers might have been used to enhance their growth.
- Herbal Products
Herbal products are made of plant extracts, plant roots, leaves, etc and used as per their medicinal properties.
The word herbal is derived from the medieval Latin
liber herbalis (“book of herbs”) Herbal products are free of chemicals.
- Ayurveda Products
Ayurveda is medicinal science which includes use of herbs as well as heavy metals like gold, silver, copper, tin, mercury, sulphur, animal extracts, etc.
Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit word Āyurveda which means ‘life-knowledge’. Ayurveda products may not be completely natural and may sometimes contain toxic levels of metals.
- Organic Products
Organic products are also made from natural ingredients but they are grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Organic is a labelling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods.
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
An article in the The National by Rebecca Bundhan in October 2015 states that the market today is undergoing a transition where all the major leading cosmetic brands are shifting their focus from chemical-based to natural based cosmetics. This trend is in action not only in India but throughout the world. The competition between brands is cut- throat and with the emergence of new natural brands has created more competition in the cosmetic industries.
Everything natural and environmentally friendly is the thing of today. It goes from food and clothes to cosmetics and make-up.
In order to keep up with the current trends cosmetics companies like Beiersdorf, Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal and Unilever are designing their own natural products to meet the demand. The sales of natural cosmetics have increased quite rapidly and are expected to grow even more in the coming years.
Himalaya; A herbal products company recently launched its range of wellness products which aim to provide therapeutic solutions instead of medication. Products ranging from anti- hairfall cream to pills for staying slim are part of its new initiative to meet growing demand from a section of consumers who prefer to stay healthy and avoid medication. Dabur also recently launched ayurvedic products in various categories like hair oil. It has also forayed into the baby care segment and the country’s biggest FMCG Company, French cosmetics giant L’Oreal has rolled out ayurvedic shampoo, conditioner, oil and cream under its Garnier Ultra Blends brand, Hindustan Unilever relaunched Ayush and acquired hair oil brand Indulekha, while Emami bought out Kesh King hair oil.
Mr. Praveen Jaipuriar, Marketing head, Dabur said
“Millennial consumers are leading the trend — they are increasingly seeking the natural, untouched, unmade-up look from their beauty care products. As they become savvier about
‘green’ choices, we are seeing a marked shift in preferences in favour of natural products,”
Sameer Shukla, executive director, retail measurement services – South Asia, Nielsen (India) Pvt Ltd, said, while naturals have been an age-old trend/practice in India and Asia Pacific region, the trend is aggressively expanding to other parts of the world. "In the year 2016, the naturals segment contributed 41% to the overall personal care pie and the balance 59% was non-naturals. The increasing trend is evident from the fact that the number four years ago (for naturals segment in India) was only 37%," said Shukla, adding that though a lot of Indian companies were targeting the ethnic population (with naturals/herbal products) in other parts of the world, the trend has now started spreading globally.
The report says that over half of Indian consumers reported
‘natural or organic’ features influencing hair and skin care purchase decisions. While 71 per cent of consumers surveyed said that they would pick up a face cream or lotion if it claimed to be ‘natural’, 38 per cent said they would buy a shampoo or hair oil if it was made with ‘botanical’ ingredients. Even
‘religious compliance’ has swayed 17 per cent consumers, the data show. “Time-pressed consumers are seeking convenience in beauty and personal care routines and are aware of damaging effects of harsh chemicals. This has spurred demand for natural beauty and personal care products as a safer alternative. In a market like India where herbal and ayurvedic hair and skin care has a legacy of usage (for example, henna, bhringraj or brahmi oil, or herbal face packs), awareness and benefits of herbal or botanical ingredients is high
Executives at both supermarkets and online stores said ‘natural’
products have been flying off store shelves clocking 20-25 per cent year-onyear growth versus 10 per cent for regular ones.
“Consumers are looking for simplicity. Brands with too much complexity and claims hard to understand need to revisit their consumer proposition,” said Devendra Chawla, president-food and FMCG, Future Group. In recent months, the ‘naturals’ space has turned intensely competitive.
This Conference journal uses double-blind review process, which means that both the reviewer (s) and author (s) identities concealed from the reviewers, and vice versa, throughout the review process. All submitted manuscripts are reviewed by three reviewers. The review report and acceptance will be sent after review.
III. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1. To understand the perception that consumers hold towards natural cosmetics.
2. To determine the reason of the shift of consumers from chemical-based cosmetics to natural cosmetics.
3. To determine, whether the era of chemical-based cosmetics is coming to an end.
4. To understand, the buying behaviour of consumers towards herbal cosmetics.
IV. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study uses Descriptive research. Descriptive research involves gathering data that describe a phenomenon and then organize and interpret it to come to a conclusion. The study uses aids such as graphs and charts to get a better understanding of the data analysis and give a clear picture of the change in trends of cosmetics from chemical- based to herbal. The research made use of primary data that was collected using a structured questionnaire with closed ended questions and distributed to 150 respondents sampled from West Delhi region in the age group 20-50 years. The completed questionnaires were collected on the same day and the responses were analysed. Out of the 150 questionnaires that were distributed, only 137 were considered.
V. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Table 1: Demographic Data
Age 20- 25 years
26- 30 years
31- 35 years
36-40 years
41- 45 years
46- 50 years
32 38 24 22 12 9
Educational Qualification
Graduate Post-Graduate
66 71
Marital Status
Married Single
73 64
Annual Income
Less than 2.5 Lakhs
2.5 Lakhs- 5 Lakhs
5 Lakhs-
10 Lakhs
More than 10 Lakhs
78 39 12 8
• The sample is selected from the age group of 20-50 years and the maximum number of respondents belong to the age group of 26-30 years. Although the maximum number of respondents belong to this age group but the cosmetics are used by women of all age group between the ages 20 years and 50 years.
•
Out of 137 respondents, 66 women are educated up to the graduate level and 71 are educated up to the Post- graduation level.•
Out of 137 respondents, 66 women are educated up to the graduate level and 71 are educated up to the Post- graduation level.•
The data above shows that whether women earn less than Rs. 2.5 Lacs per annum or whether she earn more than 10 lacs, she invests her money in cosmetics.Table 2: Frequency of using cosmetics
• Out of the 137 respondents, 84 women used some or the other cosmetics daily. 41 women use them frequently and 12 women use cosmetics on some occasions.
Table 3: Ever tried Environmental-friendly cosmetics
25%
19% 30%
17%
9%
Age
20-25 years 26-30 years 31-35 years 36-40 years 41-45 years 46- 50 years
95%
5%
Educational Qualification
Graduate Post-Graduate
47% 53%
Marital Status
Married Single
28% 57%
9%6%
Annual Income
Less than 2.5 Lakhs 2.5 Lakhs-5 Lakhs 5 Lakhs-10 Lakhs More than 10 Lakhs
48 41
12
0 0
20 40 60
Daily FrequentlyOccasionaly Rarely
Frequency of Using Cosmetics
Frequency
•
According to the above-mentioned data, 121 out of the total 137 respondents have tried natural cosmetics.This data clearly depicts how popular natural cosmetics are becoming in the market. Approximately 88% of the sample have tried or are using natural cosmetics.
Table 4: Most Effective Medium for Information of Environment-Friendly Products
• According to the data collected, the respondents believe that the most effective medium would be internet, the second being Social media, then television and Family being fourth preference.
Respondents did not select magazine as their preference because it has a lesser reach in comparison to other mediums and magazines don’t come daily.
Table 5: Non-Natural Brands entering the market with Environmental- Friendly products
•
There are many brands that are entering the market of natural cosmetics. These brands are not only the smallones but also the multi-national brands. Examples of such brands are, L’Oreal Paris, Lakme etc. So, the respondents are asked whether they know about such brands. 77 respondents out of the total 137 respondents said they do know about these brands while 45 respondents were not sure of these brands.
Table 6: Environmental- friendly products that are being used
• The data in the above table clearly depict which natural products are popular among users. Natural shampoos and conditioners and natural face washes are the most popular natural products among the consumers. In comparison to make-up products and moisturisers, there are a large number of natural facewashes and shampoos available in the market and also, the trend of using natural make-up products is yet to enter the market. The fact that a huge brand like, Lakme has introduced natural make-up products in Indian market is a proof that natural make-up products will soon flood the market just like natural facewashes and shampoos.
Table 7: Environmental- Friendly products are as good as Chemical based products
•
There is a misconception among users that herbs or natural ingredients are less effective in comparison to chemicals. Since there is a rise in the number of natural products, the respondents are asked whether they believe that natural cosmetics are as good as the chemical cosmetics. To this, in all 125 respondents agreed (Strongly agree+ agree) and 12 people responded neutrally. None of the respondents disagreed with the statement.48
0
16 0
20 40 60
Yes No May be
Natural Cosmetics
Frequency
36
19
76
0 0 0 6 0
65
43
5 24
36
53
39
0 9
22 17
98
0 50 100 150
First Preference
Second Preference
Third Preference
Fourth Preference
Most Effective Medium for Information
Television Magazine Internet Social Media Family/Friends
36
15
45
0 10 20 30 40 50
Yes No May be
Non-Natural Brands
Frequency
98
60 22
132
39 77
115
5 0
50 100 150
Shampoo and Conditioners
Moisturisers Make-up products
Face-washes
Products Tried
Yes No
48
77
12 0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly Agree
Agree Neither Agree nor
Disagree
Disagree Strongly Disagree
Natural Products
Frequency
Table 8: Famous Brands with Environment- Friendly Products
• According to the data recorded in the table above, the most popular brand among the users of natural cosmetics are Himalaya as 97 out of 137 respondents are using them. The second popular brand among the respondents is Body shop which is chosen by 77 respondents. Lotus Herbals is the third most popular brand as it is chosen by 75 respondents followed by Patanjali and Bioqtiue that are chosen by 70 respondents.
Table 9: Reason of Shift from Chemical based products
• The popularity of natural cosmetics has changed the entire trend of cosmetic industry. Initially, when the cosmetics were new in our country, people only had natural cosmetics. with changing times, people starting choosing chemical based cosmetics since they showed better and faster results. Again, since a few years there has been a shift to natural cosmetics. the chart above shows the reason of this shift. The most popular reason according to the data collected shows that people are making this shift because they have become more conscious of what they are using on their skin, what is the composition of the cosmetics they are using etc
Table 10: Ratio of Environment- Friendly Products used
•
In order to understand how deep have the natural products penetrated in the market of cosmetics, the respondents were asked, how many natural products they use? The responses are recorded in the table above. Fifty-three respondents said that if they use five cosmetic products, out of them, three are natural.Thirty-two respondents said that two out of five products that they use are natural and thirty respondents said that four out of five cosmetics that they use are natural.
Table 11: Factors affecting Consumer Buying Behaviour
• The most important factor that influences the buying behaviour of a consumer is the brand image that the product has in the market. Brand image can be understood as the impression that the brand has in the market or on the minds of the consumers. The second important factor is, the quality of the product. Quality plays an important role in shaping or destroying the brand image in the market. So, it is important for brand to maintain their quality standards in the market. The third driving factor of buying behaviour according to the data collected is, the word-of-mouth publicity.
Word-of-mouth publicity is the publicity that is done by the existing consumers of the brand. It has an important role to play in forming a perception about a brand or product in the minds of the users. That is so because people tend to believe their friends and family more 70
97 77
35 75
34
59 41 32 70
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Brands Used
Frequency
52
25
16
44
30 33
24
8 21
33
26
31
0
18
7 8
0 0
21 21
24
0
43
25
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
First Preference
Second Preference
Third Preference
Fourth Preference
Reasons of Shift
Health/Beauty Advertisements Low Cost Indianness Social Influence No Side Effects
0 9
32 53
30 0 13
20 40 60
None of them
1 out of 5
2 out of 5
3 out of 5
4 out of 5
All of them
Five Cosmetics
Frequency
73
0 4
25 12
42
22 25
43
56
38
0
0 8
23 0 5
16 24
48
9 15
26
0 20 40 60 80
First Preference
Second Preference
Third Preference
Fourth Preference
Consumer Behaviour
Brand Image Price Quality
Packaging Advertisements Word of Mouth
than they believe advertisements or other promotional methods. Fourth important driving force is the advertisements done by the product or brand. Main purpose of advertisements is to persuade the customer into trying the product. So, it is very obvious that it is a big factor that influences the buying behaviour of the consumer. The clubbed chart of the preferences of the respondents is mentioned below.
Table 12: Environment- Friendly Products taking over the market
•
One of the main objectives of this study is to find out whether the natural cosmetics are taking over the market of chemical-based cosmetics. Respondents are asked if they feel this way. Fifty-seven respondents said that Yes, natural cosmetics are taking over the market of chemical-based cosmetics. twenty-three respondents went into denial and fifty-seven respondents were not sure of whether this is happening or not.To establish that relations among different variables exist, Pearson Co-relation test was applied. Mentioned below are the tables depicting the tests and the significance.
Table 25: Correlation between;
- Are you willing to try the natural products of these brands?
- Do you prefer buying natural cosmetics over chemical- based cosmetics?
Are you willing to
try the natural products
of these brands?
Do you prefer buying natural cosmetics
over chemical -
based cosmetics
?
Are you willing to try the natural products of these
brands?
Pearson
Correlation 1 .381**
Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 137 137
Do you prefer buying natural cosmetics over chemical-based cosmetics?
Pearson
Correlation .381** 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 137 137
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Table 26: Correlation between:
- Where do you get the information of natural cosmetics? 1st Preference
- Which according to you is the most effective form of medium to get the information about natural cosmetics? 1st Preference
Where do you get
the informatio
n of natural cosmetics
? 1st Preferenc
e
Which according
to you is the most effective form of medium to get the informatio n about natural cosmetics
? 1st Preferenc
e Where do you get
the information of natural cosmetics?
1st Preference
Pearson
Correlation 1 -.239**
Sig. (2-tailed) .005
N 137 137
Which according to you is the most effective form of medium to get the information about natural cosmetics?
1st Preference
Pearson
Correlation -.239** 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .005
N 137 137
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
73 23
57 0
20 40 60 80
Yes No May be
Market
Frequency
Table 27: Correlation between:
- Are the natural cosmetic brands taking over the market of chemical based cosmetic brands?
- Would you recommend others to choose natural cosmetics over chemical-based cosmetics?
Are the natural cosmetic
brands taking over
the market of chemical
based cosmetic
brands?
Would you recommend others to
choose natural cosmetics
over chemical-
based cosmetics?
Are the natural cosmetic brands
taking over the market of chemical
based cosmetic brands?
Pearson
Correlation 1 .530**
Sig. (1-tailed) .000
N 137 137
Would you recommend others
to choose natural cosmetics over chemical-based cosmetics?
Pearson Correlation
.530** 1
Sig. (1-tailed) .000
N 137 137
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed).
VI. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
According to the data collected, the respondents of the study are familiar with the trend of shift from chemical-based cosmetics to natural cosmetics. The sample selected are avid users of natural cosmetics as well as chemical-based. They are familiar even with the non- natural brands that are entering the market with natural composition. Most of the respondents use natural products because they are becoming more and more health conscious and are very much aware of what should be used for their skin and what not. The most popular natural products among the sample selected are hair products and face washes. Also, the survey showed that Himalaya, Body Shop, Lotus Herbals, Patanjali and Biotique are the most popular brands among the users. Overall, survey showed that the sample selected hold a positive perception towards natural cosmetics and are willing to influence other people to try natural products.
There is no doubt, that there is a shift in the perception of consumers from natural cosmetics to chemical-based. This shift is mainly because of the increasing awareness among people regarding the composition of cosmetics. earlier, people never paid attention to what chemicals they were applying to their skin but now, they know about each and every ingredient in their product and what effect that ingredient has on their skin; be it positive effect or negative. The advertisements too have a major role to play in making this shift happen. It is the job of the advertisements to generate need and influence people into buying a particular product. The advertisements are a big reason that people started to realise how badly chemicals affect their skin. And how natural cosmetics are better for them.
Advertisements of natural products are always linked to Indian history of Vedas and highlights the relationship of herbs with our culture thus making people wonder if what our ancestors used for their skin were better than what we use. The next factor that has led to the shift is the low cost of natural products. These natural products are mostly Indian brands and they target the audiences in order to penetrate the market. Another reason for this major shift is that natural cosmetics rarely have any side effects on skin. On one hand, chemicals can cause allergies or may have side effects, the natural cosmetics due to their composition rarely causes allergies or side effects. The low cost added with no side effects is the biggest reason of why there is a shift from chemical-based cosmetics to natural cosmetics.
The rise in the demand of natural cosmetics is increasing and it has been established that it is because of valid reasons. Herbs are better than chemicals for the skin in every way and when people can beautify themselves with natural ingredients, they definitely would not go after chemicals. So, to say that it’s the end of an era for chemical products is not wrong. The chemical products will not get extinct from the market but their demand and sale will surely decrease. As the survey has established, one of the reasons of the shift is the low cost of natural products. But, the respondents have also said that they will continue to prefer natural products over chemical products if the prices of natural products are increased. This is another reason of why the market of chemical cosmetics will go down in future.
VII. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
• This study has been restricted only to the females. A comparative analysis of males and female sample could lead to an interesting study.
• This study is conducted in a six-month period. More time was needed to include various other variables.
VIII. CONCLUSION
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AUTHORS PROFILE
Dr. (Prof.) Pavitra Shrivastava, Dean- Academics, Head of Department, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal. (M.P.)
Shefalli Chhibber, Ph.D. Scholar, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal. She has a Masters’ degree in Advertising and PR and holds 1-year teaching experience in Advertising and Public Relations. Published 6 papers so far in area of Advertising, Public Relations and Consumer Behaviour.
