Author: Chiara Quattrone
Date: 06-03-2026

In recent years, environmental sustainability has become an increasingly relevant competitive lever in the cosmetics sector, influencing not only corporate strategies but also consumer purchasing behavior. Within this context, the present research analyzes how values related to environmental sustainability influence the purchasing decisions of consumers belonging to the Millennial Generation (1981–1996) and Generation Z (1997–2012), with a specific focus on a Garnier facial serum.

Research Questions:

1. Is environmental sustainability a driver in the purchase of a facial serum?
2. Which configuration of a sustainable Garnier facial serum (ingredients, packaging, price) generates the greatest utility for the target audience?
3. What is the target’s willingness to pay for a sustainable facial serum?
4. How is the Garnier brand perceived in terms of sustainability compared to its competitors?

Market Scenario and Competitive Context

The skincare market is experiencing a phase of strong expansion, driven in particular by facial skincare products, which in 2024 generated global revenues of USD 113 billion (Statista, 2024)[1]. The sector also shows a positive growth trajectory in Italy, with a value exceeding USD 3 million and a forecast growth rate of +9.6% by 2030 (Cosmetica Italiana, 2024)[2]. In this scenario, companies are required to integrate ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria into their strategies, not only to comply with increasingly stringent regulations but also to address growing consumer sensitivity to sustainability issues.

Figure 1: Revenue of Skin Care segment categories 2018–2029 (USD billions)

The case study analyzed in this research is the Garnier brand, part of the L’Oréal Group, a market leader that in 2024 recorded revenues of over USD 43 billion (L’Oréal, 2025)[1]. In line with the Group’s strategy, in 2020 the company launched the sustainability program “Garnier’s Green Beauty Initiative,” aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its products throughout their entire life cycle.

Figure 2: Pillars of the Garnier’s Green Beauty Initiative program

Research Methodology

The empirical research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, consisting of an initial qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. The qualitative phase, conducted through four in-depth interviews with individuals aged between 16 and 45, made it possible to explore the phenomenon and the different perceptions of the sample. According to the interviewees, a facial serum is considered sustainable when it is formulated with natural ingredients, features recyclable or refillable packaging, and is cruelty-free. Environmental sustainability aspects related to production processes are instead considered of limited importance. The insights that emerged formed the basis for the design of the quantitative questionnaire. The quantitative research was conducted through a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) questionnaire administered online. A total of 165 responses were collected, of which 154 were deemed valid for analysis.

Sample Profile

The sample of respondents is composed mainly of young adults: the 19–24 age group accounts for 42% of the total, followed by the 25–34 age group (40%). Individuals aged between 35 and 45 represent 13% of the sample, while the 14–18 age group accounts for only 3%. From an occupational perspective, 58% of the sample consists of students and almost 35% of employed individuals.

Figure 3: Age of the sample

Figure 4: Occupation of the sample

Gender distribution shows a strong female prevalence (83%), while 12% identify as male and 5% preferred not to declare or identify differently.

Figure 5: Gender of the sample

The geographical origin of the sample is heterogeneous: 31% of respondents come from Southern Italy and the Islands, 30% from Northern Italy, and 25% from Central Italy.

Figure 6: Geographical region of the sample

Skin Care Consumption Habits

The majority of the sample follows a daily facial skincare routine: 51% use skincare products twice a day, while 34% use them once a day. Only 15% report occasional use.

Figure 7: Frequency of skincare routine

Facial serum is the second most frequently used product in the sample, after face cream. Pharmacies represent the main purchase channel for skincare products, and most respondents gather information about skincare products through social media content.

Figure 8: Frequency distribution – Most frequently used products

Purchase Drivers of a Facial Serum

To understand the elements guiding the choice of a facial serum, respondents were asked to rate the importance of 22 elements on a scale from 0 to 9, divided between product characteristics and environmental sustainability attributes. This initial analysis shows that, on average, sustainability-related elements are not the most important factors in the choice of a facial serum. However, some aspects such as “Cruelty-free certification,” “Transparency in communicating the product’s environmental impact,” and “Packaging made from recycled/recyclable material” are considered more important, on average, than “Brand,” “Price,” and “Reviews.”

Figure 9: Analysis of average importance ratings

Factor Analysis allowed these 22 elements to be summarized into eight factors:

• Sustainable production
• Ethics and formulation
• Reliability and external evaluations
• Aesthetics
• Product performance
• Price
• Brand
• Quantity

The factors most closely related to sustainability are “Sustainable production” and “Ethics and formulation.” The first reflects the company’s commitment to adopting low environmental impact production practices, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using renewable energy, and limiting water consumption. The second factor is more closely associated with variables that qualify the product as “sustainable” in the eyes of consumers, such as refillable packaging, the absence of animal-derived ingredients, and cruelty-free certification.

Table 1: Factor Analysis – Total Variance Explained

Table 2: Factor Analysis – Rotated Component Matrix

Sample Segmentation

In order to identify consumers for whom environmental sustainability is the primary driver in facial serum choice, a Cluster Analysis was conducted, segmenting the sample into five homogeneous groups based on purchasing preferences:

• Brand Loyalists, for whom the main purchase driver is the brand, followed by formulation and ethical value.
• Aesthetes, consumers who base their purchasing decisions primarily on product aesthetics.
• Pragmatists, consumers for whom sustainability factors are not relevant; aesthetics, price, and quantity are more important.
• Conscious Consumers, the only cluster whose purchasing decisions are driven primarily by the ethical value of the product and, to a lesser extent, by ingredient quality and formulations.
• Demanding Consumers, who choose facial serums solely based on product performance, assigning little importance to all other factors.

The most relevant cluster for the purposes of this research is the Conscious Consumers cluster, which represents 30% of the sample. These consumers identify formulation and ethical-environmental value as their primary purchase drivers.

Table 3: Cluster Analysis – ANOVA Table

Figure 10: Cluster Analysis – Number of respondents per cluster

Table 4: Cluster Analysis – Final Cluster Centers

Conjoint Analysis and Price Positioning

Within the questionnaire, nine offer profiles of a sustainable Garnier facial serum were evaluated, differing in ingredients, packaging, and price. Conjoint Analysis made it possible to estimate the part-worth utilities associated with each attribute. For the Conscious Consumers cluster, a clear preference emerges for:

• Vegan ingredients
• Refillable packaging
• Recyclable packaging

These results highlight strong coherence between the purchase preferences declared by the cluster and those indirectly measured through Conjoint Analysis across the nine offer profiles included in the questionnaire.

Table 5: Conjoint Analysis – Utility Estimates (Conscious Consumers)

The willingness-to-pay analysis shows that Conscious Consumers are willing to pay more than all other clusters for a serum with these characteristics:

• +€4.48 for vegan ingredients
• +€2.25 for refillable packaging
• +€2.79 for recyclable packaging

The price positioning of a sustainable Garnier facial serum was also estimated using the Van Westendorp model, which identified, for the Conscious Consumers cluster, an acceptable price range between €10.50 and €17.80, with an optimal price of €13.85.

Table 7: Comparison between Conjoint Analysis Results and the Van Westendorp Model

Correspondence Analysis and Perceptual Gap

Correspondence Analysis highlights a significant perceptual gap: despite the investments made in recent years, Garnier is not perceived as a brand strongly committed to environmental sustainability, but rather as a quality brand. This result is consistent with the finding that 74% of respondents report limited awareness of the brand’s sustainability initiatives, suggesting a communication issue rather than a problem with the offering itself.

Figure 11: Positioning map

Strategic Implications

In conclusion, the analyses conducted show that certain elements of environmental sustainability, summarized by the factor “Ethics and formulation,” represent the primary driver in the choice of a facial serum for the Conscious Consumers cluster, which constitutes a significant share of the sample. For this segment, sustainability attributes not only influence the purchasing process but also justify a higher willingness to pay, especially when vegan ingredients and refillable and recyclable packaging solutions are present.

However, the combined analysis of the results indicates that a strategy focused exclusively on a vegan formulation would lead to a more niche positioning, less consistent with Garnier’s mass-market nature. Conversely, a formulation based on natural ingredients emerges as the most effective solution, as it is the only one capable of generating positive utility across all analyzed clusters.

Another key finding is the gap between the brand’s investments in environmental sustainability and consumers’ actual perception of them. Limited awareness of Garnier’s sustainability initiatives suggests the need for a clear and concrete communication strategy regarding sustainability attributes. Packaging, points of sale, and digital channels play a crucial role in this regard, as they represent the main touchpoints through which the value generated by these attributes can be made visible and tangible. This approach would help reduce the perceptual gap, strengthen brand positioning, and transform sustainability investments into a distinctive source of real competitive advantage.

Figure 12: Offer profile of a sustainable Garnier facial serum