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Article

The Influence of Eco-Labeling in Green Beauty Products: Shaping Attitudes and Driving Purchase Intentions

by
Costa Synodinos
School of Management Sciences, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
Sustainability 2026, 18(7), 3348; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073348
Submission received: 11 February 2026 / Revised: 20 March 2026 / Accepted: 27 March 2026 / Published: 30 March 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumption Innovation and Consumer Behavior in Sustainable Marketing)
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Abstract

Growing consumer awareness of environmental issues has led to heightened interest in environmentally responsible personal care products, with notable growth in the green beauty market. Despite this trend, consumer evaluations and purchasing decisions are shaped by numerous elements, particularly the trustworthiness of environmental information provided by brands. While elements such as eco-labels, environmentally friendly packaging, and individual concern for the environment are generally associated with favourable views of green marketing, they can also trigger doubt among consumers. This study investigates how eco-labeling, green packaging, and environmental concern influence consumer attitudes toward green beauty products and how these attitudes affect purchase intentions for them. The study included 500 South African consumer participants, and data were collected through an accredited research organization. The results indicate that eco-labeling, green packaging, and environmental concern each have a significant positive effect on consumer attitudes toward green beauty products. In addition, consumer attitudes were found to strongly influence purchase intentions among South African consumers. The study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the complex role of informational cues and potential perceptual barriers in sustainable consumption of green beauty products. It also provides practical insights for marketers, highlighting the importance of enhancing the credibility of eco-labels and reducing consumer doubt through clear, transparent communication strategies in the South African context.

1. Introduction

Environmental concerns have become widely discussed over the past few decades in many aspects. This has prompted a major spotlight on ecological and sustainability concerns, thereby increasing public awareness of environmental issues worldwide [1,2]. There are various ecological issues that require attention, including natural resource depletion, climate change, deforestation, and pollution, all of which are among the most pressing [3]. The prominence of these concerns has led consumers to reevaluate their personal impact on the environment [2,4,5]. A direct proportional relationship between environmental awareness and personal responsibility can be found among consumers. The more environmentally aware an individual becomes, the greater their sense of ethical or environmentally friendly consumption patterns becomes [6,7]. The heightened eco-consciousness of consumers has led to a noticeable shift towards sustainable purchasing in their spending habits [8]. Consumers are actively challenging organizations over the origins of products and the ingredients used to produce them, and asking whether they are sustainably sourced [9,10]. In the past, consumer behavior was mainly driven by price and quality. However, environmentalism has become a significant factor in the decision-making process of consumers today.
There are many ways for consumers to identify environmentally friendly products. Popular mechanisms include the use of eco-labels, environmentally friendly symbols, and packaging that advocates sustainability efforts (i.e., recycled packaging materials) [11,12]. Eco-labels are physical cues that marketers/producers place on products so that environmentally conscious consumers can identify environmentally friendly products that align with the environmental movement and efforts [13]. The beauty and personal care industry supports this trend as consumers increasingly reject beauty products made with synthetic chemicals, which practice animal testing, and that have harmful production processes [14]. A definite mind shift is evident in consumers’ purchasing habits of conventional products. Consumers are opting to purchase green beauty products that promote natural ingredients and cruelty-free animal testing [10,15].
There is a plethora of research conducted in developed markets, where environmental awareness is generally higher, sustainability messaging is readily communicated to the public, and eco-labeling systems are well established [2,11]. As such, the findings of these studies may not be applicable to emerging nations, as environmental awareness and/or regulatory environments may differ across them. For this reason, South Africa, a developing nation, is ideal for conducting such research. The green beauty sector in South Africa is growing; however, it is still relatively nascent, as consumer awareness of sustainability issues is rising, but may not be as developed as in First World countries [12,16]. Despite that, South Africa does not have its own legislation for eco-labeling, nor does it have its own accredited eco-label [17]. The country does have its own label of standards verification, which is in line with international bodies like ISO 14001 [18]. However, these certifications are not specifically designed to facilitate eco-label identification, which remains one of the most widely used tools to identify environmentally friendly products, including green beauty products [12].
This article examines the perceived influence of eco-labeling, green packaging, and environmental concern on consumers’ attitudes toward green beauty products and how these attitudes, in turn, affect their purchase intentions. To achieve this objective, this research employed an explanatory quantitative design using a non-probability convenience sampling method. The article begins with a literature review that explores existing research on eco-labeling, green packaging, environmental concern, and their impact on attitudes toward green beauty products and purchase intention. This is followed by the research methodology section, which outlines the quantitative design, sampling strategy, and data collection approach. The results section presents the findings of the statistical analysis employed in the study. The discussion section contextualizes the findings within existing literature, and the article concludes with recommendations for marketers and policymakers, as well as a reflection on the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research.

2. Literature Review

Consumers have become environmentally conscious and, as a result, actively pursue products that are ethically and sustainably produced [6,19]. This shift toward ethical consumption has, in turn, facilitated the advancement of the circular economy model, thereby aligning with and reinforcing the United Nations’ Twelfth Sustainable Development Goal [20]. The 12th development goal aims to ensure that businesses implement sustainable consumption and production patterns. Many business sectors have taken heed of this fact and have implemented environmental policies into their business practices. The beauty industry clearly illustrates this trend, as many leading beauty brands have introduced green beauty products into their portfolios and integrated green marketing campaigns into their overall marketing strategies [14,21]. A product is considered environmentally friendly or green when it meets two conditions: first, it must satisfy the consumer’s need; and second, it must do so without harming the natural environment or having a lower environmental impact than its conventional counterpart [6,22]. Green beauty products generally abide by these two conditions. The green beauty industry is vast and encompasses an array of personal care products produced sustainably and packaged using sustainable methods [2,23]. Moreover, Paramita and Saputri [21] and Ameta, et al. [24] elaborate that green beauty products are made from natural and/or organic materials, and these products contain none of the harmful substances commonly found in conventional beauty products.

2.1. Theoretical Background

Among the most prominent frameworks for predicting human behavior is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), a model developed by social psychologist Icek Ajzen [25]. The crux of the theory assumes that an individual’s behavior is determined by their intention to act on any particular subject matter [26]. However, intention itself is influenced by three core precursors, namely subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and attitude [27,28]. Subjective norms are the perceived social pressures an individual feels to enact or refrain from a particular behavior. Perceived behavior control reflects how confident an individual feels in their capacity to carry out a given behavior [29,30]. Finally, attitude reflects an individual’s overall positive or negative evaluation of performing a particular behavior [31,32]. The TPB has been used in multiple disciplines to predict human behavior, including many pro-environmental themes [27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35].
Traditionally, the TPB incorporates perceived behavioral control and subjective norms as contributing factors of behavioral intention. However, multiple studies in the literature adapt the model by making attitude the key contributing factor of behavioral intention [28,32,36,37,38,39,40]. This is because attitude is a central theme in determining behavioral intentions. This is also true for sustainable consumption research, consumers’ attitude toward environmentally friendly products and/or environmental issues significantly influence their purchasing patterns in a pro-environmental manner [28,32,36,37,38,39,40]. Many studies have revised the role of attitude in the TPB and introduced additional antecedents that may influence attitude formation. This study follows this approach and focuses on attitude as the key antecedent of purchase intention.
A potential influencing factor of consumers’ attitudes towards environmentally friendly or green products (including green beauty products) is the presence of eco-labels [13]. These labels act as certification markers, ensuring consumers that the product meets set environmental criteria and serve as informational signals on sustainability and environmental responsibility measures [4]. As consumers become more eco-conscious and seek environmentally friendly or greener product alternatives, the presence of eco-labels may bolster the perceived credibility of these products [11]. As a result, eco-labels may positively shape consumers’ attitudes towards environmentally friendly or green products.

2.2. Eco-Labeling

Driven by eco-conscious consumers, many industries have taken the opportunity to introduce green marketing strategies into their overall business models [21,41]. Eco-labels serve as a valuable communication tool that organizations use to inform consumers about a product’s environmental characteristics and to avoid claims of greenwashing [4]. Eco-labels aid consumers’ decision-making by serving as heuristic cues and reducing the information gap between consumers and marketers [4,42]. As such, eco-labels serve as a certification badge for organizations seeking to promote environmentally friendly products while keeping good public relations with consumers [42]. When a consumer trusts a product boasting an eco-label, their attitude and overall perception of environmental responsibility improve [13]. Pathak, Prakash, Jain, Agarwal and Attri [11] echo this sentiment and argue that eco-labels positively affect consumer attitudes. In the green beauty industry, trust and ethics are vital components of the consumer decision-making process [42]. Therefore, eco-labels can significantly shape consumer attitudes and push eco-friendly product preferences. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed:
H1: 
Perceived eco-labels positively influence consumers’ attitudes toward green beauty products.

2.3. Green Packaging

Green packaging pertains to a product’s physical packaging design and components. These products are promoted as being made from recyclable, biodegradable, or renewable materials. Green packaging serves as a means to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and aid marketers to convey their message of ethicality for their product offerings [30,43]. According to Pathak, Prakash, Jain, Agarwal and Attri [11], there is evidence that suggests that sustainable packaging leads to positive consumer perceptions when environmental benefits are communicated to consumers on packaging; these perceptions are enhanced further if these benefits do not compromise product appearance or functionality [4,11]. In addition, visual and textual packaging can influence consumers’ environmental purchase behavior. Green or sustainable packaging serves as a key channel for engaging environmentally conscious consumers and can substantially enhance their attitudes toward eco-friendly products [43]. As such, the following hypothesis was formulated:
H2: 
Perceived green packaging positively influences consumers’ attitudes toward green beauty products.

2.4. Environmental Concern

Obsessive product consumption on a global scale has raised health concerns among consumers [2]. Environmental concern reflects the extent to which a person is aware of environmental threats and their own disposition towards mitigating these problems in an effort to conserve the natural environment [10]. Ahmed, et al. [44] assert that heightened environmental concern increases the likelihood that consumers may adopt environmentally friendly products. The beneficial effect of environmental concern on consumers’ attitudes has been observed across contexts, including green cosmetics [10,30,45], organic personal care products [2], green hospitality [34,46], and eco-labels [47]. Each study found that higher levels of environmental concern are associated with more positive attitudes. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed:
H3: 
Perceived environmental concern positively influences consumers’ attitudes toward green beauty products.

2.5. Attitude Toward Green Beauty Products and Purchase Intention

Attitudes are considered among the most prominent antecedents of purchase intentions and behavior [22,44]. An individual’s attitude is the degree to which the individual shows a “favorable or unfavorable evaluation” towards an object or behavior [25]. As consumer attitudes become more favorable, the likelihood of pro-intentions increases [30]. The notion holds true for environmental purchases—attitude is considered the most significant predictor of environmental purchase intentions [23,48,49]. In terms of green beauty products, favorable attitudes increase when personal health and environmental benefits are communicated directly to consumers [2,6], fostering pro-purchase behaviors. The positive influence of attitude on intention is evident across various sectors within the green product spectrum, such as green cosmetics, organic food products, electric vehicles, and the hospitality industry [1,10,34,35,44,48]. In some cases, pro-environmental attitudes have been so prevalent that consumers are willing to pay premium prices for environmentally friendly products [2,50,51]. Therefore, attitude is a significant factor in predicting environmental purchase intentions, and the following hypothesis was formed:
H4: 
Consumers’ perceived attitudes toward green beauty products positively influence their purchase intention.
The hypothesized model of the relationships is shown in Figure 1 below:

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Research Design

This research was of an explanatory, quantitative nature and used a non-probability, convenience sampling method. Furthermore, a single cross-sectional, positivist approach was adopted to collect the required data.

3.2. Target Population

Individuals aged 18 to 65 residing in the Republic of South Africa constituted the target population. To ensure a representative sample, no additional inclusion or exclusion criteria were applied.

3.3. Sampling Technique

A convenience sampling method was followed to collect the data. This was completed by engaging the well-known data collection company IPSOS. The South African IPSOS division maintains a comprehensive 40,000-strong consumer database sourced from all regions of the country. For this reason, researchers almost always attain a 100% response rate of their desired sample size. Before IPSOS could collect the data, the researchers set specific data-collection parameters. Only South African citizens aged 18 to 65 were permitted to take part in the study.

3.4. Sample Size

Studies that have fewer than seven constructs using SEM analysis generally have more than 300 responses in order to attain statistical power and limit estimation bias [52]. This study selected 500 responses as the sample size, which is consistent with prior studies of a similar nature. Prior study sample sizes include: Riskos, et al. [53] (sample size 521); Kabaja, et al. [54] (sample size 559); Limbu, Pham and Nguyen [23] (sample size 433); Phu, et al. [55] (sample size 559) and Synodinos and Dalziel [56] (sample size 500).

3.5. Measuring Instrument and Method of Data Collection

Data were gathered through a structured electronic questionnaire distributed via an online survey platform. The instrument was accompanied by a cover letter outlining the study’s objectives and providing assurances of participant anonymity to reduce evaluation apprehension. The questionnaire began with brief definitions of key concepts and demographic questions, followed by screening questions related to respondents’ use of beauty products. The survey was also structured to create a degree of psychological separation between predictor and outcome constructs, thereby reducing the likelihood that respondents would infer relationships between the variables. Thereafter, participants completed scaled-response questions adapted from previously validated and published scales. Minor adjustments were made to some questionnaire items to ensure the scales aligned with the study’s purpose. These modifications were limited in scope to avoid altering the original intent or validity of the measuring instruments. The adapted scales included eco-labeling (four items) [47,57], green packaging (four items) [58,59], environmental concern (four items) [60], attitude towards green beauty products (four items) [61] and purchase intention (four items) [61]. All scaled-response items were recorded using a Likert-type scale. The deliberate exclusion of a neutral midpoint from the six-point Likert scale was informed by prior empirical evidence suggesting that such an approach mitigates central tendency bias and elicits more decisive participant responses [62]. The Likert scale ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree).
When gathering the data, IPSOS used its FastFacts system (Sandton, South Africa). This system provides respondents with an online questionnaire format in which respondents cannot advance to the next section/page unless all questions of the previous section/page have been answered. Respondents were allowed to return to a prior section if they wished to change a response. The data collection process had a three-day time limit; if the specified target of 500 responses was reached before the allotted time ended, data collection would cease. Due to the questionnaire’s design restrictions, a 100% cent response rate is often achieved.

3.6. Ethics

Regarding the ethicality of the questionnaire and the study, the researcher adhered to conventional ethical standards for research in the social sciences. Furthermore, the study’s questionnaire was submitted to the ethics committee at the North-West University. The questionnaire was deemed low risk, and the study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the Faculty of Economic Management and Sciences. Subsequently, the study received ethics approval under the ethics number NWU-01875-22-A4.

3.7. Analysis of Data

IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 31) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) Version 31.0 were used to analyze the collected data. A range of statistical procedures was employed to address the study’s objectives, including descriptive statistics, assessment of common-method bias, tests of data normality, Pearson’s bivariate correlation analysis, and collinearity diagnostics to evaluate nomological validity and multicollinearity. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted using the maximum likelihood estimation method.

4. Results

The study’s goal of 500 fully completed responses was recorded well ahead of the three-day deadline. As a result, the response rate was 100% as expected from the research company IPSOS. Table 1 below contains the sample description.
The most represented age group was 25 to 31 year olds (24%), followed by 32 to 38 year olds (21%). The smallest age groups were respondents aged 60 to 65 years (4%) and 53 to 59 years (7%). The sample consisted of more females (51%) than males (49%), and three respondents opted not to state their gender. Most respondents hailed from Gauteng (42%), and the province with the fewest respondents was the Northern Cape (0.8%). The study’s descriptive statistics and internal-reliability statistics are presented in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, the six-point Likert scale reported that all mean scores for the measuring constructs were above 4.00, indicating high agreement among the respondents. The highest mean score was for environmental concern (mean = 5.1), suggesting that South African consumers express concern for the condition of the natural environment. Similarly, South African consumers have strong intentions to purchase green beauty products, as this construct recorded the second-highest mean (mean = 4.8). All remaining constructs displayed high mean scores, suggesting that South African consumers perceive eco-labels and the packaging of green beauty products as important factors in product adoption. To assess the internal-consistency reliability of the measuring constructs, Cronbach’s alpha was computed for each variable. Cronbach values above 0.80 are considered good to excellent. As Table 3 indicates, all measurement constructs achieved Cronbach’s alpha values above 0.80, suggesting that the measurement variables may be deemed reliable. To account for common-method bias, the data were subjected to Harman’s one-factor test, in which a single factor was extracted using principal axis factoring. The factor explained 49.74% of the total variance, falling below the 50% cutoff threshold, suggesting the absence of common method bias in the dataset [63].
The measurement models’ nomological validity was assessed using observed Pearson’s product-moment correlations. To detect multicollinearity, the research conducted tolerance and variance inflation factor (VIF) analyses. These results are presented in Table 3.
The correlation coefficients of all pairs of latent factors in the measurement model are positively significant at the p ≤ 0.01 level, aligning with current literature and signifying nomological validity in the dataset [52,64]. Furthermore, no apparent issues of multi-collinearity can be seen as all tolerance values are above 0.10, and no VIF value is above 10 [65].
The psychometric properties of the measurement model were assessed through confirmatory factor analysis. In Table 4 below are the measurement model estimates, which include: standardized factor loadings, squared multiple correlations (R2), composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE) values, correlation coefficients, heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) ratios, and model fit indices.
The measurement model is assumed to have convergent validity as all standardized loadings and AVE values exceed 0.50, as seen in Table 4 [66]. According to Voorhees, et al. [67], if no HTMT ratios are greater than 0.85 in a proposed model, then that model possesses discriminant validity, as was the case for this model. Furthermore, the model displays composite reliability as all constructs achieved CR values exceeding 0.70 [52]. Given a significant chi-square value of 577.654, incremental fit indices were used to assess the measurement model’s fit. The IFI, TLI, CFI, RFI, and NFI fit indices were all above 0.90, with an SRMR (0.047) and RMSEA score (0.072) below 0.08. These findings denote a good model fit for the proposed model [68]. Following the validated measurement model, which met the requirements for structural modelling, the study’s four hypotheses were subsequently tested.
The four hypotheses for the study were tested based on the validated measurement model. Due to the identified variation from multivariate normality, the data was bootstrapped using 5000 samples. In the analysis, the maximum likelihood estimator was applied to generate bias-corrected confidence intervals for each parameter estimate at the 95% confidence level. The estimated structural model resulted in a significant chi-square statistic of 622.911 (p = 0.000) with 210 sample moments and 163 degrees of freedom. Other incremental fit indices were evaluated to determine the model’s fit due to a sensitive chi-square value. The fit indices obtained were as follows: IFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, CFI = 0.95, RFI = 0.91, NFI = 0.93, SRMR = 0.056, RMSEA = 0.075. These values indicate adequate model fit. Given the satisfactory model fit, the analysis can proceed to evaluating the model’s path coefficients. Table 5 below shows the standardized beta (β), lower limit confidence interval (LLCI), upper limit confidence interval (ULCI), and coefficient of determination (R2).
The proposed model yielded positive, significant regression paths for all hypothesized relationships at p ≤ 0.01. Moreover, the 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals (CIs) returned by AMOS across 5000 bootstrap samples all differ from zero. South African consumers’ perception of perceived eco-labels (β = 0.29, p ≤ 0.01) is a statistically significant correlate of their green beauty product attitudes. Similarly, perceived green packaging of beauty products (β = 0.44, p ≤ 0.01) is a statistically significant correlate of their attitudes towards green beauty products. The same results were found regarding consumers’ perceived environmental concern (β = 0.12, p ≤ 0.01) towards green beauty product attitude. Therefore, hypotheses H1, H2, and H3 are accepted. Hypothesis H4 was also accepted, as South African consumers’ perceived attitudes towards green beauty products (β = 0.89, p ≤ 0.01) positively influenced their purchase intentions for green beauty products.
The three independent factors collectively explain 58% of the variance for attitudes towards green beauty products, while 78% of the variance in purchase intentions was explained by attitudes towards green beauty products. These findings suggest that South African consumers’ perceptions of eco-labels, green packaging, environmental concern, and attitudes towards green beauty products are key factors in determining their intent to purchase green beauty products. The results are depicted in Figure 2 below.
To rule out endogeneity bias, the structural model was rerun, including two control variables. The two control variables were age and gender. This choice was deliberate as both of these variables are known to influence environmental perceptions of consumers [46,69,70]. The results of the control variable analysis are presented in Table 6 below.
Table 6 shows that all hypothesized paths remained statistically significant at p ≤ 0.01. Most of the path relationships remained unchanged with the control variables included. Notably, gender and age were not significant predictors of either attitudes towards green products or purchase intentions. In addition, both models recorded identical R2 values (0.58 for attitudes towards green beauty products and 0.78 for purchase intentions of green beauty products). With the stability of the path coefficients after inclusion of the control variables, it may be assumed that no endogeneity bias is present.

5. Discussion

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of eco-labeling, green packaging, and environmental concern on consumers’ attitudes toward green beauty products, and how these attitudes, in turn, affect South African consumers’ purchase intention. The descriptive statistics highlighted the characteristics of the study’s respondents and showed that consumers have a positive tendency to adopt green beauty products. The measurement model from the SEM analysis confirmed a five-factor structure with strong psychometric properties. These properties included adequate construct validity, composite reliability, and acceptable model fit. The structural model demonstrated robustness, with three positively associated latent factors explaining 58% of the variance in consumers’ attitudes towards adopting green beauty products. Similarly, 78% of the variance in purchase intention is primarily through the influence of attitude toward green beauty products.
The study’s results showcase notable differences in the influence of predictors of attitudes towards green beauty products. The strongest effect of attitudes towards green beauty products was green packaging β = 0.44), followed by eco-labelling (β = 0.29) and environmental concern (β = 0.12). Accordingly, hypotheses H1, H2, and H3 were accepted. The noticeably stronger influence of packaging may result from the tangibility and/or visually salient product cues that shape consumer evaluations [71]. Product packaging is a direct point of purchase and can therefore act as a frontline heuristic through which consumers assess the degree of environmental friendliness [58]. This suggests that consumers who physically see eco-labels on green beauty products recognize them and are more inclined to develop a positive attitude towards products with these labels. Recognizing eco-labels requires prior knowledge of the certification systems or environmental laws, which instills trust in organizations making use of them. In cases where organizations’ environmental claims are questioned, these labels can lend credibility and reduce skepticism. For South African consumers, this pattern could indicate that environmentally friendly signals are more influential than sustainability information when forming product attitudes [4,11,43]. The smallest effect was that of environmental concerns on attitudes towards green beauty products. This implies that consumers with heightened environmental concerns are more inclined to hold favorable attitudes toward such products. Not a tangible cue, such as eco-labels and green packaging, environmental concern acts more as an abstract driver of attitudes towards green beauty products. Regardless, environmental concern acts as a favorable predisposition towards sustainability in general [8]. Several studies have highlighted the importance of the relationship between attitude and purchase intention in various fields of research [23,48,49]. Attitude is an important predictor of intention, and this study is no exception (β = 0.89). Green product beauty attitudes explained 78% of the variance in green beauty product purchase intention. This indicates that attitude is a major predictor of product purchase intention; as such, hypothesis H4 was accepted. This finding was expected and mimics several other consumer behavior studies in the field of pro-environmental consumption [9,72]. This finding aligns with the TPB, in which attitudes act as a central antecedent of purchase intentions [27,29,30,32]. It must be noted that despite high levels of attitude towards intent, it does not necessarily guarantee green beauty product purchases. Prior research has consistently outlined a persistent attitude-behavior gap, particularly in green consumerism [73,74].
The results of this study have been replicated in several instances [4,11,13,42,47,53]. This suggests that South African consumers consider product labels as important factors when forming attitudes towards green beauty products. This may shape their sense of environmental responsibility and conservation efforts. Moreover, concern for the environment shapes consumers’ perceptions of green beauty brands as sustainable. Consumers who hold positive attitudes toward green beauty products tend to be environmentally conscious and show a greater inclination to purchase green beauty product brands.

6. Conclusions

This paper addressed the research problem of determining the influence of product labels and packaging on purchase intentions for green beauty products. The focus was particularly on eco-labels, green packaging, environmental concerns, and attitudes toward purchase intentions for green beauty products among South African consumers. Key findings indicate that South African consumers have a positive inclination towards green beauty products; more specifically, they are aware that eco-labels and green packaging play a significant role in shaping a positive attitude towards them. Moreover, these consumers are environmentally concerned and form pro-environmental attitudes. The analysis revealed that purchase intentions for green beauty products are heavily influenced by consumers’ attitudes.
The study contributes to existing knowledge by providing a refined understanding of how various sustainability-related factors influence attitude formation regarding green beauty products. The findings show that not all driving factors contribute equally to their abstraction. The results hint at a distinction between product-related cues, such as eco-labelling and green packaging, and value-based influences, such as environmental concern, with the former exerting a stronger, more immediate effect on attitudes towards green beauty products. Together, both cue-driven and value-driven perspectives become important concepts when examining green consumer behavior in the South African context. Despite the literature suggesting that favorable attitudes do not always translate into actionable purchases, the study finds that positive attitude formation remains crucial. Collectively, the findings add theoretical value to the current literature on environmental consumer behavior. The theory of understanding green purchase intentions supports the robustness of the predictive model, as only 22% of the variance in green beauty product purchase intentions was unaccounted for. The reliability of both the measurement and structural model provides fellow researchers the opportunity to replicate the study in other regions and possibly in other green consumer categories. The ongoing environmental crisis calls for understanding the factors that contribute not only to the adoption of green beauty products but also to overall green product consumption behavior.
In practice, this study offers several key implications and recommendations for academics, policymakers, marketers, and businesses in the green beauty product industry. Products that are green or produced sustainably must be adequately represented in their packaging. As such, credible, visible, and interpretable sustainability labels (cues) must be integrated into communication strategies and product design. This can be achieved by using accredited third-party environmental labels or certifications on packaging to avoid allegations of greenwashing. Certifications may include labels for cruelty-free production, organic ingredients, animal-free alternatives (vegan), and recyclable packaging. In addition to labels, tangible product attributes such as green packaging weigh more heavily on attitudes towards green beauty products than abstract factors (such as environmental concern). This reinforces the notion that, for sustainability purchases to be made, green beauty products must be visible through their physical features, such as green packaging, environmentally friendly materials, or on-pack communication.
To further enhance green beauty product adoption, environmental education initiatives may foster greater environmental concern among consumers. Organizations can partner with environmental groups such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which advocates cosmetics free of animal testing. Organizations may launch environmental campaigns to increase environmental concern, thereby indirectly strengthening attitudes towards green beauty products.
As attitude towards green beauty products was a strong predictor of purchase intention, organizations should strive to cultivate consistent, positive green messaging to foster positive consumer attitudes. This can be achieved by providing consumers with consistent, value-driven messaging throughout all stages of their decision-making process. Positive attitude messaging/campaigns must be implemented from the first contact point (initial awareness or need recognition) through to the final decision-making point. Policymakers must consider implementing laws targeting false environmental claims and greenwashing in South Africa, as none currently protect consumers from such practices. In doing so, governmental bodies can create standardized certified eco-labels and packaging to strengthen consumer trust and enhance transparency. Incorporating these practices may increase the likelihood of pro-environmental attitudes among consumers and, in turn, increase pro-environmental intentions toward green beauty products and environmental products in general.
This study made various recommendations and implications; however, it is not without its limitations. The first restriction was that of location, as only one country was included in the sample (South Africa). Additionally, the Gauteng Province accounted for the largest proportion of respondents (42%). This distribution aligns with South African census data, which identifies Gauteng as the most densely populated province with over 16 million inhabitants, thereby justifying its high representation within the sample. Replication of this study would add value in understanding the antecedents of green beauty product purchase intentions on a global scale. Secondly, a cross-sectional design was used to capture the data, as this is a once-off snapshot of consumer insights, and a longitudinal study may better understand purchase intentions for green beauty products. Furthermore, causality cannot be confirmed due to the cross-sectional design. The use of a non-probability convenience sampling method decreases the ability to generalize results for the general population. Despite procedural steps being taken to reduce common method bias, the possibility of social desirability bias cannot be entirely ruled out. Given the relatively high mean scores across constructs measured on a forced-choice six-point Likert scale, some respondents may have been inclined to provide more environmentally favorable responses. Future research could incorporate social desirability scales or alternative data sources to further mitigate this potential bias.
It is advised that probability random sampling should be employed for more accurate results. The final limitation is that the predictive model accounts for only 78% of the variance, leaving 22% unaccounted for. This suggests that other underlying factors may predict green beauty product purchase intentions. Factors such as price, quality, and availability may all be significant in predicting purchasing intentions for green beauty products. Therefore, future studies can focus on these aspects while replicating this study’s results.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Economic and Management Sciences Research Ethics Committee (EMS-REC), North-West University (NWU-01875-22-A4, 5 December).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

In accordance with South Africa’s data privacy regulations and the North-West University’s Economic and Management Sciences Research Ethics Committee’s (EMS-REC) data access restrictions, the data set used in this study is not publicly available. However, the author is able to provide the relevant data upon reasonable request, in compliance with the applicable legal and ethical guidelines.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript:
AMOSAnalysis of Moment Structures
AVEAverage Variance Extracted
CFAConfirmatory Factor Analysis
CFIComparative Fit Index
CIsConfidence intervals
CRComposite Reliability
HTMTHeterotrait–Monotrait Ratio of Correlations
IFIIncremental Fit Index
LLCIlower limit confidence interval
ULCIupper limit confidence interval
NFINormed Fit Index
R2coefficient of determination
RFIRelative Fit Index
RMSEARoot Mean Square Error of Approximation
SEMStructural Equation Modeling
SPSSStatistical Package for the Social Sciences
βStandardized beta
TBLTheory of Planned Behavior
TLITucker–Lewis Index
VIFVariance Inflation Factors

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Sustainability 18 03348 g001
Figure 1. Perceived hypothesized model. Source: Author’s compilation.
Figure 1. Perceived hypothesized model. Source: Author’s compilation.
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Figure 2. Structural model. * Significant at p ≤ 0.01. Source: authors’ compilation.
Figure 2. Structural model. * Significant at p ≤ 0.01. Source: authors’ compilation.
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Table 1. Sample demographics.
Table 1. Sample demographics.
AgeFrequencyPercent (%)GenderFrequencyPercent (%)ProvinceFrequencyPercent (%)
18–248116.2Male24348.6Western Cape9418.8
25–3112324.6Female25450.8North West102.1
32–3810320.6N/A30.6Northern Cape40.8
39–458116.2 Mpumalanga234.6
46–525911.8 Limpopo265.2
53–59367.2 KwaZulu Natal8617.2
60–65173.5 Gauteng20841.6
Free State142.8
Eastern Cape357.2
Source: Author’s compilation.
Table 2. Descriptive and Internal-reliability statistics.
Table 2. Descriptive and Internal-reliability statistics.
ConstructMeanSDCronbach Alpha
Eco-label4.61.040.92
“Eco-labeling on green beauty products is a guarantee of high product quality.”
“Eco-labeling on green beauty products is a guarantee of high hygiene standards.”
“Eco-labeling on green beauty products is a guarantee of the origin of raw materials.”
“Eco-labeling on green beauty products advertises the environmental aspects of the product.”
Green packaging4.60.990.88
“I think the packaging of green beauty products is environmentally friendly from the packaging appearance.”
“I notice the environmental label such as the recyclable sign on the green beauty product package.”
“I can quickly distinguish between recyclable and non-recyclable packaging.”
“I think it is a renowned green beauty product due to its packaging.”
Environmental concern5.10.870.83
“The balance of nature is very delicate and can be easily upset.”
“Human beings are severely abusing the environment.”
“Human beings must maintain the balance with nature in order to survive.”
“Human interferences with nature often produce disastrous consequences.”
Attitude toward green beauty products4.61.040.91
“I think using green beauty products is a good thing to do.”
“Using green beauty products is valuable to me.”
“Using green beauty products is beneficial to me.”
“I think using green beauty products is a necessary thing to do.”
Purchase intention4.81.040.93
“I will consider switching to green beauty products for environmental reasons.”
“I will consider purchasing green beauty products that are environmentally friendly.”
“I will buy more green beauty products in the future.”
“I will make a special effort to purchase green beauty products that are environmentally friendly.”
Source: Author’s compilation.
Table 3. Correlation analysis and collinearity diagnostic statistics.
Table 3. Correlation analysis and collinearity diagnostic statistics.
FactorsF1F2F3F4F5Tolerance ValuesVIF
Eco-label (F1)1 0.352.89
Green packaging (F2)0.782 **1 0.332.96
Environmental concern (F3)0.331 **0.400 **1 0.761.31
Attitude toward green beauty products (F4)0.642 **0.643 **0.352 **1 0.303.23
Purchase intention (F5)0.621 **0.640 **0.460 **0.808 **10.293.37
** Significant at p ≤ 0.01.
Source: Author’s compilation.
Table 4. Measurement model results.
Table 4. Measurement model results.
FactorsStandardized LoadingsR2CRAVE
Eco-label (F1)0.8770.7690.9240.752
0.8930.798
0.8950.801
0.8000.640
Green packaging (F2)0.7840.6150.8800.648
0.8180.670
0.7770.604
0.8380.702
Environmental concern (F3)0.7260.5270.8640.615
0.7580.575
0.8240.679
0.8240.680
Attitude toward green beauty products (F4)0.8160.6650.9150.730
0.8800.774
0.8770.768
0.8440.713
Purchase intention (F5)0.8660.7500.9290.767
0.8670.752
0.8780.771
0.8920.795
Latent factor correlation valuesF1 ↔ F4:
0.692		F1 ↔ F3:
0.360		F1 ↔ F5:
0.661		F2 ↔ F1:
0.856		F4 ↔ F3:
0.382
F4 ↔ F5:
0.869		F2 ↔ F4:
0.719 		F3 ↔ F5:
0.504		F2 ↔ F3:
0.455 		F2 ↔ F5:
0.709
HTMT valuesF1 ↔ F4:
0.621		F1 ↔ F3:
0.334		F1 ↔ F5:
0.782		F2 ↔ F1:
0.642		F4 ↔ F3:
0.461
F4 ↔ F5:
0.642		F2 ↔ F4:
0.809		F3 ↔ F5:
0.404		F2 ↔ F3:
0.355		F2 ↔ F5:
0.646
Model fit indicesIFI = 0.95 TLI = 0.94 CFI = 0.95 RFI = 0.92 NFI = 0.93 RMSEA = 0.072
Source: Author’s compilation.
Table 5. Standardized regression estimates and p-values.
Table 5. Standardized regression estimates and p-values.
PathsβSig.LLCIULCIR2
Hypothesis (H1): Eco-labeling → Attitude toward green beauty products 0.290.000 **0.100.46
Hypothesis (H2): Green packaging → Attitude toward green beauty products 0.440.000 **0.230.66
Hypothesis (H3): Environmental concern → Attitude toward green beauty products 0.120.003 **0.040.21
Hypothesis (H4): Attitude toward green beauty products → Purchase intention0.890.000 **0.840.92
Endogenous Factors
Green beauty product attitudes 0.58
Purchase intentions 0.78
** Significant at p ≤ 0.01
Source: Author’s compilation.
Table 6. Standardized regression estimates with control variables.
Table 6. Standardized regression estimates with control variables.
PathsβSig.LLCIULCIR2
Hypothesis (H1): Eco-labeling → Attitude toward green beauty products 0.210.000 **0.060.50
Hypothesis (H2): Green packaging → Attitude toward green beauty products 0.440.000 **0.190.71
Hypothesis (H3): Environmental concern → Attitude toward green beauty products 0.110.008 **0.010.22
Hypothesis (H4): Attitude toward green beauty products → Purchase intention0.890.000 **0.830.92
Control variables
Gender → Green beauty product attitudes0.020.642−0.050.09
Gender → Purchase intentions0.010.604−0.040.07
Age → Green beauty product attitudes0.030.436−0.040.01
Age → Purchase intentions0.020.423−0.030.08
Endogenous factors
Green beauty product attitudes 0.58
Purchase intentions 0.78
** Significant at p ≤ 0.01
Source: Author’s compilation.
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Synodinos, C. The Influence of Eco-Labeling in Green Beauty Products: Shaping Attitudes and Driving Purchase Intentions. Sustainability 2026, 18, 3348. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073348

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Synodinos C. The Influence of Eco-Labeling in Green Beauty Products: Shaping Attitudes and Driving Purchase Intentions. Sustainability. 2026; 18(7):3348. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073348

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Synodinos, Costa. 2026. "The Influence of Eco-Labeling in Green Beauty Products: Shaping Attitudes and Driving Purchase Intentions" Sustainability 18, no. 7: 3348. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073348

APA Style

Synodinos, C. (2026). The Influence of Eco-Labeling in Green Beauty Products: Shaping Attitudes and Driving Purchase Intentions. Sustainability, 18(7), 3348. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073348

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