Chapter 9: Sustainable Consumer Behaviour in the Green Cosmetics Market: A Research Agenda Available to Purchase

The demand for green cosmetics is rising as consumers increasingly prefer environmentally conscious, health-oriented products. This shift has compelled cosmetic businesses to adapt their operations to meet changing customer expectations. Yet, understanding the key drivers behind green cosmetic purchases remains a major challenge. Addressing this gap is essential for businesses aiming to stay competitive and relevant in a fast-evolving market. This study presents a literature review to identify the factors influencing consumer purchase decisions concerning green cosmetics. The Theory of Planned Behaviour, a widely recognized psychological framework, serves as the underpinning model for the study. Ninety articles were selected from Web of Science and Scopus using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The authors ensured mutual agreement in selecting the final data set for analysis. The findings highlighted various factors such as attitude, environmental awareness and perceived quality to significantly affect customer’s green cosmetic purchase decisions. These include intrinsic cues like branding and texture and extrinsic cues such as packaging, health consciousness and green certification. The study observes that these factors are often interconnected, collectively reinforcing the consumer’s decision to opt for green cosmetic products. The study provides insights that hold both academic and practical significance. It urges businesses to focus on the entire product lifecycle from sourcing to packaging to maintain consumer trust and relevance. Academically, the study contributes to a relatively underexplored yet rapidly growing research domain. Furthermore, the study touches upon the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven impacts and potential reformations within the industry, indicating its future influence on sustainable cosmetic practices.