International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 4 Issue 5, July-August 2020 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Marketing through Green Consumerism in Skin Care Products:

A Case Study of WOW Skin Science V/S Mamaearth
Dr. Saranya Thaloor
Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Media,
K J Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, Vidyavihar, Mumbai, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Dr. Saranya

The main aim of the study is to understand the reliability of green Thaloor "Marketing through Green
consumerism and green products in the market and the level of acceptance by Consumerism in Skin Care Products: A
the customers in the marketing industry. The study has used a detailed and in- Case Study of WOW Skin Science V/S
depth case study method to understand the all possible areas of green Mamaearth"
consumerism and its scope in India. The study examines the validity of green Published in
marketing and the various was through which it can be brought into main International Journal
stream in order to be away from synthetic and harmful products used in of Trend in Scientific
personal care products. The study also discusses a detailed comparison drawn Research and
at the end which provides the examples of major two products (mamaearth Development (ijtsrd),
and WOW science) which promotes green consumerism. The present study ISSN: 2456-6470, IJTSRD31896
focussed only on the major two products and even the products chosen are Volume-4 | Issue-5,
newly launched in market which in turn limited the scope for wider August 2020, pp.575-579, URL:
understanding and analysis. The study can serve the purpose of sustainability www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd31896.pdf
in green consumerism market helping the consumer draw the lines efficiently
between the terms harmful and effective in case of personal products. The Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and
study was able to discover the diverse opinions of consumers regarding a new International Journal of Trend in Scientific
term in market which can be highly taken into note for further discussion for a Research and Development Journal. This
non polluted and better health of living beings. is an Open Access article distributed
under the terms of
KEYWORDS: green consumerism, organic, synthetics, green marketing the Creative
Commons Attribution
License (CC BY 4.0)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by
/4.0)
INTRODUCTION
Environmental and health care awareness trends in skin  Green consumerism: Historical Perspective
care products manufacturing The history of skin care and cosmetics can be traced back to
 Development of healthy and natural skin care centuries in Egypt. Health benefits and hygiene were the
culture main concern for skin care during the initial times. The usage
There is a growing concern among people on the increased for fairer skin and clear skin are the new approaches of skin
harmful effects of chemical products used in cosmetics and care. Along with changes in humanity skin care changes also
skin care. Influenced by the trend of go back to organic and happened. By the increasing technology advancement and
healthy materials, consumers are found more cautious of media options, ethno-botanic awareness of natural products
avoiding powerful chemicals and they are environmentally for skin care also increased. The trending of protecting skin
responsible to be away from polluting nature. There is an from harmful pollutants became the need of the hour and the
elevated ratio of people who are cautious on usage of plant extracts for healthy skin started blooming day
environmentally responsible habits and lifestyles by day globally.
globally(Stone,1995).Seeing the increased demand of
organic products, all the major companies producing skin Natural products and its health on better derma life
care products have changed into green and better for the The current environmental issues and problems are the
user and the environment (Green Choices,2012) main reasons for customers to seek for green and natural
skin care products. During the stage of production and also
Subsequently, there are many other issues discussed related post production the time and resource consumption is very
to green consumerism including the market trying to de- less for natural products. There is a wide difference to be
motivate people through number of campaigns saying discussed between green and organic cosmetics. Green
ingredients for skin care should be chosen on safety and cosmetics are more expensive and that may results in less
availability than natural or synthetic. Mintel(2010) says market among consumers. On the other hand, organic skin
there is a large number of groups especially women who are care products provide maximum skin care with efficiency,
favouring pure natural methods for improving the stability and protection.
appearance. There are still arguments going on in the usage
of ideas like ‘natural’ and organic and the contexts they are In the case of ingredients used for green and natural skin
used. care the major chunk comes from plants and trees in the

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
form of leaves and seeds whereas there are natural marine There are many studies claiming the benefits of bio-active
ingredients also used like algae for skin shining and clearer. products made purely from natural resources

 Better awareness on negative synthetic products harmful for skin

According to studies average women use 12 personal products including skin care which even constitutes 168 chemical mix.IN
the blow diagram it is clearly shown that skin care products are in demand the largest level globally which clearly shows
market needs to bring some sustainable measures to exist without the overpowering of competitors

www.economictimes.com

Green/organic products and the advantages There are many words like paraben free, recyclable which
Green cosmetics or green consumerism for skin care finally focus on green marketing (Santos F Bruno, 2015)
products is comparatively a new term in the context of India.
Green Cosmetics is definitely a new edge to the developing The usage of green and natural products showcases a
nation. Today adaptation to become “Green” is not only the detailed list of pros when used for a long run. The
basic needs but also an opportunity for both the companies manufacturing of chemical substances can effect or damage
and consumers (Vincent, 2012). the natural resources and eco system. The main concern of
using toxic substances for skin care is centred on the eco
There are many other related words including organic, system only. Other advantage of natural products is they are
environmental friendly, sustainable and healthy which goes totally free from irritation, itchiness; toxic on skin layers and
par to par with green consumerism. The repeated climate even it won’t leave the skin allergic. The artificial fragrance
changes, ozone layer depletion, global warming, carbon made out of chemicals will really make our sensory organs
emission and other related environmental issues have worsen day by day. So the natural products free from
clearly gained the momentum and significance of go green or chemical and strong fragrance will not be there for natural
green consumerism (Santos F Bruno, 2015).It is also a clear products. The feature of using natural products for skin care
fact that the increased demand of these green or natural skin can make free from side effects and will be always gentle for
care products are the escalated concern of consumers on the the long run.
eco system which is also a good sign for sustainable
development. The deterioration and depletion of natural Campaign for safe cosmetics
resources have clearly made the consumers for going behind This is a campaign which was started along with breast
such initiatives like go green and chemical free products cancer awareness campaign worldwide. This initiative stress
(Luck, Edwina, M, & Ginanti, 2009). the need of steps to be taken care for removing toxic usage
like using simple and less ingredients for skin care, prefer
While discussing green consumerism another term called products made with natural food products and it also asks
‘green marketing’ also draws high significance. Green the customer to think and research twice before using the
marketing is defined as the marketing of products which are products. The campaign for using apps like try Think Dirty
chemical free, zero toxins and which are completely for more references is also mentioned in the campaign.
environmental friendly (Kotler,2013).In other words green There is a detailed scientific study on some poisonous
market is the holistic approach of marketing concepts where substances including dioxane which is the main reason for
production, consumption and disposal of products happen in cancer, acrylates, benzophenone, carbon black used for
a manner which affects the environment in the least manner. intense colour for kajals, coal tar, carcinogens: the main

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products, In such a moment, the strategy of green and environmental
hydroxyquinone, nitrosamins, nano materials and paraben. friendly products concept becomes the integral area in
They also discuss the another initiative called business for sustainability. Due to recent industrial pollution
MADESAFE(Made with Safe Ingredients)which certify the issues, plastic accumulation, ozone layer depletion globally
product is toxic or natural and they also focus on products the turn for green skin care products are reflected visibly.
without harming human health, animals and eco system.
Sustainability challenges in the field of cosmetics and
Green Consumer Model personal care industry
A model which reviews the existing situation of green This industry which is also called as ‘beauty industry’ is
consumerism, motives of consumers while preferring green facing a lot of issues and challenges in existing in the market.
or natural products, barriers for decision making of go green The cosmetic industry which has many segments makes
purchase was the need of the hour while green consumerism every move clear that the industry will never exposed to any
was gaining momentum worldwide. A research study sort of unfavourable slowdown rather the market will easily
conducted in South Africa tried to bring out a model which gain more customers in swift time. In spite of this there exist
describes purchase behaviour of consumers towards green few challenges faced by the industry which will be
products which was called as green consumer purchase overpowered soon by the marketing forces.
model. The factors described for the creation of such a model
was social influence, environmental friendly and attitudes of  Environmental impact(eco-friendly) on personal care
customers in buying green products. products
 High rate of interest on environmental sustainability
 Ban on cosmetics with too much of chemical ingredients

In the all three main challenges the main issue to be

addressed is the second one which emphasis on the pressure
on environmental sustainability. The need of the hour is
green washing which majority of the market forces struggles
to establish now. The increasing trend of terms like nature,
organic has hit the market and the market is facing the
challenge with the wrong labelling of products as green ones
with more than 30% synthetic content in them.

The idea of pigging systems in the processing plants will

really advance in the field of green consumerism where the
option of recycling is also available for better sustainability
for future generations. Pigging can be easily defined as a
system where a tube or plug will be inserted in a larger tube
Source: www.researchgate.com or pipeline for better transportation of the liquid. Pigging
increasing the productivity, removes maximum waste,
The model described above speaks about the phases of resource waste is limited and quick turn over with the angle
behavioural influence of customers for buying green of sustainability.
products. There are mainly four stages mentioned in the
model. The model even relates with the basic model of The below details mentioned in the diagram clearly explains
advertising called AIDA model where the stages like the informed and educative consumers undergoing research
attention, interest, desire and action in purchasing a product for preserving ecology and environmental sustainability
is explained. globally.
General green values and knowledge on skin care products:
In this stage the awareness of green products over toxin
products reaches the customers along with high level
concerns for environment. This can be due to the
environment changes and hazards happening throughout the
year.
 Green criteria for purchase
 The pros and cons for decision making
 The action of purchase
 Marketing research with feedback for better products

Environmental friendly and sustainability in skin care

products in India
In the current scenario preservation of ecosystem and
conservation of environment assets are discussed
worldwide. There is a high demand of green products among
the market and wide levels studies are also taking place on
this topic. Based on the global research conducted by Neilsen
in 2015, the maximum number of consumer who is willing to
use green skin care products is more in Asian-Pacific Region. Source: globalwebindex.com

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Wow and its establishment with eco-friendly products workforce consist 80% women employees. Animal love is
Wow science products have captured market through the also showcased in the website saying zero tolerance in the
campaigning of its unique features in a distinct and different policy of animal testing and cruelty for bringing vegan
way. The main focus of this product is products in market. They are using eco-friendly packaging
for the products with 30% post consumer recycling
A. Natural ingredients been used for the making of packaging.
products
The tagline of Wow science product itself focuses on Mamaearth and its sulphur free product concept in the
innovative formulations which are in nature with the blend market.
of traditional ayurvedic and exotic herbs for bringing healthy Mamaearth came to the Indian market in 2016 and it is
beauty products. They have even used the reference of plant claiming 100percent toxin free skin care products with FDA
extract and potent formation while making the products to approval as made safe certified products
avoid the maximum usage of synthetic materials in
delivering effective products for skin care. In their website Another special feature of mamaearth products were zero
there is detailed mentioning of the list of natural elements tolerance to synthetic detergent containing sulphates which
used for the making of WOW products can lead to irritated and inflamed skin in long run. Even they
 From Turmeric they have turmeric tablets for better claim that same the synthetic detergent found in other skin
skin health care products are similar ones used in car cleaners and
 Wheat grass and Omega 3 supplements from natural detergent powders. Mamaearth shows the campaign of go
raw materials green even in its product packaging with the unique mix of
 Apple cider vinegar which is the main ingredient for green and white colour combination.
their products for health care capsules and in the form
of face wash and face cream products Plant based alternatives for the skin care than sulphate
 Aleovera and orange as the main ingredients for their based ones is the main area of marketing campaign of
products to enhance the content of vitamin C in the mamaearth. They claim that their products near strip off the
skincare natural oil content in the skin using sulphate and rather they
 Besan and charcoal used a base for all creams and face exhibit natural materials like onion, saffron morringa oil and
wash to bring their campaign for natural ingredients in lavender oil for skin care. In the case of vitamin C contained
skin care products they have their face and skin serums purely made
out of orange, aleovera
WOW brings almost ten products in skincare focussing on
natural ingredients very strictly. They also bring a unique Stressing plant based products another unique observation
idea of listing the combo packs of these products useful for is that the mamaearth products only have natural mild
separate occasions in a natural way to attract audience. They fragrance in their products which avoids deep chemical
also showcases a detailed remedial blog for almost all skin based perfumes to be mixed with the product. Avocado is a
care using natural products which indirectly makes us reach major contributor in the skin care products along with argan
to their products. for better elasticity and nourishment for the skin.

Another interesting method of green consumerism campaign The revenue model of mamaearth is selling psychical
by WOW is through the introduction of a tag-line, VOCAL products through D2C platforms like websites, amazon,
FOR LOCAL through which they try to take the initiative to flipcart .The product marketing also follows blue ocean
promote local products and raw materials through their strategy by getting space in uncontested market thereby
campaign. They even says the economy of the nation needs there is no specific competition in the market.
help from such initiatives and promotion of Indian home
grown beauty brands Mamaearth also brings the concept of science and Ayurveda
in their products combining herbal products with plant
Another area highlighted is the biological clock and the extract for the manufacture of their products. The use of
circadian rhythms which majority of humans are unknown bioactive extracts from botanicals in skin care is the main
and unaware. The website scientifically lists the defects of highlight of mamaearth. Moringa oil which is the rich source
lack of biological clock changes and even uses their products of vitamins, anti-oxidants and nutrients is the main
for healing skin and body from such malfunctioning. ingredient for the face creams of mamaearth. The anti-
microbial activity of turmeric with aloevera is utilised well
Their strategy is the use of natural fruit orange to improve for making body creams by mamaearth pointing the
the intake and need of Vitamin C for the skin. They even call authenticity of natural products used for skin care products.
Vitamin C as holy grain for skin along with the mentioning of
a detailed long healthcare regimen with Vitamin C brought Almonds(Prunus Dulcis) one of the main ingredient in
by WOW science. mamaearth products possess high level of antioxidants which
clearly brings a better natural nourishment and glow for the
They also claims the reach of sustainable and responsible skin.Even they bring a array of products containing tyrosinase
skin care products stressing on their products been used inhibition and antimicrobial activity, which can be beneficial
from Himalayan Valley, zero chemicals (strict policy against for attenuation and prevention of various skin conditions.
the use of parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, additives,
silicones, and mineral oils.) The unending safety of products made of coconut oil, olive
oil claiming the remedy for many synthetic fibre products
Another area is the women empowerment through the which can elevate risk of cancer is also another feature of
products been brought in market by claiming that their mamaearth

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Comparison of mamaearth and wow science products inclusion of people in its propagation is also a remedy for
based on end user experience better environmental communication and coming back to
 Environment conscious consumer behaviour natural products. Strong environmental responsible
Both the products were started five years back and are in the behaviours need to be inculcated in the different sectors of
incumbency stage. Regarding the go green concept it is society.
clearly found out that mamaearth products are Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) approved where as Wow science There should be a proper understanding and blend of green
products are not. In case of organic content both the brands consumerism and green citizenship among the people which
claim that they are synthetic free, sulphate and paraben free. should be efficiently disseminated through media.
But it is crystal clear that no personal skin care products can
100% organic In the business environment, green consumerism which opts
for the pro-environmental attitudes along with the
 Natural packaging and ingredients inspiration for social help needs to be expanded by all the
It was highly visible that the customers of mamaearth are companies specifically the ones which brings skin care
satisfied with the segmentation of skin care addressing related products.
customised care which Wow science customers are not.
Mamaearth used the colour green on the entire products The health awareness of people have slowly began from
highlighting the features of chemical fewer ingredients preference of organic food products in the place of normal
food items to the green and zero chemical products to be
On the other hand Wow science also mentioned the chemical used in skin.
less products details with a different packaging style.
To conclude
 Acceptance of green products There is interesting saying,
Both the products have displayed the green ingredients they Safe synthetics are okay, natural is better, organic is the best
possess and the mentions the less usage of synthetics. try to know what is in your products clearly brings out the
 Level of effectiveness or results need of bringing a balance between natural ingredients and
 Cost comparison and use of discounts and promotion synthetic materials in the products which customers and
tools market demands. In the competition between natural
products which are considered as not fully effective and
In the case of cost the both products maintain the same rate synthetic products which are highly harmful there is a clear
almost but the distinct feature mamaearth shows is they are understanding that the industry comes in between the two
more actively into discounts and effective promotion tools for the sustainable growth. The understanding and the clear
and giving of coupons for customers. demarcation which the customers possess regarding natural
products which can be poisonous and synthetic products are
In the case of combo sets in comparatively lesser price is made in laboratories is where we will yield maximum
actively used by mamaearth than Wow science. When outcome. There should be strict rules and regulations like
examined separately the plant Keratin ingredients food industry for cosmetic industry where the usage of the
mentioned in mamaearth is getting wide criticism as the words natural, organic, green should be monitored by a
consumer’s suspect it is all scam and scientifically keratin regulatory body. A well informed customer with proper
has nothing to do with plants. But still mamaearth occupied understanding about the synthetic and natural products only
a prominent role in green products than then other. can make proper judgements which will be the sole factor
which runs the industry
 Brand popularity
In the case of brand awareness and popularity on the point  Teaching note
of customers, mamaearth has gone so far ahead using 1. There should be intense campaign and marketing
extensive campaigns and promotional techniques in Social methods for promoting green consumer products. Do
media platforms. It doesn’t mean Wow science lacks you think it is an easy task to gain market momentum
popularity but still mamaearth draws the attention more. and attract more customers?
2. There was a difficult war waged by cosmetic chemists
Future perspective of green consumerism saying that the preference of products needs to be seen
The need of a better society where the people starts using based on its safety and efficiency, not on the terms like
alternative methods in energy conservation and reduction of natural and organic. Do you agree with the stand taken
energy resources is of high significance(De Young by them?
2014).Many research studies have clearly mentioned that we 3. Explain your personal views on the science of rheology
need a complete and total behavioural intentions which is as an efficient tool for green marketing highlighting
ready to accept change along with the acceptance of change natural products will gain momentum in India?
and personal behaviours 4. What are the main ingredients for a successful and to be
noted during the analysing of customer decision making
There should be initiatives and profiles for creating the best for the preference of green cosmetics?
available profile of environmental responsibility among the 5. How can the consumer meet the gap between the
people with specific stress on the coming generations where desired and actual attributes while selling a product
we can expect changes. Pro-environment attitude needs to with natural as tagline?
be building up with the available facilities. There should be a 6. Do you agree nanotechnology can yield better outcomes
link also to be held in between the nature measures and the in green cosmetic industry/If not mention the reasons

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