How do environmental sustainability factors influence the purchasing choices of Generation Z consumers for cosmetic products? An exploratory study.

This study investigates how specific “green” factors influence the purchase choice of Italian people belonging to Gen-Z for cosmetic products. Although environmental sustainability is a relevant issue for Gen-Z, few studies have examined specific environmentally sustainable factors that may influence the choice of cosmetic products for this cohort. We investigated which external traditional and environmentally sustainable factors characterize Gen-Z’s purchasing choices for cosmetics. Furthermore, we also tried to understand the relationship between the external factors influencing the purchasing of cosmetic products and the education of consumers, the influence of sustainability in general purchase choices, the importance attributed to conscious cosmetics, and the interest in the self-production of cosmetics. An online survey based on a sample of Italian Gen-Z members was conducted and data was analyzed using cluster analysis. Three distinct clusters were identified. Results show that the less educated and younger the respondents are, the less they are guided by environmental factors in purchasing cosmetics. This study not only proposes a preliminary framework to identify the green variables influencing Generation Z’s cosmetic purchases but also presents preliminary empirical findings.