What is Conscious Consumerism and Why Does it Matter?
Imagine you're walking in an aisle of newly launched beauty products or scrolling past the IG feed on an online shop on Instagram. How long do you visualize your pro-con list before adding it to your basket? Does that list include social, ethical, and sometimes even philosophical reasons? If so, you might already be practising conscious consumerism! 💗
In layman's terms, conscious consumerism is when purchase patterns are motivated by a desire to make purchasing decisions that have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact. A socially conscious consumer will first consider whether consumption is essential. Then, once they have decided to purchase, they will consider who is providing the goods and how the product impacts every stakeholder during its development and distribution.
What is the value of this trend?
The consumer model is constantly shifting, with many customers today focusing on what is known as "conscious consumerism", but then why does it matter?
For starters, it drastically helps humankind inch closer to achieving sustainability goals. With the climate crisis looming and growing steadily day by day, conscious consumerism can curb the effects of human waste and pollution. It cuts back the need for mass consumption and production, which is one of the main culprits behind the degradation of the environment.
It is also necessary from an ethical standpoint, given that conscious consumerism places a strong focus on the idea of having a beneficial social and economic impact on the world. Unfortunately, unethical practices are no alien to the world of shopping. Child labour and animal testing are just parts of the whole.
Make your money count!
The glaring truth is that businesses are in business to make money. Using your funds to purchase ethical products and services and the entry of ethical brands can help shift the narrative, demonstrating that companies can be both good for the world and suitable for their company.
Spread awareness and make a difference.
Spreading awareness is quite simple to accomplish. It is inexpensive and straightforward to spread a message through social media technologies with a broad reach. Even though it is critical to highlight, you can raise awareness about a specific topic without criticising or imposing your viewpoints on others. Instead, devote your time and energy to raising awareness and teaching those interested in learning more.
As a brand, the first step in our journey to reinventing what it means to be beautiful is to be transparent about our products, so that our customers can make conscious decisions. Our products are intended to benefit not just our consumers, but also the earth we live on. 🌿 For starters, you can check out PETA’s Global Beauty Without Bunnies program, an online database of certified ethically produced beauty products that we’re incredibly proud to be part of!
There are still hurdles to conscious consumerism; the biggest ones having to stay on a budget and the lack of time. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying, right? Think about it, with every purchase we make, we have the opportunity to set a precedent for how businesses will operate in the future and demonstrate that companies that care about the world are so much more worth it than those who don’t! 💗
We all have the ability to make a difference, and by working together, we can gradually develop a future that benefits everyone!