Smink som ställningstagande. En uppsats om etisk konsumtion med exemplet The Body Shop

Abstract

This essay set out to investigate how consuming cosmetics can become a statement of ethics, by using The Body Shop brand as an example. Being keen users and make-up artists ourselves we asked: How do our informants use and experience make-up? What pattern of cosmetics consumption can be seen among them and what are they influenced by? In what ways do social media affect their choice of cosmetics? Which ethical decisions are made and how well does their view of The Body Shop agree with the actual ethical profile of the company? Tools of investigation were in-depth interviews, a questionnaire given to 101 individuals and field studies in The Body Shop outlets. Using make-up, it turned out, was a positive experience for most of our informants, mainly influenced in this by friends and family, often finding their role models in social media. Buying ”cruelty free” products proved a major issue, where value for money beat other ethical concerns. The Body Shop ethical profile did not fully match the expectations of our informants, though.