Do we still trust beauty influencers?

The beauty and wellness industry is growing, creating jobs, and embracing new technologies. Its marketing is evolving with it, or at least it should be. A new report by Citruslab, which provides consumer brands with clinical studies, conducted on over 1000 consumers, records their advertising preferences. What do we trust? It's no surprise, but it seems that precise data and scientific studies are preferred, while we have become increasingly skeptical of exaggerated claims that guarantee 100% of anything. Why?

Beauty Marketing Today and the Decline of Buzzwords

One of the major trends in this field is undoubtedly personalization. We seek products that are as tailored as possible to our needs, and perhaps this is why we are increasingly wary of generic ones. According to the report, buzzwords used in wellness marketing, such as "clean," "organic," or "natural," are losing their power. This is the opinion of 41.4% of Gen Z members surveyed. The same percentages apply to Millennials. Among Gen X, the numbers drop to 12.1%.

Percentages Must Be Realistic and Backed by Scientific Studies

Alongside buzzwords and the broader influence of personalization, overly high percentages indicating the effectiveness of something also provoke skepticism. "100% effective against wrinkles," for example, generates a certain disbelief, while more realistic percentages, especially when backed by concrete data and specific scientific research, have the opposite effect. This applies across all age groups, from Baby Boomers (who say they trust 52% without scientific studies and 81% when there are studies) to Gen Z (for whom the percentages are 74% versus 93%).

Do We No Longer Trust Beauty Influencers?

Another element that deters potential consumers from a brand or product is overexposure to advertising and too many paid sponsorships on social media. Although testimonials remain a good tool, there is a kind of fatigue regarding paid content, which also leads to a greater influence of reviews from other customers, if organic and not manipulated by artificial intelligence. According to Citruslab, for all age groups except Gen Z, surprisingly, reviews are trusted more than advertising claims and even influencer content. One participant specifically advised brands to: "Avoid working with toxic influencers on social media" and "focus on the real science behind the product." Could it be any clearer?