We Asked the Beauty Buddy Squad: Do You Actually Read the Label? (The Answers Surprised Us)

Written By Mariana Aleman

If you've ever flipped a bottle over in the drugstore aisle to squint at the ingredient list before adding it to your cart, congratulations: you're basically the Beauty Buddy Squad's spirit animal. This month, we asked our community how they really feel about clean beauty, and the results say a lot about where this whole movement is headed.

Spoiler: "natural" on the front of the bottle isn't cutting it anymore. The Squad wants proof, not promises.

Reading the label is the new normal

Let's start with the headline stat: 70% of the Beauty Buddy Squad checks a product's ingredient list always or often before buying. That's not a niche habit anymore, that's just how people shop.

And it makes sense once you see how much clean ingredients matter to this crowd:

  • 39.5% say clean or non-toxic ingredients are extremely important to them

  • 39% say very important

  • Only 1.5% say it's not very important

Basically, four out of five Beauty Buddies care a lot. Reading the fine print isn't a chore anymore, it's just part of the routine, right alongside checking the price and the shade range.

Trust has to be earned, not printed on a label

Here's where things get interesting. Just because a bottle says "clean" doesn't mean the Squad is buying it, literally or figuratively.

Only 19% of Beauty Buddies completely trust a brand's own "clean" label. Another 40.5% only somewhat trust it. And here's the stat that really stings for brands: 41% have switched away from a favorite product after discovering an ingredient they didn't want, and never went back.

Once that trust is broken, it's broken. The Beauty Buddy Squad says loyalty has limits, and a sketchy ingredient is exactly where they draw the line.

What's actually on the watch list

We're not talking about a vague fear of "chemicals" here. The Squad knows exactly what they're avoiding, and they can name names:

  • Sulphates — 46%

  • Synthetic fragrances — 45%

  • Silicones — 43%

  • Parabens — 41%

  • Phthalates — 30.5%

  • Mineral oil — 18%

If your product has sulphates or synthetic fragrance in the top three ingredients, chances are close to half the Squad is going to notice.

"Clean" means all of it, not just one box checked

Here's a stat every brand should sit with: 60.5% of the Beauty Buddy Squad defines "clean beauty" as free from harmful chemicals, naturally derived, cruelty-free, AND sustainably packaged, all at once. Not one or two of those things. All of them.

That's a high bar. It means a gorgeous glass jar with recyclable packaging doesn't save a product if the formula itself doesn't hold up, and a killer clean formula doesn't get a pass if it's wrapped in problematic plastic.

Where the Squad actually verifies "clean"

So how does the community fact check a brand's claims? Mostly, they're going straight to the source:

  • 66.5% check the brand's own website or packaging

  • 34.5% use beauty apps (hi, that's us! 👋)

  • 34% look for independent certification logos

  • 29% ask friends and community recommendations

  • 29% check third-party review sites

  • 27.5% look to social media influencers

And speaking of certifications, not all of them carry equal weight. 57% of the Squad recognizes and trusts the Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certification, making it the clear standout. B Corp comes in at 30%, COSMOS Organic at 20.5%, and EWG Verified at 16.5%. Interestingly, 32% say they don't follow certifications at all, which tells us there's still a real education gap when it comes to what these labels actually mean.

The Squad will pay more, they just want proof

Here's the good news for brands doing it right: 52.5% of Beauty Buddies are very or extremely willing to pay more for a product that's genuinely certified clean or sustainable, and another 33.5% are somewhat willing.

The willingness to spend is there. What's missing, for a lot of the market, is the proof to back it up. As one Beauty Buddy put it during the survey: paying more isn't the problem, paying more for nothing provable is.

The bottom line

The Beauty Buddy Squad has moved way past "natural" buzzwords. They're reading labels, naming ingredients, checking certifications, and holding brands accountable to a standard that goes beyond a single word on the front of the box. And honestly? We love to see it.

Curious how your own favorite products stack up? Download the Beauty Buddy app and see what the Squad has to say about the brands in your routine, ingredient callouts included.

Mariana Aleman
Next

We Asked the Beauty Buddy Squad How They Get Their Glow!