Marketing to Clean Beauty Shoppers: Five Categories of Consumers

Based on insights from Sooth’s white paper, Inside the Mind of the Clean Beauty Consumer, this interview with Ian Baer, Founder and CEO of predictive marketing intelligence firm Sooth, and Melissa McGuire, Sooth’s Head of Communications, explores how the clean beauty category has matured from a label-driven movement into an emotionally driven consumer mindset.

Baer and McGuire explain that today’s clean beauty consumers no longer respond to vague buzzwords or surface-level sustainability claims. Years of overpromising have weakened trust, shifting expectations toward clarity, proof and emotional alignment. Beauty buyers now define their standards based on personal values, life stages and individual identity rather than universal ideals.

The interview, grounded in findings from the white paper, also highlights why micro- and nano-influencers outperform larger creators: they feel more authentic, relatable and credible to audiences seeking transparency. Ultimately, Baer and McGuire emphasize that clean beauty consumers are emotionally motivated, and brands that recognize and respect those emotional needs — rather than simply labeling themselves as “clean” — are best positioned to build long-term loyalty.

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