The Beauty Cluster launches the Claims Guide. The largest business association in the cosmetics, perfumery, and personal care sector in Spain has developed, together with Inèdit, Marimón Abogados, and Muttulab, a guide that provides companies in the cosmetic sector with a reference framework for correctly using environmental claims or statements in products. The project has had the support of ACCIÓ.
The project arises at a time when environmental claims, which are increasingly present in the labeling and communication of products, brands, and companies, are facing growing regulatory pressure. Future European regulations, including Directive (EU) 2024/825 on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, the proposed Directive on Green Claims, and, in Spain, the Preliminary Draft Law on Sustainable Consumption, reinforce the requirements of veracity, specificity, and scientific backing demanded for any environmental claim.
This context has led some companies to reduce or directly hide their communication on sustainability for fear of incurring errors, criticism, or sanctions, a phenomenon known as green silence or greenhushing. Faced with this trend, Beauty Beyond Green proposes a different objective: it is not about communicating less, but about communicating better.
Two complementary tools
The core of the project materializes in two tools for companies in the sector:
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An interactive and living digital tool that allows searching and selecting the most used environmental claims in cosmetics and perfumery, and validates their use through a visual traffic light classification system: green (allowed), yellow (depends on certain requirements or evidence), and red (prohibited or high risk). For each claim, the tool details the reason for its classification and incorporates references to applicable regulations, and allows generating a downloadable report with the results.
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A sectoral guide to sustainable claims in cosmetics and perfumery, titled "Communicating Sustainability with Credibility," which offers a technical, environmental, and legal reference framework. The publication explains what greenwashing is and how to avoid it, summarizes the main European and Spanish regulations, proposes a work framework with practical indicators organized around five principles (clarity, verifiable data, context, life cycle approach, and independently verified certifications) and includes the complete list of claims analyzed in the digital tool, with cases of good and bad practice.
Both tools are available for free at www.beautybeyondgreen.com.
Communicate without fear, but with evidence
"The ultimate goal of Beauty Beyond Green is not to encourage the sector to communicate less for fear of regulation, but to provide brands with the necessary security to communicate better," explains Adrià Martínez, General Manager of Beauty Cluster. "We hope that this project will serve as a catalyst towards authentic, credible sustainability communication that strengthens trust with the market."
The project places special emphasis on the fact that neither of the two tools replaces the company's own judgment or specific legal advice: both are conceived as instruments to support decision-making, not as automatic validation mechanisms or legal advice. The final suitability of each claim will always depend on the specific circumstances of use, the available evidence, and the evolution of the regulatory framework.