The Top 5 Products of Conscious Consumers in December 2019

The 3.5 million CodeCheck users want products that are equally good for the body and the environment and come from a sustainable production. The monthly evaluation of CodeCheck’s Insights shows which products attracted a lot of attention from conscious consumers in December and achieved high interaction values, for example, in product scans and reviews.

Good for the body: focus on skin and hair care

In the winter months, consumers are particularly interested in products from the skin and hair care section - food has not made it to the top 5. In addition to "classic winter products" such as lip care, moisturizer, and body cream, deodorant also appears in the top 5. In first place, a surprise success which is not typical for winter: The “Avocado Shampoo Bar” from the Nature Box brand.

Nature Box: Schwarzkopf & Henkel focus on sustainability

Exciting: The Nature Box brand comes from Schwarzkopf & Henkel, which has been active as a hair care product manufacturer for 120 years. It was only in July 2018 that Schwarzkopf & Henkel launched the Nature Box brand, which according to the company, is intended to convey a "holistic beauty feeling" and is based on a sustainable product philosophy. The name Nature Box alludes to the social media trend “unboxing” and all products in the line are vegan, free of silicones, artificial colors, sulfates, and parabens. The placement of the product at number 1 in our December ranking shows how traditional manufacturers from the FMCG industry can help shape the sustainable revolution.

The top 5 products from December 2019 at a glance

1. Nature Box Festes Shampoo Avocado

Initially, Nature Box only had liquid shampoo in its collection, however, the brand introduced shampoo bars in autumn of 2019. A solid shampoo bar is basically liquid shampoo that has been deprived of water. It comes in environmentally friendly cardboard packaging, which saves plastic waste. Nature Box’s Avocado Shampoo Bar with cold-pressed avocado oil and rich foam, cleans the hair, cares for it, and protects it from split ends. A bar of shampoo is equivalent to about two conventional shampoo bottles (250 ml) and can be used for up to 30 washes.

CodeCheck Community rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Top user comments:

My hair has never been so soft and beautiful ... and I have thick, bristly hair. It is always better than that of LUSH !!!

I already have some shampoo bars behind me, this is the one that I personally find most pleasant, cleans best, and the hair is nice and soft even without rinsing or an acidic rinse.

Great product!!! Super fragrance and good price performance! Better than some other companies (LUSH). No more plastic packaging! I wish for more products like this!

Nonetheless, some users complain that the product may not be “completely green” and that unfortunately, it isn’t a genuinely natural cosmetic.

2. Kneipp Lippenpflege Winterpflege Extrapflege

100% natural lip balm with nourishing cupuaçu butter and real vanilla extract.

According to the manufacturer, it pampers the lips with extensive care and envelops them with a delicate, pleasant fragrance. The formula with proven depot effect is intended to provide long-lasting and intensive care for the lips.

CodeCheck Community rating: 5 out of 5 possible stars

Top user comments:

The scent is great and subtle, the consistency nourishes, but it’s not sticky, and of course, no questionable additives.

Pleasant texture also tastes good.

Cares for the lips very well.

Nothing I don't like.

3. Rexona Deo Stick Antitranspirant Cotton Dry

Rexona’s Ultra Cotton Dry Deodorant is said to protect against sweat and unpleasant odors for up to 48 hours. The antiperspirant stick does not contain alcohol.

CodeCheck Community rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Top user comments:

Very economical, sweat and odor-inhibiting- just what a deodorant should do.

Tried many different deodorant sticks, this supports me the best!

Protects well against a sweaty smell.

It inhibits perspiration.

Works for hours.

At the same time, the CodeCheck Community also has numerous negative reviews about the product, thus, they are greatly contrasting. Examples: "Contains aluminum, which is suspected to lead to cancer." +++ "Unilever, please get this damn dangerous chemistry out, as well as microplastics." +++ "Neither vegan nor cruelty-free."

4. RITUALS The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream

A rich body cream that is intended to nourish and tighten the skin intensively. The formula contains antioxidants, vitamin E, and Centella asiatica, rounded off with the regenerating scent of cherry blossoms and organic rice milk.

CodeCheck Community rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Top user comments:

Very good consistency and pleasant smell.

The scent is wonderful, milky, and with a delicate touch of fragrant, fresh cherry. My skin is soft after use. I particularly like the fact that the cream is quickly absorbed and productive, and you can still get to the rest of the product in the jar when it is coming to an end.

Some CodeCheck users, on the other hand, notice the ingredient palm oil. Other users criticize a greasy consistency, which is why the cream does not penetrate the skin quickly enough. These user comments also show that negative comments in the CodeCheck Community can lead to other users refusing to buy the product: "It is rated negatively, it is enough not to use anymore."

Looking for tailor-made insights on conscious consumers for your company?

Then, you may want to try and use CodeCheck Insights, the largest panel for conscious consumers in the German-speaking countries. The CodeCheck app platform is reaching 3.5 million users. Ask users directly and receive informative data and valuable insights into the desires of the discerning and conscious consumers – segmented according to your wishes.

Methodology: All interactions triggered by CodeCheck users are measured. This includes scanning, searching, product page views, comments, voting and rating.