The ultimate guide to EcoBeautyScore and how it is changing beauty sustainability

Key takeaways

• EcoBeautyScore is a harmonized consumer-facing label for cosmetics, built on the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method and tailored to beauty. 

• It uses 16 environmental impact categories and translates them into a simple A to E scale by product segment.

• Its latest version improves freshwater ecotoxicity assessment and relies on proxy data to achieve 99.99 percent formula coverage.

• Some observers warn that EcoBeautyScore may give an advantage to large early adopters, since bigger brands have more resources to gather data and display the label, while SMEs risk lagging behind unless fair access is ensured.

• Devera is a strong alternative to the EcoBeautyScore by making it accessible for SMEs, covering full product portfolios across all categories and markets, while also generating A–E scores that can feed into EcoBeautyScore where needed.

What is EcoBeautyScore and why it matters

EcoBeautyScore (EBS) is a consortium-led initiative designed to create a common, science-based methodology for evaluating the environmental footprint of cosmetics. The goal is simple: give consumers clear, comparable information on the impact of their shampoo, moisturizer or body wash, and encourage brands to improve their products’ performance.

The label works with a familiar five-point scale, from A (better environmental performance) to E (worse), making it easy for shoppers to compare products within the same category. This comparability is important, because it’s built on a harmonized method grounded in the European Commission’s PEF framework, but with specific adaptations to cosmetics such as rinse water defaults, ingredient proxies and packaging modeling.

The first set of product segments covered includes hair wash, hair treatment, face moisturizers and treatments, and body wash. Other segments, such as deodorants or makeup, are expected to follow.

Who is behind EcoBeautyScore

EcoBeautyScore is led by a global consortium of more than 40 cosmetics companies and associations. Founding members include industry leaders such as L’Oréal, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Henkel, Shiseido and Natura &Co, alongside associations like Cosmetics Europe. 

The initiative was created to harmonize environmental scoring across the beauty sector and prevent a proliferation of fragmented labels. The consortium also engages with NGOs, regulators and academics, ensuring the methodology is both science-based and aligned with the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint framework. Importantly, EcoBeautyScore has pledged to make access fair and non-discriminatory so that small and medium-sized brands can also join and benefit from the system.

How the methodology works in practice

EBS covers the entire product lifecycle, from raw material extraction to end of life, including packaging, transport, use phase and disposal.

• Impacts measured: 16 environmental categories are included, from climate change to human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, eutrophication, land use and water scarcity.
  
  

• Scoring model: individual impacts are normalized and weighted, then aggregated into a single footprint value, which is mapped to an A–E scale specific to each segment.
  
  

• Packaging: end of life is modeled using the EU Circular Footprint Formula, which considers recycling rates, quality of secondary material, incineration and landfill.
  
  

• Use phase: rinse-off products factor in default water volumes and heating energy, while leave-on products are set to zero water use.
  
  

• Ingredients: EBS has identified 690 “priority ingredients” across the first segments, ensuring that those most commonly used or impactful are covered with specific or proxy datasets.
  
  

This mix of specific data and proxies ensures near-total coverage of formulas (≥99.99%), which is critical for consumer comparability and regulatory credibility.

More about the EcoBeautyScore methodology here.

Recent updates and innovations in version 1.6

The latest methodology release introduced several key improvements:

• Freshwater ecotoxicity: expanded coverage and revised characterization factors, addressing one of the most criticized categories in LCA for cosmetics.
  
  

• Normalization factor upgrade: EBS enriched its inventory by including cosmetics data into the EU reference dataset, making ecotoxicity results more robust.
  
  

• Data representativeness indicator: every product now gets an index that reflects how specific or generic the data behind it is, giving more transparency to the score.
  
  

• Consumer testing: EBS confirmed that the five-point scale is well understood by consumers across regions, from Europe to Brazil and China.

At the same time, some limitations remain. Supplier-specific datasets are not yet included, refill systems are not fully integrated into the scoring, and agricultural practices such as biodiversity impacts are only partially captured.

Public consultation and industry feedback

The first round of public consultation gathered more than 170 comments from over 40 stakeholders, including NGOs and EU institutions. Feedback focused on data gaps in natural ingredients and biodiversity, the representativeness of market sampling, and the need for SME accessibility.

EBS has committed to improving data granularity over time, aligning more closely with PACT or TfS standards, and making its tools accessible under fair and non-discriminatory terms.

Controversy and perceptions

EcoBeautyScore has been welcomed as a step toward harmonization, but it has also sparked debate about who benefits most from its design. The consortium is led by major beauty groups such as L’Oréal, Beiersdorf (Nivea, Eucerin) and Johnson & Johnson (Neutrogena), which are among the first to pilot the A–E label on products. According to Business of Fashion, this rollout is partly seen as a way for “big beauty” to stay ahead of incoming anti-greenwashing regulation and gain an edge with eco-conscious consumers.

At the same time, questions remain about accessibility for smaller players. The official public consultation report on the methodology shows that SME access and fair terms were recurring concerns raised by stakeholders. Critics argue that without careful governance, the framework could inadvertently favor early adopters with deeper resources, reinforcing the market dominance of large multinationals rather than creating a level playing field for the whole industry.

EcoBeautyScore vs Devera

Both EcoBeautyScore and Devera address the same core challenge, understanding and communicating the footprint of cosmetic products, but they do it from different angles.

EcoBeautyScore is a sectorial cosmetic standard with consumer-facing comparability. Devera is an AI-powered platform that accelerates the production of LCAs for any products, enabling brands to generate reliable, ISO-aligned data in days rather than months.

Here is how they compare:

Strengths and limits for brands

EcoBeautyScore’s biggest strength is comparability. The A to E scale is simple, consumer-friendly and grounded in a harmonized EU method, which gives it strong credibility with regulators and shoppers. But its scope is still limited, both geographically to Europe and methodologically to a few categories like shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and body washes. This means that large portfolios, from makeup to fragrances or sun care, remain outside its reach for now.

Devera brings a broader and faster solution. The platform not only delivers full LCAs across all product categories and markets, it also generates an A to E score for each product. This allows brands to cover their entire portfolio with a consistent, ISO-aligned framework, compare performance across categories, and still meet EcoBeautyScore requirements where relevant. 

In practice, Devera acts as both the engine behind footprint data and the scalable scoring system that goes beyond the current limitations of EBS.

How to combine both in practice

The most effective play for cosmetics brands is to use the two together. Start with Devera to build a solid, primary-data-based LCA of your products. Then use that dataset to generate your EcoBeautyScore results for eligible SKUs in Europe. Finally, keep Devera running as your internal dashboard, so you can continuously improve formulas, packaging and suppliers.

This dual approach ensures you comply with EU Green Claims rules, communicate effectively with consumers, and maintain a fast feedback loop for eco-design.

Final thoughts

EcoBeautyScore is an important milestone for the cosmetics industry, finally bringing harmonization and consumer comparability to environmental claims. But it is not designed to replace LCAs that companies need for compliance, design and investor reporting.

That is where Devera comes in. By decoding complex data into real-time insights, Devera helps brands (no matter their size) not only meet the standard but go beyond it, improving their products with speed, transparency and confidence.

👉 Ready to turn product sustainability into action? Learn how Devera’s AI-powered LCA for cosmetics can help you generate compliant data fast and use it to both comply with labels and improve your products over time.

Frequently asked questions

Does EcoBeautyScore measure social impact?
No, the methodology is limited to environmental impacts. Social or ethical dimensions such as fair trade are outside scope.

Which product categories are currently included in EcoBeautyScore?

For now, EcoBeautyScore covers only a limited set of cosmetic categories: hair wash, hair treatment (conditioners and masks), face moisturizers and treatments, and body wash. Other categories such as deodorants, sun care, makeup or fragrances are not yet part of the methodology, but the consortium has announced that new segments will be added gradually over the coming years.

Can I use supplier-specific datasets?
Not yet. Version 1.6 does not integrate supplier data, but governance models are under discussion.

Is EcoBeautyScore valid outside Europe?
The first calibration of the scale is Europe-only, but the ambition is global deployment.

How are rinse water and dosage handled?
Default values per segment ensure comparability. They are not product-specific at this stage.

What about refill systems?
Methodological integration is ongoing, but not yet part of the official scoring.