Browsing by Subject "vaihtoehtoinen hedonismi"

Consumption of natural and organic products is one of the recognizable global trends that reflects to the cosmetics market as growing popularity of natural cosmetic products. This thesis focuses on the meanings that are related to the use of natural cosmetics. The key objective of this master’s thesis is to recognize the meanings that users of natural cosmetics give to the products they use. Research literature related to consumer culture and the meanings of consumption were used to form the theoretical framework of the study. The theoretical part also focuses on the political and hedonistic meanings associated with natural cosmetics. In addition to the meanings associated with natural cosmetics, the study aims to understand the role of ecological and health related factors in the use of natural cosmetics and to recognize how certificates affect to the use and trust of natural cosmetic products. The empirical part of the study was carried out as a qualitative study. The material consists of 15 thematic interviews conducted by telephone in July 2021. The interviewees who participated in the study are users of natural cosmetics, who were reached through a Finnish Facebook group related to natural cosmetics. The interviews were transcribed and analysed by means of theory-driven content analysis. The study shows that users of natural cosmetics give 1) functional, 2) social, 3) ecological, 4) health, 5) pleasure, and 6) trust-related meanings to the products they use. Political consumption is a prominent part of the use of natural cosmetics. Especially the social and ecological meanings of the use of natural cosmetics shows signs of alternative hedonism, which can be seen as a more controlled way to act as a consumer. The study shows that users of natural cosmetics give not only individual but also socially important meanings to natural cosmetic products. Users of natural cosmetics are restraining their use of natural cosmetics by buying products with specific features. For example, one natural cosmetics user chooses to purchase products that are only produced in Finland. The study also identifies the trust-related importance of certificates, especially when the product or place of purchase is unfamiliar to the natural cosmetics user. Users of natural cosmetics don’t see the certificate as a necessity since the use of the products is mainly based on the functionality, the ingredients, the price, and the availability of the products. Above all, the study shows that there’s specific type of uncertainty associated with natural cosmetics and their use. This leads to continuous evaluation and balancing between meanings related to natural cosmetics user’s own well-being and to the meanings related to social and environmental issues.