With the fast-changing nature of the green cosmetics industry, an increasing number of products have become available, but it has become harder for customers to tell the difference between eco-friendly products and greenwashing because of the rise in greenwashing. This only adds to customer confusion, mistrust and concerns about brand legitimacy. The current study looks at how consumers view greenwashing and how it affects the trustworthiness of brands in the green cosmetics sector. Data obtained from 420 cosmetic customers were analyzed using quantitative survey method: descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA. The study aims to investigate consumer demographic differences and pinpoint the fundamental aspects of perceptions of greenwashing.

The results indicate that, before buying, the customers are actively evaluating both the truthfulness of the environmental claims and they are increasingly aware of the greening of the marketing. Four factors were revealed: Green product believes and mindfulness, shopper activism, transparency orientation, and environmental values and moral backing. When combined, these variables accounted for 72.31% of the variance. Also, the results reveal that transparency, authenticity, and credible sustainability communication are important factors in creating consumer trust and evaluations of brands. The findings of this study contribute to the growing knowledge about green marketing and consumer behavior by providing empirical evidence of the complex perceptions of greenwashing. Specifically, the study contributes to the literature in two ways: First, it demonstrates a four factor structure of consumers' attitudes towards greenwashing; Second, it provides consumers' attitudes towards greenwashing in the context of the four factors. They also offer valuable insights for cosmetics companies seeking to enhance their brand's reputation by actively and responsibly engaging with consumers about the environment.