From claims to proof: EcoBeautyScore passes 13,000 products scored as EmpCo takes effect

One year after the first scores were published, the science-based environmental scoring system for beauty is expanding across categories, brands and markets

Brussels, 30 September 2026: As the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo) begins to apply this week, EcoBeautyScore is marking more than a year of progress since the first product scores were published, with more than 13,000 products now scored on its platform and more than 11 brands publishing EcoBeautyScores to consumers.

The milestone comes as the new EU regulation introduces stricter rules for environmental claims, placing greater emphasis on specificity, substantiation and credible evidence. For beauty brands, the shift reinforces the need to move from broad environmental messaging towards claims supported by robust evidence.

“EmpCo changes the conversation around environmental claims. For beauty brands, it is raising the bar for evidence and transparency behind environmental claims, said Rebekah Lees, Marketing & Business Development Director, EcoBeautyScore Association. But this is more than a regulatory requirement — it is an opportunity to communicate environmental performance in a way that is clearer, more credible and ultimately more useful to consumers.”

From launch to industry adoption

EcoBeautyScore launched its scoring platform in March 2025, after three years of development, with the first product scores published in July 2025. The platform now covers five product categories: Face Care, Shampoo, Rinse-Off Hair Care, Body Care – Moisturise & Treat and Body Wash, with Leave-In Hair Care, Face Cleanser and Deodorant planned to become available before the end of 2026.

The EcoBeautyScore methodology uses a full life cycle assessment (LCA) approach aligned with the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology. It assesses 16 environmental impact categories across all lifecycle stages, from raw materials and processing through to storage and distribution, consumer use and end-of-life. Its A–E score translates this complex environmental data into a format that can be communicated to consumers.

This multi-impact approach provides a more comprehensive picture of environmental performance than focusing on carbon emissions alone. By considering multiple environmental impacts, it helps identify potential burden-shifting – where improvements in one area may come at the expense of another – and gives companies greater insight into opportunities for improvement and eco-design.

Supporting brands in the post-EmpCo landscape

EmpCo, formally Directive (EU) 2024/825, introduces stricter EU consumer protection rules around environmental and sustainability claims. As of 27 September 2026, the Directive applies across the EU, introducing new restrictions on generic environmental claims and requirements affecting environmental labels and the substantiation of environmental communications.

For beauty brands, claims such as “eco-friendly” or “good for the planet” need to be supported by evidence that substantiates what is being communicated and reflects how consumers are likely to interpret the claim.

“EmpCo is fundamentally about moving from environmental promises to environmental proof,” said Laurent Gilbert, Scientific Director, EcoBeautyScore Association. “That is closely aligned with the purpose of EcoBeautyScore. The score gives brands a measurable way to assess environmental performance across the product lifecycle, while the methodology provides the scientific foundation behind the result.”

EcoBeautyScore has also published a practical guide to help beauty brands consider their environmental communications in the context of EmpCo, covering claim specificity, evidence, consumer understanding, and environmental labels and logos.

“The momentum behind EcoBeautyScore reflects a growing recognition across the beauty industry that environmental performance needs to be measured and communicated in a consistent, science-based way, said Jean-Baptiste Massignon, Managing Director, EcoBeautyScore Association. As brands navigate an increasingly demanding environmental claims landscape, there is a clear need for a credible common approach that can translate complex environmental data into information that is meaningful for both businesses and consumers.”

As the EcoBeautyScore continues to expand across categories, brands and markets, it is helping build the foundations for a more informed and transparent approach to environmental communication in beauty — where claims are backed by evidence and consumers have clearer information to understand them.

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