How to craft the perfect tagline for your clean beauty brand

‘It’s only a few words, it shouldn’t be this hard!’

Ever said this to yourself while trying to create a tagline, also known as slogan, for your clean beauty brand? You’re not alone.

Finding the perfect combination of words that capture your mission, values, and USP in a few short words is no small feat. Especially if English isn’t your first language.

I’ve helped a number of businesses, from solopreneurs to purpose-led brands, develop taglines for new business verticals or rebranding projects. Sometimes the tagline creation is a one-off project, sometimes it’s part of a whole website rewrite.

When I work on tagline projects, I always create three distinct directions. But often, brands will already have some initial ideas. So before I get down to brainstorming and creating, I’ll audit them to see whether they’ll work.

So if you’ve come up with a tagline for your clean beauty brand but not 100% sure it’s the one, how do you decide?

Here is a quick audit you can run through before committing and updating all your branding and comms:

1. Are you crystal clear on your brand positioning and target audience?

When a tagline doesn’t hit the mark it’s often because it’s trying to appeal to everyone. Before brainstorming taglines, you need a strong understanding of your brand positioning, competition and who you’re speaking to.

Let’s say you’re creating a tagline for your organic skincare brand. What sets it apart from all the other brands out there? What do your customers need and want? And how do you provide this in a way other organic (or mainstream) skincare brands don’t?

2. Does it flow?

Of course, grammar and syntax should be flawless — unless you’re deliberately breaking the rules. But that’s a topic for another day. Rhythm, cadence, consonance and sibilance can all combine to make a tagline feel effortless. Say it out loud. Does it feel nice to say? Is the rhythm right?

If your brand is a confident sustainable cosmetics brand that’s questioning the status quo then play with short, snappy words for an edgy feel. If pampering your customers with a luxurious green beauty experience is your priority then opt for longer, softer words for a more relaxing, sensuous vibe.

If English isn’t your first language, these nuances can be tricky, so it’s worth having a native speaker review it.

3. Are you too self-absorbed?

Self-congratulatory taglines are surprisingly common. A famous example? Gilette’s iconic ‘the best a man can get’.

At first glance, this tagline might seem customer-focused. But on reflection, it doesn’t clearly communicate why customers should choose this brand. While this type of tagline might work for a big, well-established personal care brand with a solid reputation, a smaller brand needs a clearer, more benefit-driven message to stand out.

Instead of focusing on what makes you great, try centring your tagline around a core customer benefit. It might be as simple as rewording your tagline as an invite — and yes, shared values are a benefit!

4. Are you playing buzzword bingo?

Innovative. Game-changing. World-class.

Did your eyes glaze over? These words are so overused that they’ve lost their impact. Dig a bit deeper and look for fresh and specific ways to express what makes your brand unique. What makes it innovative? How is it disrupting the industry?

Make sure you don’t inadvertently greenwash. I would stay clear of terms like ‘eco-friendly’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ unless you can substantiate the claim. There’s not enough space in your tagline to do this unless you add a big old ugly asterisk. And besides, these words are so fluffy and generic, they won’t make you stand out.

If circular packaging, refillable systems or non-toxic ingredients are a core part of your brand then can you demonstrate this creatively in your tagline?

5. Are you being too clever?

Ok, I admit it. I do love a clever pun. But if your tagline requires an explanation, it’s probably not the best choice. This is especially important if your audience includes non-native English speakers, as with many of the brands I’ve worked with.

Try your tagline out on a target audience focus group. Does it resonate with them?

6. Is it unique?

Before you commit to a tagline, see if it’s already been claimed. Has another beauty brand used it? Is it trademarked?

There are only so many word combinations in the English language so chances are it’s been used by others. While this might not be an issue if there's no crossover with your brand, you might want to tweak it or rethink it altogether if it’s already widely associated with another company.

The right tagline for your clean beauty brand

Your tagline may only be a few words, but it does a lot of heavy lifting for your clean beauty brand. Take the time to test it, refine it, and make sure it genuinely reflects your mission, purpose and proposition.

Do you need help with your tagline? I create taglines in English from scratch and transcreate them from Italian into English. Get in touch with me via email or book a free 30-minute call and let’s discuss how I can help you nail your clean beauty tagline.