This study examines the influence of sustainable attributes on beauty retailers’ online platforms and topics extracted from consumer reviews on consumer ratings for skincare products, with a focus on the moderating effect of vegan status. Analyzing 109,599 consumer reviews from Ulta Beauty using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), 11 key topics were identified, including product texture, hydration, and long-lasting effect, underscoring the importance of intrinsic cues like texture and hydration in consumer evaluations. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis reveals that price positively influences consumer ratings, whereas product texture, skin texture, and long-lasting effect negatively impact ratings. Vegan products generally receive higher ratings; however, adding sustainable attributes yields mixed results. Clean ingredients, cruelty-free labels, and sustainable packaging improve ratings for non-vegan products but can reduce ratings for vegan products due to heightened expectations. Interaction effects show that product texture and long-lasting effect enhance ratings for both vegan and non-vegan products, with stronger effects for vegan products, while skin texture increases ratings for vegan products but decreases them for non-vegan products. These findings highlight the importance for brands to align product qualities with consumer expectations to foster trust and satisfaction. This research provides insights for marketers aiming to balance sustainable claims with intrinsic product qualities to build loyalty and competitive differentiation.
