UX for Transparent and Sustainable Skincare Brand - Releaf

Project Overview

Releaf is a freelance UX project for a skincare brand focused on full ingredient transparency and sustainable consumer behavior. I led the research, strategy, and end-to-end product design to build a mobile-first experience that helps users make confident skincare decisions backed by clear, traceable product data.

1. The Problem

Most skincare brands list ingredients vaguely or bury details behind marketing terms.

64% of users don’t trust skincare labels
58% abandon carts when product content or eco-impact is unclear

2. The Challenge

Design an experience that makes every ingredient traceable, every eco-claim verifiable, and every step user-centered.

3. Research

To understand what users needed, I did:

Competitive audit of 5 sustainable skincare brands

35+ user reviews analyzed from Reddit, Sephora, and clean beauty forums

Created 2 core personas from patterns:

• Cili — minimalist eco-shopper, skeptical of greenwashing

• Sarah — skincare enthusiast, prioritizes skin safety & proof

  [Visuals: Competitive Matrix · Personas · Empathy Maps]

4. Insights

Trust = visibility. Hiding details kills confidence.

• Users don’t read labels — they scan for cues.

• Simplified UI with verified sourcing performs better than technical terms alone.

5. User Flow & Structure

Built user journey from onboarding → quiz → product discovery → refill tracking

• Created sitemap, task flows, and a lean feature matrix

• Prioritized ingredient breakdown, product matching, and sustainable reminders

  [Visuals: Journey Map · Sitemap · Flow Diagram]

6. Wireframes & UI Design

Sketched 8-minute low-fi layouts

• A/B tested product pages with and without ingredient visual aids

Designed mid- and hi-fi screens with clean UI, white space, and trust elements:

[Visuals: Sketches · A/B Testing Slides · Hi-Fi UI Screens]

7. Usability Testing

5 moderated user tests (mobile prototype)

Focused on: clarity of ingredient info, flow of quiz, and refill UI