Beauty in Costa Rica has a particularity that does not exist in large markets: a good share of local brands are natural cosmetics, and the audience buys them for origin, not for promise.

What actually converts

The honest before and after

Same light, same framing, stated timeframe. Still the best performing format in paid media.

Texture in close up

How the product feels, how it spreads, how it absorbs.

The ingredient's origin

This is the Costa Rican advantage. Showing where the oil, the cacao or the plant comes from converts enormously, especially with foreign audiences.

The objection answered

"I thought that because it was natural it would not work." Starting from the doubt converts better than starting from the benefit.

Use in a tropical climate

How it behaves with humidity and sweat. It is the local customer's real question and almost nobody answers it.

Which creators to hire

The one with the skin of the customer you want to convince, not the one with perfect skin.

And look for variety of tones. Costa Rica is a diverse country and the Caribbean coast is a different reality from the Central Valley. A campaign with six identical creators performs worse than one with six different ones.

If your product also sells abroad, hire at least one creator who films in English. It opens a market with far bigger budgets.

The brief that produces good material

Include: the problem it solves, the main objection, three suggested hooks and a list of what cannot be said.

That last point is critical. A cosmetic product cannot claim the ability to cure or treat conditions, and responsibility falls on the brand when it runs the piece.

Also ask for detail shots without a face: they serve the product page and can be recycled.

How many pieces to buy

To test in paid media, six different creatives with three hooks each. Less than that teaches you nothing.

The Costa Rican calendar

The peaks are the dry season, with sun and beach products, Mothers Day in August, Black Friday and Christmas. The rainy season works well for hydration and hair care.

Where to go next

In natural beauty, origin is the argument. Our complete UGC guide for brands explains the rest of the process.