Sustainable beauty in the Digital era: A multimodal discourse study of tiktok live commerce in Indonesia

Abstract

The rise of TikTok Live Commerce has reshaped Indonesia's beauty industry into a digital arena where sustainability becomes both a market value and a communication strategy. This study investigates how sustainability is linguistically and visually constructed in beauty live streams through Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA). Ten live sessions featuring high-end and mass-market brands were examined to identify patterns of tone, mood, gesture, and visual composition. Findings reveal two semiotic tendencies: high-end sellers perform symbolic capital through calm tone, scientific vocabulary, and minimalist aesthetics, while mass-market sellers display emotional capital through expressive speech, slang, and colorful visuals. These modes collectively shape a digital discourse of sustainable beauty that intertwines class, trust, and consumer engagement. The study argues that digital communication operates as a form of symbolic and cultural capital in the sustainable economy, supporting SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).