Author: Beautycounter

Our Mission

Our Commitment to Honoring and Supporting the AAPI Community 

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Our Commitment to Honoring and Supporting the AAPI Community 

At Beautycounter, we are proud to honor and support our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during AAPI Month (and throughout the year) through our continued commitment to advocating for beauty justice and fostering inclusivity across our business. The AAPI community is disproportionately affected by toxic chemical exposures found in personal-care products, which is why we advocate for stricter safety standards in the personal-care industry, especially for communities at higher risk.  

Advocating for change is essential to support this community. That’s why we are proud to have supported the passing of The California Professional Cosmetics Labeling Requirements Act (AB2775) through our advocacy efforts back in 2018. This bill was a critical step in protecting salon workers, a professional community with significant representation from those who identify as Asian American, who are often disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in their workplace. The law demands greater transparency from the cosmetics industry by requiring product manufacturers to list ingredients on the labels of professional cosmetic products, enabling salon workers to make informed decisions about the products they use, day in and day out. This law is just one example of our advocacy efforts to help raise the standards of the beauty industry in hopes of positively impacting the AAPI community. 

Additionally, Beautycounter has spent over a decade advocating for the ban and restriction of harmful chemicals in personal-care products. Used in skin-lightening creams marketed to Black women and women of South Asian descent, hydroquinone is associated with skin irritation and discoloration and has suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential. In 2020, a COVID response bill included an expedited process for the FDA to ban an ingredient when determined unsafe for consumer use—and hydroquinone was one of them. Though it is still available through prescription, over-the-counter products with the ingredient were removed from shelves by the end of 2020.  

At Beautycounter, we are dedicated to supporting the AAPI community and fostering a more inclusive future for all. As we celebrate AAPI Month, we renew our commitment to this important work, and we are proud to have our Chief Impact Officer, Jen Lee, leading the way. 

Jen Lee at the 2023 Raise the Impact Forum
Jen Lee at the 2023 Raise the Impact Forum

As a member of the AAPI community herself, Jen brings invaluable insights and perspective to our advocacy efforts. We are grateful for her leadership and the meaningful change she has helped drive within our organization and beyond. See below for a Q&A with Jen. 

Q: What does AAPI Month mean to you? And why is it important for organizations to celebrate these heritage months?  

A: I think it’s important to recognize the richness of the AAPI community’s diverse background, heritage, and contribution—but also a great way to take time to celebrate how diverse being an American or Canadian can look like. How exciting to celebrate our past, present, and future as an AAPI community! 

Q: How will your new role at Beautycounter continue to help advance our advocacy efforts to support underrepresented communities?   

A: I’m honored to be Beautycounter’s first Chief Impact Officer, and as an Asian woman of color in this role, it is absolutely my personal and professional passion to support DE&I and underrepresented communities in my work. It’s not a coincidence that Beautycounter’s mission and our advocacy work intersect—beauty justice and environmental justice will continue to be a top priority and I truly believe it will be a conversation in the industry as a whole.  

Q: Why is it important to have AAPI representation in higher levels of leadership?  

A: Strategic direction in any organization should come from a team that represents the community that they serve, and even simply having the visual representation of people that are like you (and look like you) can inspire and motivate a community. As an Asian/Korean American with a 1.5-gen immigrant background, I wouldn’t be who I am without my diverse set of mentors who fought to give me a seat at the table—all without asking me to compromise who I am.  

To learn more about our commitment to advocacy for all and the positive change we are working toward, we invite you to check out our 2022 Social Mission Report.  

And please join us in celebrating the AAPI community this month and beyond—let’s continue to work together toward a more equitable and inclusive future for everyone, together. 

Join the Movement by participating in one of these upcoming opportunities: 

  • Join us May 11 in Vancouver, Canada, for an exploration into the Beauty of Inclusion with Beautycounter’s Chief Impact Officer, Jen Lee, and Sr. Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Jenny Aspinwall, alongside our esteemed local Beautycounter Consultants. RSVP here.
  • Advocate for ongoing policy change and mobilize our community in support of clean beauty. 
  • If you live in the U.S., take action by texting RAISEUPBEAUTY TO 52886* to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support and pass health-protective legislation. 
  • If you live in Canada, take action by visiting this link to contact your Members of Parliament and urge them to strengthen federal toxic laws.

*Standard data rates may apply.  

Our Mission

10th Anniversary Recap: Celebrating Raising Up Beauty Through Our Mission Wins

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10th Anniversary Recap: Celebrating Raising Up Beauty Through Our Mission Wins

Last month, Beautycounter celebrated our 10th anniversary by hosting a multi-day event in our hometown of Los Angeles. As a mission-based company, it was no surprise that a key part of our anniversary was celebrating our 10 years of impact through safety, advocacy, sustainability, and giving. Here’s a closer look at what went down: 

Raise the Impact Forum 

As a part of the celebration, we hosted our first-ever Raise the Impact Forum: a four-hour event dedicated to elements of Beautycounter’s mission. The Forum consisted of three panels of subject-matter experts in safety, advocacy, beauty justice, sustainability, and clean beauty.  

Our first panel, “A Conversation on Fostering Equity in Beauty,” featured Janet Nudelman from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), Dr. Ami Zota from Columbia University, and Stephen Holland from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.  

In the past 10 years, Beautycounter has influenced the passage of 11 pieces of federal and state legislation, hosted over 2,000 meetings with lawmakers, and held a Congressional briefing on beauty justice and the disproportionate exposures people of color have to harmful chemicals in personal-care products. The discussion emphasized the importance of Beautycounter’s support and amplification of beauty justice organizations, Dr. Zota’s research on beauty justice issues, and BCPP’s recent launch of the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project, which aims to tackle the environmental injustice of Black beauty.  

A key takeaway of the conversation was that while the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) was a step in the right direction, there is more work to be done, such as banning harmful ingredients from products, closing the “fragrance loophole,” and addressing the disproportionate exposures people of color have to harmful chemicals in personal-care products.  

Our second panel, “A Conversation on Green Mindset vs. Green Action,” featured Steve Hatfield from The Carlyle Group and Davis Han from California Senator Ben Allen’s office.  

The conversation emphasized that sustainability is multifaceted and there are various ways governments, corporations, and nonprofits can do their part to protect the planet. Mr. Han dove into Senator Allen’s recent legislative wins, including the passage of Senate Bill 45, which establishes a producer responsibility scheme to hold plastic industries accountable for the waste they produce. Mr. Hatfield discussed recent attacks on Environmental Social Governance (ESG), but also said he sees sustainable coalitions growing and believes that ESG will ultimately prevail.  

A key takeaway of the conversation was that businesses, like Beautycounter, need to continue leading the way by pursuing ambitious climate and sustainability goals while putting pressure on federal and state governments to protect ESG and take bold climate action. 

Ulta’s Muffy Clince and Beautycounter’s Chief Impact Officer Jen Lee in conversation.  

Our final panel, “A Conversation on What It Means To Be a Leader in Clean,” featured our Chief Impact Officer, Jen Lee, and Muffy Clince from Ulta.  

The discussion dove into Beautycounter’s new partnership with Ulta and why Beautycounter, as the leader in clean beauty, will be the anchor of Ulta’s Conscious Beauty Program.  

Ms. Clince spoke about Ulta’s Conscious Beauty Program, which emphasizes clean ingredients, sustainable packaging, cruelty-free products, and positive impact. Ulta’s priority is to “educate, guide, and simplify,” so transparency around the products they carry both online and in-store is key. Ms. Lee discussed that, although it is not an approach often seen across the industry, a priority for Beautycounter has always been using a science-based approach to banning and restricting harmful ingredients. Moving forward, Ms. Lee anticipates that “clean” will become a more holistic concept and that consumers won’t just look at chemicals that are banned in products but will also look to a company’s sustainability and climate goals when determining what makes a company “clean.” Ms. Clince and Ms. Lee both expressed excitement about the partnership and the brand awareness that will be generated from being sold at the country’s largest cosmetics retailer. 

Video: Inside Beauty That Raises the Bar 

Beautycounter was thrilled to premiere a new video about our mission at the Raise the Impact Forum. Take a look at the below:  

1% Giving Campaign  

Giving back has been central to our mission of getting safer products into the hands of everyone—since day one. On March 4, we launched a campaign that donated 1% of our total sales of the day to our longtime advocacy partner, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP). Through our dedicated Brand Advocates and customers, we were able to raise over $20,000 for BCPP! 

BCPP is a 501(c)(3) and a national leader in science-based advocacy that works to prevent breast cancer. They run the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project, which work to protect people and the planet from toxic chemicals in personal-care products. In addition, BCPP has served as one of our closest allies and partners in influencing lawmakers and legislation. Together, we have worked to pass six health-protective laws: 

  • Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 
  • PFAS-Free Beauty Act of 2022 
  • Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act of 2020 
  • Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2020 
  • Salon Product Ingredient Disclosure Act of 2018 
  • Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017 

Click here to learn more about BCPP. 

Raise Up Beauty  

Most recently, Beautycounter advocated for the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, the first significant update to cosmetics laws in almost a century. This and the other legislative victories we’ve helped secure move us closer to ensuring that all beauty is clean beauty. 

As we continue to celebrate and reflect on a decade of successful advocacy, we’re raising up beauty by urging lawmakers to pass legislation requiring full ingredient and manufacturing transparency and banning harmful chemicals in personal-care products. 

If you live in the US: Text RAISEUPBEAUTY to 52886* or click here to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to strengthen personal-care product laws today.  

If you live in Canada: Click here to call on your Member of Parliament to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). 

California Residents: Click here to learn about California Assembly Bill 496 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.  

New York Residents: Click here to learn about New York Senate Bill 4265 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.  

Illinois Residents: Click here to learn about Illinois State House Bill 1282 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.  

Oregon Residents: Click here to learn about Oregon State Senate Bill 546 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill. 

Vermont Residents: Click here to learn about Vermont Senate Bill 23 and urge your lawmakers to support the bill.  

*Standard data rates may apply. 

Clean Living, Our Mission

Advocacy Update: 2022 Recap and 2023 Outlook

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Advocacy Update: 2022 Recap and 2023 Outlook

Over 240,000 emails, 16,000 calls, and 2,200 meetings with lawmakers later, Beautycounter is proud to be one of the most outspoken beauty brands—if not the most outspoken beauty brand—in D.C., Ottawa, and state capitals. We have influenced the passage of 11 health-protective laws in the past 10 years, including the first major federal cosmetics reform law since 1938, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA).

Earlier this month, Beautycounter’s Chief Impact Officer, our Director of Advocacy, and a D.C. public affairs firm led a “Mission Power Hour” to provide a 2022 advocacy recap along with an outlook for 2023. Check out a recap of the presentation below:

Federal Updates (U.S.)

2022 was a busy year for Beautycounter. We took over 200 Brand Advocates to Washington D.C. for a “BC Takes DC” advocacy trip during which we lobbied our elected officials to support reforms of the personal-care product industry. In addition, our community of advocates from all 50 states sent thousands of letters and made hundreds of phone calls to get the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 across the finish line.

Key provisions of MoCRA include:

  • New Requirements for Cosmetics:
    • Adverse Event Recordkeeping and Serious Adverse Event Reporting
    • Mandatory Facility Registration and Product and Ingredient Listing
    • Cosmetic Safety Substantiation
    • Cosmetic Labeling and Fragrance Allergen Transparency
  • New FDA Enforcement Authorities:
    • Facility Suspension
    • Records Access
    • Recall Authority
  • New Requirements for the FDA to Issue Three New Rules:
    • Good Manufacturing Practices Rule
    • Fragrance Allergen Disclosure Rule
    • Talc Rule

A new session of Congress just began in January 2023. Beautycounter will continue to use its business voice to influence bipartisan reforms of the personal-care product industry. We are working closely with lawmakers and their staff on the reintroduction of the Safer Beauty Bill Package and the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act. As this session of Congress progresses, we will continue to educate and build awareness through text actions, storytelling, and opportunities to call and meet with our lawmakers.

State Recap & Outlook

In 2022, Beautycounter advocated in support of three pieces of legislation at the state level:

  • The California PFAS Free Cosmetics Act: Adopted in 2022, this bill will ban intentionally added PFAS from all cosmetics sold in California beginning January 1, 2025.
  • New York Mercury Out of Cosmetics Bill: Adopted in 2022, this bill will ban the sale of personal-care products that contain mercury. Despite being a persistent neurotoxin that can cause kidney damage and psychosis, mercury is often still used in creams designed to lighten skin color. People of color are often exposed to disproportionately high levels of toxics, including mercury, so this law is a small but significant victory for New York’s beauty justice movement.
  • Washington Non-Toxic Cosmetics Act: Although the bill did not pass in 2022, it has been reintroduced this year.

We are currently tracking the following bills, many of which were just introduced in January 2023:

  • Washington Non-Toxic Cosmetics Act (HB 1047): This bill restricts the sale and distribution of cosmetic products containing nine chemicals or classes of chemicals, including PFAS, formaldehyde, mercury, and phthalates, beginning January 1, 2025. Additionally, it directs the WA Department of Ecology to perform a hazard assessment to ensure that when companies remove harmful chemicals like PFAS or mercury from their products, they aren’t replacing them with chemicals that are just as harmful. It also directs the Department of Ecology to implement an initiative to support small cosmetics businesses that employ fewer than 50 people.
  • Oregon Chemicals of Concern Used in Cosmetic Products Bill (SB 546): This bill requires the Oregon Health Authority to adopt and maintain a list of designated high-priority chemicals of concern used in cosmetic products and to periodically review and revise this list. It requires manufacturers of cosmetic products sold in the state to include notice of certain chemicals used in products on manufacturers’ websites, beginning January 1, 2025. Similar to the Washington bill, this bill bans the sale and distribution of cosmetic products containing certain chemicals and classes of chemicals in the state, including phthalates, PFAS, formaldehyde, and mercury, beginning January 1, 2025.
  • Illinois Cosmetic Product Safety Bill (HB 1282): This bill will amend the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and it provides that, beginning January 1, 2025, no person or entity shall manufacture, sell, or deliver cosmetics products containing intentionally added phthalates, formaldehyde, mercury, PFAS, and more.
  • Additionally, Beautycounter is tracking the PFAS bills below:
    • Nevada Intentionally Added PFAS Bill (SB 76)
    • New Jersey Protecting Against Forever Chemicals (PFAS) Act (A 4758)
    • Rhode Island Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act (SB 16)
    • Massachusetts Act to Protect from PFAS (HD 3324)

Canada Federal Recap & Outlook

Since Beautycounter expanded into Canada in 2016, our community has hosted hundreds of community meetings and meetings on the Hill with Members of Parliament (MPs) and sent over 20,000 emails calling on MPs to make personal-care product reform a priority.

In 2023, a priority for Beautycounter is advocating for modernization of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). CEPA is Canada’s central piece of legislation for the protection of human health and the environment from harmful chemicals and pollution. It has been over two decades since Parliament updated CEPA, and in 2019, Beautycounter Brand Advocates held meetings with Members of Parliament in Ottawa urging for CEPA reform.

In February 2022, The Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act (Bill S-5) was introduced in the Senate and it is an important step toward modernizing and improving CEPA. The bill passed the Senate in 2022 and is currently in the House of Commons. While Bill S-5 offers a workable starting point for much-needed improvements to CEPA, it fails to require ingredient labeling on consumer products and there are many opportunities to strengthen it. Beautycounter will continue to advocate for the strengthening and passage of the bill through text actions, community meetings with MPs, and our “BC Takes Parliament” advocacy trip in May.

Take Action

While we saw many successes in 2022, including the passage of the first major federal cosmetics law since 1938, there is much more work to do. Depending on where you are located, follow the instructions below to reach out to your lawmakers and make your voice heard today:

If you’re in the U.S.: Text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886 to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to pass laws that require full ingredient and manufacturing transparency and ban the use of harmful chemicals in personal-care products.

If you’re in Canada: Visit P2A.CO/JMJ9POG to urge your Members of Parliament to support CEPA modernization and make transparent labeling a priority.

If you are a resident of Washington state: Text TOXICFREECOSMETICS to 52886 to contact your lawmakers and urge them to support the Non-Toxic Cosmetics Act, which will ban some of the worst offenders, including formaldehyde, mercury, and PFAS from cosmetics.

As legislative sessions progress, there will be many opportunities to advocate for clean beauty this year. Thank you for being a part of our movement. And stay tuned—we’ll be sure to keep you updated every step of the way.

Our Mission

Celebrating Black History Month Through Uncompromising Beauty

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Celebrating Black History Month Through Uncompromising Beauty

Getting safer products into the hands of everyone is our mission, and in celebration of Black History Month, we’re honoring the Black community by uplifting through action. 

Beautycounter has worked tirelessly to advocate for safer beauty and regulation of the personal-care industry, helping to reduce toxic exposures that disproportionately affect communities of color. This effort recently paid off with the passing of the Modernization of Cosmetics Act, which will allow the FDA to more effectively regulate the industry. These reforms mark the first meaningful change in cosmetics regulation since the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. 

In order to pursue safer standards in beauty, we look to the guidance of our Science Advisory Council—and integral to our mission to create a more equitable beauty industry is Dr. Ami Zota. Dr. Zota, a Columbia University Professor, investigates how social-structural factors, such as racism, classism, and sexism, shape beauty product use, environmental chemical exposures, and health inequities in women across the life course.  

To further underscore the importance of Black History Month, we’ll be interviewing Dr. Zota about her work and actionable steps that can be taken. Be sure to check back here later in the month for a link to the full video. 

And as we continue to push the industry beyond clean—in our aim to create uncompromising beauty for all—we pursue a holistic commitment to equity and inclusion among our diverse community of Associates, Consultants, and consumers.  

Unequal exposure, unequal harm  

Research[1] shows that Black and Indigenous communities as well as People of Color (BIPOC), experience higher incidences of certain chronic diseases, including diseases associated with harmful chemical exposures. Unfortunately, beauty and personal-care products can be a source of these toxic chemicals. This presents a unique opportunity for prevention. Over the past eight years, Beautycounter has made significant progress toward stronger regulation and systemic change through our product formulations, more responsible sourcing efforts, and advocacy.  

Our work, our promise 

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act was a big step in the right direction for our industry—but our work doesn’t stop there. We also pledge to actively advocate to address racial disparities when it comes to unequal toxic exposures. Thus far, we’ve helped pass two California laws: the Cleaning Products Right to Know Act and the Safer Salon Bill. These bills work to protect vulnerable populations like domestic professionals, hotel workers, and salon professionals, by arming them with information to make safer choices. These professions are dominated by women (often women of color) who are exposed to dangerous chemicals for long periods of time in poorly ventilated areas.[2] 

We’ve also held two high-profile Congressional briefings, highlighting the disparate impacts of harmful ingredients on people of color, for Members of Congress and their staff. The briefings were sponsored by leaders of the Congressional Hispanic and Black caucuses. Beautycounter also helped pass two California bills that remove some of the worst offenders from personal-care products as well as promote greater transparency for fragrance ingredients, which can have links to cancer and hormone disruption.    

Through Beautycounter’s unmatched safety standards, we provide a broad lineup of safe and effective makeup, skin care, and body-care products. And to ensure our makeup products authentically serve diverse skin tones, we continue to expand our shade range options.   

Powered by community 

We understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our Consultant base, which plays a crucial role in achieving our mission of getting safer products into the hands of everyone. To this end, we have implemented various initiatives to support our DEI efforts. One notable example is our Beautycounter BIPOC Leadership Forum, where we collaborate with a group of BIPOC Consultants to develop resources and programs that promote diversity within our Consultant community and help us advance our goal to transform beauty into a positive force for good.  

Over at HQ, we work to ensure our HQ employee base represents the diversity of the world around us. One way we foster an inclusive workplace is by celebrating our Associate Resource Groups (ARGs)—and this month, Beautycounter’s Black ARG will host an outing to the Pasadena Black History Parade and Festival. 

 Actionable steps for change 

  • Join us February 23 in New York at our Prince Street store for an exploration into the Beauty of Inclusion with Beautycounter’s Sr. Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Jenny Aspinwall, alongside our esteemed local Beautycounter Consultants. RSVP here. 
  • Advocate for ongoing policy change and mobilize our community in support of clean beauty. Take action by texting BETTERBEAUTY TO 52886 in the U.S. to add your voice in celebration this month.  

[1] Zota, Ami, Women of color are disproportionately affected by environmental toxins such as beauty-product-related environmental chemicals. This is independent of socioeconomic status. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28822238 

[2] https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Professional%20Beauty%20Association-%202014%20Economic%20Snapshot%20of%20the%20Salon%20Industry.pdf  

Our Mission

Our Commitment to the Planet: Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050

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Our Commitment to the Planet: Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050

Protecting the health of the people and places we love is our number-one priority—and that means committing to science-based climate solutions. We know the window to act is small, and we’re committed to being a part of the solution. Today, we are excited to announce the transition from our existing goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 to our new climate goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.   

We’re committed to rooting our climate action in science—like we do our ingredient selection process—which is why we’ve made the decision to take on a more aggressive goal that is in line with science. We’ve taken the important step to register this goal with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).  

Wondering why we’ve made this change? It’s simple. The stakes are too high not to act and the threat will continue to grow unless drastic action is taken. We’re committing to doing the real work and directly reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of paying for offsets, we’re pledging to hold ourselves accountable and change the way we operate our business. By following the SBTi’s Net-Zero guidance (that is “science-based”), we’ll be setting the emission reduction targets required to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.   

An Overview of our Climate Goals, Past and Present: 

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard (our new goal) is considered the gold standard for corporate climate action. This is a goal that requires a company to reduce its absolute emissions across its whole supply chain, in order to support the target to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C, as agreed in the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Our goal is intended to align and be validated with the Science Based Targets initiative’s Net-Zero Standard, which provides a common and robust framework that empowers companies to set validated net-zero targets aligned with science.

“Beautycounter commits to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain no later than 2050, using a science-based approach.”

Carbon neutrality targets (our previous goal) are often not as ambitious as they sound, because it is a commitment that relies heavily on carbon offsets and unproven technologies. This type of goal is not a promise to reduce emissions. In order to claim “carbon neutrality,” companies must counterbalance CO2  emissions with carbon offsets in order to reach net zero. The problem is, this may conceal the need for deeper emissions reductions that are in line with what climate science requires for the world to keep global warming to 1.5°C. Carbon neutrality claims also do not necessarily cover non-CO2  greenhouse gasses. The SBTi does not validate carbon neutrality claims. 

You can read more about this announcement and Beautycounter’s commitment to climate action on our updated climate page here.  

#betterbeauty, Our Mission

Today Marks an Important Step Forward in Beauty Regulation 

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Today Marks an Important Step Forward in Beauty Regulation 

Today, Congress passed its Fiscal Year 2023 Spending Bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2023. Lawmakers included the ‘‘Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act,” which includes important provisions to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ability to regulate cosmetic and personal-care products.  

Major provisions include:  

  • Mandatory recall authority which will enable the FDA to act when products harm consumers. 
  • Fragrance allergen disclosures which will require allergens to be disclosed to consumers. 
  • Registration of new Good Manufacturing Practices which will increase oversight and inspections.  
  • Requirements for safety substantiation to be on file which will force many brands to articulate what ingredients are safe.  

These reforms mark the first meaningful change in cosmetics regulation since the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. While we celebrate this progress, there is more work to do. The bill includes provisions limiting states from taking action on important cosmetic safety policies. We look forward to continuing our work with lawmakers to improve cosmetic safety laws, and to make all beauty and personal-care products safer for everyone. 

Over the past decade, Beautycounter has led the industry in urging policy changes to better protect the health and safety of all people, and we have continued to drive advocacy work this year. Collectively, the Beautycounter community has sent over 236,000 emails, made over 16,000 calls, and held over 2,200 meetings with Members of Congress. Many of the small wins in Congressional reform have been made possible by the 10 years of hard work from within the Beautycounter community and our partner organizations, as well as leadership from our champions and supporters in Congress. 

Beautycounter’s mission has always been to get safer products into the hands of everyone—and we’d like to thank our community for joining our movement to demand better beauty. Together, we helped pass the biggest change to federal cosmetic safety laws since 1938. Take it in. Celebrate it. And when we regroup in the new year, the work continues. 

Our Mission

This Giving Tuesday, Let’s Give More Good

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This Giving Tuesday, Let’s Give More Good

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. It has since grown into a global movement that inspires us all to give back, celebrate community, and create lasting change. Mostly importantly, everyone can be a part of it: people, non-profits, businesses big and small—you name it.   

Of course, giving back has always been central to Beautycounter’s mission. That’s why we’re proud to work with trusted partners in support of issues that are important to us and to our community, like protecting public health, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and advancing scientific research in fields such as breast cancer research. To date, we’ve contributed over $3.7 million in cash and product donations to the causes we stay close to and aligns with our mission.

We make targeted gifts to programs specific to building healthier communities that are free of harmful exposures including toxic chemicals from beauty and personal care and investing in the next generation of sustainability leaders. This ensures that we remain inclusive, representing the causes that unite our Beautycounter community on transforming the beauty industry into a positive force for good.

This Giving Tuesday, we’re proud to highlight the incredible work that some of our nonprofit partners are doing. If you’re able, we invite you to help support the work of our partners through whatever contribution feels right for you; donations links are included below.

Black Women for Wellness (BWW)
 Black Women for Wellness is committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through education, empowerment and advocacy. BWW believes in the strength of  this community and its allies, and that they collectively have the solutions, resources and responsibility to create necessary shifts to impact health outcomes. Click here to give now.

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP)

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners work to prevent breast cancer by eliminating our exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation linked to the disease. Breast Cancer Prevention Partners are a founding member and national coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition working to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products. Click here to give now.

Environmental Working Group (EWG)

Environmental Working Group uses the power of research and information to protect public health and the health of the environment. Their Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database allows consumers to search over 87,000 products for hazardous ingredients. Click here to give now.

Good+Foundation 

Good+Foundation works to dismantle multi-generational poverty by pairing tangible goods with innovative services for low-income fathers, mothers and caregivers, creating an upward trajectory for the whole family. Click here to give now.

We truly believe that every act of generosity counts, and we encourage you to join us as we give more good and support our nonprofit partners this Giving Tuesday. 

Click here to learn more about Beautycounter’s corporate giving.

Our Mission

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month Through Safer Beauty 

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Celebrating Native American Heritage Month Through Safer Beauty 

Getting safer products into the hands of everyone is our mission, and in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we want to highlight some recent national wins from this community, as well as share important science around environmental health impacts to Native American and Indigenous communities. 

At the start of the 117th Congress, five Native Americans served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the largest Native delegation in history. In 2021, Debra Haaland made history when she was confirmed to serve as President Biden’s Secretary of the Interior, making her the country’s first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. In August 2022, Alaskan voters elected Mary Peltola, the first Native Alaskan in U.S. history to serve in Congress.  

While representation has grown and some progress has been made, we have a long way to go—particularly as it pertains to protecting the health of this community.  

Advocating To Eradicate PFAS Chemicals From Consumer Products and the Environment 

Recently, California banned the sale of cosmetics containing PFAS—a.k.a., “forever chemicals.” Here’s a quick primer on PFAS: These chemicals are used in a variety of applications, and in beauty they can be used to create products like long-lasting lipstick, longwear foundation, and waterproof mascara. PFAS have been linked to a potential cause of cancer and numerous health harms. They are also known to pollute drinking water and persist in the environment, harming wildlife and ecosystems—along with people. That’s why Beautcyounter bans formulators from using PFAS ingredients in our products; they were added to The Never List™ years ago, and we documented our efforts to eradicate these ingredients from the beauty industry supply chain through our product development program, rigorous testing, and advocacy.  

PFAS chemicals also disproportionately affect Indigenous communities, particularly in Alaska, as groundwater across the state is contaminated by the “forever” chemicals. In addition, the food sources of Native American populations are also at risk. For example, marine mammals such as whales, walruses, and seals represent a significant component of the diets of Indigenous people in Alaska. However, metal contaminants and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—both byproducts of manufacturing processes—have been found in concentrations from marine mammal samples that trigger advisories for severely restricted consumption. 

We believe that Native Americans (and all Indigenous peoples) should not be forced to choose between maintaining a traditional diet and protecting their health. Beautycounter supports recent EPA efforts to study, restrict, and repair PFAS contamination, and prioritizes the agency of disadvantaged communities. We also work at both the state and federal levels to advocate for safer ingredients not just in personal-care products, but also consumer goods in general. Eliminating ingredients like PFAS—and asking lawmakers to fund green chemistry initiatives—are ways we’re demanding change. You can join us by clicking here. 

Ethical Sourcing To Protect Indigenous Communities 

The science around Native American impacts calls us to action, as do similar issues in global supply chains. For this reason, we have responsible sourcing programs that focus on protecting communities in our vanilla, palm, and mica supply chains.  

Palm oil is an ingredient frequently used in the beauty industry for its moisturizing abilities, all while being safer and highly versatile. Unfortunately, the palm oil industry is a major driver of deforestation—which contributes to climate change and negatively impacts the low-income communities who live in areas where palm trees are prevalent. Palm harvesting has also displaced many Indigenous communities and is rife with abusive labor practices. 

For these reasons, Beautycounter joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the leading organization that sets best practices around the production of palm oil. Transparency has always been our North Star, and being a part of the Roundtable means that we are able to better track where our palm oil is harvested and source more environmentally friendly palm oil. These efforts support our goal to create the safest products while always ensuring that both human and planetary health come first. 

Join us this month in honoring Native American communities by taking our text action and exploring resources within our 2021 Social Mission Report  to learn more.

Our Mission

VOTE 2022: Your Guide to the Midterm Elections 

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VOTE 2022: Your Guide to the Midterm Elections 

2022 is a midterm election year. That means that this November, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 35 seats in the United States Senate, 36 gubernatorial seats, and thousands of state and local seats are on the ballot.   

This election is a chance to shape the future. You’ll have the opportunity to vote for candidates who will represent you in Congress and to vote on ballot initiatives that will affect the community in which you live.  

We gathered nonpartisan resources to empower and inform you, so that you can create a voting plan. Use the links below to ensure you are vote-ready: 

1. Make sure you’re registered to vote. 

First, visit Vote.org to check your voter registration status and, if necessary, register to vote (assuming the deadline has not already passed in your state).  

2. Make a voting plan.  

Once you’ve confirmed your registration status, make a plan to vote by looking up your polling place, finding early voting locations, or requesting a vote-by-mail ballot on Vote.org. 

In addition to Congressional seats, you will have the opportunity to vote in down-ballot races for officials such as State Senator, Mayor, and School Board Member. Visit Ballotpedia’s Sample Ballot Lookup tool to see what will be on your ballot and ensure you’re prepared to cast your vote. 

3. Consider working the polls.  

Once you have a voting plan in place, consider signing up to be a poll worker on November 8. Poll workers help Election Day run smoothly and are part of the critical infrastructure of our democracy. In 2020, the U.S. faced a record shortage of poll workers and over 700,000 people stepped up via Power the Polls to help address that challenge. If your voting plan is in place and you want to serve as a poll worker, sign up at Power the Polls.   

4. Read up on your rights. 

It’s important to know your voting rights. If you have any questions about when you’re at the polls or voting early or by mail, call or text 866-OUR-VOTE to speak with a trained Election Protection volunteer. 

At Beautycounter, we believe that beauty should be good for you. That’s why we are the most outspoken beauty brand on Capitol Hill. We also believe in taking part in our democracy. Your vote matters, and this election is an opportunity to elect lawmakers who will work to make our communities cleaner, safer, and better.  

After you vote, don’t forget to post a picture of you and your “I Voted” sticker on social media using the hashtag #BeautycounterVotes. See you at the polls! 

#betterbeauty

Policy Win: California Bans PFAS, Commonly Known as “Forever Chemicals,” From All Cosmetics 

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Policy Win: California Bans PFAS, Commonly Known as “Forever Chemicals,” From All Cosmetics 

Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation that bans intentionally added per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” from all cosmetics sold in California.

Co-sponsored by two Beautycounter partners, the Environmental Working Group and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, The PFAS-Free Beauty Act is the latest of California’s hard-hitting actions to tackle PFAS.

This marks a huge win for the clean beauty industry. Unless cosmetics companies intend to formulate California-specific products, they will need to ensure that all products sold nationally are compliant with this new California law.

Here’s a quick primer on PFAS: These chemicals are used in a variety of applications, and in beauty they can be used to create products like long-lasting lipstick, longwear foundation, and waterproof mascara. PFAS have been linked to a potential cause of cancer and numerous health harms. They are also known to pollute drinking water and persist in the environment, harming wildlife and ecosystems—along with people. That’s why Beautcyounter bans formulators from using PFAS ingredients in our products; they were added to The Never List™ years ago.

An important thing to note about PFAS is that they can appear at various points across the beauty product supply chain, such as cleaners used on manufacturing equipment, undisclosed treatments of packaging and raw materials, and coatings for containers used for shipping raw materials and formulas.

These supply chain complexities play a significant role in why we advocate for more regulation and have openly addressed the issue with consumers. So, while a company may source with a higher standard of safety and quality in mind, trace levels of a chemical may inadvertently be introduced into a cosmetic product due to the complexities of the supply chain.

At Beautycounter, we work hard to minimize risks for a product to contain trace levels of a Never List™ chemical, due to inadvertent contamination through product testing and substantial disclosures from our suppliers.

Nonetheless, cleaning up the entire beauty industry is virtually impossible without strong federal regulation that holds all parties along the supply chain accountable. We are proud that Beautycounter has been the most outspoken brand on Capitol Hill calling for supply chain transparency measures to be included in federal legislation.

While this California victory is a major step in the right direction and absolutely should be celebrated, we still have a long way to go. Please join us as we continue to call on Congress to take action that ensures public health, and the environment are protected from harmful exposures associated with the beauty and personal industry. We will continue to keep you up to date on this important work and in the meantime, you can support our efforts by texting BANPFAS to 52886 to ask Congress for federal change.