Beautycounter

Beautycounter is an American direct to consumer company that sells skin care and cosmetic products. As of 2018, the company had 150 products with over 65,000 independent consultants, and with national retailers.

History

Beautycounter was founded by Gregg Renfrew in 2013. Renfrew had previously worked with merchandising executives such as Martha Stewart and Susie Hilfiger. Beautycounter released nine products in March 2013, including facial cleansers, eye creams, and shampoo. The company launched as a direct retail brand, selling through its website, independent consultants, and retailers including J.Crew, Target and Sephora.

Beautycounter was one of ''Allure'' magazine's Best of Beauty award recipients for their lip sheer in twig (2014) and dew skin tinted moisturizer (2015). Beautycounter became a founding member of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group's verification program, which aims to make it easier for consumers to identify consumer goods that do not contain toxic ingredients. The company compiled a "never list" of reportedly harmful chemicals omitted from their products.

In 2016, Beautycounter launched its first mascara line. Later that year, Beautycounter's Lengthening Mascara was one of Allure's Best of Beauty products in the natural category. In June 2016, Beautycounter acquired the worldwide assets of Nude Skincare, Inc. and Nude Brands, Ltd., Ali Hewson's natural beauty line, from LVMH. As part of the acquisition, Hewson's husband Bono became an investor in Counter Brands, LLC., Beautycounter's parent company, and Hewson became a board member.

In 2018, the company opened its first brick and mortar store in Manhattan. A second location opened in 2019, in Denver, Colorado. In March, the company was named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list, for its efforts to promote nontoxic ingredients in beauty products. In June, the company was also named to CNBC's 2020 Disruptor 50 list, as a next generation billion dollar business. In December, the company opened a hybrid retail store and livestream content studio in Los Angeles.

In February 2020, the company released a documentary ''Transparency: The Truth About Mica'', as part of its efforts to promote ethical mining. The documentary films an in-person audit of the company's mica supply chain, to ensure responsible sourcing.

In April 2021, American private equity firm The Carlyle Group acquired a majority stake in Beautycounter, which valued parent Counter Brands, LLC. at $1B.

In January 2022, Marc Rey was named as the company's new CEO, and founder Renfrew became executive chair.

Legislation

In 2014, Renfrew hired public health and environmental advocate Lindsay Dahl to lead company advocacy and lobbying efforts to reduce harmful chemicals used in the cosmetic industry. Renfrew and Beautycounter hosted a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., in fall 2015, regarding the potential dangers of under-regulated beauty products. In May 2016, Renfrew went to Washington, D.C., with a group of 100 women representing all 50 U.S. states to discuss the importance of regulation in the beauty industry with senators, representatives, and legislative staff. Renfrew also testified in a congressional hearing on cosmetic reform in December 2019.

In 2021, Beautycounter led two days of virtual lobbying with members of Congress on federal standards regarding clean beauty.

References

{{reflist, refs=

{{cite web, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/business/selling-shampoo-eye-cream-and-a-chemical-crackdown.html?_r=0, title=Selling Shampoo, Eye Cream and a Chemical Crackdown, author=David Gelles, date=October 8, 2016, work=New York Times, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3057411/meet-the-natural-beauty-company-thats-making-advocacy-a-selling-point, title=Meet The Natural Beauty Company That's Making Advocacy A Selling Point, author=Lauren Schwartzberg, date=March 22, 2016, publisher=Fast Company, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3060729/how-one-companys-mascara-became-a-symbol-of-political-protest, title=How One Company's Mascara Became A Symbol Of Political Protest, author=Elizabeth Segran, date=June 14, 2016, publisher=Fast Company, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/fashion/bono-and-ali-hewson-join-a-natural-beauty-juggernaut.html, title=Bono and Ali Hewson Join a Natural Beauty Juggernaut, author=Vanessa Friedman, date=June 27, 2016, work=New York Times, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=https://www.wsj.com/video/beautycounter-promise-only-safe-ingredients/5A2F572E-B59C-4F85-A1DE-5377E2F79926.html, title=Beautycounter's Promise: Only Safe Ingredients, date=June 11, 2015, publisher=Wall Street Journal, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2016/08/06/beautycounter-and-nude-skincare-are-ironing-out-the-details-of-their-merger-with-bono-as-investor/#4403f0e64e0b, title=Beautycounter And NUDE Skincare Are Ironing Out The Details Of Their Deal, With Bono As Investor, author=Anne Field, date=August 6, 2016, work=Forbes, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/beauty-counter-video_n_3193424.html, title=Beautycounter Reveals Truth About Your Cosmetics...And It May Scare You, date=May 1, 2013, author=Christina Anderson, publisher=The Huffington Post, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://www.allure.com/story/beautycounter-target-launch, title=The New Beautycounter for Target Line Is So Major, author=Brianna Wiest, date=September 16, 2016, publisher=Allure, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://www.allure.com/gallery/best-of-beauty-2016-winners-natural-beauty-products, title=Best of Beauty 2016: The Naturals, author=Liana Schaffner, date=September 12, 2016, publisher=Allure, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://wwd.com/business-news/financial/bono-invests-in-beautycounter-as-part-of-nude-skincare-acquisition-10473251/, title=Bono Invests in Beautycounter as Part of Nude Skincare Acquisition, author=Allison Collins, date=June 27, 2016, publisher=WWD, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=https://news.fastcompany.com/beautycountercom-is-in-dc-right-now-lobbying-for-more-stringent-cosmetic-safety-laws-4007442, title=Beautycounter.com is in D.C. right now lobbying for more stringent cosmetic safety laws, date=May 16, 2016, publisher=Fast Company, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://www.allure.com/review/beautycounter-lipstick-twig-review, title=Lipstick in Twig Review, publisher=Allure, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://www.allure.com/gallery/natural-product-winners, title=Best of 2015: Natural Wonders, publisher=Allure, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite web, url=http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/marketing_comms/hannah_furlong/new_ewg_verification_identifies_personal_care_products, title=New EWG Verification Identifies Personal Care Products Free of Toxic Ingredients, author=Hannah Furlong, date=October 28, 2015, publisher=Sustainable Brands, access-date=December 17, 2016

{{cite news, url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/carlyle-to-take-majority-stake-in-owner-of-beautycounter-11618311600 , title=Carlyle to Take Majority Stake in Owner of Beautycounter, website=Wall Street Journal , date=April 13, 2021 , access-date=September 23, 2021

{{cite news, url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90580782/why-this-beauty-startup-is-live-streaming-everything-inside-its-new-store , title=Why this beauty startup is live-streaming everything inside its new store, website=Fast Company , date=December 2, 2020 , access-date=September 23, 2021

{{cite web , title=Bono-backed Beautycounter is moving in to Sephora, bringing its clean makeup to the masses , url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/16/bono-backed-beautycounter-teams-with-sephora-advocating-clean-makeup.html , website=CNBC, date=June 16, 2020 , accessdate = September 23, 2021

{{cite web , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/21/business/gregg-renfrew-beautycounter-corner-office.html , title=Gregg Renfrew of Beautycounter on Toxic Chemicals and Getting Fired by Messenger , last=Gelles , first=David , date=November 21, 2018 , website=The New York Times , publisher=The New York Times , access-date=June 1, 2020

{{cite news, url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/style/story/woman-makes-powerful-plea-house-hearing-historic-bill-67491449, title=Woman makes powerful plea at House hearing on historic bill to regulate cosmetics, personal care products, website=Good Morning America , date=December 4, 2019 , access-date=August 26, 2021

{{cite news, url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/16/beautycounter-disruptor-50.html, title=Disruptor 50 2020, website=CNBC , date=May 6, 2021, access-date=August 20, 2021

{{cite web , url=https://www.5280.com/2019/04/beautycounter-is-coming-to-denver/ , title=Beautycounter Is Coming to Denver , last=Singer , first=Daliah , date=April 18, 2019 , website=5280 , publisher=5280 , access-date=April 10, 2020

{{cite web , url=https://www.metropolismag.com/interiors/hospitality-interiors/free-market-denver-design/ , title=In Denver, "Free Market" Is Trying to Reinvigorate Brick-and-Mortar Retail , last=Ritz , first=Jessica , date=June 21, 2019 , website=Metropolis , publisher=Metropolis , access-date=April 10, 2020

{{cite news, url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90457806/beauty-most-innovative-companies-2020 , title=The world’s most innovative beauty companies of 2020, website=Fast Company , date=March 10, 2020 , access-date=August 20, 2021

{{cite web , url=https://www.glossy.co/ecommerce/how-beautycounter-and-glossier-are-evolving-the-peer-to-peer-selling-model , title=How Beautycounter and Glossier are evolving the peer-to-peer selling model , last=Sandler , first=Emma , date=December 19, 2018 , website=Glossy , publisher=Glossy , access-date=April 10, 2020

Notes

Makeup Monday: Hollywood's Go-To Beauty Brand Launches Baby Products

Multi-level marketing companies
Cosmetics brands
Skin care brands
Companies based in Santa Monica, California
American companies established in 2013