Ten years ago, Beautycounter set out on a mission to raise the standards for the beauty industry, helping to get safer products into the hands of everyone. After founder Gregg Renfrew watched the film An Inconvenient Truth, she became impassioned by the environmental health movement and inspired to pioneer products that prioritized the health of people and the planet without compromising on results. Ten years later, Beautycounter continues to raise the bar for safety and transparency in personal care. Their innovative Blueprint for Clean details the 12 safety standards that the brand and manufacturing partners always adhere to. It includes industry-leading clean formulations, sustainable packaging materials, and responsible sourcing efforts.
Beautycounter has been advocating for better health protective laws in the US and Canada since 2013, sending over 236,000 emails, making 16,000 calls, and holding 2,200 meetings with legislators, resulting in the passage of 11 pieces of legislation with more in the works. In December 2022, the “Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act” was passed, which includes important provisions to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s ability to regulate cosmetic and personal-care products. The brand is proud to have contributed to many of the small wins in congressional reform and remains committed to pushing for cosmetic reform, as there is still work to be done to ensure a future where all beauty is clean and uncompromising.
Brand Founder: Gregg Renfrew, Founder
Founded: March 2013
Leadership:
2023 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $400 to $500 million (estimated by industry experts)
Categories: Facial Skincare, Color Cosmetics, Body Care
Primary Distribution Channels: DTC, Prestige
Funding Rounds: Private Equity
Notable Investors:The Carlyle Group made a majority investment in Beautycounter in a transaction that valued the company at $1 billion.
Total Funds Raised:
What are some of your key business initiatives for 2023?
Everything we do is in service of our mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. Our key business initiatives in 2023 will accelerate our progress toward this mission by expanding our footprint, deepening our advocacy work, and raising our standards for clean to new product categories:
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
We are incredibly proud of the movement we’ve built. This is bigger than our products and bigger than our brand. We are making a meaningful impact on the beauty and personal care industries by advocating for better protections for everyone. Over the past decade, we’ve fostered a community advocacy effort that includes sending more than 236,000 emails, making over 16,000 calls, and holding over 2,200 meetings with Members of Congress. Our founder Gregg Renfrew was even selected as the first founder of a beauty brand to testify in front of Congress. This work has translated into 11 laws and most recently the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act. While we are proud of and celebrate all that’s been accomplished thus far, we know there is still more work to be done to raise standards industrywide. We aren’t done yet!
What has been the biggest surprise since the brand was founded?
When Beautycounter was founded, we were the little engine that could—a small, but passionate, team that firmly believed in a better future for the beauty industry. We were trying to galvanize a movement at a time when “clean” wasn’t yet part of the beauty lexicon. We had an inkling that others would see our mission and believe in a better future too. However, the response and massive growth of our community was, and continues to be, astounding. It’s so clear that consumers want better, safer products that don’t compromise on performance, and we’re so proud to be a home for their passion and advocacy.
What aspect of your brand DNA fuels your competitive advantage?
Beautycounter’s community not only fuels everything we do, but it is our competitive advantage. We’ve built a community that believes in our mission as much as we do and works as hard as we do to educate consumers and get safe and effective beauty products into as many hands as possible.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
In short, clean beauty is here to stay. Clean is the future. One day, we won’t need to tell consumers that we don’t use harmful and questionable ingredients—it will be industry standard. Beautycounter continues to prove with every product launch that you don’t have to sacrifice safety in sourcing, manufacturing, or formulation to produce high-efficacy products that people love to use. Is this easy? Not always. But it’s the future. Brands who do not raise their standards will lose consumer trust. This is why our advocacy work is so important—with better regulations in place, it will become easier for all brands to produce safer products.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Attributed to Marc Rey, CEO: Socrates said, “the only thing I know is nothing.” In the case of Beautycounter, this idea drives us to challenge the status quo, fight established certainties and dogmas, and always push for safer, uncompromising beauty.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give to someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
Attributed to Marc Rey, CEO: Have a point of view and defend it. Be unwavering in your opinions and don’t change them to appease others. You will always have supporters and critics.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry, what would it be?
Attributed to Marc Rey, CEO: I would like the industry to serve as a model for other industries in terms of ethics. This would require more transparency, more solidarity, and collaboration to solve common problems, as well as the ability to attract those who challenge the status quo.
