CVS Pharmacy announced it has reached its goal of full transparency for beauty imagery produced by and for CVS Pharmacy, the culmination of its original CVS Beauty Mark commitment made in 2018 to educate customers about the difference between authentic and digitally altered photos.

“CVS Pharmacy is focused on helping our customers in their journey to better health and beauty is no exception,” said Neela Montgomery, President of CVS Pharmacy and Executive Vice President, CVS Health. “As we reach 100 percent completion of Beauty Mark in our beauty aisles, we are proud to lead the beauty industry in making a bold statement that supports the mental health of our customers, especially young women. We hope this authenticity will continue as the pandemic has created new and different issues in this space.”

After having imagery in its aisles reach 100 percent compliance, Beauty Mark is looking for new ways to prop up consumers’ self-esteem. The next phase of Beauty Mark will be centered on the mental health impact women are facing due to increased screen time and the effects of turning the cameras on themselves.

The CVS Beauty Mark mission was driven by data that connected the propagation of unrealistic body images to negative health effects. This year, CVS partnered with renowned media psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge to conduct an online survey through the Harris Poll among women ages 18-35. The survey aimed to uncover what transparency in beauty means for women now that the pandemic has changed how we work, attend school, and socialize.

“We’re facing an elevated crisis around self-confidence, with 78% of women ages 18 to 35 now spending time on video calls each week, and many (37%) spending at least five hours on video calls in a typical week,” said Dr. Rutledge. “In addition to the external pressures women are encountering, constantly evaluating one’s own reflection is having a significant impact on their mental health.”

To shed light on the confidence crisis uncovered by the survey, CVS Pharmacy will host in-depth conversations around mental health with Dr. Rutledge and key partners, including Victoria Garrick, Social Media Influencer and Mental Health Advocate.