Sephora has released a global, public-facing chemicals policy, becoming the first major specialty beauty and cosmetics retailer to do so. The policy “seeks to strengthen ingredient safety and transparency” and applies to all formulated beauty and personal care products that are sold online and in stores, including both private label and third-partner brands.
"We aspire to be the most loved beauty community in the world, and as a part of this, Sephora has a responsibility as an industry leader to help benchmark exemplary environmental performance," said Sephora CEO, Chris de Lapuente. "New technologies, equipment, and eco-friendly materials are being introduced all the time and impact every aspect of our business - architecture, store operations, logistics, and products."
Building upon its ongoing efforts around safer, more sustainable products, the new policy establishes:
- - a goal to reduce the use of high-priority chemicals (the policy includes the full list of high-priority chemicals);
- - a commitment to work with suppliers to replace these chemicals with safer alternatives; and
- - a commitment to increase ingredient transparency to consumers, specifically on the U.S. Sephora.com website.
As part of Sephora’s existing work on accelerating safer products to market, the policy also identifies the company's Clean at Sephora program as an avenue for bringing in new brands with a “more sustainable stance on chemicals.” The Clean at Sephora seal indicates products are formulated without a select set of chemicals.
The Sephora Public Chemicals Policy can be viewed in its entirety here.
