Sephora: First major beauty retailer releases a public chemicals policy

Sephora has released a 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. The policy is global in scope.

You can view an overview of the policy and Sephora’s other sustainability commitments here and the policy PDF here.

Building upon their ongoing efforts around safer, more sustainable products, Sephora’s 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 their US Sephora.com website.

As part of Sephora’s existing work on accelerating safer products to market, the policy identifies their 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.

EDF applauds Sephora for taking this significant leadership step to encourage safer ingredients and products in the marketplace via a public-facing policy. Stay tuned for a more detailed look at Sephora’s new policy.