Unveiling Beautycounter: Fragrance-Free Formulas For Skin Care

Beauty brand Beautycounter was founded in 2013 by Gregg Renfrew with the mission of getting safer products into the hands of everyone. The company is based in Santa Monica, California, and offers clean beauty products that are free of harmful ingredients. In 2024, Beautycounter entered the fragrance category with the launch of its Clean Eau De Parfum line, which includes five fragrances: Miles Away, Sun Spill, Hyper Rose, Second Skin, and Pacific Dreams. The collection features ingredient transparency, listing all ingredients for consumers to review. Beautycounter products are also free of common allergens, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, and skin irritants, among other potentially harmful substances.

Beautycounter's Clean Eau De Parfum features ingredient transparency

Beauty brand Beautycounter has entered the fragrance category with the launch of its Clean Eau De Parfum collection. The company, which was founded in 2013 by Gregg Renfrew, has built its reputation on creating clean beauty products that are safe and effective.

The Clean Eau De Parfum collection consists of five fragrances: Miles Away, Sun Spill, Hyper Rose, Second Skin, and Pacific Dreams. Beautycounter's unique approach to formulation goes beyond simply banning a few ingredients deemed "bad" by retailers. The company's commitment to ingredient transparency is evident in its Clean Eau De Parfum collection, which features long ingredient lists for consumers to review.

The development of this fragrance line is aligned with Beautycounter's mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. The company has been working tirelessly to influence legislation and update laws that remove harmful ingredients from beauty products and drive for greater transparency, especially in the secretive world of fragrances.

Beautycounter's approach to fragrance formulation prioritises safety and transparency. The company's world-class team of safety scientists reviewed each ingredient across 23 health and environmental endpoints, an uncommon practice in the industry. This unparalleled safety screening ensures that consumers can trust that the fragrances are safe to use.

Beautycounter's Clean Eau De Parfum collection also offers complete ingredient transparency, showcasing detailed ingredient lists to guide consumer decisions. This level of transparency is rare in the fragrance industry, where companies often hide ingredients under generic listings such as "fragrance" or "parfum." Beautycounter is committed to closing this "fragrance loophole" and providing consumers with detailed information about the ingredients in their products.

In addition to safety screening and ingredient transparency, the Clean Eau De Parfum collection undergoes third-party validation. All five scents are EWG VERIFIED®, Leaping Bunny certified, and tested to be safe for sensitive skin. This validation provides consumers with further assurance that the fragrances are safe and gentle for all skin types.

Beautycounter's entry into the fragrance category sets a new standard for clean fragrance. The company's commitment to ingredient transparency and safety screening demonstrates its dedication to creating safe and effective products that protect the health and safety of its consumers.

The company prioritises closing the fragrance loophole

Beautycounter is a clean beauty brand that has committed to closing the "fragrance loophole". This loophole is a legal provision dating back to the 1970s that allows companies to hide the ingredients used to create a scent under generic listings such as "fragrance" or "parfum". This lack of transparency prevents consumers from being fully informed about the products they are using.

Beautycounter has taken a disruptive approach to its formulas and transparency by launching an industry-leading clean fragrance line. Their collection of five clean fragrances features complete ingredient transparency, with long ingredient lists available for consumers to review. This approach extends beyond simply banning a few ingredients deemed "bad" by retailers.

Beautycounter's unique formulation process includes unparalleled safety screening by a world-class team of safety scientists, who reviewed each ingredient across 23 health and environmental endpoints, a practice uncommon in the industry. The company also prioritises third-party validation, with all five scents being EWG VERIFIED®, Leaping Bunny certified, and tested to be safe for sensitive skin.

Founder and CEO of Beautycounter, Gregg Renfrew, has stated that "whenever asked for a piece of advice on how to navigate the personal care market, I have always recommended that people shop fragrance-free. Many of the most offensive chemicals are found in fragrance." Beautycounter is committed to giving people safer solutions and protecting their health and safety.

In addition to creating their own clean fragrance line, Beautycounter has also been working to influence legislation and update laws to remove harmful ingredients from beauty products and drive for greater transparency in the industry. The company has influenced the passage of 16 state and federal clean beauty laws and continues to advocate for closing the fragrance loophole to protect consumers from potentially harmful ingredients.

Beautycounter's products are free of 2,800 harmful ingredients

Beauty brand Beautycounter has a "Never List" of 2,800 questionable or harmful ingredients that they never use in their products. This includes nearly 1,700 chemicals banned or restricted in personal care products by the European Union, plus additional chemicals screened by Beautycounter that are of concern.

The brand is transparent about the ingredients they use and those they will never use, even if nearly every other brand on the market does. Beautycounter's "Never List" includes:

• Benzalkonium Chloride: A disinfectant used as a preservative that has been associated with severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and allergies. It’s found in many sunscreens, moisturisers, and other creams.
• Butylated hydroxyAnisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene: Synthetic antioxidants used to extend shelf life, but they are likely carcinogens and hormone disruptors. They may also cause liver damage. They are often found in lipsticks, moisturisers, diaper creams, and other cosmetics.
• Coal tar and other coal tar ingredients: A byproduct of coal processing that is a known carcinogen. It is used as a colourant and an anti-dandruff agent and is found in hair dye and shampoo.
• Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA): A chemical binding agent added to cosmetics to improve stability. It may be toxic to organs and is found in hair colouring and moisturisers.
• Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA): A preservative and surfactant linked to allergies, skin toxicity, hormone disruption, and inhibited fetal brain development. It is used in hair dyes, mascara, foundation, fragrances, sunscreens, soaps, paint, and pharmaceuticals.
• Formaldehyde: A known carcinogen linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. It is often found in shampoo, body wash, bubble bath, and other shower products.
• Hydroquinone: This skin-lightening chemical inhibits the production of melanin and is linked to cancer, organ toxicity, and skin irritation. It’s predominantly found in skin-lightening creams.
• Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone: Chemical preservatives that are among the most common irritants, sensitisers, and causes of contact skin allergies. They are often found in liquid cosmetics, hair colour, body wash, lotion, sunscreen, mascara, shaving cream, baby products, hairspray, makeup remover, liquid soaps, and detergents.
• Oxybenzone: A sunscreen agent linked to irritation, sensitization, and allergies, and possible hormone disruption. It has also been known to be hazardous to the oceanic environment, including coral reefs.
• Parabens: Artificial preservatives in cosmetic and body care products, parabens are used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. They are endocrine (or hormone) disruptors and may alter important hormone mechanisms in our bodies.
• Phthalates: This industrial chemical is used to make products more pliable or to make fragrances stick to the skin. Phthalates disrupt the endocrine system and may cause birth defects.
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG compounds): PEGs are petroleum-derived compounds used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture carriers. They may be contaminated with measurable amounts of carcinogens.
• Retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate): An ingredient composed of palmitic acid and retinol (Vitamin A) that, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may result in adverse health consequences like lesions and photosensitization.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES): Surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies related to eyes, skin, mouth, and lungs. They are found in shampoo, body wash, bubble bath, conditioner, hair dye, styling gel, shaving cream, lip balm, hand sanitizer, nail treatments, makeup remover, foundation, facial cleansers, exfoliants, and liquid hand soap.
• Synthetic flavour or fragrance: These engineered or lab-made scents or flavouring agents may contain any combination of 3,000-plus stock chemical ingredients, including hormone disruptors and allergens. Fragrance formulas are protected under federal law’s classification of trade secrets and, therefore, can remain undisclosed.
• Toluene: This volatile petrochemical solvent is toxic to the immune system and can cause birth defects and irritation or damage to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. It’s also highly flammable. It is found in nail polish, nail treatment, and hair dyes.
• Triclosan and Triclocarban: Antimicrobial pesticides that are toxic to the aquatic environment and may also impact the human reproductive systems. They are found in liquid soaps, soap bars, and toothpaste.

Beautycounter's commitment to transparency and safety in their ingredient lists sets them apart from other brands. They are working to change the industry by advocating for updated legislation and laws that remove harmful ingredients from beauty products and drive for greater transparency for consumers.

The company is a Certified B Corporation

In 2024, Beautycounter entered the fragrance category with the launch of Clean Eau De Parfum, a line of industry-leading clean fragrances. The company's mission has always been to get safer products into the hands of everyone, and this launch is no exception. Beautycounter is a Certified B Corporation, leading the way for improved transparency and accountability in the beauty industry.

The company's efforts in transparency and accountability are demonstrated through its advocacy work. Beautycounter has been working tirelessly to influence legislation and update laws that remove harmful ingredients from beauty products, driving for greater transparency for consumers. This includes closing the "fragrance loophole", a legal provision from the 1970s that allows companies to hide potentially harmful ingredients under generic listings such as "fragrance" or "parfum". By lobbying Congress to close this loophole, Beautycounter is committed to ensuring that consumers are informed about the ingredients in the products they are putting on their bodies.

Beautycounter's unique approach to formulation goes beyond simply banning a few ingredients. The company prioritises unparalleled safety screening, leveraging its world-class team of safety scientists who reviewed each ingredient across 23 health and environmental endpoints, a practice uncommon in the industry. This commitment to safety and transparency has earned Beautycounter numerous awards, including Fast Company's Most Innovative, Allure's Best of Beauty, and Glamour's Beauty Awards.

As a Certified B Corporation, Beautycounter is dedicated to using business as a force for good. The company meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This certification recognises Beautycounter's commitment to balancing purpose and profit, using their business as a force for positive change. Beautycounter is proud to be a leader in the movement for safer, transparent, and accountable beauty products, setting a new standard for the industry.

The company's mission is to get safer products into everyone's hands

Founded by Gregg Renfrew in 2011 and launched in 2013, Beautycounter is a clean beauty company based in Santa Monica, California. The company's mission is to get safer products into everyone's hands.

Beautycounter is a pioneer in the clean beauty movement, advocating for updated state and federal cosmetics regulations that have remained largely unchanged since 1938. The company prioritizes transparency and accountability in the beauty industry, working tirelessly to influence legislation and update laws to remove harmful ingredients from beauty products.

One of Beautycounter's key focuses is closing the "fragrance loophole," a legal provision from the 1970s that allows companies to hide the ingredients used to create a scent under generic listings such as "fragrance" or "parfum." Through their research, Beautycounter has found that traditional fragrances often contain potentially harmful ingredients, including known allergens, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, skin irritants, and ingredients toxic to the reproductive system.

To address this issue, Beautycounter launched its own line of clean fragrances in 2024, setting a new standard for transparency and safety in the fragrance category. The company's unique approach to formulation goes beyond simply banning a few "bad" ingredients. Instead, they leverage their world-class team of safety scientists to thoroughly review each ingredient across 23 health and environmental endpoints, ensuring unparalleled safety screening.

Beautycounter's commitment to creating safer products extends beyond their own brand. They actively lobby Congress to close the fragrance loophole and support the Safer Beauty Bill package, which addresses key gaps in cosmetics regulations. This includes advocating for more supply chain transparency, banning harmful ingredients, and explicit protections for overexposed communities, including women of color.

Beautycounter's dedication to safety and transparency is evident in their product formulations. They proactively exclude any known harmful or questionable ingredients, testing both raw materials and end products for contaminants like heavy metals. All Beautycounter products are free of 2,800 harmful ingredients, including fragrance, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, formaldehyde, chemical sunscreens, parabens, phthalates, and more.

In addition to their focus on safety, Beautycounter prioritizes sustainability and environmentally preferred materials. By 2025, all Beautycounter packaging will be reusable, refillable, or recyclable. The company is also a Certified B Corporation and Leaping Bunny Certified, reflecting their commitment to high social and environmental standards.

Beautycounter's mission to get safer products into everyone's hands is not just a slogan but a driving force behind their advocacy, innovation, and commitment to creating high-performing, clean beauty products that protect the health and safety of their consumers.

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