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Beautycounter

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Beautycounter, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 26 July 202526 sources
Beautycounter
Company typePrivate
IndustrySkincare, cosmetics
Founded2013; 13 years ago (2013)
FounderGregg Renfrew
FateEntered administration (April 2024)
Headquarters
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Gregg Renfrew (Founder, Executive Chair), Marc Rey (CEO 2022–2023), Mindy Mackenzie (Interim CEO 2023)
ProductsSkincare and cosmetics products (150 products as of 2018)
OwnerThe Carlyle Group (April 2021 – March 2024)
ParentCounter Brands, LLC (until 2024)

Beautycounter was a U.S.-based company specializing in skincare and cosmetics, operating through direct-to-consumer sales and a multi-level marketing model.[1] By 2018, its portfolio included 150 products distributed via more than 65,000 independent consultants as well as national retail partners.[2] In April 2021, private equity firm The Carlyle Group acquired Beautycounter in a transaction that valued the business at $1 billion. Nonetheless, Carlyle fully wrote off its investment by March 2024, which preceded the company entering administration in April 2024.

History

Established in 2013 by entrepreneur Gregg Renfrew, who had previously collaborated with merchandising leaders such as Martha Stewart and Susie Hilfiger,[3][2][4] Beautycounter initially introduced nine products, including cleansers, eye creams, and shampoos.[2] The brand distributed its offerings through its online platform, a network of independent consultants, and retail outlets including J.Crew, Target, and Sephora.[2][5][1]

Allure magazine recognized Beautycounter for its lip sheer product in 2014 and its tinted moisturizer in 2015.[6][7] As a founding participant in the Environmental Working Group’s verification initiative, the company prioritized nontoxic formulations and maintained a strict "never list" excluding harmful substances from all products.[8][9]

In 2016, Beautycounter broadened its product range by launching a mascara line; its Lengthening Mascara received Allure's Best of Beauty award in the natural category.[10][11] That same year, it acquired Nude Skincare, Inc. and Nude Brands, Ltd., two natural beauty brands previously under LVMH ownership. This transaction brought investor Bono and board member Ali Hewson into Counter Brands, LLC, Beautycounter’s parent company.[12][13][14]

The company inaugurated its first physical retail location in Manhattan in 2018,[15] followed by a second store opening in Denver in 2019.[16][17] Recognized for championing nontoxic ingredients, Beautycounter was included on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list in 2019,[18] and appeared on CNBC's Disruptor 50 list as an emerging billion-dollar enterprise.[19] In December of that year, the brand unveiled a hybrid retail space combined with a livestream studio in Los Angeles.[20]

In February 2020, Beautycounter released Transparency: The Truth About Mica, a documentary focused on the ethical sourcing practices within its mica supply chain.[21]

The acquisition of a controlling interest by Carlyle in April 2021 valued Counter Brands at $1 billion.[22][23] In January 2022, Marc Rey was appointed as CEO while founder Renfrew transitioned to executive chair.[24] Rey resigned in May 2023; interim CEO Mindy Mackenzie took over until Renfrew reassumed leadership duties.[25]

After Carlyle exited the investment in March 2024, Beautycounter entered administration the following month. Renfrew repurchased the brand’s rights and assets for several million dollars with intentions to relaunch within the same year.[22][26]

Legislation

In 2014, Renfrew appointed public health expert Lindsay Dahl to spearhead Beautycounter's efforts in advocating for the reduction of hazardous chemicals in cosmetic products. The company organized a congressional briefing in 2015 to highlight the dangers associated with insufficiently regulated beauty items and coordinated a 2016 advocacy gathering in Washington, D.C., which brought together 100 women representing every state to support enhanced industry regulations. Additionally, Renfrew provided testimony during a 2019 congressional hearing focused on cosmetic reform.

By 2021, Beautycounter conducted a two-day virtual lobbying initiative alongside members of Congress, concentrating on establishing federal clean beauty standards, thereby solidifying its role as a prominent advocate for regulatory change within the cosmetics sector.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CNBC1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named crackdown
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fc
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named wsj
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named allure
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fourteen
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fifteen
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ewg
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nyt2
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fast
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named all
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nyt
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named forbes
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named wwd
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named glossy1
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named denver1
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named metro1
  18. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fast2
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cnbc2
  20. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fast1
  21. ↑ https://www.thecut.com/2020/02/beautycounter-has-a-new-documentary-about-mica.html
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named sinking
  23. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named wsj1
  24. ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exclusive-beautycounter-names-ceo-210030095.html
  25. ↑ https://www.gcimagazine.com/brands-products/news/news/22863526/marc-rey-steps-down-as-beautycounter-ceo
  26. ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/91126756/what-went-wrong-at-beautycounter
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