US retailer Sephora has created more product transparency with the launch of the new Clean at Sephora category, which will allow consumers to more easily source items free from certain ingredients.
The category, which is set to launch on 1st June, will be available both in-store and online, with the participating brands labelled with a special seal and the item’s product page highlighting what the item has been formulated without.
Artemis Patrick, Chief Merchandising Officer for Sephora, told WWD.com, “Sephora continues to demystify beauty choices for clients, helping them find the right products for them, based on their lifestyle needs.
“Many of them are looking to shop brands and products that are ‘free of’ and Sephora is responding to help them do that, easily and conveniently in-store, online, and on mobile.
“Together with Sephora’s brands, industry experts, external council — including feedback from clients — Sephora has curated a partnership with its brands across cosmetics, skin care, hair care, and fragrance that stand behind the ‘Clean at Sephora’ category.”
Some 50 brands have already signed up, with more than 2000 product pages on Sephora’s website marked as ‘clean’, while there will be in-store areas, online buying guides and education sections, while the Sephora app will help consumers educate themselves on the categories standards.
Brands labelled with the Clean at Sephora sticker will not feature ingredients such as sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes and formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinylpalmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban. Meanwhile skin, hair and make-up brands with the seal will have less than one percent synthetic fragrances and no undisclosed ingredients.
Fragrances in the category will be free from PTFE/PFOA, styrene, polyacrylamide/acrylamide, acetaldehyde, acetonitrile, methylene chloride, benzalkonium chloride, toluene, resorcinol, acetone, butoxyethanol, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, methyl cellosolve, methylisothiazolinone/methylchloroisothiazolinone, mercury and mercury compounds (thimerosal), bisphenol A (BPA), and animal fats, oils, and musks.
