Closing industry’s “fragrance loophole”: Beautycounter’s clean fragrance launch targets label transparency

29 Mar 2024 --- With a new “clean fragrance” launch, beauty brand Beautycounter intends to close what is known as the “fragrance loophole,” a legal provision dating back to the 1970s that allows companies to legally hide dozens to hundreds of ingredients used to make a scent under generic listings such as “fragrance” or “parfum.” 

Beautycounter’s Clean Eau De Parfum collection consists of five fragrances: Miles Away, Sun Spill, Hyper Rose, Second Skin and Pacific Dreams.

“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,” says Gregg Renfrew, founder and CEO of Beautycounter. 

“I think it is our right and our responsibility to give people safer solutions they are confident wearing. I am proud that Beautycounter is launching a collection of beautiful scents that are screened for safety. I am energized to continue to build on our history of disruption to create a higher industry standard and, most importantly, protect the health and safety of more people.”

Clean Eau De Parfum by Beautycounter.The collection will be available on the company’s website and in physical stores.

Unmasking harmful ingredients
Beautycounter touts a “unique approach to formulation,” which “extends beyond simply banning a few ingredients deemed ‘bad’ by retailers.”

The brand formulated its latest fragrance collection with safety screening that reviewed each ingredient across 23 health and environmental endpoints, “an uncommon practice in the industry.”

In addition, it is backed by third-party validation, with all five scents EWG Verified, Leaping Bunny certified and tested to be “safe for sensitive skin.”

“Peer-reviewed research continues to show the presence of potentially harmful ingredients in traditional fragrances and perfumes, including known allergens, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, skin irritants and ingredients toxic to the reproductive system,” states the brand.

“The current industry practice prevents consumers from being informed about what they’re putting on their bodies. Beautycounter’s new collection of five clean fragrances features ingredient transparency, showcasing long ingredient lists for consumers to review.”

Political lobbying
To date, the brand has “influenced the passage” of 16 state and federal clean beauty laws in the US.

“Beautycounter and its community have been working tirelessly for the last decade to influence legislation and update laws that remove harmful ingredients from beauty products and drive for greater transparency for consumers, including the secretive world of fragrances,” states the company.

In May of this year, Beautycounter will mobilize its community and travel to Washington DC to lobby Congress to “close the fragrance loophole,” as well as support the larger Safer Beauty Bill package, which addresses key gaps in the newly enacted Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022.

The Safer Beauty Bill package, introduced by Representative Jan Schakowksy of Illinois, is a suite of four bills that address issues Beautycounter has been vocal about: The need for more supply chain transparency, banning the most harmful ingredients — like PFAS — and explicit protections for overexposed communities including women of color.

By Benjamin Ferrer