Sephora

Policy:Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy

14.5 out of 23.5 points

Sephora’s Public Chemicals Policy, launched in July 2019, covers all private-label and brand-name products sold in U.S. retail locations as well as online. The policy includes a BRSL of almost fifty chemicals in nine classes (which Sephora refers to as “High-Priority Chemicals”) with the retailer establishing a quantifiable goal to cut in half the number of products it sells with any of these chemicals within three years. Additionally, the retailer’s “Clean at Sephora” program provides voluntary recognition for branded products that have excluded a larger number of chemicals of high concern (CHCs).

Sephora requires the suppliers of its private-label products to additionally comply with a separate BRSL that, according to the company, includes more than 2,000 forbidden ingredients. The retailer stated that its BRSL for its private-label products includes fragrance ingredients and packaging and that it applies globally. The packaging restrictions on its private-label products cover 8 plastics of environmental health concern (PEHCs), according to a statement Sephora provided to us.

While the company does not appear to have a policy specifically for beauty products of environmental justice concern (BPEJCs), the retailer noted to us that many CHCs in BPEJCs are covered under its policies, specifically writing, “Sephora’s Public Chemicals policy lists formaldehyde, parabens, and phthalates as high priority chemicals for elimination – NGO similarly advocates for their omission from formulations due to environmental justice concerns. The Clean at Sephora program previously included these 3 categories of ingredients, as well as hydroquinone and mercury, which are known to be used in skin-lightening agents.” Thus, while hydroquinone is in the voluntary program, it is not part of the mandatory BRSL, and therefore we are awarding partial credit.

Sephora does not have a publicly available manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL) and the policy does not appear to apply, as specified in the criteria, to operations.

Glossary of Terms

Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability

7.5 out of 15 points

Sephora’s policy notes that the company provides training on the private-label and Public Chemical Policy BRSL requirements and requires private-label suppliers to do third-party lab testing to verify compliance with the BRSL for private-label products subject to its policy. The retailer additionally confirmed that contracts with private-label suppliers require adherence to the retailer’s policies.

The retailer has not specifically disclosed that it conducts its own testing to ensure suppliers comply with its safer chemicals policy.

Glossary of Terms

Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer

10.5 out of 17.5 points

Sephora’s policy requires suppliers of all its private-label products to disclose to the retailer a complete list of ingredients and known impurities, including all fragrance ingredients. The retailer is working to obtain ingredient information on all branded products, with the exception of fragrance ingredients. Extra credit points were awarded for the retailer applying the disclosure to multiple major product categories, for setting a 2020 deadline in 2019 for branded product ingredient disclosures, and for providing in its July 2020 update the percentage of products meeting its disclosure requirements.

Glossary of Terms

Action: Reduced or eliminated chemicals of high concern (CHCs) or plastics of environmental health concern (PEHCs) within the last three years

16.5 out of 26 points

Sephora issued a public report in July 2020 that included concrete metrics on the impacts of its chemicals policy during its first year of implementation. Sephora documented a 14% reduction in the total number of products it sells with 1 or more high-priority chemicals while noting that by July 2020, 94% of products sold online, and 65% of brands sold online, were free of high-priority chemicals.

This effort builds upon past successes in driving down the use of CHCs in its private-label products in recent years, including chemicals that were added to its private-label BRSL in recent years. Sephora noted to us that 19 chemicals of concern in 8 classes were added to its private-label BRSL in 2020.

The beauty retailer informed us that six of the eight plastics of environmental health concern (PEHCs) included in its private label restrictions were added in February of 2019, and this action resulted in the reduction of PEHCs since then. While it is not clear if these have been reduced or fully eliminated, Sephora earns partial extra credit points for addressing two PEHC in addition to multiple CHCs in major product categories in the last three years.

Sephora has not publicly documented progress on reducing chemicals of high concern specifically in beauty products of environmental justice concern.

Glossary of Terms

Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes

13 out of 16 points

Sephora’s policy includes the statement that it “…encourag[es] the replacement of high-priority chemicals with safer alternatives and work[s] to avoid regrettable substitutes.” In its July 2020 update, the retailer expands upon this, providing specific examples of how it has worked to deliver tools to its suppliers and brands, as well as directly supported efforts to assess alternatives with ChemFORWARD for 4 classes of CHCs on its high priority list. It specifically noted how it has partnered with Novi to use “artificial intelligence” mechanisms to advise brands on safer substitutes for chemicals on the retailer’s BRSL. The retailer has not, however, stated that an alternatives assessment is integrated into its private-label product development process. The retailer also received 2.5 extra credit points for it support of ChemFORWARD, which will provide credible hazard assessments of alternatives on a shared platform.

Glossary of Terms

Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure

8.75 out of 20 points

In July 2019, Sephora released a “Public Chemicals Policy” along with a public BRSL that applies to all products that it sells—both private-label and branded. The retailer also maintains a more detailed BRSL for just its private-label products that is not publicly available. The retailer’s voluntary Clean at Sephora program also maintains a publicly available BRSL.

On its website, Sephora identifies private-label products that comply with the company’s BRSL. While Sephora notes that it is seeking to ensure that “100% of formulated beauty and personal care products to have all intentionally added ingredients … listed on our US Sephora.com website” and recently disclosed that “we have increased the number of products with all intentionally added ingredient information on Sephora.com from 82% to 95%,” this disclosure excludes fragrance ingredients and therefore does not amount to disclosure beyond what is required on package by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cosmetics. However, Sephora also noted that the company “strongly encourage[s] fragrance brands to voluntarily disclose” their ingredients, and we have awarded an extra credit point for setting a deadline for listing ingredient information online.

Glossary of Terms

Third-party Standards: Promotes credible third-party standards for safer products

1.5 out of 8.5 points

Sephora sells and promotes products that meet credible third-party standards, including EWG-Verified and Made Safe.

Glossary of Terms