Beautycounter is temporarily closed. I’m sharing what happened and answering the most-anticipated question: “Is Beautycounter coming back?”
Last week, Beautycounter Brand Advocates (Consultants) found out that Beautycounter will be closed/not-operational for quite some time – until fall of 2024 at the least. This was devastating news for me, and I know many of you who use and love these products feel very disappointed as well. I feel like a rug was pulled out from under me. I had NO IDEA this was coming or that the company was on the verge of a major transition. In fact the week before they paused operations, they had just shared a perfume promo, and I had an email drafted ready to hit send the next day. Since I felt blind-sided, I want to provide as much context as I have here.
Beautycounter Closure FAQs
What happened with Beautycounter?
In 2021, Beautycounter was purchased by an investment firm called Carlyle Group, and a few months later, Gregg Renfrew (the founder) was asked to step down as CEO. Since the sale, Beautycounter has encountered economic challenges that have led to Gregg returning as CEO, buying the company back from Carlyle Group, and restructuring it as an entirely new entity under a brand new LLC.
As far as I know, the challenges that occurred during Carlyle’s tenure were not related to the products not selling but rather overspending / poor decisions on the management side. For example, shipping and customer service at Beautycounter used to be top notch. Over the years new shipping providers and different customer service teams led to a less-than-ideal situation. I can’t say for sure, but I bet those decisions were made to put profit ahead of people. And people noticed! My friend Teri shares a little bit more about the business side of things in her blog post here.
Is Beautycounter coming back?
We have been told directly from Gregg that Beautycounter’s business operations are on pause until later in 2024, but she has every intention of bringing the company back – and better.
Gregg and her team are working diligently to rebuild the tech, processes, and platforms that will allow Beautycounter to return with the same formulations, packaging, and company name. Originally they were going to continue operations as usual and re-launch in May, but Gregg made the hard decision (which she shared tearfully with us) that it would be smarter of them to pause operations and comb through every process than continue to run as Carlyle had (think shipping vendors that were taking too long and contracts that need renegotiating).
I’m hopeful the new Beautycounter will launch later this year. We’ve been told it will be driven by mission just like it always has been, and that is reassuring. Originally we were told everything was paused as it was, but now it sounds like we’ll all be starting from scratch with a new compensation plan, structure, maybe new product line. Gregg has said she hopes to bring back the consultant community in a new 2.0 version. I have 100% trust in Gregg. So many of these problems were not her fault, and she is trying to rebuild in the smartest way!
While I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t say for certain what the future holds, I have every intention of staying with Beautycounter if and when it resumes.
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Can I still purchase Beautycounter products?
From now until the projected relaunch, all Beautycounter business operations are on pause. This unfortunately means that orders cannot be placed through the Beautycounter website for the foreseeable future. This is such a bummer because I know that so many of you love and rely on Beautycounter’s products in your everyday routines! (I’m right there with you.) I am especially sad about the new perfumes that JUST launched. I heard from so many of you that you were going to buy a full size as soon as the site reopened, and now you can’t 🙁 I’m trying to ration the three bottles I bought so they last until the fall (knock on wood).
My Thoughts
I am sad on so many levels. I fell in love with Beautycounter’s products in 2019 shortly after Birch was born, and the company has become a huge part of my identity and online business. Since the beginning, I’ve been genuinely excited to link arms with a B Corporation that was advocating for change in the beauty industry at large. I was proud of the huge steps Beautycounter took to improve legislation in the highly unregulated beauty industry. Financially this will hurt, but what hurts the most is thinking about all the products I have upstairs that will eventually run out. I really hope Gregg can bring them back to life.
I’m a loyal Beautycounter client, what can I do now?
If you need to purchase some Beautycounter products: you might be able to find a small assortment at Ulta. Tip: your local store may have more inventory compared to what’s left online. I found some Dew Skin at mine.
If you are looking for new brands: Beautycounter has been my “easy button” skincare and makeup, but I will be looking for alternatives. I am doing some homework on my end and looking into alternative skincare and makeup brands that also meet high safety AND performance standards. And if you’re not on my beauty email list, you can add your email here for more detailed info.
I have always loved that Beautycounter was a one-stop-shop for me because I value simplicity. I’ve gotten a lot of questions on the “next best recommendations” and here are some thoughts. {These are affiliate links.}
Colleen Rothschild
Colleen Rothschild is a brand that I have tried and loved in the last year. They have some products that compliment Beautycounter (a lip conditioner, lux face oils) that I’ve tried and they are great. I might give the serums a try soon. The safety standards are not quite what Beautycounter is, but it’s considered a clean brand. I will say that everything Colleen smells AMAZING.
My Favorites:
Oliveda
Oliveda is a new-to-me brand that many of my fellow Beautycounter advocates are going to be using. The company is European and focuses on waterless skincare, so it’s extremely potent and oil-based (though it promises not to make your skin oily!) The ingredients are clean and it’s touted to have incredible results. I’m ordering some of the best sellers!
Things Recommended To Me
Perks include free shipping on $50, 365 day returns, and a free product if you take their skincare quiz!
I’m working on a longer post about some swaps to make if you’re been using Beautycounter for as long as I have, including makeup! Stay tuned.
Thank You
Thank you for the trust you’ve put in me to share recommendations and information with you. Thank you for supporting my business with your purchases and your loyalty.
