Ulta steps up sustainability, transparency of its products

Ulta Beauty is looking to offer shoppers greater choices and transparency by launching Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty, a holistic initiative.

Debuting in the fall, the program will certify brands under five key pillars — clean ingredients, cruelty-free, vegan, sustainable packaging and positive impact.

In addition, the beauty retailer is pledging to ensure that 50% of all packaging sold, including products under the Ulta Beauty Collection umbrella, will be made from recycled or bio-sourced materials, or will be recyclable or refillable by the year 2025, the company said.

“As the beauty retail leader, we have the unique opportunity to inspire positive change in our industry,” said Dave Kimbell, president of Ulta Beauty. “With Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty, our focus is to educate, guide and simplify product choice and elevate those brands doing good for our world. This initiative helps our guests readily navigate our assortment through the lens of what matters most to them. We are thrilled to offer such transparency and set significant standards as a company.”

As a way to also ensure accountability and drive its new initiative forward, the company established the Conscious Beauty Advisory Council.

Consisting of experts at the forefront of clean beauty, product development, packaging sustainability and brand leadership, the council will tackle industry issues, cultivate communal efforts, and bring unique perspectives across beauty forward, the company said.

“We have always taken pride in offering guests a diverse assortment of products to meet their individual beauty needs, including many brands that align to the Conscious Beauty pillars,” Kimbell said. “Today’s announcement marks a definitive milestone on our ongoing journey in this space, and we look forward to further meeting guests' needs this fall in store and online.”

This article first appeared in sister publication Drug Store News.