Beautycounter is Dead; Long Live Beautycounter

"A new Beautycounter is on its way!" founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew recently posted on the brand's home page.

In the same note, Renfrew wrote, "The Beautycounter business that you knew previously has wound down. However, I am excited to share the news that I am creating a new company that will allow us to sell the products you know and love—pushing forward the important mission of making the industry, and our world, safer and healthier."

Three years ago, Carlyle acquired a majority stake in the brand. In January 2022, Renfrew was replaced at the head of the company by Marc Rey, who later departed the organization. 

Most recently, Renfrew returned to the CEO role in January 2024; and now, as of April 2024, the CEO has reacquired the brand. 

The saga comes amid a shakeup in clean and indie beauty, with many early adopters falling by the wayside, clean and sustainable practices becoming table stakes, and a rise in demand for proven clinical claims not always present in conventional clean brands.

In January, Renfrew noted,  "Without question, Beautycounter's greatest opportunities are ahead of us. Consumers are demanding, now more than ever, the things that we have brought to the industry from the very beginning: transparency, health & safety for people and the environment, innovative products, an engaged community and a business that is much more than its bottom line. Who we are, and the work we do, truly matters to so many people. I'm energized to build on our history of disrupting to create a movement for change and a higher industry standard."