Beautycounter, one of the leaders in clean beauty recently entered into foreclosure and was bought back by company's founder, Gregg Renfrew. This article reviews what happened to the company and what's next for the brand.
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On May 6, 2024, Beautycounter consultants found out that Beautycounter and its products won’t be returning until late 2024. That also means that thousands of Beautycounter consultants have lost their jobs, and no longer have a source of income.
I am personally very upset, shocked and saddened by this news, as I have been a consultant since 2016 and love their products. I have also built a team of hundreds of women, and will greatly miss the community. Financially, this is also a huge hit as many people, myself included, earn a significant income from Beautycounter.
So let's talk about what actually happened to Beautycounter.
What happened to Beautycounter?
In brief, in 2021 the founder of Beautycounter, Gregg Renfrew, sold the company to a private equity firm, The Carlyle Group, and since that time business had not gone well. Shortly after the sale Gregg was asked to step down as CEO and had very little to do with the business.
Fast forward a few years later, with things not going well, Gregg was brought back as CEO in February 2024. When she came back it became apparent very quickly that the company was struggling financially, and within a short period of time, foreclosure became the only option.
What went wrong?
In hindsight, it is clear that the sale to the Carlyle group was not a smart idea. Carlyle did not fully understand or support the consultant business model and couldn’t make the money they anticipated, so they planned an exit. They stopped funding the business and that is why Counter Brands LLC (Beautycounter's holding company) went bankrupt.
To try and save Beautycounter, Gregg Renfrew formed a new company, G2G, and purchased Beautycounter back from foreclosure in April 2024. The sale includes the Beautycounter name, the product formulations etc. When the sale happened we were initially told that the company would be back up and running on May 1, 2024.
However, on May 1st we were told that they would need more time, which is not surprising since these types of transactions and ownership changes typically take months, not weeks to complete. Then on May 6th we were told that the company won't be back until October or Q4 of 2024.
July 2024 update: we have now been told that Beautycounter won't be returning until sometime in 2025. Again, we have not been given any other information but as it becomes available I will continue to update this post.
What happened to Beautycounter consultants?
We have essentially lost our jobs. With the new company, G2G, not returning for many months, and without a functioning Beautycounter website we have no way to sell products, or earn an income.
We have been told that when Beautycounter returns that they will once again be involving brand advocates and consultants, but the specifics of the earning structure have not been worked out yet, and may change from the current model. In other words, there are a lot of unknowns.
As consultants we have been told that Beautycounter will be sharing information with us as progress is made and when updates are available. I have had many Beautycounter consultants and customers reach out to me in the last couple days to ask for more details, and I promise I will provide them when I know more.
I will keep this post updated with the latest information regarding Beautycounter so be sure to bookmark it if want to stay up to date on the latest Beautycounter news.
Can you still buy Beautycounter products?
Beautycounter products have done wonders for my own skin, and are the only skincare products I use. And I know many of you are in the same boat. Beautycounter is the only brand I know of that tests every batch of their products for contaminants to ensure they are truly safe, and this safety is very important to me, so the idea of being without these products is rather stressful.
If you live in the US, there is good news, you can still buy certain Beautycounter products at Ulta including some of my favourites like the vitamin C serum, Countertime mineral boost essence, and Countermatch recovery sleep cream.
Sadly if you live in Canada like me, there are currently no options for us to buy Beautycounter products. If anyone wants to plan a road trip to the nearest Ulta location just let me know!
I promise to keep you updated as soon as I find out more about when the products will be available again.
Will Arbonne sell Beautycounter products?
No. This is a rumour that has been circulating and both companies have confirmed this is not true.
What products should I use instead?
Fortunately, there are many other great clean skincare brands on the market now. Over the years I have tried and tested many of them and some of my other favourites include Three Ships Beauty and Primally Pure (use the code PUREANDSIMPLE to get 10% off your order). As I run out of my Beautycounter products I will continue to test other safe skincare brands so if I find any other great alternatives I will be sure to update this post.
I have also created a free download with ingredients you should watch for and avoid when shopping for skincare and beauty products to help you find new products.
While this time has been very difficult, I am hopeful that Beautycounter will come back better than ever some time next year. It's always the challenges that make us stronger so I am hoping that with some patience and a little time I will have more positive and uplifting news to share soon.
Other health posts you will want to read:
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Linda
Very well written post. You explained every thing clearly. Much appreciated.
Dr. Erin Carter
So glad it helped! I really wish I had even more details but I will share anything I learn as I learn it.