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29 May 2026
Today's Briefing · 28 June 2026 →Clean Beauty,
Clean Beauty,
Decoded.
A beauty intelligence platform tracking emerging brands, ingredient trends, founder dossiers, product signals, and the future of clean beauty.
01 · Today's Beauty Signals
Live·Updated 29 May
What we're tracking today.
02 · Brand Radar
Emerging brands on our radar.
03 · Ingredient Intelligence
The vocabulary of credibility.
04 · Trend Reports
Live·Updated 01 May
Intelligence products.
05 · Founder Files
A research database of the operators rebuilding clean beauty.
Kosas · Los Angeles, USA
Sheena Zadeh
A biology major and former bug taxonomist who launched Kosas in 2015 with $70,000 of personal savings and four lipstick shades. A decade later, Kosas is estimated at ~$150M in annual revenue, profitable, and selling globally — and Zadeh has remained an independent founder, declining acquisition offers to retain creative control.
On the record
"I wanted to start a movement."
ILIA Beauty · Vancouver, CA
Sasha Plavsic
A branding and typography designer who returned to her parents' Vancouver home after a breakup and cystic acne, scrutinized her cosmetics, and launched ILIA in 2011 with an organic tinted lip balm. A decade later, in the same week she sold ILIA to the Courtin-Clarins family, she was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection linked to founder burnout — a story she now shares publicly.
On the record
"75% of female entrepreneurs encounter burnout while building their companies."
Tata Harper Skincare · Champlain Valley, Vermont, USA
Tata Harper
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tata Harper studied industrial engineering before a family cancer diagnosis catalyzed a five-year research programme into clean formulation. She launched Tata Harper Skincare in 2010 on a 1,200-acre Vermont farm — the first fully vertically integrated luxury clean skincare brand.
On the record
"Complexity equals efficacy. More ingredients equal more results."
Credo Beauty · San Francisco, USA
Annie Jackson
Began her career at 17 working on charter boats in the Caribbean, was recruited to the founding team of Sephora USA in her mid-twenties, and went on to co-found Credo in 2013. Credo is now the largest clean beauty retailer in the United States and its 'Dirty List' has become an industry reference for clean formulation standards.
On the record
"Greenwashing remains the single greatest challenge to consumer trust in clean beauty."
Saie · New York, USA
Laney Crowell
Spent five years at Estée Lauder before identifying a gap for a beauty company that made environmental commitment integral to every aspect of operations, not just marketing. Founded Saie in 2019; recognized as Inc. Female Founders honoree in both 2024 and 2025. Saie has surpassed $100M in sales with growth >6× its original size.
On the record
"Environmental commitment has to be integral to operations — not bolted onto marketing."
Rhode Skin · Los Angeles, USA
Hailey Bieber
Founded Rhode in 2022 with a co-founding team around a minimalist, clean, clinically-backed skincare ethos. Rhode generated $212M in net sales in its most recent fiscal year from just ten products — and was acquired in May 2025 by e.l.f. Beauty for up to $1B, the largest acquisition in e.l.f.'s history. The deal reportedly made Bieber a billionaire.
On the record
"Tight SKU count, clinical backing, and cultural reach can outperform breadth."
06 · Greenwashing Watch
Skeptical, never alarmist.
Clean beauty claims are loosely defined. We review marketing language, ingredient lists, packaging claims, and transparency gaps — and label them as Credible, Needs Context, Marketing Heavy, or Potentially Misleading.
"High percentage of natural ingredients"
Potentially MisleadingNivea
Nivea is facing claims of falsely advertising a high percentage of natural ingredients across its product line.
"Environmentally sound product positioning"
Potentially MisleadingUlta Beauty
Ulta Beauty is defending an active class action alleging misleading claims to consumers seeking environmentally sound products.
"Biodegradable wipes"
Potentially MisleadingBoots' No.7 Beauty
On 28 April 2026, a class action was filed in New York federal court against Boots Retail USA Inc., alleging that No.7 Beauty's Biodegradable Makeup Removing Wipes and Biodegradable Cleansing Wipes cannot biodegrade in the timeframes a reasonable consumer expects — because the products are disposed of in landfills where anaerobic conditions prevent decomposition. The suit invokes the FTC's Green Guides and the NY General Business Law, and centers the premium-pricing differential as the damages argument: plaintiffs allege they paid more specifically because of the environmental claim. Kimberly-Clark settled comparable 'biodegradable wipes' claims for $30M in 2019; the No.7 case is the first to target a mass-market brand sold on an explicit 'clean' and 'ethical' identity at Walgreens, Target, and Boots UK.
07 · The Beauty Briefing
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Emerging clean beauty brands, ingredient trends, product launches, founder stories, and market signals. One briefing per week. No hype.
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