Greenwashing Watch
Audit· Sephora — retailer-curated clean program
Needs Context

"Clean at Sephora"

Sephora's program excludes 50+ ingredient categories but has been criticized for permitting brands that meet marketing criteria without independent formulation verification. The same product may qualify as 'clean' at one retailer but not another (Target Clean and Credo's Dirty List use different exclusion lists).

What to look for instead

A widely circulated April 2026 Instagram post observed: '"Clean at Sephora" is mostly marketing jargon.' Margarita Arriagada (Valdé Beauty founder, former Sephora chief merchant) calls clean beauty 'baseline, not differentiation' today.

More claims under audit
Sources
  1. 01
    ‘Clean at Sephora’ is mostly marketing jargon. I don't want...
  2. 02
    Clean Beauty in 2026: What Actually Works According to...