Beauty subscription service IPSY announces banned ingredients list

In a recent social media post announcing what IPSY calls The Out List, the beauty subscription company explains, “we have a responsibility to the health of the people who invite us into their homes and the planet we inhabit….It’s our way of ensuring that beauty that is better for both people and planet isn’t a luxury—it’s beauty for all.”​

IPSY teams up with noted toxicologists Dr Agyekum and Dr Parran

To develop The Out List, IPSY partnered with a scientific consulting group called The Agyekum Group​. The Pennsylvania-based consultancy specializes in toxicology assessments and regulatory compliance for beauty as well as cosmetic and personal care product safety, claims substantiation, and labeling reviews.

With The Out List, IPSY intention is “to prohibit these ingredients from our products’ formulations is an attempt to take a big step toward reducing everyone’s exposure to ingredients that have potential negative health impacts,” ​according to a statement written by IPSY Senior Copywriter Susan Muramoto on the beauty subscription company’s ingredient policy page​.

 The list of 32 soon-to-be banned beauty product ingredients is just the start of it, according the statement: “The Out List represents our ongoing commitment to you and providing better-for-you beauty options, so as new science emerges through research, ingredient transparency, and innovation, we’ll be updating and adding more ingredients to the list.”​

What ingredients are on The Out List at IPSY?

Phthalates are out at IPSY, starting at the end of 2022 when the beauty subscription company’s new ingredient policy takes effect.

Phthalates, including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), and di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnP) will all be banned. However, terephthalates are not on IPSY’s list.

Other ingredients on the list include ethanolamines, tosylamide, formaldehyde resin, polyoxymethylene urea, methenamine, benzylhemiformal, hydroquinone, PFAS, PFTE, toluene, triclocarbon, triclosan, and more. The full list can be found here​ along with notes on the company’s toxicity concerns with each ingredient or ingredient class.