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Bareminerals

Beauty/Cosmetics

Part of Shiseido Company, Limited · Headquartered in United States

Bareminerals is a mineral-based cosmetics brand that has positioned itself as a leader in clean beauty since 1995 (now owned by Advent International's Orveon since 2021, previously Shiseido). The brand bans over 2,500 ingredients from its formulations and uses FSC-certified paper and recycled materials in packaging, with a mail-in recycling program for empties. On labor and sourcing, Bareminerals has a stated Supplier Code of Conduct prohibiting child labor and joined the Responsible Mica Initiative in 2017 to address child labor risks in mica mining—a significant concern given that mica extraction in India and Madagascar has been documented as involving child labor. However, third-party assessments and regulatory bodies note gaps: The Good Shopping Guide rates the brand below its ethical benchmark, citing that the parent company Advent's involvement in military and nuclear industries raises concerns. A 2021–2024 class-action lawsuit alleged the brand's products contain PFAS ('forever chemicals'), contradicting clean beauty marketing, though the brand states it is working to eliminate trace contaminants. Supply chain transparency remains limited—mica sourcing locations and independent audit results are not publicly disclosed.

How Bareminerals scores

Three pillars, scored independently. Higher is better.

What Bareminerals does well

Controversies

Reported issues Leif found in public sources. Their presence lowers the rating.

The detail

Environment

bareMinerals has publicly stated commitments to clean beauty and has promoted its use of mineral-based ingredients as an alternative to certain synthetic compounds. According to the company's public communications, it has made commitments around sustainable packaging, including goals to increase use of recycled and recyclable materials. As a brand under Shiseido, it falls under Shiseido's broader environmental framework, which includes emissions reduction targets and sustainability reporting, though brand-specific environmental data for bareMinerals is limited in public disclosures. Detailed independent verification of bareMinerals-specific environmental metrics such as water usage, waste diversion rates, or energy consumption is not prominently available in public sources.

Labor

bareMinerals operates under Shiseido's corporate governance and supplier standards framework, which includes a Supplier Code of Conduct addressing labor practices. Shiseido publishes an annual sustainability report that references labor standards across its brand portfolio, though bareMinerals-specific supply chain transparency data, including manufacturing locations and audit results, is not prominently disclosed at the brand level. Limited independent verification of labor conditions specific to bareMinerals' supply chain is available in public sources.

Bareminerals products on Amazon

1 product from Bareminerals, sold on Amazon (US). Leif earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

Leif's rating reflects an independent sustainability assessment of the brand — drawing on disclosures, third-party certifications, and public information on its practices — not customer reviews. Ratings are directional, not precise scores. Read how we rate. New to this? Learn how to spot greenwashing and what each certification actually proves.

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Stated attributes

Publicly stated commitments — not necessarily independently verified.

In Practice