Ulta Beauty says they are investigating the claims.
A former Ulta Beauty employee is sharing some disturbing news about your favorite makeup store, and every beauty lover needs to know.
Earlier this month, @fatinamxo took to Twitter and claimed that Ulta tells its employees to clean makeup that customers have returned so they can resell it, even if it has been used.
“So I’m gonna start a thread about a serious matter because I feel like makeup lovers should know what’s going on behind closed doors,” she tweeted. “So I was a former employee at ULTA and whenever a customer would return a product, we were told by managers to repackage/reseal the item and put it back on the shelf. They would resell EVERYTHING. (makeup, hair care, skincare, fragrance, hair tools, etc.)”
She then posted a photo of a makeup kit she claimed had been returned and put back on the shelf. She said the employees would be told to clean the foundation with a Q-tip to make it look new and untouched, but that nobody would sanitize it.
“They even put back a USED liquid lipstick, the manager said she would ‘clean it with alcohol’ (that was the last straw for me),” she tweeted.
She continued, “They even taught us how to clean eyeshadow palettes and let it dry overnight so it can be repackaged and sold the next day. Managers would get [angry] if they saw items in the damage bin that looked resellable.”
@fatinamxo said she was so disturbed by the actions of her managers that she contacted corporate about what was happening, but didn’t get the response she was expecting.
“I contacted corporate and I was surprised to hear her say ‘well when it comes to mascaras we definitely want to be hygienic.’ I immediately cut her off and said what about lipsticks? And foundation? They are reselling everything that they can clean up and make ‘new’ again. She was speechless and told me along the lines of ‘I’ll look into the situation.'”
After she voiced her concerns, an unsettling truth was revealed — it’s not just her store that is practicing these unsanitary policies.
“With the beauty community on the rise, we should all be aware of what we are buying and putting on our face!” she tweeted. “This should be a warning to everyone. Always check your makeup before you leave.”
A spokesperson for Ulta Beauty issued a statement to BuzzFeed, saying that the company was looking into the claims.
“The health and safety of Ulta Beauty guests is a top priority and we strive to consistently deliver and optimal experience every time they shop with us. We take any concern of this nature very seriously and are looking into these claims.
Our policies, training and procedures are aimed at ensuring that only the highest quality products are sold in our stores and online and, we prohibit the resale of used or damaged products. Our store associates are trained to catalogue those items and then properly dispose of them. If associates have concerns that this or any Ulta Beauty policy is not being followed, they can anonymously report it through our third-party hotline.
In addition to swiftly evaluating claims recently shared on social channels, we are reviewing our existing practices to ensure compliance with our product quality policies. If there is any way for us to do better, we will.”
If these allegations are true, this is super disgusting. But just remember to be cautious whenever you buy makeup, not just from Ulta.