Former Employee Accuses Ulta Beauty of Reselling Used, Returned Makeup

A Twitter user who claims to have previously worked for Ulta Beauty, Inc., a popular cosmetics store, has accused her former employer of re-selling used makeup via a series of tweets last week.

Ulta Beauty

In the lengthy thread she started on January 9, user Fatinamxo alleged that Ulta Beauty, a retailer of popular cosmetics and skincare brands, merely clean and repackage returned items such as lip palettes and foundation from customers before placing them back on the shelves.

Ulta Beauty

In her tweets, she included images backing up her claim, adding details that the staff were told to clean the used products.

Ulta Beauty

When she reported the practice to retailer’s corporate office, she was told that the management would look into it.

Ulta Beauty

Her thread soon caught the attention of other Ulta Beauty employees who also have their own stories to tell.

Ulta Beauty

According to Fatinamxo, she wanted to warn people about what they were putting on their faces when they buy from the store.

Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty released a statement to BuzzFeed, saying they are looking into what was shared on Twitter, and are already reviewing the existing practices at their retail store outlets.

Here’s the statement in full:

“The health and safety of Ulta Beauty guests is a top priority and we strive to consistently deliver an 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 catalog 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 a way for us to do better, we will.”

It should be noted that while Fatinamxo’s thread began in January 2018, similar stories from Ulta Beauty employees about reselling used returns have been posted on other online platforms.

Ulta Beauty