Walmart Has Big News For Anyone Who Shops Its Beauty Section

When was the last time you fully read — and understood — the ingredients list on the back of a face cleanser or body wash? It's hard to decipher, right? Luckily, major retailers like Target and CVS are trying to change that, pledging to be more transparent with beauty products and pushing for cleaner ingredients and sustainable packaging. And now, Walmart is doing the same.

The company just made a huge announcement to reduce its chemical footprint by 10% over the next five years. How? By offering a more sustainable selection in the makeup and skin-care (among other) categories, enhancing formulations, and being more transparent about ingredients. And it's happening soon: Starting in 2018, all suppliers will be required to disclose all priority chemicals in products.

“We know our customers are interested in what goes into products and how they are made," Zach Freeze, the senior director of strategic initiatives for sustainability at Walmart, said in a statement. "It’s important for them, and we are advocating for them by encouraging innovation and transparency into that process."

This shift for transparency might seem like a new concept, but it’s been a long time coming. In fact, compared to other countries like the U.K. and Australia, the U.S. is very much behind in regulating ingredients in the cosmetics industry. Walmart, like many other retailers, has already been taking steps in the right direction. Just this summer, the company introduced to its beauty section the eco-conscious beauty brand, Found, bringing affordable and natural skin-care and makeup to the masses.

We're excited to see what other moves Walmart will make to meet this sustainability goal. Transparency seems like a great start.