• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, February 21, 2024

Saie, the sold-in-Sephora brand known for clean skincare products, is intensifying its commitment to safe reproductive healthcare with a campaign that includes videos and a pop-up bookstore featuring banned books. Laney Crowell, founder and chief executive of Saie, believes the effort is the beauty industry’s largest human-rights effort ever. She tells Retail Insider why the campaign, which builds on 2022’s work, is such a watershed moment.

Retail Insider: Before telling us about this new campaign, can you give our readers a short version of why you launched Saie?

Laney Crowell: Sure. We started in 2019. I have worked for a long time in Big Beauty. And I’ve always been an avid magazine reader and beauty fan. I had thousands of products in my beauty closet at home. I realized many companies sell cosmetics that help people look good, but none that make you feel good. So that’s what I asked my community, starting on Instagram: What would you make if you could? That’s where the name comes from -- you say it, we create it. They talked a lot about clean ingredients and products that are good for the planet and their bodies.

Retail Insider: And you are sold only at Sephora?

Crowell: Yes. We have a website, but Sephora is our leading partner. We also have a private Facebook community, where members give us our product ideas. They have many opinions -- not just about ingredients, but also what works and price points. We have a “no” list of over 2,000 ingredients we won’t use. That’s why we launch products one by one. It takes us a long time to build formulas that answer all those needs -- the right ingredients, price and effectiveness.

Retail Insider: And your target audience?

Crowell: Millennials like me, especially moms, but broader. Because we focus so much on hydration, women over 50 love us. And younger users love the no-makeup makeup look. Gen Z also appreciates our lower price points.

Retail Insider: You first organized this campaign in 2022 and got 37 brands on board. That raised $168,000 in four days and lots of awareness for SisterSong, a nonprofit based in Atlanta that focuses on reproductive equity for women of color. This year’s push also benefits that nonprofit. What sparked this year's effort?

Crowell: When Roe v. Wade was struck down, American women had their rights taken away. It was a heartbreaking moment. We had a live event that horrible day, and there were so many tears. My husband looked at me and said, “Well? Why don't you do something?” So I started calling my founder friends, asking, “How can we make an impact?” On a Zoom call with Planned Parenthood, we were introduced to Monica Simpson, SisterSong’s executive director, and her passion and force just blew me away. She helped us brainstorm the campaign.

Retail Insider: How have you been expanding the effort since?

Crowell: We’ve got more than 60 brands participating and expect to double the amount we raise from last year's total. They include Ami Cole, Briogeo, Dr. Dennis Gross, and E.L.F., with some high-profile beauty founders, like Scarlett Johansson, Halsey, Alicia Keys and Ashley Tisdale.

We’re using lots of green, referencing the green bandanas that have become a global symbol for safe, legal abortions. We have content and digital petitions. And we’re adding an “in real life” moment with a pop-up library in New York. There’s a banned book section. And with every purchase, you get a bag of samples from participating brands. We expect to raise $300,000.

Retail Insider: Many D2C and digital brands have jumped into abortion rights. Some are even providing medication abortions. Do you expect to see more of that?

Crowell: Yes. Your website is your storefront, even for brands sold in retail. It’s where you control the conversation and get to speak to brand values.

Retail Insider: What else do you hope this accomplishes besides fundraising?

Crowell: I always lean toward awareness through social media and influencers since that’s my background. We’re very tapped into what kind of conversations start online. We have a box we’re sending our 200 influencers that’s very different. There are no beauty products, but there's a copy of “The Turnaway Study,” which details the experiences of 1,000 women in the decade after their abortion. And our CTA, of course, is to help people register to vote. That’s why it’s timed so close to Super Tuesday.