About us
Clean Beauty Coalition is a Georgia-based national advocacy nonprofit advancing safer beauty standards at the intersection of public health, environmental protection, and consumer safety. We work to reduce toxic chemical exposure in beauty and personal care products through education, advocacy, and systems-level change. leading the movement to eliminate toxic chemicals from beauty and personal care products.
We work at the intersection of public health, environmental justice, and policy reform to protect women and girls, especially those disproportionately harmed by unsafe beauty products.
Rooted in Georgia and active nationwide, we advance science-backed solutions that center health equity, ingredient transparency, and accountability across the beauty industry.
“The future of beauty should be clean, safe, and sustainable, not just for individual health, but for the well-being of our planet.”
Who We Are
For decades, beauty and personal care products marketed to women, particularly Black women and girls, have contained toxic chemicals linked to hormone disruption, reproductive harm, infertility, and increased cancer risk.
Despite these known risks, U.S. cosmetics law has failed to keep pace with modern science, leaving dangerous regulatory gaps that allow harmful ingredients to remain widely available.
These gaps are not evenly felt. Women of color, salon workers, and families in frontline communities face higher cumulative exposure due to targeted marketing, occupational risks, and lack of ingredient transparency.
Georgia sits at the center of this crisis, and the opportunity. As a Southern state with national influence, Georgia has the power to help reshape beauty safety standards for millions.
Who We Serve
Clean Beauty Coalition serves communities most impacted by toxic chemical exposure in beauty and personal care products, with a focus on those historically underserved by existing consumer protection and regulatory systems.
Our work centers women and girls, particularly those disproportionately affected by unsafe beauty products due to targeted marketing, occupational exposure, and regulatory gaps. We also serve communities of color, consumers seeking safer products, salon and beauty professionals, and families navigating the health and environmental impacts of toxic exposure.
By grounding our work in public health, environmental justice, and consumer safety, we ensure that those most affected by harmful systems are equipped with the education, resources, and advocacy pathways needed to advance safer, more equitable beauty standards for all.
Our Mission
Our mission is to protect the health of women and girls by advancing safer beauty standards through education, advocacy, and policy reform. We work to reduce toxic chemical exposure in beauty and personal care products by translating science and regulatory knowledge into accessible public education, strengthening accountability across the industry, and supporting systems-level change.
We champion ingredient transparency, environmental responsibility, and health equity—especially for communities of color who face disproportionate exposure to toxic beauty products due to targeted marketing, occupational risk, and longstanding regulatory gaps. Through this work, we aim to create a beauty industry where safety, transparency, and public health are the standard, not the exception.
Who We Are
our pillars
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People
Clean Beauty Coalition protects public health by educating and empowering communities disproportionately impacted by toxic chemical exposure. Our work centers on translating scientific, regulatory, and public-health knowledge into accessible education that enables informed decision-making and collective action.
Through science-backed education, community engagement, and workforce and youth learning initiatives, we build awareness of chemical risks while strengthening public understanding of ingredient safety, exposure pathways, and transparency in the beauty industry. This approach ensures that individuals and communities are equipped not only with information, but with the tools needed to advocate for safer products and healthier environments.
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Planet
Safeguarding environmental health is integral to our mission. Clean Beauty Coalition advances sustainable, circular, and climate-conscious beauty practices that reduce pollution, limit waste, and protect ecosystems throughout the product lifecycle.
We focus on systemic solutions that address environmental harm at its source, promoting circular beauty systems, responsible packaging design, pollution prevention, and environmental health protections. This includes examining how ingredient sourcing, manufacturing processes, packaging materials, and end-of-life disposal contribute to environmental contamination and climate impact.
By aligning cosmetic safety with sustainability and climate responsibility, we work to ensure that beauty products do not compromise the health of the planet or the communities that depend on it.
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Advocacy
Clean Beauty Coalition mobilizes collective action to demand safer, more transparent, and accountable beauty practices. We engage the public through education campaigns, coalition-building, and strategic storytelling that shifts narratives and raises expectations across the industry.
Our advocacy work focuses on increasing awareness, strengthening accountability, and fostering partnerships that support higher standards in beauty and personal care—without engaging in partisan or legislative activity. Through media engagement and public-facing initiatives, we help shape a culture where safety, transparency, and responsibility are the norm. Based in Georgia, Clean Beauty Coalition advances place-based leadership while contributing to national efforts to modernize cosmetic safety and protect public health.
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Policy Reform
Policy reform lives exclusively within the Clean Beauty Coalition Action Fund.
This structural separation is intentional and essential. It protects the integrity of our nonprofit work, preserves legal compliance, and strengthens effectiveness across education, advocacy, and policy engagement.
Clean Beauty Coalition operates as a 501(c)(3), focused on education, research, public engagement, non-partisan advocacy, and community programs. The Clean Beauty Coalition Action Fund operates as a 501(c)(4) with a sole focus on policy reform, including legislative advocacy, regulatory engagement, and direct policy campaigns as permitted by law.
Together, these entities allow us to educate, mobilize, and advance reform with clarity, credibility, and legal precision, while signaling seriousness to funders, policymakers, and institutional partners.
Clean Beauty Coalition is led by experienced advocates and advisors with deep expertise in clean beauty, public health, environmental justice, and systems-level reform. Our leadership brings together lived experience, scientific and policy literacy, and a commitment to advancing safer beauty standards through credible, data-informed, and equity-centered approaches. Together, we guide the organization’s strategic vision, partnerships, and public engagement to ensure lasting impact and institutional integrity.
Leadership
Board of directors & Scientific Leadership
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Amber Makupson
Founder, Executive Director & Chair of the Board
Amber Makupson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Clean Beauty Coalition, where she leads national efforts to advance safer beauty standards, ingredient transparency, and public health–driven policy reform. She is also the founder of Meraki Hair Wellness, a multi-award-winning clean hair care brand recognized for its commitment to non-toxic ingredients, performance, and advocacy. A clean beauty entrepreneur and advocate, Amber brings deep industry experience and a systems-level approach to addressing toxic chemical exposure in personal care products. As Chair of the Board, she guides the Coalition’s strategic vision, governance, and advocacy efforts, centering science, equity, and accountability in the movement for safer, more just beauty.
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Rania Ibrahim, PhD
Board Member, Scientific Advisor – Clinical Research & Safety
Dr. Rania Ibrahim is a clinical research and safety expert and founder of SkinScience Analytic, with deep experience in the cosmetic and personal care industry. She specializes in the design and execution of methodologically sound clinical trials focused on product safety, claims substantiation, and regulatory alignment. With experience as a former Clinical Director, Dr. Ibrahim brings a rigorous, evidence-based approach to advancing scientific integrity, consumer trust, and public health protection. As a Board Member of the Clean Beauty Coalition, she provides strategic guidance on clinical research, safety evaluation, and science-driven accountability in beauty.
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Augustine Agyekum PhD "Dr. Kwaku"
Board Member, Lead Scientific Advisor
Dr. Augustine “Kwaku” Agyekum is a toxicologist and regulatory science expert with more than a decade of experience in cosmetic safety, chemical risk assessment, and global regulatory compliance. He is the founder of The Agyekum Group, a consultancy supporting brands in safety substantiation, regulatory strategy, and product risk evaluation. Formerly Senior Director of Global Product Safety at Beautycounter, Dr. Agyekum brings deep expertise in toxicology, product safety, and regulatory alignment. As Lead Scientific Advisor, he ensures the Clean Beauty Coalition’s work is grounded in rigorous science, credibility, and public health protection.
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Cassandra Celestin
DescriptiBoard Member, Scientific Advisor – Cosmetic Chemistry & Beauty Professional Research
Cassandra Celestin is a cosmetic chemist, licensed cosmetologist, and educator with more than 18 years of experience spanning formulation science, product development, and professional beauty practice. She is a professor in the cosmetic science program at Spelman University and a co-founder of Black Women in Cosmetic Chemistry, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to advancing access, education, and leadership for Black women in cosmetic chemistry.
As a Board Member of the Clean Beauty Coalition, Cassandra provides strategic leadership at the intersection of cosmetic chemistry, beauty professional health, and education. Her work focuses on aligning scientific standards with real-world salon and professional environments, bringing critical attention to occupational exposure, product integrity, and the systems that shape safety outcomes for beauty workers and communities.
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Zaria Henderson
Youth Leadership Ambassador
Zaria Henderson is a gifted, high-achieving student and Youth Ambassador with a strong commitment to service and health education. She maintains a 4.0 GPA while excelling in Advanced Placement coursework, is active in DECA and Women in Medicine, and aspires to become a dermatologist. A Girl Scout for over a decade and a Gold Award recipient, she brings a youth perspective to the Clean Beauty Coalition’s mission of advancing health, equity, and informed consumer choices.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS & COLLABORATORS
Our public education work is made possible through collaboration with advocacy organizations, research institutions, and community partners committed to advancing health equity and environmental justice.
