This International Face Equality Week (11th–15th May), Sephora UK is spotlighting chosen UK charity partner, Face Equality International (FEI), to champion a more inclusive beauty experience for people with facial differences (FD) through supporting FEI’s global campaign: Seen and Served.
International Face Equality Week is a global moment dedicated to celebrating and supporting the facial difference community, while calling for a world where everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.
In 2026, the campaign shines a light on the exclusion people with facial differences can face in hospitality, retail and customer service settings – from being ignored by staff, to receiving unwelcome comments from other customers or being made to feel invisible in public spaces.
Together, Sephora UK and FEI are working to help reclaim these spaces and ensure everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered when shopping for beauty.
As part of the partnership, Sephora UK commissioned FEI to conduct a survey with its UK CRM database to better understand the experiences of customers with facial differences.
The findings revealed the continued need for greater awareness and inclusive training across the beauty retail sector with results showing:
- People with FDs are less comfortable shopping for beauty products than others.
- People with FDs find it harder to ask a beauty assistant for advice and to be confident choosing products to meet their needs.
- Over 21% of people with a FD have received unsolicited comment(s) from other customers or passers by.
- Over 11% have received unwelcome comments / questions from shop staff.
- 90% of people believe that beauty advisers should be trained on face equality.
Driven by these findings, Sephora UK and FEI have collaborated on a bespoke face equality training programme developed alongside the Sephora UK Education team to combat negative experiences those in the facial difference community have lived, whilst equipping retail staff with the tools they need to service customers with bespoke needs.
The training was piloted with new Beauty Advisors joining the cast at Sephora UK’s recently opened Bristol Cabot Circus store and is planned to become part of onboarding for all new store teams – including those in Glasgow and Edinburgh – alongside continued learning sessions for existing employees .
The initiative reflects Sephora UK’s commitment to creating a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty and feel confidently seen and served in store.
To further support awareness and fundraising during International Face Equality Week, Sephora UK will donate 15% of full price sales from its own brand, Sephora Collection, on the 11th and 12th May to FEI*.
Customers can shop their Sephora Collection favourites such as Size Up Mascara, Cream Lip Stain or newly launched Body and Hair Mists knowing that 15% of the purchase will go straight to FEI.
Phyllida Swift, CEO of Face Equality International, said: “For too long, the facial difference community have felt excluded from beauty spaces and with too
many people having had a negative experience when asking for advice.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Sephora UK to create space for people with facial differences to be seen and served, whether that’s through representation in campaigns, or knowing that they can walk into a store and have a positive, celebratory experience.
“Sephora are doing groundbreaking work to support the face equality movement in so many different ways and we are thrilled to be making change, together.”
Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Sephora UK, added: “I’m incredibly proud of the work we are doing at Sephora UK this International Face Equality Week in support of our charity partner, Face Equality International.
“This initiative has been a true collaboration across the business, bringing together our education, marketing and trade teams alongside FEI to help drive meaningful action and create more inclusive beauty experiences.
“At Sephora UK, we are always looking for ways to evolve and improve the retail experience for every customer, so we’re excited to continue rolling out our face equality training programme following a successful pilot with cast members at our newly opened Bristol Cabot Circus store.
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“Alongside education, fundraising plays an important role in helping drive awareness, long-term impact and the work that we do together with FEI.
“Through our Sephora Collection donation initiative, we’re proud to give customers the opportunity to support FEI’s incredible work, while also helping more people discover the importance of face equality and the need for everyone to feel
truly seen and served.”
