From Very Rewarding to Just Meh: 4 Skincare Brand Loyalty Programs
Last month, we reviewed beauty retailers (not named Sephora or Ulta) that focused heavily on makeup. This month, we’re moving beyond the face to the rest of the body and reviewing brands that keep your skin soft, your hair healthy, and your body smelling nice.
(💡Helpful tip: when we talk about about “return value”, we mean how much you get back in rewards compared to what you spend to earn it. Example: If you spend $100 to earn $10 worth of points or credits, your return value is 10%. The higher the percentage, the better!)
bath & body works
Bath & Body Works has the best-smelling stores on the planet (in our opinion). With colorful products featuring catchy names like “At The Beach” mist spray or “Bali Mango” body wash, it’s sensory overload on the nose, but oh-so-nice on the body. Does their reward program pass the smell test? Thankfully yes!
Program: My Bath & Body Works Rewards
✨ Benefits:
· $1 spent = 10 points (10 cents=1 point)
· 1000 points= Free product up to $18.95 in value
· Annual Birthday Gift- valid for 30 days
· Current new member gift of $10 of $30 purchase
· Extra point earning, like 2x points promotions
· Points don’t expire as long as you have activity once a year 👏🏻
· Can use up to 8 Rewards per transaction 👏🏻
· Rewards can be stacked with other discounts or promotions 👏🏻
⚠️ Watchouts:
· Some redemption exclusions (Wallflowers plugs, candles & soap accessories)
· 90-day expiration on Rewards
· Rewards apply to the cheapest item in a transaction
· Can’t use Rewards toward items over $18.95 (no partial discounting)
💰 Return Value: 18%+, which is excellent and rivals heavyweights like Sephora and Ulta
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Very Rewarding💰. This is a simple program that packs a lot of value. The ability to use multiple rewards in one go, generous terms, and great point value make this a winner. We wish you could apply points to items over $18.95, but that limit still covers most of their product line. Pro tip: to avoid the “cheapest item” rule, split your transactions..
kiehl’s
Kiehl’s is the “since 1851” brand of rich lotions, creams, hair care products, and more, sold in their own stores and on their website, as well as at other retailers such as Sephora, with over 1,200 locations in the US. Their price point skews higher… does their reward program match? We think it’s pretty good.
Program: My Kiehl’s Rewards
✨ Benefits:
· $1 spent = 1 point
· 100 points = $10 Reward
· Extra point opportunities via SMS signup, referrals, and more
· Birthday reward: 1 Lip Balm + 1 deluxe sample
· Points can be redeemed for $-off checkout or merch in their Rewards Catalog
Three Tiers:
· Extra (0–99 pts): basic benefits
· Super (100–299 pts): +2 deluxe birthday samples, private events
· Everest (300+ pts): +3 deluxe birthday samples, free shipping
⚠️ Watchouts:
· Points earned only at Kiehl’s retail stores or their website
· Points expire 1 year after earning
· Rewards Catalog is limited to only a handful of products
💰 Return Value: 10%+, which is very strong
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Rewarding👍🏻! This is a solid program with a strong return on your investment. We think three tiers is unnecessary (the Super tier doesn’t offer much and the Everest tier could use more oomph). Also, a shame you can’t earn points on purchases made outside their store or website (like e.l.f allows). Still, great value if you shop directly.
origins
Origins wants your skin to feel good, but not hurt the planet doing it. They lean into clean, earth-based ingredients and are eco-conscious in all aspects of their brand. Similar to Kiehl’s, Origins has its own standalone stores but is also sold across many retailers, including Sephora and Nordstrom. Is their loyalty program as good as their mission? No, unfortunately, due to some nasty fine print.
Program: My Origins Rewards
✨ Benefits:
· $1 spent = 1 point
· Birthday Gift: $10 off $25 order
· Welcome offer: 15% off + free shipping
· Bonus point promos
· Anniversary Gift + free samples with every order
Three Levels:
· Level 1: Basic perks plus mini product rewards or “points to plant a tree”
· Level 2 ($250 spend): Adds full-size product rewards
· Level 3 ($500 spend): Adds free shipping
⚠️ Watchouts:
· Points reset to zero every anniversary date (brutal 😡)
· No earning at Origins stores in Massachusetts (bummer, our home state)
· No earnings at other retailers that sell Origins
💰 Return Value:
· $10 off 250 points or $20 off 500 = 4% return (eh)
· Mini product at 150 pts = 20%+ return (great)
· Full-size rewards = 10–15% at 250 pts, 7–10% at 500 pts
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Meh 😐. While product redemptions give solid value, the dollar-off rewards don’t. The reward catalog is tiny, the tiers aren’t exciting, and the auto-expiration of ALL points every year is downright cruel. Earn 300 points two days before your anniversary? Poof, it’s gone. This kind of setup defies loyalty logic. (Bloomingdale’s does something similar, and we didn’t love it there either.).
philosophy
Philosophy products are renowned for their strong efficacy and gentleness. With bold product names like “Hope in a Jar” and “Miracle Worker”, Philosophy sends a strong message that their products will transform your skin. Can their reward program transform your wallet for the better? yes!
Program: Philosopher’s Rewards
✨ Benefits:
· $1 = 10 points
· 1000 points = $10 voucher
· Birthday Gift: up to to $20 off
· Free shipping over $50
· Bonus points for social engagement, reviews and more
Three Tiers:
· Optimistic (0–1499 pts)
· Confident (1500–2999 pts): Adds anniversary gift, exclusive discount, free shipping $35+
· Empowered (3000+ pts): Adds free shipping on all orders
⚠️ Watchouts:
· Rewards can’t be used with other offers (which are frequent)
· Only one reward per checkout
· No earnings at third-party retailers
💰 Return Value:
· $-off redemptions = 10% (great)
· Product redemptions = 10%, but selection is very limited with less than a handful
👩🏻⚖️ Our Verdict: Rewarding 👍🏻! The return value is excellent at 10%, plus birthday and anniversary gifts and additional ways to earn points make this a solid program. What’s stopping it from getting our highest rating? The inability to use Rewards with existing discounts is a significant drawback, and there is no way to earn rewards on Philosophy products outside their own website. The higher-tier perks also don’t seem that empowering.
🎯 summary:
Overall, these brand-specific programs provide very good return values for your points, but some have more restrictions than others. Three of the four brands can be found at many other retailers, so you’ll need to compare programs (use our site for that 😄) to determine which one offers the best return. Likely stacking points at Ulta will provide better flexibility, but buying direct is way more rewarding than, say, Nordstrom’s or Bloomingdale’s programs.
💰Very Rewarding: Bath & Body Works. Simple no-tier program, with high value and low friction.
👍🏻 Rewarding: Kiehl’s and Philosophy. Excellent 10%+ return value, but underwhelming higher tiers and limited restrictions.
😐 Meh: Origins. Return value for $-off is on the lower end (4%) while product (7%+) is better, but their automatic expiration of ALL points every anniversary is unforgivable.
👎 Pass: None on this list
Leave us a comment! Do you agree or disagree? Any further tips about any of these Reward programs?
