Scarlett Johansson's The Outset Skincare Brand Abruptly Shuts Down After Four Years

Scarlett Johansson's skincare brand The Outset has shut down after roughly four and a half years, bringing the actress' beauty venture to an end. The Outset announced on Monday, 28 September, that it would 'wind down operations' in a statement posted on its official website, thanking customers for supporting the brand throughout its journey.

The company did not give a reason for the closure. While online shopping has ended, it confirmed that existing orders will continue to be processed.

Inside Scarlett Johansson's Four-Year Skincare Venture

Johansson, 41, launched The Outset in March 2022 alongside beauty executive Kate Foster Lengyel, after spending years developing the concept. The actress described it as a personal project rooted in her longstanding interest in beauty and skincare.

'I've been fascinated by the transformative power of beauty since I was a child,' Johansson said when she first announced the venture. 'My mother instilled in me a passion for self-care from my early teenage years.' She added: 'Several years ago, I took a step back from my beauty deals with the goal of creating something true to me.'

The Outset promoted a simplified approach to skincare, offering products including cleansers, serums, moisturisers, masks, and lip treatments. The brand initially expanded into retailers, including Sephora, while later stockists included Goop and Nordstrom.

The brand launched with backing from The Najafi Companies, which had invested in other celebrity-founded consumer brands. Fortune reported at the time that Johansson chose the investment firm as she sought to build the company independently from a larger beauty corporation.

The Outset's Co-Founder Departed in 2025

The closure follows changes in the company's leadership. Kate Foster Lengyel, an entrepreneur and beauty/fashion executive who co-founded The Outset with Johansson, left the company in April 2025 after serving as its CEO.

Before co-founding The Outset, Foster Lengyel held leadership roles in the beauty and fashion industries, including at Victoria's Secret and NYDJ. Karen Raghavan, formerly of Allies of Skin, later served as The Outset's fractional CEO from May to August 2026, according to reports.

Shoppers React to the Outset Closure

Shoppers quickly took to Instagram on Monday to share their disappointment over The Outset's closure. One customer wrote, 'Nooooo, please don't be shutting down completely! This is the best skincare I've found for my sensitive skin,' while also questioning what would happen to recurring subscriptions.

Another shopper said they were 'so upset' by the shutdown, criticising what they described as a lack of transparency. 'I would have stocked up significantly more knowing that online ordering would be so abruptly shut down,' they added.

Celebrity Beauty Brands Face Closures

The Outset's closure brings Johansson's skincare venture to an end after the brand expanded from its 2022 launch into a broader retail presence. Its shutdown comes amid a series of closures involving other celebrity-backed beauty ventures. Gwen Stefani's GXVE Beauty ceased operations in 2026, with Business of Fashion reporting that Sephora stopped selling the brand at the start of the year after its online shop had closed.

Similarly, Drew Barrymore's Flower Beauty shut down in 2025 after 13 years. Maesa, which co-owned the brand, said it was exiting the colour cosmetics category as part of a strategic shift.