DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has launched Beauty Enthusiast, a free beauty club within its Balance Rewards loyalty program that provides cardholders who register for Beauty Enthusiast with additional rewards on beauty and personal care items, as well as other benefits.

Beauty Enthusiast members will receive 5,000 Balance Rewards points for every $50 spent on cosmetics, skin care, hair care, oral care, grooming, sun care, fragrance and bath product purchases. Beauty Enthusiast members will have opportunities to receive free samples and will get exclusive promotions and coupons, as well as special beauty offers, new product information and expert tips throughout the year.

In addition, members will receive a one-time digital coupon for 20 times everyday points on any beauty purchase to welcome them to the club.

Existing Balance Rewards members can join by simply confirming or adding their email address at checkout, at Walgreens.com/beautyenthusiast, on the Walgreens mobile app or by calling the Walgreens Customer Care Center.

“Walgreens is continually looking for ways to enhance our customers’ beauty shopping experience and to provide greater value for our Balance Rewards members,” said Linda Filler, president of retail products and chief merchandising and marketing officer for Walgreens.

“Beauty Enthusiast was created for our customer who enjoys our beauty and personal care offering and looks to us for additional benefits, product offers and recommendations. This natural extension of our loyalty program offers easy enrollment, more points and additional rewards to make feeling good easier.”

Walgreens Balance Rewards program provides customers with the opportunity to earn points on retail and pharmacy purchases, in addition to special pricing on selected products. Customers have the ability to redeem rewards at stores or through Walgreens.com. Walgreens has more than 85 million active Balance Rewards ­members.

The debut of Beauty Enthusiast reflects enhanced efforts by Walgreens to differentiate itself in the category.

In an effort to make the retailer the destination of choice, Walgreens is also bringing its Beauty Differentiation concept to approximately 1,800 stores by the end of the current calendar year.

Enticing products, an attractive retail presentation and specialized service offerings are seen as the backbone of the success of Beauty Differentiation. Lauren Brindley, vice president and general merchandise manager for beauty and personal care described the concept as the first phase of a multiyear and multistage reinvention of beauty at Walgreens.

“The whole idea of Beauty Differentiation is about offering customers the best global beauty brands in a welcoming, accessible and inspirational environment,” she explained. “As a pharmacy-led health, well-being and beauty retailer, having extraordinary customer care is fundamental.”

The objective, she said, is “to inject a passion for beauty and elevate and differentiate everything that we’re doing in beauty.”

The approach is reflected at a Walgreens store in the Illinois community of Vernon Hills. Customers entering the store observe colorful gondolas that direct attention toward new products, advertised specials and national as well as exclusive brands.

In addition, a wall of backlit cosmetics displays are staged through the length of the store and showcase products ranging from No.7 and Soap & Glory to L’Oréal and Maybelline.