Green, organic or clean? Cosmetics is in a revolution. But how do you choose from these eco-responsible approaches? Explanations:
Bad chemistry vs beautiful plants. The beauty signed the end of the battle a long time ago. Today, everyone lives together on good terms, and labs are sometimes as safe as Mother Nature. We still tend to confuse clean and green, both of which are different from organic. When green bets everything on natural ingredients, mainly of plant origin, organic responds to the precise specifications with minimal ingredients of organic farming. Pure beauty does not necessarily exclude others, but has only one priority: safety and transparency. He advocates a minimalist formulation that refers to the essential. While declaring persona non grata the list of ingredients that only wish good for our skin and the planet.
Brands needed to align to initiate deeper change. Searching for meaning in an uncertain world hit by a pandemic. And shocked by the urgency of ecological awareness. Beauty learns to speak a new language and think differently.
A as an appendix
Yuka, QuelCosmetic, CleanBeauty… Apps have revolutionized our relationship with cosmetics, helping the uninitiated in INCI lists (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) to analyze the composition of the products that populate our bathroom.
However, these allies in our beauty consumption have not only made friends in the marketplace. “Some applications do not have the necessary scientific basis. They confuse, for example, what is a potential allergen and what is a toxic product. And thus will exclude a product when it is a potential allergen for only a portion of the population. Fortunately, some apps have recognized their mistakes and adjusted,” explains Romain Routh, president of the Cosmébio label.
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“Yuka, for example, has contributed a lot to layout, but it doesn’t always put the cursor in the right place,” adds Juliette Levy Cohen, founder of beauty e-shop Oh My Cream.
For even more transparency, the Federation of Beauty Companies (Febea) and the French Cosmetology Society (SFC) launched the Claire app in 2020, which does not classify products as good or bad, but sheds light on their composition.
C likes cleaning
The Slow Cosmetics movement has posted a video on its website warning of its pitfalls cleaning cosmetic. Starting with the use of marketing terms (herbal, health, organic, etc.) that are not a guarantee of a natural formula.
Another common practice. play on the absence of controversial ingredients (paraben, alcohol, silicone) without pointing out that other ingredients such as polluting preservatives are part of the composition. Conversely, others will bet everything on the star ingredients of the moment. Therefore, it seems necessary to go a little further than these marketing arguments. But many brands have indeed undertaken to evolve, to embrace these new values as closely as possible. “Of course there is landscaping and cleaning.
In 2022, not being an environmentalist seems as crazy to me as not being a feminist.
Clara Luciani
But there are also real and beautiful examples that prove that a brand can change and improve its products, says Juliet Levy Cohen. Caudalie is a perfect example of this. Matilda Thomas has done a tremendous job in both her wording and her packaging. Caudalie has essentially drawn up a no-list of 60 ingredients and applies the precautionary principle by avoiding substances suspected of disrupting or stimulating the hormonal system.
4000 tons
This is the weight of hair waste produced every year by the millions of French people who go to the hairdresser every day. A sad observation when we know that hair is a very good natural pollutant (it absorbs up to 8 times its weight in hydrocarbons).
To avoid this confusion, René Furterer thought differently about his new Paris address, the Boulevard des Capucines. The brand has partnered with Capillum, an organization that restores cut hair regardless of its length. Three ways to process them. turning them into sausages to clean up the oceans, such as oil spills, or mulch for agriculture; and finally, for medical research, as hair contains 95% keratin, a natural protein that is beneficial for skin care.
D for danger
“For many, pure beauty is a bulwark against the dangers of the product,” analyzes Juliet Levy Cohen. In the beginning, with Oh My Cream!, we didn’t have a black list of ingredients. We launched it three years ago to make things simpler for our customers.” However, the founder recalls a reassuring fact: European legislation is the strictest in the world. “Therefore, we are temporarily excluding components that may be re-evaluated at a later date.” The founder also warns about the danger of demon possession. “Our consumers often point to phenoxyethanol. But, to date, there are no scientific data proving that it is an endocrine disruptor. And especially at the maximum allowable dose, ie 1%, you would have to put 47 cans of cream on your face for the dose to be toxic. We sometimes take more risks when cooking with poorly controlled essential oils in the kitchen.
+ 90%
This is the level of trust of the French in the labels (Cosmébio, Ecocert and Slow Cosmétique), according to a study carried out by Ipsos for Cosmébio in June. A guarantee for consumers, even if “18% still don’t know what it’s about”. Hence the need for considerable educational work. Especially since many brands are taking this approach. Already certified by Ecocert, Nuxe Bio products will also be certified by Cosmos (Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard).
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“The labels also allow the French authorities to clean up a number of misleading practices that create confusion in the minds of consumers,” explains Romain Routh. The latter also reminds that “in order to receive these certificates, companies must show real transparency. It’s not a light choice and it’s quite restrictive. Juliet Levy Cohen clarifies: “It represents a real budget and some brands can’t afford it. Therefore, we must avoid another shortcut. non-certified products are not necessarily bad. Also, beware of the fad of fake labels or misleading logos that are sometimes invented by the brands themselves.
All the products we offer must have real added value.
Juliet Levi Cohen
M for muse
Kate Moss with Cosmoss, Miranda Kerr, whose brand Kora Organics arrives in France at Sephora… From now on, for celebrities, clean beauty has been established as a safe bet and a field where they want to position themselves.
Stella McCartney, a pioneer in this field, had already tried to launch the Care line in 2003. Maybe he was too ahead of his time. She’s back with Stella, a new way to take care of your skin, yourself and the planet. A true innovator in responsible luxury ready-to-wear, the designer follows a logical evolution by conceiving this range in collaboration with LVMH’s Perfume and Cosmetics division.
For other personalities, it is now important to associate their name with brands with shared values. Like Clara Luciani signing a nail polish called Grenade (a nod to the singer’s hit) for avant-garde green nail polish brand Kure Bazaar’s 10th anniversary; “In 2022, it seems as crazy to me not to be about ecology than not to be a feminist, for example. »
A pioneer for P
For many brands, the choice of performance, flawless composition and environmental awareness was natural from their inception. “The brands we have bet on since the launch of Oh My Cream!, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, have confirmed their place as ambassadors. Whether it’s Suzanne Kaufmann, Tata Harper, Pai Skincare or Patyka, the French brand name.” The brand, which defines itself as a pure beauty e-shop, was built on three values: “Of course, perfect compositions. The ecological issue is important. But what prevails in our choice is efficiency. Above all, we wanted to catch brands selling overpriced creams with junk or redundant molecules. We look at the consistency of the formula and the concentration of active ingredients. All the products we offer must have real added value. Even if today it is safety that is paramount for many in the concept of pure beauty.
Z for zero waste
We talk a lot about recycling. From now on, we should also rely on the compost wall. The compost bin finds its place not only in the kitchen. Some brands now offer products that will end up in there after use. This is, for example, the case of Jalu-3D 100% biodegradable eye patches, from the Bakel brand, founded by the Italian Raffaella Gregoris, who is considered one of the pioneers of clean beauty in her country. Eclo, a very young makeup brand in France, with 100% natural ingredients, offers zero-waste bio-based packaging with no plastic or chemical residue. Designed from a blend of plants, natural resin and wood from managed European forests, the packaging is 100% biodegradable and compostable. At the same time, solid formats are developing. Weleda has just launched their strong shower gel with a 100% natural and biodegradable formula. When Unbottled, Solid Hair Shaving Care is gender neutral to share and limit shopping in the heart of the bathroom. And Delienn, a young Breton startup, has developed the first solid solvent. Finally, perfume fountains (which Mugler had already conceptualized for Angel in 1992) are multiplying. So the SVR brand offers its iconic Topialyse Cleansing Oil in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic to be filled in select pharmacies and Monoprix. ●:
Source: Le Figaro
