Guérande Cosmétiques, which bills itself as the first organic thalassic brand, offers a range of products developed from active ingredients harvested from the salt marshes of the Guérande peninsula and the mineral and plant riches of the oceans. The company, which is part of the Laboratoire Science et Nature, is raising its standards in terms of eco-responsibility, and has announced six key measures for 2024.
Guérande Cosmétiques plans to introduce refills for its six jar-packed skincare products. This first measure was implemented in January 2024 with the launch of two refillable products: Crème confort jeunesse and Soin fondant jeunesse by Guérande Cosmétiques. On her first purchase, the customer acquires an empty jar and a refill, which she can then refill once she has finished. According to the company, this results in 94 % less plastic being used as soon as the refill is purchased.
Improving the recyclability of packaging is also one of the resolutions taken. Guérande Cosmétiques is no longer using certain elements that interfere with the optical scanners at sorting centers, resulting in packaging being excluded from recycling.
The company also intends to do away with tube sleeves. In addition, the adoption of drawn glass for serums packaged in glass bottles reduces the amount of material used in bottle manufacture: a reduction of 75 % of glass compared to the current solution, according to Guérande Cosmétiques.
Another option is to use recycled plastic in packaging. For example, the tube of Eaux-mères Neoserum incorporates 20 % of recycled plastic. The tube of Gommage minéralisant contains 21% of recycled plastic, while the tube of Gommage fondant contains 19 %.
Last but not least, Guérande Cosmétiques aims to offer its products in 100 % recyclable packaging, for example, by dispensing with multi-material packaging.
To meet these commitments, the company had to face up to a number of technical challenges. For example, to ensure the stability and shelf life of refill creams, a white lid had to be added to the jar in which the refill was placed. For their part, serums packaged in stretched glass bottles underwent logistics tests to ensure their resistance to transport.
In terms of marketing, with much less space to communicate, the brand limits itself to regulatory information. To compensate for the reduced marketing space on packaging, a QR code provides access to useful information.
"Another challenge lies in being a forerunner and upsetting consumer habits, but the values are strong for the brand, which is willing to take the risk."says Guérande Cosmétiques.
