L'Oréal, which has embarked on an in-depth transformation of its Research & Innovation organization by gearing its methods to the needs of its customers, is a key player in this field. Green Sciences (Biosciences), has set itself the target that 95% of its ingredients will be derived from renewable plant sources, abundant minerals or circular processes by 2030, and that 100% of its formulas will have no negative impact on the aquatic environment, in order to offer consumers products that are ever safer, more effective and more respectful of the environment.
At a time when protecting the planet is an absolute imperative, and when the Covid-19 pandemic is reinforcing demand for products that are both good for health and safe for the environment, L'Oréal is opening a new chapter in its R&I by seeing respect for nature as a driving force for creating renewable alternatives to petroleum-based ingredients. In this way, the Group will draw on recent advances in Green Sciences (Biosciences), to sustainably cultivate ingredients and extract the best from nature through high-tech processes. By 2020, 80% of the Group's raw materials are already readily biodegradable, 59% are renewable, 34% are natural or of natural origin. 29% of the ingredients used in L'Oréal formulas have been developed according to the principles of Green Chemistry1.
Nicolas Hieronimus, Executive Vice-President of L'Oréal, in charge of the Divisions, declares : "With Green Sciences, we begin a new chapter in L'Oréal Research, the driving force behind our company since its creation. Our ambition for 2030 is to offer women and men all over the world cosmetics that are ever more effective, safe and respectful of the environment".
To achieve this transition, L'Oréal is mobilizing all the resources of Green Sciences: recent advances in agronomic knowledge, developments in biotechnologies, Green Chemistry, formulation science and modeling tools. The Group also relies on strategic partnerships with universities, start-ups and its own raw materials suppliers.
Barbara Lavernos, Executive Vice President, Research, Innovation and Technology, highlights : "Thanks to Green Sciences, we're going to meet the ambitious scientific and technological challenge represented by this transition. And it is this virtuous approach based on the circular economy that will enable us to achieve new levels of performance and discover unprecedented cosmetic benefits, without compromising on quality or safety, in the service of beauty that respects our planet".
Greater transparency to help consumers make responsible choices
In response to consumers' legitimate and growing demand for transparency on ingredients and product composition, L'Oréal is further strengthening its approach and launching new initiatives to improve information and dialogue and enable everyone to make informed choices.
- L'Oréal is developing its transparency approach through its "At the heart of our products". Launched in March 2019, it answers questions from the general public about the ingredients used in formulas and the composition of its products. The platform, which references almost 1,000 ingredients, is now accessible in 45 countries, in 8 languages (FR/EN/CN/GER/SP/IT/RUS/PORT). This content, based on scientific advances, is gradually being deployed on the websites of the Group's major brands (L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, La Roche-Posay, Maybelline, Redken, Essie, Kérastase, Yves Saint Laurent...).
- At the same time, a system for displaying the environmental and social impact of cosmetic products, launched in June 2020 as part of the L'Oréal for the Future program, is being rolled out internationally with the Garnier brand and gradually across all Group brands.
- During March 2021, to address the general public directly, an awareness campaign on the At the heart of our products approach will be organized on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube...) in some twenty countries to enable consumers to exchange views with researchers. A pilot scheme, carried out in January 2021 in France, enabled us to reach out to Internet users and establish a highly fruitful dialogue with them.
Greater safety for consumers and the environment
Product safety and consideration of their potential impact on the environment are at the heart of L'Oréal's commitment.
The group pioneered the development of alternative methods to animal testing, creating reconstructed skin models to assess product safety. As early as 1989, L'Oréal stopped testing its products on animals, 14 years before regulations prohibited it. The Group also mobilized to have these alternative methods recognized in China. Since 2014, the Chinese authorities have no longer tested locally produced non-functional cosmetics, and this progress is gradually being extended: since 2021, these same cosmetics imported into China no longer need to be tested on animals, subject to a certificate of compliance with good manufacturing practices.
On the environmental front, L'Oréal continues to improve the environmental profile of its formulas. In 1995, it set up a research laboratory to measure and model the impact of its products on ecosystems (water and soil) and biodiversity. As part of its L'Oréal for the FutureBy 2030, the Group has set itself the target of 95% of its ingredients being bio-sourced, derived from abundant minerals or circular processes, and 100% of its formulas being assessed using its environmental testing platform, to guarantee their harmlessness on the diversity of coastal and freshwater aquatic ecosystems.
