This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Something is happening in the world of cosmetics in general, and perfumery in particular. Slowly, consciences are awakening to sustainable practices, one bottle at a time. From the raw materials that go into the composition of liquids to their packaging, including transport and even marketing, the big houses leave nothing to chance and campaign behind the scenes for their suppliers to adopt the same principles of eco-responsibility. The proof with three game-changing initiatives.
Guerlain, one more step towards eco-responsibility
Master perfumer Thierry Wasser’s latest creation—Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver Eau de Toilette—delights us in more ways than one. This invigorating woody floral highlights the delicacy of Calabrian neroli and other raw materials (including organic beetroot alcohol) grown with the utmost respect for the environment, but also pays attention to producers. “I try to have a holistic view of sustainable development,” confides the perfumer in an interview. Sustainability goes beyond organic. The social aspect of each partnership is just as important: how are the pickers paid? Do they have access to drinking water? What type of energy is used for distillation? Being responsible also means thinking about all that. In addition, the French beauty giant has just launched new refillable bottles made from 15% recycled glass. “Our Bee bottle has been refillable in stores for 170 years, but with this new version that you can refill yourself at home, the operation is much easier. »
Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver eau de toilette (notes of neroli, bergamot, petitgrain, basil and fig on a woody base of vetiver; $125 for 75 ml and $207 for a 200 ml refill)
Carbon neutral fragrances at Armani
My Way and its variations, My Way Intense and My Way Floral, “embody the vision of femininity carried by the brand, but also its sustainable commitment to the environment”, we read on the website of L’Oréal, which markets the fragrances of the Italian designer. How ? On the one hand, the ingredients that go into the composition of the juice have been carefully selected, starting with vanilla from Madagascar, obtained as part of a solidarity supply program from a local NGO. . On the other hand, the bottles of the franchise have been designed to last. Simply refilling them again and again using the recyclable refills rather than buying a new bottle each time helps reduce carbon emissions by 64%, according to the brand. In its commitment to reducing packaging, Armani Beauty has further eliminated the plastic wrap that traditionally covers cardboard boxes.
My Way Floral eau de parfum (notes of green mandarin, petitgrain, orange blossom, tuberose, Tunisian neroli and vanilla; $128 for 50 ml and $215 for a 150 ml refill)
The 7 Virtues: the small Canadian brand that is growing
Canadian Barb Stegemann, from Halifax, has made it her mission to help farmers in regions of the world devastated by wars or natural disasters by producing perfumes free of ingredients potentially harmful to human health and the environment. ‘environment. It all started in the 2000s with an organic rose essence from Afghanistan from fair trade. Essential oils unearthed in Haiti, India and Rwanda, in particular, followed. “Needless to say, we were eco-friendly before it was fashionable,” she laughs. Today, the author and humanitarian worker even uses organic sugar cane alcohol. And the range of fragrances she imagined in her garage has taken the lead, to the point of becoming one of Sephora’s flagship brands. One of the few, in perfumery, to bear the retailer’s Pure and healthy + Eco-responsible seal. Barb Stegemann will not stop there! After working on smaller cardboard boxes and labels made from 100% recycled paper, the entrepreneur is now looking for greener, more easily recyclable packaging and, eventually, refillable bottles.
Lotus Pear eau de parfum (notes of Williams pear, lotus and gardenia; $105 for 50 ml and $37 for a roll-on)