What´s in our formulas?

L'Occitane Clean Charter

L’Occitane en Provence has been and will always be deeply committed to consumer safety and limiting our impact on the environment at every stage of the product life cycle. We are also widely known for offering an exceptional sensorial experience to our consumers through texture, fragrance and gesture while making no compromises on the efficacy of our products.

Aware of the evolution of our world and the needs of our consumers, we have developed our own strict Formulation Charter – which goes beyond regulatory compliance – to share our formulation choices in a transparent way with our consumers : it clearly discloses the ingredients we prefer to use, the ones we do not use and those we use in moderation and for which we are constantly looking for more natural and environmentally- friendly alternatives. Through our dynamic programs of continuous improvement, we have set a new global challenge for ourselves with our “Clean Charter” criteria in addition to our Formulation Charter commitments: these additional criteria highlight our increasingly commitment to even more natural formulas (leave-on products) and ingredients that minimize our environmental impact (rinse-off products), without any compromise on the sensoriality, efficacy and safety of our products.

OUR "CLEAN CHARTER" LOGO

The products where we’ve reached this higher level in commitments
are easily identifiable thanks to this logo on the packaging.

Natural Transparency

FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS...

L'OCCITANE has been using the key principles of phytotherapy* and aromatherapy** for more than 40 years.

Innovation is at the heart of our mission and we have a team of experts that represents 20 different scientific disciplines (formulators, agronomists, microbiologists, biologists, toxicologists, dermatologists...). These experts are dedicated to discovering new textures and properties that our natural active ingredients can offer, and to proving their efficiency.

Our products are created with two things in mind, people and nature. In addition to continually improving our formulas, we also aim to limit our impact on the environment. We source traceable ingredients from a network of trusted local suppliers and we select these suppliers carefully, building long-lasting relationships. The quality of our ingredients is of utmost importance (for example: protected designation of origin, organic farming and sustainable agriculture) and we use the highest quality ingredients in the most appropriate concentrations.

We do everything we can to offer you increasingly natural formulas. We are always striving to challenge our methods so that we can keep improving, and we are proud of our innovations and duly protect them. As of today, we have filed more than 70 patents.

* Phytotherapy (phyto, plant) is an ancient and traditional medicine based on the use of the natural plant properties.
** Aromatherapy is one of the major areas of herbal medicine. It is a soft medicine based on the use of the natural properties of essential oils.

What does our commitment to natural formulas involve?

TRACEABILITY

30 TRACEABLE INGREDIENT SUPPLY CHAINS, OF WHICH 50% ARE CERTIFIED ORGANIC

PLANT INGREDIENTS

OVER 300 OF THE INGREDIENTS WE USE ARE DERIVED FROM PLANTS, AND WE GIVE PRIORITY TO THESE INGREDIENTS WHEN CREATING OUR FORMULAS

FARMERS

WE WORK WITH 110 FARMERS AND 10'000 PICKERS. TOGETHER, WE CULTIVATE AND HARVEST MORE THAN 5'200 HECTARES OF LAND

Jean-Louis Pierrisnard, Scientific Communications Director

"We are told that in Provence beauty secrets can be found in plants, and it's in our laboratories that these secrets are discovered."

Our promises

NATURALNESS

COSMETIC FORMULAS THAT ARE ECO-FRIENDLY

One of our goals is to make products that are more natural and more biodegradable so as to reduce their impact on the environment.

The quest to be more natural is a continual objective and drive behind our R&D. The naturality of our ingredients and formulas enable us to create products that have pleasant textures and proven efficiency. By using ingredients of natural origin, we also ensure a sustainable supply chain, whilst respecting the biodiversity of our planet.

We promote eco-friendly manufacturing for our ingredients by using energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies. These include distillation (to make essential oils and floral waters), plant maceration and cold pressing (to make plant oils or citrus oils).

SAFETY

CONSUMER SAFETY HAS ALWAYS AND WILL ALWAYS BE A PRIORITY

We ensure that 100% of all new products are put through rigorous testing. This amounts to around 1'200 clinical tests per year.

We manufacture and control the quality of our products before launching them to market and impose the strictest international quality and regulatory standards.

Every day, a team of 30 people work to ensure that our products are safe and that they conform to regulation. Their work starts at the design stage and continues throughout the entire marketing life-cycle.

EFFICIENCY

The effectiveness of our ingredients is proven through in-vitro laboratory tests and state-of-the-art prediction methods. However, we always complement this with additional consumer tests and in-vivo clinical studies.

Our clinical studies are carried out by independent doctors (dermatologists, ophthalmologists and pediatrics). They use dermatological checks in real life conditions, or instrumental measurements on a panel of volunteers.

Ingredients we prefer to use in our formulas

- INGREDIENTS SOURCED IN PROVENCE & THE MEDITERRANEAN BASSIN

- MORE THAN 40 ESSENTIAL OILS including Immortelle, Lavender, Cade, Myrtle or Rosemary

- FLORAL WATERS including Verbena, Rose, Lavender and Immortelle

- PLANT MACERATES

- PLANT OILS over 20 oils such as sweet Almond, evening Primrose and Borage

- PLANT BUTTERS such as Shea, Coconut and Almond

- PLANT EXTRACTS such as oily or aqueous extracts

- NATURAL EXFOLIERS such as Sugar, Salt and Almond hulls

- NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS such as Rosemary extract

- NATURAL GELLING AGENTS

- MINERAL COLORANTS

- GMO-FREE INGREDIENTS

- GLUTEN FREE INGREDIENTS

- BIODEGRADABLE INGREDIENTS

- WATER purified, skin-friendly water obtained using a triple filtration technique

Ingredients we do not use

- ANIMAL MATTER we don't use any product or by-product of animal origin with the exception of bee products such as honey, propolis (bee glue) and royal jelly

- PARABENS As these are suspected to be an endocrine disruptors

- TRICLOSAN As these are suspected to be an endocrine disruptor

- DMDM HYDANTOIN As it generates Formaldehyde and is classified CMR (Carcinogenic Mutagenic and Reprotoxic)

- BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) As it is suspected to be an endocrine disruptor

- BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) As it is suspected to be an endocrine disruptor

- BENZOPHENONES 1 AND 3 As these are suspected of being endocrine disruptors and proven to be harmful for corals

- CYCLOTETRASILOXANE (D4) As it is suspected of being an endocrine disruptor and very polluting for the environment

- PHTHALATES As these are suspected of being endocrine disruptors

- MICROBEADS As these represent a real threat to the environment.

Ingredients we use in moderation

AND FOR WHICH WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING TO REPLACE WITH MORE NATURAL AND "GREEN" ALTERNATIVES

- PHENOXYETHANOL used as a preservative to maintain the quality of the formula over time

- SILICONES used to provide a silky texture and a soft non-sticky finish, facilitating product application

- ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE used as an anti-UV suscreen that protects the skin and the product from harmful sunrays

- PEGused as emulsifiers that provide a pleasant texture and maintain the quality of the formula over time, or as cleaning or foaming agents that help enhance foam formation when the product is being applied

- SULFATES used as emulsifiers or foaming agents to provide a pleasant texture, contribute to the uniform distribution of the product, and maintain the quality and stability of the formula over time

- MINERAL OIL DERIVATIVES(Isoparaffin, Ozokerite) fatty substances used to improve sensoriality and maintain the quality of the formula over time

- PHMB (Polyhexamethylene Biguanide) used as a preservative to maintain the quality of the formula over time

- DISODIUM EDTA used as a stabiliser as, when combined with other ingredients, it contributes to the stability of the formula over time

- ALLERGENS found in perfumes or natural plant extracts, listing is compulsory, even if the concentration is very low

- FRAGRANCESour perfumes are mostly built around a core of natural essences and all satisfy a stringent components charter, respecting the ban on phthalates, polycyclic musks or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE FULLY COMPLIANT WITH INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS. TO GET MORE INFORMATION FOR EACH OF THESE INGREDIENTS CLICK HERE

Want to know more?

FORMULATION CHARTER

We are committed to the safety of our customers, protecting the planet and to limiting our impact on the environment at every stage of the product life-cycle

OUR INGREDIENTS

At L'OCCITANE, we strive to use high-quality, traceable, carefully selected natural ingredients