"Consumers are changing their way of buying consumer products, and are asking brands to provide more transparent and clearer information on the composition of products," said the L’Oréal group in a statement.
Each year, the brands belonging to the L’Oréal group - L’Oréal Paris, Kiehl’s, Maybelline New York, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Lancôme and Biotherm, just to name a few - offer consumers a multitude of products, from makeup and face and body care to fragrance and sunscreen. L’Oréal has now launched a platform giving customers access to information about what’s in the firm’s cosmetics, the ingredients it uses, and the group’s commitments to safety.
"Through this site, we are committed to transparently providing clear and honest information to our consumers, based both on our in-depth knowledge of cosmetic ingredients inherited from more than 100 years of research and on recognized scientific realities," says Hervé Navellou, General Manager of L’Oréal in France.
The platform sheds light on to the way in which products are formulated and manufactured. Among the ingredients in the spotlight, L’Oréal focuses in particular on parabens, palm oil, sun filters, permanent oxidative hair dyes, silicones and mineral oils. Each ingredient is accompanied by a detailed information page explaining its origin, its various uses, and, if necessary, the reasons why it may be questioned. Plus, the pages let users know how such ingredients are listed on product packaging for easy identification.
L’Oréal also provides a contact form for web users’ questions on the subject. The platform, which is due to evolve over time, is available in French and English.
Many cosmetic brands are now questioning the best way to meet the new expectations of consumers. The launch of natural ranges, including certified organic products, was a first response, along with the launch of environment-friendly packaging. For instance, in 2018 L’Oréal launched Seed Phytonutrients in the USA, “the most organic brand” ever launched within the group.
In the same vein, French luxury beauty house Guerlain (LVMH Group) has launched Bee Respect, a transparency and traceability platform for all its skincare products. Among others, the Bee Respect traceability tool provides consumers with the product composition, the sourcing and function of the ingredients, and the origin of the packaging materials: a first for the luxury cosmetics industry. There is every reason to believe that the trend towards more transparency will continue.
