On March 4, L’Oréal took to the web to host its first Transparency Summit. The event, designed for editors and press, featured presentations from key leaders from the c-suite, research and innovation and consumer insights—a reflection of the areas of emphasis that will guide the beauty’s company’s commitment to sustainability, green sciences and a circular economy.
 
Speaking in a video message at the opening of the online summit, L’Oréal Deputy CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said consumers want products that are good for them and the planet, and “consumers expect full transparency from brands and companies.”
 
It won’t be enough to simply have the best moisturizer or mascara; L’Oréal will also focus on improving the environmental profile of its formulas, too.
 
According to L’Oréal, 80% of the group’s raw materials are designated as easily biodegradable, 59% are renewable and 34% are natural or of natural origin. Further, 29% of the ingredients used in L’Oréal formulas were developed according to the principles of Green Chemistry. 
 
Company officials discussed the transformation of its Research & Innovation through adopting a green sciences/biosciences approach—and it has made a commitment that by 2030, 95% of its ingredients will be derived from renewable plant sources, abundant minerals or circular processes. In addition, L’Oréal says 100% of formulas will be respectful of the aquatic environment and will be assessed  using its environmental test platform to ensure they do no harm to the diversity of coastal and freshwater ecosystems. 
 
The move comes at a time when protecting the planet is an absolute necessity, and the COVID-19 pandemic is driving heightened demand for products that are both good for health and safe for the environment, according to the company.
 
L’Oréal said it will leverage its full range of resources in green sciences, including recent advances in agronomics, with new developments in biotechnology, green chemistry, formulation science and modelling tools. Further, it will build a range of strategic partnerships with universities, start-ups, and its raw material suppliers.
 
Following Hieronimus, L’Oréal Global Consumer Insight Director Julia Sarhy discussed the changing  consumer mindset, which she said has been impacted by the pandemic. She drew attention to both clean beauty and conscious beauty.
 
“You are taking care of yourself and the environment,” she said.
 
According to Barbara Lavernos, chief research, innovation and technology officer, a virtuous circular economy-based approach will allow L’Oréal to achieve new levels of performance and discover “unprecedented cosmetic benefits without compromising on quality or safety, in the service of beauty that is respectful of the planet.”
 
Greater transparency empowers consumers to make responsible choices, according to L’Oréal. 
 
“It is our role to allow consumers to make educated decisions,” noted Hieronimus. 
 
During the summit, L’Oréal highlighted its “Inside Our Products” website. Launched in March 2019, the site answers questions from the public about the ingredients used in formulas and the composition of its products. The platform covers nearly 1,000 listed ingredients and is now available across 45 countries in eight languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese,  Russian and Spanish.) The content is being rolled out incrementally across the websites of L’Oréal’s leading brands—L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, La Roche-Posay, Maybelline, Redken, Essie, Kérastase and Yves Saint Laurent.
 
This month,  L’Oréal will raise awareness of “Inside Our Products” through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. L’Oréal conducted a pilot in France which led to what it called fruitful exchanges with internet users, which has given it confidence to expand the initiative to 20 countries, giving more consumers the chance to talk to researchers.
 
During the Transparency Summit, L’Oréal pointed to its pioneering work in developing alternatives to animal testing, such as its reconstructed skin models. L’Oréal stopped testing its products on animals in 1989. The Group has also taken steps to raise awareness of these alternative methods in China, where the authorities put a stop to animal testing for domestically produced "non-functional" cosmetics in 2014. Incremental progress is ongoing: this year, the government also dropped its requirement that foreign imports of these cosmetics be tested on animals, subject to a certificate proving compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices, it said.

(For news on China and animal testing, see today's breaking news.)

Also speakng at the Summit was Stéphane Dhalluin, global head of human and environmental safety evaluation. He discussed L'Oréal commitment to safety by assessing its raw materials through to finished products, including post market surveillance.
 
During the Summit’s Q&A session, the company was asked why not set loftier goals of 100% renewable plant sources, abundant minerals, or circular processes by 2030. Laurent Gilbert, director sustainable innovation, noted that some materials are harder to replace, such as hair dyes, UV filters and polymers needed for long wear.
 
Laurent lauded the company’s 2030 goals. “This is really ambitious,” he insisted.
 
L’Oréal has set its timeline and has been earmarking funds to get there. In 2020, L’Oréal Group invested 3.4% of its sales, approximately €964 million, in research and innovation.