Caudalie announces a zero-waste commitment by 2022

Caudalie announces a zero-waste commitment by 2022

The French beauty brand kicks off their sustainability goals with the relaunch of their Resveratrol-Lift collection

Ever since Caudalie launched in 1995, the French beauty brand has prided itself on being a pioneer, from introducing polyphenols and resveratrol in their skincare to removing certain ingredients such as parabens, phthalates and mineral oil 15 years ago, long before it was trendy. Always driven by their entrepreneurial spirit, Caudalie is now entering a new era, which kicks off with the relaunch of their Resveratrol-Lift collection. “My mission is that we shouldn’t have to choose between effective skincare, clean and natural formulas and eco-friendly packaging,” says co-founder Mathilde Thomas. “I want Caudalie to be all of that.”

This revolution has been three years in the making, and hot off the heels after the opening of their flagship Yorkville spa. The first major step towards reaching their sustainability goals was opening an eco-conscious lab in France, designed and outfitted with energy efficiency in mind. Next, they hired green packaging engineers to guide them on using materials that are recycled, recyclable or refillable. But in the two years to come, Thomas has additional targets. “I’m going to change 100% of my formulas to make them more effective, cleaner, and more natural, but I’m also going to redo the packaging to be zero-waste,” she says.

Because there is no industry standard for “clean”, Thomas came up with her own criteria and that means being clean for the planet, so all the ingredients being used are biodegradable. “You shouldn’t be using nylon, silicone or microplastic,” she says. “And I don’t want to use any petrochemical derivatives.” Also forbidden: animal-derived ingredients like lanolin (with the exception of honey and beeswax in the lip balm) and anything irritating to sensitive skin, for a total of 60 ingredients that will never be used. 

Packaging-wise, the company has moved away from opaque glass to translucent so that it’s recyclable, and the plastic they do use doesn’t contain metal foil.  Leaflets and tiny spatulas inside the boxes and jars are also no more. 

One of the first to pave the way in Caudalie’s 100% recyclable packaging promise is an update to the Resveratrol-Lift collection, a five-piece anti-aging line launching January 2020. Developed with Harvard Medical School and biology of aging expert, Dr. David Sinclair, the line comes chock-full of a newly patented trio of powerful skin-smoothing ingredients: resveratrol, hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen alternative made from African Mahogany bark. “They’re going to multiply times five your natural collagen within your skin and multiply times two your natural hyaluronic acid,” says Thomas, adding that the combination is also two times more effective than retinol. 

The hero is the Instant Firming Serum “with the highest dosage of the resveratrol,” says Thomas. “The texture is very light and it also contains firming peptides that visibly smooth the facial contours and the formula is super natural.” There’s also the Eye Firming Gel-Cream, which depuffs the area with quinoa extract, an ingredient discovered by the company’s head of library of raw materials. Also included are “firming peptides and biopolymers that are natural that are going to immediately lift the eye contour.” The Firming Cashmere Cream uses a new technology called phospholipids. “It has a lamellar structure that improves the bioavailability of the formula and really gives a second skin cashmere feel to the skin,” adds Thomas. And for those who like a rich and creamy texture before bed, there’s the Firming Night Cream. “It’s got olive squalane, grape seed oil,  linden, verbena orange blossom and a lot of peptides that are going to re-firm your skin.” 

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