Hello everyone and welcome to a new “Lumière” (Light) article! Today, we would like to invite you to discover cosmetic ingredients, thanks to this encounter with Aurore. A chemist by training, she retraces her discovery of cosmetic ingredients, as well as her transition to natural products and her passion for formulation. This passion even led her to want to make it a part of her life through her blog. So, step behind the scenes now for a personal and professional reflection on natural cosmetic formulations.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Aurore, and I’m almost 40. I am a chemist by training. Basically, I specialize in formulation. I always wanted to work in cosmetics, but unfortunately, that didn't happen.

I just had the opportunity to do my final-year project at a cosmetics company dedicated to beauty salons for 6 months.

So I went off into many other things; I have a somewhat eclectic background. But I never let go of that taste for cosmetics.

I went off to formulate pesticides in England and Switzerland… Not very natural, then! Naturally, those were interesting opportunities to see other things.

Ultimately, your approach to cosmetics is quite linked to your professional background, isn't it?

Yes, I spent a year in Germany where I worked for a raw material manufacturer, among other things for cosmetics.

It was while studying the manufacturing processes of these raw materials a bit more closely that I realized it didn't suit me at all. I didn't want to put those kinds of things on my skin anymore.

Overnight, I got rid of everything I had in my bathroom and set out to find other things.

What’s interesting about Germany is that they are quite pioneering in the field of natural and organic cosmetics. So I looked into what existed in Germany. This was around 2007–2008.

I looked primarily at:

• German and Swiss brands;
• the products that were used;
• reading ingredient lists;
• logos, certifications, and regulations…

I didn't quite find what I was looking for among these German products because they use a system of alcohol preservation that is very heavy.

Alcohol preserves very well, but in very high quantities, especially when it isn't combined with other things. That said, it dries out the skin a lot. So when you have 15% alcohol in a product, you can feel it, especially on sensitive skin…

So I knew I wanted to turn towards natural cosmetics, but it was impossible to find what I wanted among those choices.

Okay. That’s when you discovered the world of natural cosmetics then…

It went even further. When I returned to France to join my husband, I decided to test out working for myself. I wanted to test what I was capable of doing in training for natural and organic cosmetics.

So I dug into the subject and offered training sessions to retailers in organic stores and salons. I offered a more generalist training, in the sense that these people mostly received training provided by brands.

They weren't always equipped to know how to read an ingredient list, or about certifications, or the differences between natural and conventional cosmetics.

I did that for 2 years, along with everything that goes on in parallel: writing articles, co-hosting a blog. The only problem was that we were in the middle of an economic crisis in 2009–2010. I didn't manage to get the business off the ground.

So, I went back to being an employee in a completely different field and became a communications manager for research and development teams at a tire company. Nothing to do with it anymore!

What is your relationship with natural cosmetics then?

When I was self-employed, I made my own cosmetics. I never really stopped, even if I do it less than before. I continue to make my own oils or lotions; things that are relatively simple to preserve.

For creams, it’s always more complicated to reach a good balance in terms of stability if you aren't equipped like in a laboratory.

The natural and organic side, I never left either. Besides, the rare times I use a conventional product, for example if I get a treatment at a salon, I feel that my skin doesn't necessarily like it… It feels tighter, it's not necessarily comfortable, and there’s more redness.

So, your knowledge helps you find natural products, right?

Yes, it’s easier when you understand the ingredients. You can also more easily link product quality to price.

There are apps for reading labels, but today, we are much more in the era of transparency. I find we have evolved a lot in 10 years on the subject, compared to when I was self-employed.

Today, it’s trendy. There are many expectations from clients and consumers regarding transparency. We can't say we’re lacking information, but as a result, we’re lost in the crowd.

The information exists. You just have to find the right channel, where information is accessible and reliable, without spending hours searching and learning. And once you've found that channel, you have to manage to understand and assimilate that information.

We tend to trust blogs or neutral promoters more than brands and their advertising.

Personally, I am in the process of setting up a cosmetics blog again. What I often miss is an emotional side in the articles… We’re talking about transparency, but as a result, there’s a very — too — rational side to it.

In all this, how did you discover La Canopée?

It was thanks to the Basilic podcast. I started buying a few products, out of curiosity. So far, I am very happy with them.

It’s a beautiful brand, beyond all the work they have done to develop the products. There is also the whole poetic side of the brand identity and the graphic design. The brand's universe is very gentle and I like it a lot.

I decided not to make compromises on the products that stay on my skin. Aside from that, I made some compromises and stuck with more conventional products for hygiene products and sunscreen, mainly for their practicality.

What is your flagship La Canopée product?

I hadn't yet found products that suited me for the evening. My routine tended to get skipped as a result.

It was La Canopée that reconciled me with this routine. I now really want to do it every evening, thanks to the oxygenating night cream.

The essential oils offer interesting scents, but, from what I've seen, the dosages are subtle. The scent is light and well-balanced. It’s different from what we are used to finding.

A final word?

The day I discovered the world of natural cosmetics was a new day for me. I understood that nature was truly well-designed and gave us everything we needed.

Why look elsewhere and put ourselves in uncomfortable situations regarding our skin?

For the readers, if you want to know more and more about the field of cosmetics, don't hesitate to follow me on my brand-new blog: Mes trésors éthiques.