The L’Occitane Group, a trailblazer in upscale sustainable beauty and wellness, has recently become a certified B Corporation.
This certification marks an important step in the company’s ongoing mission to foster positive societal change through community investment, biodiversity protection, waste reduction, and climate change mitigation. Now as a B Corp, the L’Occitane Group joins a worldwide network of companies that aim to build a more equitable and sustainable global economy.
“We have championed sustainability since 1976,” Adrien Geiger, Chief Sustainability Officer at the L’Occitane Group, said in a statement. “Today we are incredibly excited to join this group of businesses that share our ethos — harnessing the power of business to build stronger communities, reduce economic inequality, and create a more sustainable environment for everyone.”
What differentiates B Corp certification is its comprehensive assessment and verification of a company’s social, environmental, and corporate transparency and responsibility. To earn this certification, L’Occitane engaged in a stringent evaluation process that scrutinized its influence on a myriad of stakeholders — ranging from employees and local communities to suppliers, customers, and shareholders. This evaluation encompassed its corporate offices, manufacturing facilities, retail spaces, and supply chain. The framework provided by B Corp also aided the company in identifying effective ways to amplify its positive impact.
Jonathan Normand, Executive Director of B Lab Switzerland, welcomed the addition of the L’Occitane Group to the B Corp community. “We warmly welcome the L’Occitane Group to our community of over 6,900 innovative companies catalysing a more inclusive and regenerative economy. Their commitment to biodiversity and sustainable value chain is commendable and aligns with B Movement interdependence principles.”
André Hoffmann, CEO of the L’Occitane Group, highlighted the significance of the certification in the group’s journey, stating that the B Corp certification highlights the company’s evolution as a business and “our clear, collective focus on the triple bottom line. By leveraging our unique position as a responsible, successful global business, we can exercise influence and drive long-term positive change throughout the world.”
Operating in 90 countries, with 3,000 retail outlets, which includes more than 1,300 owned stores, the L’Occitane Group is a leading international player in the beauty and wellness sector. Its product portfolio includes renowned brands such as L’Occitane en Provence, Melvita, Erborian, L’Occitane au Brésil, LimeLife by Alcone, ELEMIS, Sol de Janeiro, and Grown Alchemist. In addition to these brands, the company’s corporate umbrella also includes innovative venture studio Obratori and beauty tech start-up Duolab.
In April, L’Occitane announced that all of the plastic bottles and jars for its products will be made from 100 percent recycled plastic by 2025.
L’Occitane’s B Corp announcement follows another B Corp status announcement this week. Secondhand luxury platform Fashionphile announced the news it had earned B Corp status on Wednesday.
Related on Ethos:
