Behind the Brand

The story of L’Occitane began in 1976, in the hills of Haute-Provence, a region of southern France that lies between the Alps and the Mediterranean. Inspired by his childhood in Provence, the 23-year-old Olivier Baussan decided to recreate the traditions of his region. After purchasing a steam distiller, a relic from the past, Olivier harvested wild rosemary and produced pure Rosemary essential oil. He sold this essential oil at local markets, this all-natural product was quickly embraced by villagers and L’Occitane was born.

For over thirty years, the fields of Provence and the traditions and techniques of this unspoiled land have been the secret and inspiration behind L’Occittane’s natural beauty products. All their products are developed and produced in the small Provençal town of Manosque. L’Occitane has drawn inspiration from the Mediterranean lifestyle and traditional Provençal techniques to create natural beauty products rich in natural active ingredients and essential oils that delight the senses and deliver proven benefits. Their roots will always be in Provence, where their products are conceived and produced to this day. L’Occitane literally means “the woman from Occitania.” - the area now known as Provence.

Behind every L’Occitane product is a traceable origin and land, producers with exacting standards, and techniques inherited from the traditions of Provence or elsewhere.

Values and Commitments

The founder of L’Occitane, Oliver Baussan, is an entrepreneur fired by a deep respect for nature, “It is my passion and desire to preserve the traditions of the Mediterranean land and its riches. Its bounty, beauty and fragrances inspired me to create L’Occitane. In the true spirit of hospitality and generosity, I invite you to discover the authenticity of my beloved homeland.”

From the very beginning, L’Occitane has been a socially responsible company. L’Occitane’s four core principle business values comprise: authenticity and naturalness; effectiveness and pleasure; respect and responsibility; continuous improvement, openness and enterprise. The meaning and purpose of the brand are based on strong values and commitments: respect for both man and the environment, with an emphasis on exchange and sharing; where the effectiveness of their beauty products are the result of bringing together tradition, nature and research.

Nature and Beauty co-exist

Behind every L’Occitane product is a traceable origin and land, producers with exacting standards, and techniques inherited from the traditions of Provence or elsewhere. To enhance their focus on authentic products, they choose to work with committed producers who set meticulous standards - their quality and traceability must be guaranteed from the moment they are harvested, throughout every step of processing, right up to the finished product. They use natural ingredients and essential oils, which are primarily Ecocert-certified organic and always of controlled origin.

For all products, gift wrapping and communication materials, L’Occitane strives to use paper or cardboard based on an ecological approach.

L’Occitane is true to itself and its founding principles - authenticity and effective natural products designed to procure true well-being. There is also often a true story behind each product related to the land of Provence: an ancient technique (essential oils), an AOC controlled-origin label (lavender, olive), a forgotten traditional cultivation (almond) or, as in Burkina Faso, Africa, a sustainable development program (shea butter). Today, 78% of L’Occitane products are paraben-free. Their face care products (with the exception of sun care products) contain a maximum of 5% silicones. They also do not use phthalates in any of their fragrances.

Save Our Planet

For all products, gift wrapping and communication materials, L’Occitane strives to use paper or cardboard based on an ecological approach. Their “clean factory” in Manosque, also sorts and recycles its waste, and limits its energy consumption.

As fits a natural beauty brand, L'Occitane also promotes ecological and social interests.

Aside from their green contributions, L’Occitane also does its part in helping the community. In 1989, L’Occitane initiated a sustainable development program in the African state of Burkina Faso for the production of shea butter. In 1997, it introduced Braille labelling on its packaging, and in 2006, it created the first large-scale organic immortelle plantation in Corsica, to protect the integrity of the Corsican areas of high ground known as ‘maquis’.

Since 2006, the L’Occitane Foundation has enabled such efforts to be taken even further. It supports three causes in particular, causes that are dear to the brand and its history; literacy and support for women in developing countries; the fight against blindness and assistance for the visually impaired; and finally, the preservation of threatened traditional cultivations.

© EcoAsia 2009