The L’OCCITANE Group, a pioneer in premium sustainable beauty and wellness since 1976, is proud to announce its certification as a B Corporation™. This certification marks a significant milestone in the Group’s journey to create a positive impact on the world. As a B Corp, L’OCCITANE has joined a global community of over 6,900 companies committed to redefining success in business by balancing profit with purpose.
What is B Corp™ Certification?
B Corp certification is more than just a mark of quality; it is a recognition of a company’s commitment to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Unlike other certifications that focus on a specific aspect of a business, B Corp certification evaluates a company’s overall impact on all its stakeholders, including employees, the wider community, suppliers, customers, shareholders, and the environment.
Achieving B Corp status is not easy—it requires a rigorous assessment process. Over the course of two years, the L’OCCITANE Group carefully evaluated its impact across all its operations, from its offices and factories to its stores and supply chain. This process allowed the company to identify areas for improvement and reinforce its commitment to its core values.
A Commitment to Positive Change
The L’OCCITANE Group’s journey to B Corp certification builds on its longstanding commitment to social and environmental responsibility. The company’s mission has always been to empower communities, protect biodiversity, reduce waste, and mitigate climate change. Becoming a B Corp is a natural extension of this mission and reflects L’OCCITANE’s dedication to using business as a force for good.
Jonathan Normand, Executive Director of B Lab Switzerland, praised the Group’s efforts, stating, “We warmly welcome the L’OCCITANE Group to our community of over 6,900 innovative companies catalyzing a more inclusive and regenerative economy. Their commitment to biodiversity and a sustainable value chain is commendable and aligns with B Movement interdependence principles. The L’OCCITANE Group is not only enhancing its own impact but also working to transform the beauty industry with other B Corps.”
Supporting Our Producers
L’OCCITANE’s commitment to sustainability is deeply rooted in its sourcing practices, working directly with over 130 producers and 10,000 pickers—from the immortelle fields of Corsica to the lavender fields of Provence—to ensure that ingredients are of the highest quality and sourced sustainably. All of L’OCCITANE’s immortelle, verbena, shea, and cade crops are organic, promoting soil health and reducing agricultural emissions. Additionally, the Group has preserved and protected over 1,662 varieties and species of plants and collaborates with nature preservation charities to plant native trees, install beehives, and introduce new animal species. L’OCCITANE also sources shea butter directly from fair trade-certified women’s cooperatives in Burkina Faso and Ghana, fostering fair relationships and ensuring economic stability for small farming businesses.
Reducing Environmental Impact
L’OCCITANE has long been a leader in reducing environmental impact through its “Reduce, Recycle, React” program, which aims to minimize waste through various innovative initiatives. The brand’s eco-refills save 200 tons of plastic each year, and in 2023, L’OCCITANE launched new eco-refills that are 100% recyclable and made of 100% recycled plastic. The company also operates a closed-door policy in all its boutiques to reduce energy consumption and has never used plastic bags, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to sustainability.
Acting in Favor of Humanity
L’OCCITANE’s philosophy emphasizes that people and nature matter, which is evident in the company’s various programs supporting women’s empowerment, education, and occupational training. Since the 1980s, L’OCCITANE has been purchasing fair trade-certified shea butter from female producers in Burkina Faso, supporting and diversifying their activities to increase profitability and sustainability. L’OCCITANE’s partnership with women’s cooperatives in Burkina Faso has economically empowered over 10,000 women through fair trade shea butter production, providing fair wages, education, and training opportunities. This collaboration has improved local communities’ economic stability and social infrastructure, including healthcare and access to clean water, while promoting sustainable farming practices and biodiversity preservation.
The L’OCCITANE Group’s B Corp certification marks a new chapter in its journey toward creating a nature-positive world. This certification helps the Group continue to strive for better as it pursues its long-term ambition to positively impact people and regenerate nature through empowerment. Committed to driving positive change within the beauty industry and beyond, L’OCCITANE continues to lead by example. By becoming a B Corp, the Group reaffirms its dedication to society, people, and the planet. Looking to the future, L’OCCITANE remains committed to making a positive impact on the world and inspiring others to do the same.
To learn more about L’OCCITANE visit www.loccitane.com/
