Deeper Shade of Green

A letter to Yves Rocher company in regards to their beauty products

Hello.  I recently received a gift basket of your products from a relative who knows that I use nothing but non-toxic, natural or organic cosmetics and household products.  She proudly told me she included your catalogue, entitled “Green Guide 2008″ so that I would know that the products were “all natural”, knowing I would not use them if they were not.  I was very disappointed to discover the extent to which your company is greenwashing people.  You were very successful in fooling my relative into believing that your products were natural.
In the catalogue, I saw mention of “organic Arnica” but no evidence of a certifying body.  What’s more, the actual product label did not indicate anywhere that it was organic, not even in the ingredient list.  Further, other products stated “the pleasures of nature (in French)”.  There was no indication that there is anything natural about these products other than your crafty title.  Just because they smell like fruit, how does that make them natural?
Your website claims the following:

Unlocking Nature’s Powerful Potential to invent the Products of Tomorrow  For 40 years, Yves Rocher has been dedicated to bringing women around the world the best of nature for their beauty needs. He has harnessed his knowledge of plants to create powerful beauty products. Today, thanks to advancements in plant biology, we have more than 150 active plant ingredients and botanical complexes from which to select and formulate into effective, botanical-based beauty care products. Our products are scientifically derived from plants and clinically tested by the specialists in our laboratories in France. Our products are never tested on animals

So you may have one or two of these so claimed “botanical” ingredients in your products but what about the rest of the list of chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, methyl/propyl/butyl/ethyl parabens, propylene glycol, synthetic fragrance (which, due to lack of regulation, can contain god knows what atrocious chemicals), DEA, TEA…. the list goes on.  It is clear that your products are nothing more than a chemical concoction and your claims to being natural are anything but true.

Your website also states:

Be Respectful of nature Yves Rocher is committed to protecting our environment to protect your future. We preserve nature’s beauty and bounty as a legacy for the generations to come. We work tirelessly to conserve the resources that our children will inherit. Our use of eco-friendly botanical based products promotes the priceless gifts that nature has to share with us. When we respect plants, we are able to enjoy these treasures as we protect them. When creating a fragrance, we use ‘headspace’ technology to capture scents without harming a single blossom.

There is no evidence anywhere else on your site or in your catalogues to demonstrate how you strive to achieve your commitment to the environment.  I would be very interested to know what steps you are taking, as a company.  If you are taking any, whatsoever, you should make it public knowledge.

If I am mistaken in my assumptions, I would love for you to explain to me how I have mis-perceived the situation.  If I am correct, I am extremely disappointed in the fact that my relative who has very little money spent so much on something so worthless for me as a gift.  I don’t have the heart to tell her that your products are useless to me, but I will be sure to make sure others know by using them as an example in the sessions I give on how to avoid greenwashing and purchase truly ethical, sustainable and non-toxic products.

Sincerely,
Andrea Gretchev