L’Oréal educates consumers on product environmental impact with labeling system

L’Oréal has rolled out a new labeling system that gives consumers the relative environmental impact of their product compared to other products the company produces in the same category.

The system was originally launched in France back in 2020.

L’Oréal’s Product Impact Labeling gives items a ranking on a scale from A to E by considering 14 planetary impact factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, water scarcity, ocean acidification and impact on biodiversity measured at every stage of a product’s life cycle, the company said.

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“L'Oréal’s Product Impact Labeling system is a core component of the L'Oréal for the Future program, which outlines our sustainability commitments for 2030. Its rollout in the United States has the power to help change consumer behavior and, therefore, accelerate the beauty industry’s progress toward greater sustainability,” said Marissa Pagnani McGowan, chief sustainability officer for North America. “This comes at a time when sustainability is increasingly becoming a focus for more American consumers. Using principles of environmental science, this tool will empower consumers, support more informed purchasing decisions and foster a culture of greater brand transparency.”

To highlight the launch of the system, the company also shared findings from a new survey conducted with Morning Consult. Results included:

• More than half of Americans (54%) expect to find information about sustainability-related factors on company websites;
• Most Americans are concerned with at least one of the pre-determined environmental impacts. Human destruction of various environments is the most recognized issue at over 50%, followed by water scarcity at 43%, air pollution like dust and dirt at 37%, and ozone depletion at 35%; and 
• Nearly 60% of Americans believe they have become more sustainable in the past year.

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“The survey results show that consumers have clear expectations for sustainability—a critical source of innovation for our teams, from the supply of raw materials to the composition of our formulas. To meet their expectations, we set actions plans to improve the environmental profile of lower ranked products,” said Sanford Browne, president of research and innovation for North America. “With our leadership in green sciences, we can leverage cutting-edge processes like biotechnology, green chemistry, and extraction to reveal new dimensions of product performance and reduce our environmental footprint, compared to traditional methods. By 2030, our goal is for 100% of our products to incorporate into their design improvements in formulas, production, packaging and other aspects that help reduce their impact compared to previous generations of products.”

The Product Impact Labeling system will roll out progressively across L'Oréal’s brand portfolio including Kiehl’s, L'Oréal Paris, Redken and CeraVe.