Your questions,
our answers

Now, we create our products from more than 450 botanical sources around the world. Concerned about our footprint on Earth, we are committed to continuous improvement to ensure that our botanical ingredients come from responsible and sustainable sourcing.

Since 2020, we have become a member of the UEBT, an association that accompanies and challenges us in the ethical sourcing of our natural ingredients, with respect for both people and biodiversity.

In France, more precisely in Bretagne on our lands of La Gacilly, we cultivate our emblematic plants in a sustainable way, on 60 hectares of fields in Organic Farming according to the virtuous model of agroecology. In 2021, we were the first French Brand to obtain the UEBT (Union for Ethical BioTrade) certification, for our 9 emblematic plants of La Gacilly.

For the coming years, we wish to continue our certification process on two levels:

• The certification of our emblematic ingredients in France and worldwide
• The certification of the entire supply system

Our supply approach is based on 3 pillars:

1. To supply in quantity and quality:

   • By favouring raw materials that are traceable to the producers/harvesters;
   • By ensuring the quality of our raw materials;
   • By strengthening (long-term) relationships with our suppliers;
   • By excluding GMOs  

2. To protect people and biodiversity:

   • Through knowledge, conservation and a sustainable use of biodiversity;
   • By favouring good cultural and collection practices (ex: Organic Farming, Agroecology, UEBT…);
   • By ensuring the fair remuneration of the producers/harvesters involved in our supply chains and the respect of decent working conditions (e.g.: faire trade, UEBT…).

3. To share with our communities:

   • By respecting local dynamism and supporting development needs of our sourcing (e.g.: sharing actions);
   • Through a proactive approach for the respect of the Nagoya Protocol and local biodiversity laws.

At Yves Rocher, agriculture is virtuous.

At La Gacilly, thanks to the expertise of our botanists and agronomists, we have chosen agroecology as an agriculture model to regenerate and revitalise soil and environment.

Agroecology integrates the respect of environmental balances, seasons rhythm, without using pesticides, but it is not all.

For instance, the production of our emblematic plants is totally integrated with the surrounding ecosystem in order to not unbalance it. Wet meadows, bocage hedges, insect pollinators, plant cover, crop rotation, etc, are as many elements having the place to maintain the balance of the biodiversity while ensuring the production of plants.

Ultimately, land and nature self-sustaining without being exhausted.

This visionary model is constantly nourished and enriched by our researchers and scientists, through experimentation and practice, but also through exchanges with many actors from Bretagne.

We concretely act for agriculture with a positive impact in order to contribute to respect nature and for the beauty of all.

We don’t claim to be an organic brand, but we have developed a new Care range for the whole family which is certified Ecocert CosmeBio. It is formulated with organic apples and named with transparency: Famille Bio.

For the others, our products are formulated with a maximum of natural origin ingredients and all key actives of our formulas are from plants.

Since 1997, in a visionary way, our fields at La Gacilly have switched entirely to Organic Farming. Today, this represents 60 hectares on which 7 emblematic plants are growing: Cornflower, Calendula, Arnica, Matricaria Chamomile, Nasturtium, Roman Chamomile, Peppermint. Ice Plant and Edulis are also certified organic and cultivated in greenhouses.

No. We do not test and never promote animal testing, neither on our finished products nor on the ingredients they contain.

We may not know, but we were involved very early in the fight against animal testing, long before the regulations prohibited in the 2000’s. In fact, in 1989, Yves Rocher made a pioneering decision in the cosmetics industry to stop animal testing for its finished products, and replace them with alternative methods, which in 1992 earned us the Gold Medal of the SPA (Society for the Protection of Animals in France).

Always faithful to our commitment, we also confirm that:

• We have forbidden ourselves to acquire raw materials from suppliers when these have been tested on animals for cosmetic purposes only.
• Our internal charter on the components of our products is very strict: we refuse every animal raw material. Only exceptions? Honey or beeswax which are natural secretions.
• We encourage the development of Research programs on alternative methods to animal testing. Our objective is to promote and generalize them.

We devote a particular attention to the animal world in each of our actions. For instance, all our Breton industrial sites are a shelter certified by the LPO (the French Protective League of Birds).

Our products are 100% vegetarian, and more than 700 of our formulas are vegan which represents 75% of our portfolio.

For the remaining 25%, which means when there is no satisfying alternative, we allow ourselves some natural ingredients from animal production and whose harvest does not harm the integrity of the animals (natural secretions like Honey and Beeswax). These derivatives are used to contribute to the effectiveness and sensoriality of the formulas.

All our products are safe, without exception.

If we still give priority to natural origin components in our formulas, it is sometimes necessary to add a percentage of synthetic ingredients (preservatives, stabilizing and texturing agents, dyes, perfume…). We know that these ingredients are unloved while they help ensure the effectiveness and safety of products.

To give you a concrete example: as soon as a product contains water, it is important to preserve it so that microbes cannot grow. That’s why we use synthetic preservatives because natural ones, unfortunately authorized by the European Regulations, do not exist.

But don’t worry. In addition to complying with the European regulations which are the strictest in the world, all our products follow a rigorous internal testing and monitoring process.

All our products are safe, without exception.

As security is our priority, we study all raw materials from the composition of our formulas. Each ingredient has a function and a benefit for skin. It is introduced at its right concentration for optimal efficiency and a guaranteed security.

All of them comply with the European regulations which are one of the strictest in the world. Indeed, it is supported by a Committee of independent experts: the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety – SCCS.

And that’s not all! In addition, all our products follow a particularly rigorous internal testing and monitoring process, based on 3 steps:

1. Evaluation of ingredients. Every single ingredient is scrupulously evaluated to guarantee its safety. We already exclude 300 ingredients from our products in addition to the 1,300 targeted by the regulation.
2. Evaluation of final products. Before they are marketed, we carry out strict tolerance tests on all our final products, in laboratory and in real use.
3. Cosmetovigilance. We carefully monitor our products by incorporating customer feedback on a global scale.

To go further and to be more transparent, we have been working for years to be as clear as possible on the composition of our products. Thanks to our glossary, all our ingredients used in our formulas are listed and their use explained.

The ingredients of natural origin are written in green while safe synthetic ingredients guaranteeing the conservation of your products are in brown.

Indeed, when no natural alternative is possible, the use of synthetic ingredients will be necessary to ensure the sensoriality, effectiveness and safety of our products.

Since our creation in 1959, we have been committed to a process of continuous improvement and this remains our guiding principle in order to always offer you a range of products based on the expertise of Botanical Beauty in the respect of People and Nature.

We don’t pretend we are perfect, but we have already made great strides, often in a pioneering way. For 20 years, our Shampoos have been silicone-free and even today, all our rinsed washed and/or foaming products still undergo a strict procedure to verify their biodegradability before being marketed.

Moreover, none of our formulas contain palm oil. Since 2010, we have preferred to use other vegetable oils when we reach a satisfactory level of efficiency and CSR impact.

Parabens have also joined the list of the disappeared since 2020. Last but not least, because every little bit counts, we have removed sulfates from our Shower Gels. In 2023, we will eliminate them from our Shampoos.

These examples are not exhaustive and we will not stop on this good path. Because being committed to the preservation of the environment has always been our leitmotiv.

We have always been convinced that there are no small actions to build a better future.

We have chosen for many years to reduce the environmental impact of our packaging by adopting an ecodesign approach. This means to design our products differently, using innovation and durability as levers, with a greater respect for biodiversity and of course without compromising on quality, efficacy and attractivity.

Reduce.

Our aim is to reduce packaging to the essential. We ensure a continuous reduction of our consumption of materials from non-renewable resources in order to minimize our environmental impact. The bonus? Lighter packaging. Our Shower Gels and Concentrated Shampoos are a good example with respectively 50% and 39% less plastic than our classic Shower Gels (400mL). We also continue to guarantee the use of FSC-labeled paper and cardboard, from sustainably managed forests, ensuring the preservation of biodiversity.

Reuse.

We favor reusable and more responsible solutions to limit single-use packaging. As such, we reuse our own cardboard waste from our production units for our year-end special offers and our Perfume Collections.

Recycle.

Nothing is lost, everything is transformed. We have chosen to use recyclable materials for packaging, and whenever possible, recycled materials. Since October, 2020, all our bottles are made of 100% recycled* and recyclable PET, which represents an annual saving of 2 600 tons** of virgin plastic.

Concerning the jars, we always prefer glass which can be recycled endlessly.

And, since we are telling you everything, you should know that initiatives are being put in place with our local partners to manage the end-of-life of our products. How? By inviting each of the countries in which we operate to start a collection operation in the store. Because recycling is a commitment.

Rethink.

Our aim is to continue to innovate and offer ever more environmentally friendly solutions. We have developed a range of products specifically based on this philosophy. These are the Green Heroes: committed products, concentrates of efficiency for a zero plastic waste alternative.

To go further, our goal for 2030 is to reduce our packaging to the essentials, by reducing our global use of plastic from 30%, and by having only recyclable packaging containing recycled materials.

*This does not apply to plastic in cups, labels and pumps for which we continue to work on the integration of recycled plastic. The bottles of nail polish removal are not made of PET for compatibility reasons. However, these bottles are still recyclable and we are working on alternatives.

**According to 2021 production and excluding additives, capsules or pumps.

Our aim is to continue to innovate and offer ever more environmentally friendly solutions. The reduction of our waste is based on two major axis:

On the one hand, we do our best to reduce our packaging. We have developed a range of products specifically based on this philosophy: the Green Heroes, your committed products.

The Green Heroes are first of all Shower Gels and Concentrated Shampoos, containing respectively 50% and 39% plastic less than our classic Shower Gels (400mL). Thanks to a unique formula and the reduction of the size of the container, these products constitute an exceptional innovation in the beauty sector. Last but not least, the Green Heroes range is also a strong product offer combining efficiency and sensoriality for a zero plastic waste alternative.

At the same time, we have rethink our Face Care case. Now partially opened, they allow us to save 40% of cardboard. Cellophane is progressively removed from all our products and will be totally removed early 2023.

On the other hand, to limit our waste, we favor recycled materials.

Since 2020, all the bottles from our factories are made of 100% recycled* and recyclable plastic. This represents an annual saving of 2,600** tons of virgin plastic.

Our new short term goal is to integrate 40% of recycled plastic in all our tubes for 2023. A real challenge for this type of packaging!

We don’t intend to stop here. For 2030, our goal is to reduce our packaging to the essential. How? By reducing our global use of plastic from 30% and by proposing recyclable packaging containing recycled materials. We also explore refill and reusing solutions for packaging.

Stay tuned!

*This does not apply to plastic in cups, labels and pumps for which we continue to work on the integration of recycled plastic. The bottles of nail polish removal are not made of PET for compatibility reasons. However, these bottles are still recyclable and we are working on alternatives.

**According to 2021 production and excluding additives, capsules or pumps.

We know that the use of plastic questions some consumers. However, this material is often the most relevant option in environmental analysis.

We often repeat it: nothing is lost, everything is transformed! Now, all our bottles from our factories are only made of 100% recycled* and recyclable plastic which allows us to avoid the annual use of 2,600** tons of virgin plastic.

At the same time, we continue to work on the integration of recycled plastic in our caps, labels and pumps. Today, the bottles of our nail polish remover are not made of PET for compatibility reasons. However, these bottles are still recyclable and we work on alternatives.

Thanks to this commitment, we are ahead on the European Pact objectives which imposes 30% of recycled plastic for 2025.

Of course, we will not be satisfied with this major step forward. By 2030, our goal is to reduce our packaging to the essentials, to cut our overall plastic use by 30%, and to have only recyclable packaging containing recycled materials.

*This does not apply to plastic in cups, labels and pumps for which we continue to work on the integration of recycled plastic. The bottles of nail polish removal are not made of PET for compatibility reasons. However, these bottles are still recyclable and we are working on alternatives.

**According to 2021 production and excluding additives, capsules or pumps.

For the story, the development of our Brand was primarily based on Mr. Yves Rocher’s promises to make his native village of La Gacilly, in Bretagne, and more broadly his region, prosper.

This has been achieved. As botanists, harvesters, manufacturers and retailers for over 60 years, we are proud to have remained faithful to the wishes of our founder.

Made in France is very important to us and that is why we have always kept our factories and most of the production activity in France. For instance, our fields and our 3 production sites in Bretagne are all located within a 30km radius. Now, this is a virtuous and caring ecosystem that employs around 10,000 people.

Today, 93% of our products are made in our factories, in Bretagne.

For the remaining 7%, we favour subcontracting from France and Europe when we do not master the manufacturing of the required technology. This means that only 1.2% of our products are developed outside Europe. These choices are made with all the control of our internal know-how and with formulas that rigorously respect our specifications.

To reward your loyalty, we regularly offer beauty products and gifts selected by a panel of consumers.

The gifts we propose are purchased in various countries around the world, like European countries and China, according to the best quality, technology, know-how and costs. All of them are produced under a charter of good practice with the aim of limiting the environmental impact, ensuring quality but also your safety and that of people who make them.

In this regard, we set out with precisely and transparently the values and commitments that our partners must share on Groupe Rocher Fournisseur

We do not pretend to be perfect, but our teams are committed, as always, to annually defined progress objectives:

• To reduce gift packaging;
• To use only responsibly sourced paper and recycled cardboard;
• Not to use materials of animal origin;
• Not no use certain materials that are harmful to the planet;
• To intensify our traceability systems;
• To work with a limited number of suppliers to ensure sustainable and effective relationships;
• To carry out extensive regulatory controls and functional testing;
• To visit factories to ensure good working conditions and compliance with safety standards.

Please click on the following link: Groupe Rocher Fournisseurs. You will find in detail the values and commitments that our partners must share in order to build balanced customer-supplier relationships.

« Beauty for all » has been our leitmotif since day one. Our secret is to control the entire value chain from the first seed planted to the application of the product on your skin.

We have been botanists, harvesters, manufacturers and retailers for over 60 years.

In concrete terms, this French know-how is illustrated by:

• an inexhaustible Botanical Garden with more than 1,500 varieties of plants;
• 60 hectares of organically grown fields at La Gacilly, in Bretagne;
• 3 factories in Bretagne certified for Quality, Environnement and Safety;
• effective formulas developed in our laboratories by passionate experts;
• packaging conceived with an ecodesigned approach;
• over 350 million products distributed each year in 90 countries;
• our own distribution network;
• a natural muse: Nature.

As we care about everything, from planting to the distribution, we ensure quality while reducing costs. That is what we call the «fair price».