1.8 trillion. The number of single-use plastics in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that contribute to the contamination of our oceans. By 2050, oceans will carry more plastic than fish if we don’t take responsibility and drastically change our behaviours. While many businesses poorly impact our oceans, the beauty industry specifically threatens our oceans and destroys our shorelines at scale. But there is a solution to reduce our impact, and it’s called Blue Beauty. We chatted with Biotherm’s Camille Wellington, national education manager and a Blue Beauty expert, to learn more ahead of World Ocean Month in June. —Noa Nichol
Hi Camille! Please tell us a little bit about yourself to start.
Hi, I am Biotherm’s National Education Manager and their Blue Beauty expert. I’ve worked at L’Oreal for almost 26 years, and in the beauty industry for almost 35 years. I’m extremely passionate about Blue Beauty, and proud to be a member of the Biotherm team.
June is World Ocean Month, and today we’re talking about Biotherm’s commitment to Blue Beauty. Can you tell us more about what this is, and what it entails?
Blue Beauty is a holistic approach to beauty that offers products to take care of your skin while taking care of the planet. Biotherm is committed to using more renewable ingredients, creating more formulas that respect the oceans and developing more sustainable designs. Today around 80% of Biotherm’s ingredients are natural origins and by 2030 about 95% of our ingredients will be biobased. 78% of our skincare formulas are biodegradable and our goal by 2030 is for 90% of our skincare formulas will be biodegradable.
Why is the beauty industry, in general, such a culprit when it comes to single-use plastics in the ocean? And, why should the beauty industry in particular care more about this issue?
The beauty industry generates more than 120 billion units of packaging every year that end up in landfills and even within our oceans, largely due to the individual packaging of products and their ingredients. At Biotherm, we recognize that we come from water and we must give back to it. Since 2012, Biotherm has implemented a sustainability program called Water Lovers and our brand as a whole has donated over 1.5 million USD to our NGO partners who focus on ocean and water conservation.
What will happen to our oceans if we don’t drastically change our behaviours soon?
By 2050, oceans will carry more plastic than fish if we don’t take responsibility and drastically change our behaviours. This is one of the many reasons Biotherm is taking steps to reduce our impact on the oceans with more sustainable solutions.
In what ways has Biotherm committed to pushing ocean sustainability further in the cosmetics industry/paved the way for other beauty brands to commit to the Blue Beauty movement?
As the leader in the Blue Beauty movement, Biotherm partners worldwide with leading experts and NGOs in ocean conservation, including Plastic Oceans Canada, the official Canadian charitable partner for the brand. By supporting Plastic Oceans Canada, Biotherm is committed to funding 5 BlueCommunities; coastal regions in Canada that are dependent on waterways and vulnerable to the harmful impact of pollution in our waters.
What are some top products that exemplify/embody the Blue Beauty philosophy?
Biotherm’s products are made with the ocean and its sustainability in mind. Some of our favourites include our Cera Repair Barrier Cream, Life Plankton Elixir and Lait Corporel moisturizing lotion. All are safe for aquatic life and are now being produced with eco-packaging and no cellophane.
How can we support Blue Beauty via Biotherm’s Make Oceans Smile campaign?
This summer, Biotherm is continuing its 10-year commitment to ocean protection through our Make Oceans Smile campaign. We worked with digital artist Pablo Rochat to create a limited edition summer collection, produced with recycled glass and recycled plastic. The collaboration aims to raise awareness of how climate change is threatening the health of phytoplankton living in our oceans, which is vital to the oxygen produced on Earth. With every purchase of our limited edition product and gift set, Biotherm Canada is donating $1 to Plastic Oceans Canada (up to a max. of $25,000).
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