As part of the blog "Conscious People" by Venitz, we interview the actors of the green transition to find out more about the behind their commitments. Today, here is the story of Laure Charneau.
Hello everyone, I am Laure Charneau co-director of the company PRINCESSE LIA which includes:
- a natural cosmetics R&D laboratory for which we offer tailor-made formulations
- training for natural cosmetics project leaders
- 2 respectful, demanding and ever more committed cosmetic brands
Today, I dedicate a large part of my daily life to raising the ethical and ecological standards of French cosmetics, to a high level of demands on the formulation, production and quality of products.
I owe my eco-responsible commitment to a trigger, an awareness:
In 2017, I was given the book LA FAMILLE ZERO WASTE by Bénédicte Moret and Jérémie Pichon. My husband and I took up the challenge of reducing our waste and started manufacturing our own cleaning products. It's super simple, it's always the same ingredients, it's cheaper and just as effective as traditional cleaning products.
In 2018, I had the brilliant meeting of my current partner Laurie Milhet, during a conference that she called at the time: COSMETICS, STOP FALSE PROMISES!
She is a cosmetic formulation engineer and this meeting raised my already quite advanced level of awareness on how to consume less but better.
Today, I have decided to dedicate my entire professional life to our company which is based on qualitative, local values, promoting biodiversity and short circuits without ever giving in in daily decision-making. We are uncompromising about our actions and believe that current business models will have to evolve to preserve the world of tomorrow.
The way I perceive the world around me and interact with others has been heavily influenced by the news. It proves us right in our positions regarding the environment, there is no going back for me, my family and the professional team around me.
At a time when we want to organize the Winter Olympics in the middle of the desert and when major industrialists are suffering the repercussions of war. We keep our French partners with the certainty of wanting to do well...a sort of bubble of comfort which allows us a lot of freedom in our daily actions.
I like to think that the desire to support noble causes is contagious. So if I had to give advice to those who haven't yet taken the plunge:
I work in the world of natural cosmetics so there is always this mix between the era in which we live and this ancestrality that we embark on with the use of plants to preserve or treat ourselves in a simple way with raw and noble ingredients.
Today, supporting truly clean companies through thoughtful purchases feels good. To think that through the purchase of a sweater, a cream or a pair of shoes, we can change things...it feels great! And then, always with this notion of less but better. This very beautiful sweater, I will keep it for a long time….instead of having 10 that will not last the winter, this one is well designed and it has not put anyone in conditions that do not meet my values . Personally, it bothers me...And apparently, I'm not alone!
However, adopting a more ethical and responsible lifestyle is not a linear process;
With my 2 daughters, who are still young and the business which takes up a lot of my time, I would like to be that wonder mother who washes her children's diapers in order to reduce waste as much as possible. But it's impossible on a daily basis, so yes! I buy diapers and throw them away and it hurts my heart! I also used so many plastic tips to blow my eldest daughter's nose, I think the brand in question had an increase in turnover last year only thanks to me...the horror of throwing away all these little pieces of plastic….for the second, I opted to make my own physiological serum and I am trying to stop this annoying nose bug…I am trying.
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Princess Lia
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