4.4.2.3 Research & Innovation policy for developing water-efficient products
As part of its R&I policy, and guided by the L’Oréal for the Future programme, L’Oréal aims to offer water-saving products or technologies to enable consumers in water-stressed markets to meet their hygiene and beauty needs. This approach is rooted in the conviction that access to beauty and well-being should not be limited by disparities in access to drinking water.
Accordingly, L'Oréal is developing formulas that require less water for rinsing (for example, that combine several functions, such as 2-in-1 shampoos, for which characterisation work is being carried out with a view to official inclusion in the water-saving offering indicator), even no rinsing at all (such as no-rinse conditioners and face cleansers), or that permit users to wash their hair less frequently, such as dry shampoo. The Group partners or acquires companies such as Gjosa to offer innovations including the L'Oréal Water Saver showerhead used in hair salons to reduce the water required to rinse off hair products.
4.4.3 Action plans in place
4.4.3.1 Water resource preservation at operated sites
As part of its EHS policy to reduce water consumption, L'Oréal is planning measures to preserve water resources at its production sites. This multidisciplinary approach is described in the following chart:
- mapping the water pathway: thanks to the general rollout of metering plans, which identify the key stages of water processing within production sites, from withdrawal to treatment.
- putting in place equipment and processes to reduce water consumption. Through initiatives such as OPTICIP, designed by L'Oréal to optimise the cleaning of industrial equipment used in the production of cosmetic formulas, which is the main source of water consumption at manufacturing facilities.
- recycling and reusing industrial water through the Waterloop concept, which treats and reuses industrial water for internal use.
4.4.3.2 Working with upstream agriculture to use water responsibly
Sustainable water management is essential to L'Oréal's supply chain organisation. In an era of growing global water constraints, L'Oréal wants to support its suppliers in implementing responsible practices. Its action plan is built on three pillars:
- Mapping and assessing water risks: L’Oréal is working to identify the risks and dependencies linked to water in its supply chains for farming and forestry-derived ingredients used in its formulas and packaging. Using this analysis, the Group is aiming to anticipate risks to water resources, and to set up projects to preserve and restore ecosystems and watersheds where the most critical situations are identified. The Sustainable Land Use policy complements the Responsible Water Use Policy, enabling a systemic approach to priority areas.
- Sustainable water management by strategic suppliers: L’Oréal engages with strategic suppliers to promote sustainable water stewardship, determined based on their potential impact on water resources. This involves monitoring suppliers' environmental performance in terms of water management (in particular through their scores on the CDP Water questionnaire). L'Oréal encourages suppliers to continuously improve their performance and to adopt ambitious measures to reduce their water consumption, optimise their use of resources and mitigate the impacts and risks associated with their activities. It also requires respect for fundamental human rights linked to access to water, sanitation and hygiene, as stipulated in the Mutual Ethical Commitment Letter for suppliers(1).
- Strategies for optimising water use: L'Oréal encourages suppliers to adopt more water-efficient practices, particularly with regard to farming practices in water-stressed areas where certain biobased ingredients are produced to promote better water resource management.
4.4.3.3 Reducing the water footprint in product use
L'Oréal's aim is to enable everyone to meet their hygiene and beauty needs, even in water-stressed markets. This strategy is being deployed as a priority in water-stressed areas(2) in which L'Oréal markets rinse-off products – namely haircare, hair colour, and face and body care. This scope currently includes 30 key markets around the world.
The Group’s efforts in this regard draw on three pillars of innovation:
- innovation in routine: developing “no-rinse products” or products that can be used at longer intervals (e.g., instant root concealer sprays, styling touch-ups and dry shampoo);
- reducing “rinse-off” water quantities: improving formulations for better rinsability, as measured and optimised by an internal methodology (R&I Evaluation Intelligence); and
- deploying technologies to reduce water consumption across the value chain, notably with the L'Oréal Water Saver in hair salons.
For each market identified, the Group measures the effective presence of these water-saving innovations in each of its rinse-off product categories. This approach ensures that, in areas exposed to water stress, consumers have practical, appropriate alternatives for reducing their daily water consumption while maintaining their skincare and haircare routines.
