L’Oréal USA has launched a new labeling system for greater transparency surrounding a product’s environmental impact—and to help educate consumers about the impact of the products they use.

Garnier haircare is pioneering the new Product Impact Labeling system in the U.S.—and it will soon roll out to every L’Oréal brand, including Kiehl’s, L’Oréal Paris, Redken and CeraVe.

Garnier haircare products’ Product Impact Label is online, and listed on the product information webpage following an ingredient list.

L’Oréal first launched the initiative in France in 2020. The system makes it easy for consumers to see the relative environmental impact of their product compared to other L’Oréal products in the same category.

Marissa Pagnani McGowan, chief sustainability officer for L’Oréal North America, says, “Rolling this out in the U.S. has the power to help change consumer behavior and, therefore, accelerate the beauty industry’s progress toward greater sustainability.”

Pagnani adds, “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.”

L’Oréal will also share the learnings of the impact labeling initiative with the 60 members of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium, aiming to develop an industry-wide environmental impact assessment and scoring system for cosmetics products. The EcoBeautyScore Consortium includes Amorpacific, and many more beauty brands and suppliers. NuSkin joined earlier this year. 

Once the EcoBeautyScore becomes available in late 2023, L’Oréal will begin using that instead, and will transition away from its own product impact labeling system. 

How L’Oréal is Ranking Its Products

Products are given a ranking on a scale from A to E by considering 14 planetary impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s life cycle—from ingredients to packaging, manufacturing process, transport and ultimately use and disposal.

The measured factors include:

• greenhouse gas emissions
• water scarcity
• ocean acidification
• impact on biodiversity

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.

Grounded in global standards for environmental science and life-cycle analysis, the methodology behind the Product impact labeling system was co-developed with 11 international and independent experts and scientists between 2014 and 2016.

The independent auditor Bureau Veritas has verified the application of L’Oréal’s methodology and the accuracy of our data, issuing a favorable assessment in March 2022. L’Oréal’s methodology aligns with the European Commission’s Product Environmental Performance recommendations.

Find more on Garnier’s website about its Product Impact Labeling System.

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