Brand’s history:
Corinne Lefebvre was able to turn her passion for skincare into a real, certified business by founding River Organics.
“I started ordering oils on various sites and experimenting with lip balms, so I found a really good recipe,” says Corinne. “From that point on I started developing various ideas for different products but had to wait four years before starting my own company.”
Corinne worked in the art world for many years during which she spent a lot of time in the Middle East and learned about natural oils such as cardamom and rosewater. Still today Corinne uses these ingredients in her products.
“When I lived in Canada I used products like Shea’s butter and have always fought for a more sustainable world,” Corinne said.
During her 7-year stay in France, she became even closer to plant-based ingredients.
“I’ve always lived in the city, then I got in touch with nature and saw that some products, like lavender, have various uses in daily life.”
“I make all my products in-house, sometimes using only two or three ingredients. I want my customers to know what I use in my products, so I include the ingredient list online and on the packaging.”
Sustainable beauty:
River Organics is an independent make-up and skincare company that Corinne grew with her husband Fabien, a French organic chemist who helped her particularly with his years of experience in skincare at Chanel.
The products are formulated to be safe for the skin and especially moisturizing. The inspiration for the products came from the couple’s travels to Italy and the Middle East where they discovered different oils used in skincare.
Plant oils are the foundation of the products. Their makeup line naturally moisturizes the skin. In addition, the ingredient list of all products is clearly and transparently stated and their packaging is waste-free as much as possible.
Even at the time of shipping River Organics thinks about the environment. In fact, the envelopes are made from recycled materials, the packaging is kept to a minimum and the labels are made from cane sugar.
Ingredients, Mica:
Mica is a widely used ingredient in natural makeup for the shiny effect it creates and for its satiny texture. In addition to being very easy to apply to the skin, it is a mineral that is obtained directly from the stone.
The ingredients used must be of controlled origin and “harvested” ethically. Since it is not easy to trace the origin of Mica, Corinne decided to use a synthetic one in respect of the environment.
Sustainable materials:
Why did Corinne and Fabien choose a metal lid with aluminum coating?
The advantages of recycling metals, as opposed to creating them from scratch, include a reduction in energy consumption and the use of other materials. In fact, aluminum is one of the most easily recyclable materials, and obviously one of the most recycled.
Cruelty-free:
Leaping Bunny, an organization that works with companies to help make animal-friendly product purchases, has certified River Organics company is cruelty-free.
Companies must commit annually to their promise not to conduct animal testing on finished products, ingredients, or formulations in order to maintain certification.
In 1996, cruelty-free shopping started to become popular, but there was a lot of confusion at first. Companies were designing their logos in the shape of bunnies, sticking to their own definition of cruelty-free or animal-friendly without consulting animal welfare groups.
In response, eight animal advocacy groups have joined together to form the “Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics” (CCIC). CCIC promotes a single, comprehensive standard and an internationally recognized Leaping Bunny logo and works with companies to help make the purchase of animal-friendly products more transparent and reliable.
The Imperfects:
River Organics has introduced a new section on their website called “The Imperfects”! Here you can find a selection of lip balms, illuminants, and blush in stick with small imperfections, it happens that the products have inaccuracies. That’s why the Imperfects are sold at a discounted price.
