Research & Reflections

In 2018, following widespread itching problems due to petrochemical and synthetic ingredients, Lady Ancestrale had an epiphany. She undertook extensive research into the cosmetic industry and discovered a sector riddled with many abuses.

The industry produces for storage, consumption, overconsumption, overuse. In France, four tons of cosmetic products are thrown away every day. This massive waste has disastrous consequences, both for our health and for the environment.

After her analysis, Lady Ancestrale decided to offer a concrete response to these abuses, by proposing an alternative that breaks with the logic of overconsumption and respects both the components of the human protective envelope and our planet.

Industry stakeholders

  • Lack of Consumer Understanding

    Why do consumers have so little knowledge about the composition of their cosmetics and about the industry strategies that push them to buy?

    This lack of knowledge can be explained by several factors, including:

    • Labels are often complex and difficult to understand.
    • Marketing uses promises and novelties to encourage purchases.
    • Consumers have little knowledge of their real needs and their skin type.
    • Reliable educational information is scarce, replaced by advertising.

  • The strategic choice of industry players.

    The strategic choices made by the cosmetics industry have a direct impact on the quality of skincare, our health, and the environment.

    To maintain their market share, brands prioritize innovation at all costs, product proliferation, private labels, and persuasive marketing.

    Under the guise of novelty, they encourage overconsumption, which leads to overproduction of mass-produced, often ineffective skincare products.

    To cut costs, the industry favors synthetic ingredients that are easy to produce but offer no real value for the skin.

    Botanical active ingredients, despite being effective and well-tolerated, are often overlooked because they are difficult to standardize.

    The result: skin becomes exhausted, dependent, and loses its natural defenses. Consumers, caught in this cycle, accumulate products without ever truly solving their problems.

    Through excess, innovation ultimately generates waste: the last link in a toxic system, harmful to health and the planet.

    But another path is possible: one that is more mindful, more informed, and more respectful of life.
Our process of research, self-reflection, and informing ▾
Cosmetic care and the evolution of cosmetic vocabulary ▾

What is a cosmetic treatment?

A cosmetic treatment is a product applied to the external surfaces of the body. It acts on the surface without altering deep biological functions.

The primary role of a rinse-off treatment is to:

Cleanse: remove impurities, excess sebum, and environmental residues.

The main roles of a leave-on treatment are to:

Hydrate: maintain skin suppleness thanks to botanical active ingredients. It is recommended to moisten the skin with water before application to promote penetration.

Nourish: provide essential nutrients (vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidants) that support skin balance.

Protect: strengthen the skin barrier with protective agents (especially lipids), which limit water loss and external aggressions.

Together, these actions contribute to maintaining the vitality of the body's outer layer and promote optimal cell renewal.

Evolution of cosmetic care ▾

Antiquity

In Egypt, Greece, and Rome, beauty was sacred and natural.

Treatments, based on oils, plants, or honey, combined aesthetics, health, and spirituality.

They nourished both body and mind, in a holistic approach to well-being.

Middle Ages and Renaissance: between mysticism and danger

In the Middle Ages, treatments were based on traditional medicine and religious beliefs, often reserved for the elite.

In the Renaissance, the quest for a pale complexion led to the use of toxic products such as white lead or arsenic. Skincare became both a sign of refinement and dangerous excess.

19th century: the era of chemistry and industrialization

The industrial revolution transformed the cosmetic world. Advances in chemistry enabled the creation of .

new textures (creams, lotions, powders) and large-scale production. Skincare became specialized: face, body, hair, lips… each area had its product. We now speak of “day creams,” “toning lotions,” or “eau de toilette.” The vocabulary became scientific and technical. Aesthetics were part of a logic of hygiene, efficiency, and social distinction.

Today: Return to naturalness, simplicity, and multifunctionality

Trend towards minimalist, more natural, and less aggressive formulas. Growing popularity of multi-functional ("all-in-one") treatments, echoing the spirit of ancestral formulas. Increased demand for transparency, ethics, and ecology

Is a wide range of cosmetic products necessary to enhance one's body? ▾

No, whatever your skin type, the areas concerned, the season or the time of day, your body needs cleansing, hydration, nourishment and protection. However, the proportions of ingredients vary according to these factors. For example, in summer, the need for a lipid film decreases compared to winter. A customizable formula, such as waterless skincare, allows you to adapt the care to each need during your routine.

The Evolution of Cosmetic Vocabulary ▾

In antiquity, care was linked to the sacred and overall well-being, with a poetic language: ointments, elixirs, nectars. The skin was perceived as a unique envelope, nourished and protected by a single natural treatment.

With industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries, vocabulary became technical and segmented: creams, serums, lotions, targeting each zone and skin type. The focus was on immediate efficacy and youth.

Today, cosmetics are returning to a holistic and ethical approach, with sensory rituals, minimalist and multifunctional formulas, valuing nature and the overall harmony of the skin.

Cosmetics Industry: From Innovation to Dereliction ▾

The cosmetics industry, long a driver of innovation, has fragmented skincare, complicated formulations, and intensified marketing, to the detriment of efficacy, consumer health, and the environment.

Initially focused on less toxic alternatives, research since the 1960s has turned towards profitability and competitiveness, leading to overproduction and overconsumption responsible for significant cosmetic waste.

Overuse of cosmetic products ▾

Cosmetic Overuse

Overuse refers to the excessive or inappropriate use of cosmetic products, such as applying the same product too often or using multiple products, often influenced by marketing or the desire for quick results.

Impacts of Overuse, Overconsumption, and Overproduction in the Cosmetic Industry

On Health

Excessive use of cosmetic products can cause irritation, allergies, and skin imbalances. The accumulation of products increases exposure to harmful substances, weakening the skin. Overproduction contributes to chemical contamination and indirect health impacts.

On the Environment

Overuse pollutes water bodies through discharged chemical substances. Overconsumption generates non-recyclable plastic waste, and overproduction consumes significant natural resources, exacerbating pollution and carbon footprint.

Social and Economic Impacts

For consumers, overconsumption can lead to financial stress and well-being issues. For businesses, overproduction results in high costs and often difficult working conditions, impacting their profitability and raising ethical concerns.

Cosmetic overproduction ▾

Overproduction refers to the excessive manufacturing of cosmetic products beyond actual market needs, leading to a surplus of often unsold stock.

Impacts of Overproduction in the Cosmetics Industry

On Health

Mass production uses large quantities of chemical substances that can contaminate the environment. This indirect pollution can, through bioaccumulation, affect human health.

On the Environment

Overproduction mobilizes significant natural resources (water, energy, raw materials), which increases the carbon footprint and ecosystem degradation. The waste of unsold stock also contributes to industrial pollution.

Social and Economic Impacts

For businesses, managing surpluses and destroying unsold goods generate high costs, weakening their profitability. The pressure associated with continuous production can also degrade working conditions and raise ethical questions.

Cosmetic overconsumption ▾

Overconsumption refers to the excessive purchase and accumulation of cosmetic products, often driven by perceived needs or marketing pressures.

Impacts of overconsumption in the cosmetic industry

On health

The proliferation of products increases exposure to potentially harmful ingredients (preservatives, allergenic fragrances), weakening the skin and promoting the appearance of skin disorders.

On the environment

Overconsumption generates a large quantity of plastic waste from packaging, often non-recyclable, thus contributing to soil and ocean pollution.

Social and economic impacts

For consumers, it leads to excessive spending, financial stress, and mental burden. For businesses, constant demand encourages increased production, exacerbating the negative effects of overproduction.