Girl is a fragrance designed according to environmentally responsible principles, in terms of both its formula and packaging.
For this development, we worked with the entire industrial sector to reach the best possible compromise achievable given the constraints of the luxury industry.
Girl doesn’t claim to be a perfect fragrance. Girl is a fragrance that embraces the sincere approach of doing things better and our line will continue to improve as industrial expertise progresses. You can count on us!
Let’s analyse the Girl product together, component by component.
Our bottle is made from 40% PCR recycled glass*
PCR stands for “Post-Consumer Recycled” and refers to materials recycled after consumption. This means that PCR recycling involves the used household glass collected from our bins.
The recycled glass industry is governed by many standards; in 2020, the European Container Glass Federation (“FEVE”) introduced new regulations for calculating recycled glass. With respect to this new standard, we worked with Verescence: one of the first glassmakers on the market to offer 40% post-consumer recycled glass, one of the highest possible percentages given current industry capabilities.
By its very essence, recycled glass has already served a purpose. 40% of the glass used for the Girl bottle has therefore already been produced and used. The glass is given a second life, meaning less of it is consumed and allowing us to reduce our environmental impact.
*study conducted by our glassmaker on 110,000 Girl Rochas Paris bottles produced.
The upper portion of the Girl bottle has been tinted with a green water-soluble lacquer; much of the solvent has been replaced with water to obtain a lacquer containing less than 5% solvent.
This small percentage is needed to ensure the lacquer adheres to the bottle properly. Furthermore, our lacquer was developed to dry at a lower temperature, which allows us to save 30% more energy compared to the previous generation of water-soluble lacquers.
The opaque lacquer means that the entire bottle cannot be recycled as the bottle is not translucent. However since the glass is sorted after crushing, the entire lower part of the bottle is recyclable. This means that 70% of our Girl bottle can be recycled.
Green is the colour of nature, hope and a generation concerned about the future. We chose to put this colour on the top part of our bottle for aesthetic reasons. Our aim is to find the best compromises to ensure our products remain attractive while limiting our impact on the environment.
The Girl logo was printed using a conventional technique called “screen printing”.
In this process, ink is printed through a screen to copy the desired design onto the bottle. The materials are then heat-treated to fix them onto the bottle permanently.
The words “Spray Good - Feel Good” on the shoulders of the bottle were added using a technique called “pad printing”.
This uses a system of indirect printing to mark many objects of all shapes using a flexible silicone stamp.
The words were printed using organic ink sourced and produced in France, allowing us to save 50% more energy compared to the previous generation of organic inks.
The Girl cap was made from 39.36% recycled plastic.
As part of our environmentally responsible approach, we chose to limit our use of new materials and to produce a partly recycled plastic cap, made in France.
A steel weight is normally inserted into the cap to make it heavier, which is generally subconsciously perceived as a sign of quality and luxury. However, steel production consumes lots of energy and requires virgin fossil resources.
That is why we chose to use a filled recycled plastic weight, which, although lighter than steel, is made from partly recycled materials.
We don’t care about industry requisites – we are asserting our presence and proudly stand by our choices!
The Girl box incorporates responsible design principles in both the material used and its artistic considerations.
For Girl’s design, we opted for a “less is best” approach, with the aim of creating an impactful yet minimalist design.
We have actually only used two colours – green and black – and have put the emphasis on our logo and the instructional information on the box. We see this as the best way to communicate as much information as possible in a striking way while respecting the environment.
We were determined to share the strengths of the Girl project – our “manifesto” – with you in a transparent way from the very first glance.
All our Girl boxes feature the FSC® label from the Forest Stewardship Council®, which has some of the strictest rules in terms of forest management and has the highest social and environmental requirements.
This means that the card used for the Girl boxes comes from responsibly managed forests and can be traced.
Suppliers to the luxury industry are working daily to offer more responsible protection solutions, for example by using recycled plastic or thinner packaging. However, for the time being, these innovations are not advanced enough to be put on the market. As soon as this is possible, Girl is committed to seizing this opportunity and changing its plastic wrapping.
In perfume stores, lots of products are tested and handled. This means that if our boxes were not protected, our products could be damaged and spoilt due to being handled and coming into contact with molecules in the air.
Recycling guidelines :
Find out how to recycle correctly by visiting https://www.consignesdetri.fr/
To obtain such a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients, we worked with Anne Flipo, master perfumer at IFF*, to create a radical set of specifications, prioritising responsibly sourced natural ingredients and limiting the use of allergenic or controversial ingredients.
As we want to be as transparent as possible with our consumers, here are the three substances that make up the Girl fragrance:
By combining these three components, we were able to achieve such a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients.
*IFF: International Flavors & Fragrances, an international company that produces fragrances for the perfume industry and flavours for the food industry.
The concentrate is the secret chemical formula created by each perfumer and is what makes a fragrance unique.
Here are the nine main ingredients of our formula.
THE TOP NOTES
Neroli extract (LMR NATURALS / SCIENCE OF WELLNESS™)
Pink peppercorn (LMR NATURALS)
Blackcurrant bud (LMR NATURALS)
THE MIDDLE NOTES
Orange blossom (LMR NATURALS / obtained using green chemistry)
Jasmine (LMR NATURALS / obtained using green chemistry)
Orchid accord (obtained using green chemistry)
THE BASE NOTES
Cedar: 100% natural essence (obtained using green chemistry)
Sandalwood (obtained using green chemistry)
Vanilla
OUR INGREDIENTS FROM LMR, Laboratoire Monique Remy
We chose to work with this producer of natural extracts, a leading name in natural ingredients for perfumery, flavours, cosmetics and aromatherapy. They provide us with ingredients that are 100% natural, traceable and responsibly sourced.
This means that the neroli, pink peppercorn, blackcurrant bud, orange blossom and jasmine found in our formula meet strict requirements concerning their naturalness, quality and respect for the environment.
At LMR, sustainable development isn't a philosophy or a theory. It isn't a passing fashion either; sustainable development is a daily commitment that underpins all their actions.
IFF SCIENCE OF WELLNESS™: in this programme, IFF holistically integrates consumer perceptions, neuroscience and artificial intelligence to reveal the emotional impact of ingredients and fragrances. Thanks to this, IFF selected the best ingredients associated with relaxation to create Rochas Girl. Neroli extract activates the areas of the brain associated with the state of peace and calm that is relaxation*. That is why we chose this ingredient to give our fragrance its FEEL-GOOD spirit.
*Study conducted in 2020 by IFF on a panel of 20 people aged 18 to 45 years old.
No animal-derived ingredients are used in our concentrate or the fragrance.
This percentage of green chemistry shows that our ingredients have been produced in an environmentally friendly way that adheres to the 12 principles of green chemistry.
The 12 eco-friendly principles of green chemistry, or “sustainable chemistry”, were actually declared some 30 years ago. To create according to green chemistry principles means committing to minimise waste when creating molecules, reusing materials as much as possible, creating and using non-toxic substances, using renewable raw materials wherever possible, etc.
Colourings, stabilisers and UV filters are normally an integral part of a classic fragrance formula. They are used to colour the juice of a fragrance and to preserve this colour over time.
For Girl, we chose not to colour the formula and to use no chemical additives (colourings, stabilisers or UV filters). This means that our fragrance has a natural colour determined by its ingredients. Its colour may vary slightly over time, but rest assured this phenomenon is completely normal. It does not impact the scent and all fragrances on the market are affected by this unless the formula is protected by chemical additives like colourings, stabilisers and UV filters.
We also chose to exclude controversial ingredients suspected of being endocrine disruptors to enhance the formula’s FEEL-GOOD aspect.
Allergens are naturally found in natural and synthetic ingredients. For Girl, we decided to limit their use and cut them down to just seven.
It is impossible to have a natural fragrance that doesn't contain allergens. To try to get the number closer to zero, the fragrance must contain mainly synthetic ingredients.
Contrary to what you might think, most allergens come from natural ingredients.
We selected a 99.9% natural beetroot alcohol, which:
Alcohol is one of the main ingredients of the Girl formula and represents 78% of the total formula, which is the average for an eau de toilette.
Alcohol is needed to ensure the perfume concentrate dissolves properly and the fragrance diffuses well without impacting the scent. It also creates a very fresh sensation, which is an essential component of a fragrance.
Our fragrance contains 7% water, a solvent that, in combination with the alcohol, forms its base and allows us to dilute the concentrate.