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SUSTAINABILITY AT LA MER

Our Commitment to Sustainable Production

Nature is the most precious treasure we have. It provides life, sustenance, and the air we breathe. It offers countless creatures a home and is boundless in its beauty and diversity. An intact nature provides lush green forests, majestic mountains, picturesque valleys, vast plains, and deep oceans. The sea, with its fascinating natural treasures - many of which have yet to be discovered - has captivated us at La mer in particular. It's no wonder, as we owe the foundation of our unique skincare to it: sea silt.

WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

What does sustainability mean for La mer?

At La mer, we believe that the Earth is our home and its nature is our habitat. That's why we consider respectful and appreciative treatment of our environment and its precious natural resources to be our duty – for us and for future generations. That's why we prioritize responsible production, clean and cruelty-free cosmetics, and carbon-neutral shipping. We use eco-friendly energy sources and actively participate in various environmental conservation projects.

Sustainability represents something inherently fundamental – thriftiness, as well as a conscious and respectful approach towards the people and things entrusted to us. This leads to an attitude and behavior that we aim to practice daily within our company.

Michael Bommers
CEO of the La mer Cosmetics AG

Sustainable Cosmetics – Clean Beauty

Sustainability, for us, also means crafting clean products from naturally sourced ingredients. We stand for eco-friendly cosmetics that offer maximum compatibility and effectiveness. That's why we wholeheartedly embrace Clean Beauty: In all our cosmetic products, we avoid petroleum-based and synthetic, hard-to-degrade ingredients like paraffins, PEGs, silicones, and parabens. These are often used as cost-effective alternatives to natural ingredients but typically provide little to no skincare benefits. In fact, over the long term, they can lead to issues such as skin irritations and blemishes and are suspected to trigger allergies in some cases. These hard-to-degrade substances enter the environment through wastewater, causing lasting pollution in bodies of water and landscapes.


What goes into our products?

Instead, we harness the power of the sea: Our unique Sea Silt Extract forms the foundation of our sea cosmetics. It is complemented by other valuable marine ingredients, rich plant-based oils, and especially skin- and environmentally-friendly active agents. We are constantly seeking high-quality and effective alternatives to synthetic ingredients – which we still use in small quantities in our products – such as perfume oils, sun protection filters, and biotechnological agents in anti-aging products. We are diligently working to transition all La mer products to environmentally friendly, microplastic-free alternatives – a transition we have already successfully made for most of our products!


Dermatologically Tested – Cruelty-Free

For us, environmental protection also means animal welfare. We cannot and do not align animal suffering with our company values – and that has always been the case. Since its inception, La mer has been committed to cruelty-free cosmetics! Therefore, there are no animal tests conducted by us today, and we do not commission animal testing, in accordance with the European Cosmetics Regulation. However, our products are rigorously tested for safety. We collaborate with various dermatological institutes that conduct compatibility tests on humans for each product. These tests are specifically designed for sensitive skin and can only be passed with flawless results. This ensures the highest level of compatibility without any animal testing.


Does La mer offer vegan cosmetics?

Yes, many of our products are vegan. However, for some of our premium creams, lotions, and serums, we also use raw materials of animal origin, such as beeswax. We use this valuable resource very consciously and sparingly, and we strictly adhere to sustainable production practices.

La mer is committed to responsible production

We have set strict sustainability criteria for the production of our products and have aligned our entire production process accordingly. This begins with the procurement of raw materials: whenever possible, we prefer sustainable products from local sources and use only raw materials that align with our company principles. We carefully plan our raw material needs and purchase only what is truly necessary. This helps us avoid the wastage of valuable resources and prevent non-sustainable disposal practices.


Green Energy

Sustainability starts at La mer from the moment we turn on the lights at our headquarters in Cuxhaven. This is because we source the electricity for it – and for our entire production – from our own facilities. In 2022, we put into operation our extensive photovoltaic system, which generates a significant portion of our electricity needs. Any surplus energy is fed back into the public grid for the benefit of the community. In terms of gas, we also opt for sustainable sources: we use Climate Pro natural gas, which supports internationally certified projects aimed at improving the carbon footprint. These include:

  • Projects for green electricity generation from methane gas in Germany
  • The utilization of solar energy in India
  • Projects for green electricity generation from wind energy in Bulgaria

This not only has a positive impact on the environment but also enhances the social conditions at the respective project locations.


Sustainable Packaging

To minimize our environmental impact and reduce unnecessary packaging waste, we at La mer are constantly working to make our packaging more sustainable. Many of our products already feature recyclable or packaging made from recycled materials. The individual components can be separated for easy disposal: glass jars can be placed in the glass recycling, plastic in the recycling bin, and cardboard outer packaging in paper recycling. For many products, we also offer refills that allow you to reuse dispensers and jars. This not only saves packaging materials but also benefits your wallet, as refills are available at a lower price.


Sustainable Shipping

Furthermore, we also prioritize recyclable packaging in our shipping practices. For instance, we use packages with paper tape instead of plastic, allowing you to dispose of the cardboard boxes in your paper recycling without concerns. We also use recycled paper for packaging materials to ensure that your products arrive safely, intact, and in an environmentally friendly manner. Your orders are shipped in a climate-neutral manner with DHL Go Green, which helps offset the CO2 emissions associated with transportation, addressing the environmental impact of every shipment.

We are aware that La mer's journey towards sustainability is far from over. There is still much work to be done! However, we are working passionately and with conviction to achieve our goals and, if possible, go above and beyond.

La mer Cosmetics AG

La mer and Environmental Conservation – Our Commitment

Sustainability within, environmental conservation outside &nsash; We don't limit our responsibility for the environment to just our own company. That's why we aim to support environmental conservation efforts wherever they are actively pursued. Since 2015, we have been involved in sponsoring the preservation and restoration of the unique salt marshes in the Wadden Sea National Park. These salt marshes are not only the birthplace of our Sea Silt Extract but also the habitat for numerous animal and plant species, such as the avocet.