PARIS—Groupe GM is celebrating its roots with a collaboration with French cosmetics brand Caudalie. The guest amenity designer, producer and distributor, is now offering eco-friendly Caudalie products available in four- and five-star properties worldwide.
Groupe GM and Caudalie have partnered for eco-friendly hotel amenities.
Caudalie—known for pioneering the use of grape-seed polyphenols in facial treatment products—is a family-owned company much like Groupe GM, with its sights not only on providing guests with a luxury product, but also being mindful of the planet in the process.
The new amenity line—inspired by Caudalie’s Vinothérapie Spas—was made specifically for hotels. Properties carrying the new line include Hotel Marques de Riscal, a Luxury Collection hotel, in Spain; Les Sources De Caudalie in France; and The Yeatman Hotel in Portugal, among others.
“The big trend is the focus on naturalness and incorporating health-conscious, botanical ingredients,” said Laurent Marchand, president of Groupe GM. “Consumers worldwide are more and more conscious of the effects and impacts of their purchasing choices on the environment, are increasingly educated and choose products with a knowledge like never before. Hoteliers will make decisions that are going to involve ecology and turn toward sustainable solutions.”
Caudalie prides itself on using every part of the grape, from the seeds to the vine, for a natural anti-aging formula, while all raw materials used in the process are of controlled origin.
“Caudalie is engaged in formulating products that are natural, selecting environmentally friendly and active ingredients wherever possible and is continuously seeking new and innovative ‘green’ ingredients. Caudalie also uses the smallest proportions of preservatives possible,” Marchand said.
The products encapsulate the signature Fleur de Vigne scent, a blend of white rose, watermelon, pink peppercorn and citrus. The new line has 40-ml shower gel, shampoo and conditioner that come in clear purple-tinted bottles, as well as a body lotion in a clear non-tinted bottle, all with flip-top caps.
Also part of the collection are two paper-wrapped botanical solid soaps—available in both 25g and 50g—enriched with avocado butter.
“The mild soap is a botanical solid soap using palm oil from RSPO-Certified, sustainably managed palm plantations,” Marchand said. RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Certification ensures a sustainable standard of palm oil production.
In addition, there are six 300-ml Ecopumps of shampoo and body wash, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion and hand wash. Accompanying these products is a wooden tray with the Caudalie signature.
“The toiletries we have developed with Caudalie are in line with their retail products, so as to create a link between the hotel and amenity business and the retail world. This is why we have used the same graphic charter, fragrance and packaging—so that the customer easily identifies a brand. All our formulas comply with the European cosmetic regulation and with Caudalie’s Cosm’Ethique Charter,” Marchand said.
All of Caudalie’s products are composed of natural-origin ingredients—up to 97%—which is an extension of Groupe GM’s own brand values, Marchand said. This isn’t a new venture for the company; Groupe GM has a dedicated commitment to preserving the environment and promoting an ethical standard for cosmetics. In addition to its eco-friendly packaging, Groupe GM uses formulas made from natural and plant-based ingredients.
“The surface-active agents boast over 90% biodegradability, and the formulas don’t contain formaldehyde, phthalates, ionizing radiation or parabens,” Marchand said. “We also develop formulas that are made with natural perfumes, herbal extracts, essential oils and vegetable oils and don’t contain any ingredients of animal origin, sulfates, mineral oils, colorants, Phenoxyethanol, SLS or SLES.”
In addition, formulas are dermatologically tested and aren’t tested on animals. All organic products are certified by Ecocert and Cosmebio accredited, Marchand said, meaning products are natural and produced with respect to the environment.
“Already, some of the packaging is made from recycled paper or ‘stone paper.’ Groupe GM is actively evolving the use of plant-based plastic to avoid the packaging containing components of petrochemicals,” he said.
“We are also committed to supporting nongovernmental organizations that take surplus soaps and bottles from hotels, sterilize them when required and then distribute them to disadvantaged communities around the world.”
Caudalie’s values align with this as well, as the brand is part of the “1% for the planet” movement and donates 1% of its global sales to NPOs that work to protect the planet. “By 2020, six million trees will be planted around the world,” Marchand said.
Groupe GM also recently announced Care About Earth, a development program covering the company’s environmental and social actions.
“It’s bound to become an integral part of our corporate strategy worldwide. Through Care About Earth, we aim to reduce our footprint on the environment and to contribute to sustainability to protect the planet for many generations to come,” Marchand said.
According to Marchand, Groupe GM is also in the process of developing additives that help accelerate the decomposition of chemical structures found in plastics, helping to make its packaging oxo-biodegradable, something vital for an industry that’s making strides toward sustainability.
“Caudalie offers a unique concept, a true identity and brings added value to a hotel,” Marchand said. “Hotel customers should feel excited to discover a new brand, reassured to find a brand they often use at home or grateful to finally be able to try this world-renowned brand they’ve always wanted to try, but just didn’t get the chance to.” HB
