Clarins introduces eco-conscious Explore Beautifully concept to Asia Pacific region
The Clarins Explore Beautifully pop-up kickstarted in Hainan, China, in collaboration with China Duty Free Group, in November 2023
French skincare brand Clarins, which boasts a deep-rooted expertise in botanical innovation, has intensified its “all-encompassing” approach towards sustainability and environmental responsibility.
In partnership with China Duty Free Group (CDFG), Clarins Travel Retail Asia Pacific has introduced its latest eco-conscious Explore Beautifully pop-up at the cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Hainan, China.
According to the brand, the immersive pop-up “serves as a pivotal moment in Clarins’ enduring commitment to responsible beauty, spotlighting the brand’s vision for the future of beauty with a strong emphasis on sustainability and love for nature”.
Clarins believes that the allure of travel destinations can be preserved and enhanced if natural beauty is safeguarded. “As global citizens, our intrinsic curiosity and desire to immerse ourselves in the wonders of nature carry the profound responsibility of conservation,” the brand stated.
Customers could scan a QR code to activate a digital guide to the Clarins Beauty Trail via a WeChat mini program
In line with Clarins’ sustainability initiatives, eco-design plays a major role in this Explore Beautifully pop-up, influencing everything from its conceptualization to material choice. Every effort was made to reduce material use without compromising aesthetic value. Incorporating a range of sustainable materials with environmental certifications, the pop-up prioritizes the use of recycled or recyclable elements. All ironware is organized for recycling, 80% recycled post-consumer acrylic is used and all wood panels hold FSC certification. The outer carton packaging for travel-exclusive sets is crafted from FSC-certified paper from sustainably managed forests, printed with soy-based ink and gift pouches feature eco-friendly materials such as natural fibers.
In a collective effort to make a positive impact, Clarins is inviting its customers to join the brand on its journey dedicated to respecting nature and preserving biodiversity at the Explore Beautifully outpost.
Jacques Courtin-Clarins, Founder of Clarins, said, “For Clarins, beauty is meaningless without humanity, generosity and openness to others.”
Dorothy Liu, Deputy General Manager of China Duty Free Group, Perfume & Cosmetics, Central Merchandising Division, commented, “CDFG is pleased to support Clarins in this Explore Beautifully pop-up where we can have the opportunity to educate travellers and consumers alike on the finer points of Clarins ingredient sourcing, ethical product formulation, and eco-conscious packaging. The strong commitment of Clarins to responsible beauty is especially inspiring and we are honored to be able to work together to bring this beautiful story to our consumers.”
Alexandre Callens, Clarins Global Travel Retail President, added, “Once more, we are delighted to have collaborated with CDFG and rolled out Explore Beautifully, our exceptional from-plant-to-jar ingredient story. This pop-up again expresses Clarins’ deeply rooted dedication to sustainability and brings a new spotlight to our unwavering commitment towards our mission: ‘Making lives more beautiful, passing on a more beautiful planet’.”
The Explore Beautifully pop-up kickstarted in Hainan, China, in November 2023, introducing customers to the world of Clarins through four designated zones.
In Zone 1 customers could scan a QR code to activate a digital guide to the Clarins Beauty Trail via a WeChat mini program. This guide allowed them to collect digital stamps through their journey amidst the immersive nature-inspired canopy and offered the chance to take home Clarins products selected for their skin’s needs.
Zone 2 focused on Clarins’ Ethical Sourcing efforts and Nurturing Communities, encouraging customers to learn about the ways Clarins cares for the planet, and how cosmetics and ethics meet. They can also discover the sustainably sourced ingredients that are key to Clarins skincare, and how Clarins gives back to the communities and to the consumer.
Zone 3 featured a personalized beauty routine with a Clarins beauty expert, assessing their unique skincare needs and providing advice and solutions while Zone 4 encouraged customers to make an interactive commitment on a digital pledge wall and contribute to Clarins’ sustainability drive. Every pledge made either at the popup or a website in Hainan will result in the planting of a mangrove tree via a collaboration with the Blue Ribbon Ocean Conservation Association (BROCA). Additionally, every customer receives a special gift upon completion.
A 360° Omnichannel Experience
Expanding on the immersive omnichannel encounter provided by the Explore Beautifully pop-up, Clarins introduced additional digital touchpoints for travelers, such as a livestream and a dedicated website where consumers can make a sustainable pledge. Leading the livestream on November 2 across CDFG platforms was the renowned Chinese singer-actor, Daniel Zhou (周柯宇). Known for his positive and compassionate image, as well as his passion for skincare, Zhou engaged viewers in four distinct segments: Explore Beautifully, Source Beautifully, Formulate Beautifully and Live Beautifully.
The livestream showcased Clarins’ commitment to environmental stewardship, emphasizing the significance of botanical extracts in their products. With an impressive viewership exceeding 17 million, it effectively conveyed Clarins’ dedication to protecting the planet and the efficacy of the brand’s skincare formulations.
Clarins introduced its Explore Beautifully concept to Hong Kong consumers late last year
Making its route around Asia, the Explore Beautifully event also featured in Hong Kong and Singapore in November 2023 and moved to Thailand for December. Pledges collected in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand will contribute to the planting of trees in Darjeeling, India, via a long-running partnership with PUR Projet to preserve biodiversity in cooperation with local communities.
Sustainability focus
Since 1954, Clarins has dedicated itself to enhancing life’s beauty through its core mission, ‘Making life more beautiful, passing on a more beautiful planet’. This ethos extends into its corporate social responsibility mission. Grounded in a profound love for nature, Clarins said it “harnesses the power of plant science, backed by extensive research and development”. The brand strives to craft the most natural formulas through Fair Trade Programs, ensuring ethical sourcing that uplifts communities. Those Fair Trade Programs help Clarins give back to the broader communities in multiple ways. By harnessing the Leaf of Life in Madagascar for the Double Serum, Clarins enhances sanitary conditions and gives children greater access to education in Madagascar.
Similarly, The Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which sources its Moringa in India, helps the brand improve access to water and generate income for local communities. The cultivation of Hazelnut in Turkey for Clarin’s popular Lip Oil results in the provision of technical, financial, and social support to farmers, while the trade of Shea Nuts and Butter in Burkina Faso for the Extra Firming Range helps Clarins to protect shea trees in shea parks and improves access to water.
According to Clarins, the company “consistently reassesses, reformulates, and repackages its products”. Some of its most iconic bestsellers are also packaged in outer cartons made with FSC-certified paper harvested from sustainably managed forests. With 21 fair trade supply chains in locales such as Madagascar, Burkina Faso, and India, the brand supports local communities, developing long-term partnerships that combine social aid and economic development while cultivating plants required to create Clarins formulas.
In the French Alps, Domaine Clarins serves as an open-air laboratory, growing, collecting, and observing alpine plant species sustainably using organic farming practices, characterizing its expertise in a place that is pollution-free and sustainably managed. To reduce over-consumption and limit waste, Clarins also prioritizes ethical consumption by sourcing all its paper and cupboard materials used in the outer carton packaging of products from sustainable forests. By 2025, Clarins aims to be plastic neutral, using only recyclable containers or recycled plastic.
Aiming to embrace a circular economy, the brand is committed to using easily recyclable materials. In cases where recycling is not assured, particularly with plastic, Clarins plans to incorporate post-consumer recycled material (PCR) derived from single-use packaging.
