Olivier Baussan: It’s not just about making soaps
September 18, 2005 | 12:00am
Standing tall, charming and handsome, Olivier Baussan, the founder and CEO of L’Occitane, exudes the essence of his beloved Provence. He looks warm, refreshing and clean-cut even as he wears rugged blue jeans and a black T-shirt on a sweltering summer day under an ancient willow tree in Salagon.
"I love this place because it has a soul," Olivier smiles as he points to the ancient church beside a garden where the flowers and trees of Provence are in full bloom.
He is not your usual corporate man, certainly not this guy who would rather break bread and sip wine with journalists on a long, comfy wooden table where a sumptuous buffet of about l0 dishes, mostly vegetarian, thank God, whets our appetite way before lunchtime.
The son of a journalist and an artist, Olivier certainly is a true Renaissance man whose entrepreneurial vision is matched with an intense passion and creativity. And a lot of heart.
When not working on new scents and products for L’Occitane, Olivier enjoys biking, cooking and travelling "to discover new people and stories." He is an avid fan of Lao-tzu, a collector of folded art and poetry, and a co-author of two books entitled Flavors of the Mediterranean and Olive Oil.
Here are excerpts from our interview with this eco-preneur:
PHILIPPINE STAR: How did your obsession for creating scents and bodycare products begin?
OLIVIER BAUSSAN: When I recall my childhood in Provence, it is the fragrance of honeysuckle that first comes to mind. This fragrance used to accompany me down the road which led from my parents’ farm to my school. Three kilometers of olfactory pleasure, heightened by the song of the farmers as they harvested lavender in the summer, or while they gathered olives when the first flakes of snow arrived. These fragrances and customs had a long-lasting influence. Twenty years later, I bought an old still to make my own l00 percent natural rosemary essential oil. With this product, L’Occitane was born.
So technically, would that make you a botanist?
Once, my daughter Laure asked me what I did for a living. I told her that I made beauty products. She was surprised. At home, she’d always hear me talking about traditions, plants and essential oils. I would tell her stories about the women who gather shea nuts in Africa or the men in Haute Provence, deeply attached to their lands, who collect the fruits of the almond tree or harvest lavender. For her, the words "beauty products" seemed to contradict the simple products I was developing. She thought of me as an ethnologist or botanist. At L’Occitane, I always want to do more than just observe. I want to pursue traditions by using the plants from my Provence to create truly unique beauty products.
What makes L’Occitane different from other companies?
For me, it’s not just about selling soaps or shower gels. It’s about building a link between the people who plant and harvest, and the people who buy the products. I want to show the human work. We call this respect.
I understand L’Occitane was the first company to receive an award for using braille on products.
Yes, we also have a deep respect for the blind and the handicapped. We train our employees to learn the sign language so they can communicate with the deaf. We use braille on our products so that the blind can appreciate them with no need for guidance. In October, we will be including a dark room in certain stores where customers can get the feeling of the fragrance like a blind person would perceive it. Called Dans le Noir, this room will have the blind leading people who can see. We will open one in London and another one in Brussels too.
How environment-friendly is L’Occitane? I know you are also very passionate about preserving the environment.
Yes, we have the greatest respect for man, animals and the environment. We never test our products on animals. Except for honey and milk, no animal product or by-product is used at L’Occitane. All of our emulsions and foaming bases are of vegetal origin. Our bags are made from seaweed taken from the Venice lagoon, for we want to show our support in the fight against pollution associated with algae. A forerunner in recyling, we use simple and brown-corrugated paper products. We never use synthetic products unless required by law, or where a natural alternative is not available.
L’Occitane is now very popular in Asia, including the Philippines, will you be launching any product sourced from Asia?
Yes, we are launching soon a green tea product with jasmine, in a packaging that is very Asian.
Will you visit the Philippines and other Asian countries when you launch this?
Yes, we visited the Philippines even before we launched L’Occitane at Rustan’s Essenses. And we will be visiting again soon.
What makes a woman beautiful?
For me, a real beauty is one who is interested in what lies beneath.
Do you recommend facelifts for women when they need it?
The thing is, women are now using products earlier, even at age l6, that would help them preserve and take care of their beauty so they would have no need for facelifts later on.
E-mail the author at milletmm_philstar@pldtdsl.net
"I love this place because it has a soul," Olivier smiles as he points to the ancient church beside a garden where the flowers and trees of Provence are in full bloom.
He is not your usual corporate man, certainly not this guy who would rather break bread and sip wine with journalists on a long, comfy wooden table where a sumptuous buffet of about l0 dishes, mostly vegetarian, thank God, whets our appetite way before lunchtime.
The son of a journalist and an artist, Olivier certainly is a true Renaissance man whose entrepreneurial vision is matched with an intense passion and creativity. And a lot of heart.
When not working on new scents and products for L’Occitane, Olivier enjoys biking, cooking and travelling "to discover new people and stories." He is an avid fan of Lao-tzu, a collector of folded art and poetry, and a co-author of two books entitled Flavors of the Mediterranean and Olive Oil.
Here are excerpts from our interview with this eco-preneur:
PHILIPPINE STAR: How did your obsession for creating scents and bodycare products begin?
OLIVIER BAUSSAN: When I recall my childhood in Provence, it is the fragrance of honeysuckle that first comes to mind. This fragrance used to accompany me down the road which led from my parents’ farm to my school. Three kilometers of olfactory pleasure, heightened by the song of the farmers as they harvested lavender in the summer, or while they gathered olives when the first flakes of snow arrived. These fragrances and customs had a long-lasting influence. Twenty years later, I bought an old still to make my own l00 percent natural rosemary essential oil. With this product, L’Occitane was born.
So technically, would that make you a botanist?
Once, my daughter Laure asked me what I did for a living. I told her that I made beauty products. She was surprised. At home, she’d always hear me talking about traditions, plants and essential oils. I would tell her stories about the women who gather shea nuts in Africa or the men in Haute Provence, deeply attached to their lands, who collect the fruits of the almond tree or harvest lavender. For her, the words "beauty products" seemed to contradict the simple products I was developing. She thought of me as an ethnologist or botanist. At L’Occitane, I always want to do more than just observe. I want to pursue traditions by using the plants from my Provence to create truly unique beauty products.
What makes L’Occitane different from other companies?
For me, it’s not just about selling soaps or shower gels. It’s about building a link between the people who plant and harvest, and the people who buy the products. I want to show the human work. We call this respect.
I understand L’Occitane was the first company to receive an award for using braille on products.
Yes, we also have a deep respect for the blind and the handicapped. We train our employees to learn the sign language so they can communicate with the deaf. We use braille on our products so that the blind can appreciate them with no need for guidance. In October, we will be including a dark room in certain stores where customers can get the feeling of the fragrance like a blind person would perceive it. Called Dans le Noir, this room will have the blind leading people who can see. We will open one in London and another one in Brussels too.
How environment-friendly is L’Occitane? I know you are also very passionate about preserving the environment.
Yes, we have the greatest respect for man, animals and the environment. We never test our products on animals. Except for honey and milk, no animal product or by-product is used at L’Occitane. All of our emulsions and foaming bases are of vegetal origin. Our bags are made from seaweed taken from the Venice lagoon, for we want to show our support in the fight against pollution associated with algae. A forerunner in recyling, we use simple and brown-corrugated paper products. We never use synthetic products unless required by law, or where a natural alternative is not available.
L’Occitane is now very popular in Asia, including the Philippines, will you be launching any product sourced from Asia?
Yes, we are launching soon a green tea product with jasmine, in a packaging that is very Asian.
Will you visit the Philippines and other Asian countries when you launch this?
Yes, we visited the Philippines even before we launched L’Occitane at Rustan’s Essenses. And we will be visiting again soon.
What makes a woman beautiful?
For me, a real beauty is one who is interested in what lies beneath.
Do you recommend facelifts for women when they need it?
The thing is, women are now using products earlier, even at age l6, that would help them preserve and take care of their beauty so they would have no need for facelifts later on.
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