Chanel turns over a new leaf on Clean Beauty with No.1

The Camellia Japonica is the star ingredient in Chanel No.1's new Clean Beauty line. It couldn't be otherwise given the passion of the founder of the French fashion house, Madame Coco, for the flower that has been a recurring symbol in all of the brand's fashion and beauty collections since its founding and centennial. Even the name of the line brings with it an evolution: with the 100th anniversary of the No.5 fragrance just ended in 2021, Chanel decided to pay homage to the brand's heritage by starting again from the fundamentals, the number 1, which takes on a new twist that starts from Gabrielle Chanel's holistic vision: no duality between the mind and the senses, no distinction between reason and sensitivity, no separation of the body from the emotions, nor of a being from its environment. The collection is composed of nine products including a cleanser, a lotion, a facial mist, a serum, a face cream with refill, an eye contour for skincare and for make-up a foundation and lip & cheek balm with revitalizing action.

Chanel's new skincare and make-up line is eco-responsible: composed of 97% ingredients of natural origins, it seeks to minimize its environmental impact with a rigorous formulation charter and packaging designed for a reduced carbon footprint, where the Camellia also reigns supreme with 90% bio-based materials, 10% is derived from the flower. The active ingredients in the products are in collaboration with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna to curb senescence, a key mechanism involved in cellular vitality and a hot topic in medicine and not in the beauty business since it holds the promise that by targeting senescent cells we will be able to live longer, but above all in better health, as Sandra Forestier, head of Chanel's biology and clinical research department, tells WWD about the team's interest in the scientific development of the process:

"For this beauty line, we were really interested in the first stage of senescence [...] We wanted to prevent cells’ entering into senescence even though they are stressed by a hostile environment - pollution, for example."

Available for sale today, January 7, both on the shelves of authorized retailers and on the online site of the luxury maison, the line is not only able to intercept the market demand for a more sustainable and conscious beauty that cares about the environment and people. The formulations of the products are composed of 76% of natural substances derived from the Camellia, such as petals, seeds, oils and yeasts with known smoothing and nourishing power. Useful for preserving the skin's barrier and deeply moisturizing the skin, slowing down skin aging and dehydration due to atmospheric and other agents, and ensuring a luminous feel with continued use, the benefits of the Camellia Japonica are recognized by the beauty industry worldwide, which is why Chanel owns its own land where it cultivates its iconic flower using agro-ecological methods.