When Less is More

What kind of doublespeak is this? Less is more?!! What on earth could that be about?

A hint: ecology. Ecologists tell us that we have too much waste. Reducing it is the first step toward a healthier planet, and therefore, healthier people.

Freddy Schmid and Julie Garrigues, co-founders of “Less is More,” are not only trying to sell us beauty products, but to join a movement of conscientious consumers. Have you looked at the list on your shampoos and gels? What is often the first ingredient? Water, of course. Would you be surprised to learn that, on average, 5% of beauty products’ value is the active product, and the rest is water and packaging? Suppose you could buy a product where they cut out that waste and concentrated on value?

With less waste, you have more of the active product. More value. Substance over appearance.

I interviewed Freddy Schmid, the co-founder of Less is More, on a late April after morning in Paris. An unusually warm week, the timing was right to talk about our impact on the environment and how to reduce it.

“My ‘Aha’ moment,” he explained, “was in the bathroom of a chic restaurant in New York City in 2018.” Being in the beauty business, he was interested in the establishment’s hand soap. Turning the bottle around, he read that it was imported from—Australia! Shipping a product across the world that contained a majority of water made no sense to him. What if he produced a product that made sense?

He teamed up with a like-minded business partner, Julie Garrigues. Both had twenty years in the beauty industry and understood it inside out. They used this expertise, along with three years of research, to conceive their new line. They believed in not just providing a product, but encouraging new lifestyles.

In short, they shipped the powered products and their reusable containers to their customers. For example, a new product kit for shampoo contains the multiple-use pump and two sachets of powdered shampoo. The client pours a couple of tablespoons of water in the bottom of the container, adds the active ingredient, fills the bottle with water to the top, and shakes. Voilà! It’s ready for the shower. The lack of shipped water not only increases value, but decreases shipping costs, and decreases the carbon footprint. But Freddy and Julie didn’t stop there. They chose ingredients which are over 99% natural in origin, vegan, and free from parabens, microplastics, dyes, silicones, or other unnecessary additives. Everything is made in Brittany, France. Interestingly, the energy needed for production is far less than conventional products, since they don’t need to be heated. Single-use plastic is avoided and partnerships are valued.

At first, they used only 100% plastic containers, (to be used multiple times). With a huge source of recycled plastic available, this made sense, albeit counterintuitive. Soon, they added glass containers for the purists. Since the French are less likely to make political statements with their purchasing, they emphasized the sensorial aspect of the product. Quality, not quantity. Their products tempt us with such perfumes as mimosa, lemon, and lavender.

“What about the differences between cultures vis-à-vis their purchasing habits?” I asked. He said that the Germans and Anglo-Saxons are more political, whereas the French acknowledge the existence of a problem but wait for someone else to come up with a solution.

Problems and solutions dominate businesses, of course. Freddy studied all kinds of practical problems during his four-year business school stint in France, followed by a year of theory at the London School of Economics in London. His work experience includes many years at Coty, where he was the Chief Marketing Officer.

Julie Garrigues, or Jules, on her end, has more than 15 years of experience in marketing as a senior brand manager in the cosmetic industry. She also studied business sustainability at the University of Cambridge. To oversimplify, Jules is more pragmatic while Freddy is more idealistic. Ying and yang.

They have grand projects for the future: more coverage in the French market and expansion in the UK, Germany and Canada. As for the USA, they are developing a wait-and-see attitude because of the political climate.

Some people see problems; others see solutions. Julie and Freddy have identified one set. Too much is too much and less is more. It’s time to act.

Lessismore.co.uk