The trend towards healthy beauty is part of a global movement of ecological and social awareness. What do these little pots with a thousand virtues contain? How are they made? Carcinogenic ingredients, endocrine disruptors, destruction of ecosystems, deplorable working conditions… the products of this industry do not only hide dark circles. Even if organic and ethical cosmetics remain niche, they tend to take an increasingly large place. While the global market in the sector has been growing at around 5% per year for a decade, the share occupied by organic is increasing at a rate of 9%. Thinking about the vast impacts of our consumer choices is changing the game.

Wanting to change the world

Mélissa Harvey didn't invent herself as an expert in organic cosmetology. Behind Zorah biocosmétiques, there is a young girl who dreamed of a fairer world. Twenty years ago, the Jeannoise with the pronounced accent launched a "small organic and eco-friendly café" on Beaubien Street in Montreal. Already a little ahead of her time. Already thoughtful and open to the world. "I lacked a few tools, so I decided to go do my master's degree at HEC. I was going to prove to them that environmental and social considerations were useful and that fair trade was profitable."

A successful bet since the spokesperson for the International Solidarity Center in Alma is today at the head of a prosperous company that employs around forty employees, and more than 2,500 Berber women in cooperatives in Morocco. "There is an opportunity in the market for companies that put sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) at the heart of their mission. Consumers are there and they are asking for it," explains Jean Martel.

"I came back from my internship with Oxfam in 2003 with a barrel of argan oil to sell to help these illiterate women preserve their nourishing lands. We should force our young people to do humanitarian internships abroad, it's good for the spirit of openness, and it creates infinite possibilities of added value for all. My greatest motivation with Zorah is to take part in the emancipation of women."

Mélissa and her ex-partner, co-owner, have been investing in argan oil production cooperatives for fifteen years. "It's not a marketing push, it's our values. We tell ourselves that we will have participated in creating a more humane society." It is obvious that the company does not engage in impact washing : it does not pretend to. Jean Martel explains that organizations like Evol do impact financing to support the capacity of companies committed to having positive effects on the environment, society and corporate governance. Financiers can now be agents of change.

Mélissa still works with those with whom she had first forged ties, marked by the authenticity and solidarity of the women among themselves, touched by their courage. She buys argan oil from them at a fair and equitable price. "Every year, we finance the cultivation of argan trees and develop new land. We have also built schools, a library, and even a nurses' meals on wheels."

The women are educated and learn how to run a business. “Today, they grow sprouts at home, on their windowsills, instead of buying them from gardeners.” Their autonomy is the determining factor for Mélissa. “Fatima, who couldn’t read or write, is now the chief accountant!” she rejoices. And there is Zoubida Charrouf, the chemistry teacher behind the fifty or so cooperatives, who has helped improve the production techniques of this ancestral know-how, and considerably increase the independence and income of Berber women. “She is a real legend. She is our David Suzuki of Morocco.”

Revolutionizing cosmetics

Mélissa Harvey can boast of being one of the pioneers in green beauty in Quebec. Not only does she work for human development, for sustainable and responsible production, but also for the transparency and quality of her products. "I'm changing the industry one pot at a time!" says the one whose luminous eyes are highlighted with black kohl, a nod to her peers.

“In one weekend, I had sold argan oil at the Jean-Talon market! I didn’t really know what I was getting into, I just wanted to help. I knew it was a very popular product, but that’s when I really got confirmation,” she recalls. Then an idea germinated, supported by a chance meeting with a renowned biochemist. With a dream in their belly, the couple embarked on the adventure. Three years of research and development later, Zorah biocosmétiques was born. “It took five years before I could get my first salary. We fought without looking around us in a very competitive industry, with a single goal in mind: to locally manufacture healthy, certified organic, ecological and fair trade products. We cleared the way and opened a niche that didn’t exist: high-end organic cosmetics in Canada.”

The performance of its products has earned it the loyalty of its customers. Argan oil is not the most expensive in the world for nothing. Years of research and innovation are hidden in its little pots (nine years for sunscreen), and no synthetic components. Exit mineral and animal oil, parabens of all kinds, ingredients toxic to the body and nature. "You have to learn to read labels. At the moment, methylisothiazolinone, a preservative created in the 1930s to stabilize paint, is coming back into soaps, foams and shampoos. Everyone has forgotten it, but it is the cause of serious illnesses."

Mélissa wants to educate and raise awareness. Zorah biocosmétiques is a company with values through and through. And these are not the only reasons for its success: volume and economies of scale are key. Mélissa is a good salesperson. She continues to “go out into the field” and tell her story. “I know every customer. Staying human pays off. I opened Quebec, one store at a time. When I had 45 customers, I hired a representative. Our chemist made the preparations in our laboratory, I finished the pots then put them in my car and went to sell them. Today, I have more than a thousand points of sale. In fact, I’m going to do my rounds as Santa Claus!”

The company is soon moving to an eco-responsible factory and is moving towards zero waste. Its packaging and containers are obviously recycled, recyclable and ecological. Zorah is revolutionizing the cosmetics industry by respecting both the environment and people. It is banking on innovation to continue to take the industry elsewhere, "one small pot at a time".