History
LAMAZUNA? WHAT'S THAT?
The story of Lamazuna Lamazuna is a brand that's been reducing waste in your home since 2010!
From solid cosmetics that enable you to avoid plastic bottles, to sustainable and durable accessories (such as our Oriculi – an eco-friendly alternative to cotton buds), we have a whole range of solutions to help you live a more environmentally friendly life! There's a story behind these products.
Perhaps you're already familiar with it? Laëtitia, the founder of Lamazuna, tells us more… "The story of the Oriculi goes back to my childhood. My mum wouldn't allow anyone to use cotton buds at home because, apparently, they could cause earwax to build up. So instead, we would take a toothpick, cut off the sharp end, and roll a small amount of cotton fabric around the tip. It wasn't something you could do very quickly, so we didn't do it very often, but our ears were all the better off for it! When I became a teenager, it was time to think about deodorants. I didn't really need one much, but it would be "so embarrassing" if I didn't put deodorant on in the changing rooms after PE lessons! But Mum didn't want us to use deodorants either, because it was said that antiperspirants could trap toxins inside the body and might increase your risk of breast cancer. So I went and bought one secretly and hid it in the back of my wardrobe. (Mum, if you're reading this, do you remember the shelf where my T-shirts were?) It wasn't that I wanted to go against her.
It was just that I didn't see how it could be possible that stores sold products that were harmful to our health. If they really were, surely other people (not just my mum) would know about it, and those products wouldn't be allowed to be sold! I'd never have thought that years later, I'd be creating my own natural, organic deodorant, or the Oriculi!" Lamazuna has grown a lot since then, but it's been a long journey to get this far.
Laëtitia has a few anecdotes to share with you about the history of Lamazuna. Read on and find out more!
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2010
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!Let's make introductions
Let's make introductions
HelGood morning ! I'm Laëtitia, I'm from Vendée. My father, a physiotherapist, met a lot of people during his consultations and came home with lots of stories in mind. Entrepreneurs particularly fascinated him.
I remember the day he said to me “Imagine the person who invented the clothes peg! It’s such a simple idea and yet it has simplified the lives of so many people!”. This marked me when I was already attracted by the creative and free side that entrepreneurship represented for me. If I had known that years later I would create my own business!lo! I'm Laëtitia, and I'm from the Vendée region of France. My dad is a physiotherapist, so he's always met lots of people through his work. He'd come back with stories that his patients had told him, and he found entrepreneurs particularly fascinating.
I remember one day he came home and said to me, "Imagine being the person who invented the clothes peg! It's such a simple idea, and yet it's made life so much easier for so many people!" This made quite an impression on me, at a time when I was already interested in certain aspects I associated with entrepreneurship, such as creativity and freedom. Who would have thought that a few years later, I'd be creating my own company?!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!FROM A DAILY CHORE TO A LIGHTBULB MOMENT
FROM A DAILY CHORE TO A LIGHTBULB MOMENT
It all began in 2010, when I decided to stop using five disposable cotton pads and make-up remover every day. Instead, I would use ultra-soft microfibre wipes that could be washed and reused hundreds of times. The idea came to me when I went away for a weekend with friends. I'd forgotten to take my make-up remover, so I improvised and used my microfibre bath towel to wipe my face. And that was when I had a surprise! All my make-up had gone. OK, a few of my lashes had gone with it, so clearly there was still some work to be done on the material, but it was interesting to see the effect of the microfibre on make-up. And that's how the washable cleansing wipes, which can be used with just water, were born. The rest of the Lamazuna range followed!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!A FRENCH BRAND WITH A GEORGIAN NAME!
A FRENCH BRAND WITH A GEORGIAN NAME!
Once I'd found the concept, I had to find a name. I knew what I wanted: lots of "a" sounds and, if possible, a Swahili name, something along the lines of "hakuna matata". But in the end, it was Nika, my housemate from Georgia, who came up with the name "Lamazuna", which means "pretty young woman" in Georgian.
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2011
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!LAMAZUNA GOES ONLINE
LAMAZUNA GOES ONLINE
The very first Lamazuna website was launched in December 2010. I did the coding and took the product photos myself! Luckily I was helped by my friend, Zhou, who designed the new logo, as my first version was a disaster! I didn't subcontract anything. The Facebook page was also developed and Lamazuna grew with it. Instagram didn't exist at the time.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!BUILDING THE BRAND BEYOND FRANCE
BUILDING THE BRAND BEYOND FRANCE
In 2011, we began selling Lamazuna products to our French-speaking neighbours, Switzerland and Belgium.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE BIRTH OF HOLY
THE BIRTH OF HOLY
In 2011, my dog, Holy, was born. Since then, she's been part of the Lamazuna adventure, following me everywhere – and that includes the Lamazuna offices! I think that's a good enough reason to add her to our timeline! Just look at that big, fluffy, loveable girl! She's absolutely irresistible! And by the way, at Lamazuna, everyone can bring their pet to work if they want. It makes for a happy atmosphere!
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2012
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE LAUNCH OF THE MENSTRUAL CUP
THE LAUNCH OF THE MENSTRUAL CUP
In 2012, I learned about the concept of menstrual cups thanks to my younger sister, and I began to introduce them at trade fairs. People were a little taken aback at first and wondered what this product was exactly. At the time, menstrual cups tended to be seen as something that only hippies used. But then @madmoizelledotcom posted a video about them, and within just two months, attitudes had completely changed. It was unbelievable! Overnight, we went from "yuck" to "look, it's a menstrual cup!"
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!SELLING AT MARKETS TO GROW THE BRAND
SELLING AT MARKETS TO GROW THE BRAND
In 2012, I set up a market to sell eco-friendly and organic products in Montreuil, on the outskirts of Paris. The aim was to give more visibility to small brands such as Lamazuna. Thanks to this market, I met other entrepreneurs, including the French brands Gaspajoe and Conscients. Organising the market was incredibly time-consuming, as I also wanted to include workshops, a space where people could eat, and other activities. But it was an amazing success, with around 1,000 visitors each time. I ended up handing over responsibility to someone else, but we still get a lot of pleasure out of organising workshops at the Lamazuna store!
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2013
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!ORICULI: A NAME INVENTED BY LAMAZUNA!
ORICULI: A NAME INVENTED BY LAMAZUNA!
In 2013, I brought out the first Oriculi. It wasn't a first for the concept (which comes from Asia), but it was a first for the name. This kind of product would usually just be called an ear cleaner, but I felt that the name should be a little bit sexier! At the time, I wanted the Oriculi to be made from metal, so that once you bought one, it would last a lifetime. But unfortunately, many people were worried it would feel too cold, so I opted for bamboo instead.
In 2020, we accomplished the amazing feat of making the Oriculi in France without increasing the price! After three years of research, the solution we found was to make it from bioplastic. This also fulfilled my initial intention: to offer an ear cleaner with a lifetime guarantee! We later found a way to make it in France again… but this time, from wood!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!ZERO WASTE HOME, THE BOOK BY BEA JOHNSON, IS PUBLISHED
ZERO WASTE HOME, THE BOOK BY BEA JOHNSON, IS PUBLISHED
More than a book, a guide to zero waste! Bea Johnson grew up in France, then later moved to the United States – the country of overconsumption. In her book, she talks about how she become more aware of the importance of reducing waste, and switched to a zero-waste lifestyle. An inspiration for Lamazuna! "Zéro Déchet", the French version of her book, is included in our welcome pack for all new Lamazuna employees.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE FIRST TREE PLANTATIONS
THE FIRST TREE PLANTATIONS
2013 was also the first year when I was able to support a community project that would have a real impact on the environment, through Lamazuna. I chose to plant trees in Peru via a partnership with the social business, Pur Projet. Since then, we've continued to support agroforestry projects, but mostly in France.
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2014
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!LAUNCH OF OUR FIRST SOLID COSMETICS
LAUNCH OF OUR FIRST SOLID COSMETICS
It wasn't until 2014 that our first solid cosmetics were born! I managed to find a soap factory in the south of France where all our solid products could be made using traditional methods and removed individually from their moulds by hand! This collaboration enabled the soap factory to create 12 new jobs at the time. In some ways, nothing has changed since then. We still work with the same soap factory, and thanks to this wonderful collaboration between it and the Lamazu'lab, we continue to create wonderful products!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!LAMAZUNA JOINS INSTAGRAM
LAMAZUNA JOINS INSTAGRAM
As soon as Instagram launched, I wasted no time in creating an Instagram page for Lamazuna. It provided us with another communication tool and is a great way to stay in touch with you! Since then, our Instagram account has evolved a lot and new Lamazunians have joined the team to manage all our social media.
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2015
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE COP 21 IN PARIS: THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED
THE COP 21 IN PARIS: THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED
The 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris, and the legislation that followed, were a turning point for the planet, and really raised awareness about environmental issues. Pollution became a problem that had to be addressed, and reducing waste became a real solution! It was also a turning point for Lamazuna, as this was when the brand began to see much stronger growth.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE FIRST TWO LAMAZUNIANS ARE HIRED!
THE FIRST TWO LAMAZUNIANS ARE HIRED!
Thanks to this increase in business, I was finally able to take on two Lamazunians to help me! Alexandra joined me to focus on the website, while Jeane, who you can see here in the photo with Holy, focused on sales. It was also the time when I could "employ myself", as I could finally pay myself some sort of a salary! And while each of us had our separate roles, we really had to multi-task and be flexible, as between us, we had to handle everything!
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2016
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE LAMAZUNA WORKSHOP-STORE OPENS IN PARIS
THE LAMAZUNA WORKSHOP-STORE OPENS IN PARIS
The team was growing and we needed offices, and at the same time I decided to open a Lamazuna store in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Using salvaged materials to fit it out, we opened a workshop-store where you could buy our products either wrapped or unwrapped. Our offices were upstairs, and that's where we held zero-waste workshops for the public! This tradition continues today, with one zero-waste workshop every month.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!SUPPORTING NGOS AND CHARITIES
SUPPORTING NGOS AND CHARITIES
Following on from the agroforestry projects, I decided to support Surfrider Foundation Europe by donating €1 to this NGO for every set of Mochi-Mochis sold on our website. In 2021, our mass market brand, The Green Emporium, took over the support for this NGO, with Lamazuna focusing on agroforestry projects instead.
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2017
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSE!
THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSE!
We're very attached to Ulysse – our renovated van! Ulysse was "born" in 2010 and began life as a horse van, before arriving at Lamazuna in 2017. We gave it a completely new lease of life using repurposed wood, and named it "Ulysse" after the famous French song (based on a famous French poem), "Heureux qui comme Ulysse a fait un beau voyage" (which loosely translates as "Happy he who, like Ulysses, has had a beautiful journey").
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE TOUR DE FRANCE!
THE TOUR DE FRANCE!
Ulysse certainly had lots of happy journeys, as we travelled all over France in our renovated van for over two years! While we were already holding workshops about zero waste and veganism in our workshop-store in Paris, we wanted to hit the road and take our message directly to people, whether they were zero waste followers or newbies! The first Lamazuna Tour de France took place in 2017, and we repeated it in 2018.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!FROM 0 TO... 12!
FROM 0 TO... 12!
By 2017, there were 12 people in the Lamazuna team, all of us based in Paris.
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2018
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!THE ECO-SITE PROJECT
THE ECO-SITE PROJECT
For a long time, I'd had this idea of having a permaculture garden and finding a way to avoid using (or needing!) lunch vouchers. In 2018, this idea finally started to take shape. What if we had our own company restaurant? We'd have more control over our kitchen waste! And as we pursued one idea, another one came along... What if we provided the food for this restaurant via our own permaculture garden? We could build an environmentally friendly site, with a space that would include our offices, the vegetable garden, a permaculture garden, a mini crèche, and more. It would be the Lamazuna eco-site!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!FROM PARIS TO THE DRÔME REGION
FROM PARIS TO THE DRÔME REGION
If we wanted this eco-site idea to become a reality, we had to leave Paris. I discovered the Drôme region, the team visited the area with me, and most of them wanted to follow me on this new adventure. So we packed our bags and headed to the Drôme – which was France's leading organic region at the time! There were twelve of us, along with our families or partners. We arrived in Marches in July 2018 and set ourselves an objective: to find the ideal site for Lamazuna within a year!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!A PRICE REDUCTION FOR OUR SOLID COSMETICS
A PRICE REDUCTION FOR OUR SOLID COSMETICS
2018 was also the year when we could start reducing some of our prices! We were really happy to be able to lower the prices of our solid shampoos, solid deodorant and solid toothpastes. And we made ourselves a promise: from then on, as soon as we could, we would put down our prices, to make zero-waste products more affordable for everyone. And we've kept our promise! In 2019, we reduced the price of our toothbrushes. In 2020, we did the same for our unwrapped products. And in 2021, the price of our solid facial cleansers went down!
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2019
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!45 EMPLOYEES AT OUR OFFICES IN THE DRÔME!
45 EMPLOYEES AT OUR OFFICES IN THE DRÔME!
Once we'd arrived in the Drôme region, we were able to hire lots of new Lamazunians from the region and all over France. We began to divide the company into different departments, so that tasks could be distributed as efficiently as possible. Here you can see some of the team in our Drôme stockroom in 2019.
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!ZERO-WASTE WORKSHOPS... FOR CHILDREN!
ZERO-WASTE WORKSHOPS... FOR CHILDREN!
After two journeys around France with our Tour de France and a move to the Drôme region, Ulysse, our converted van, was starting to get bored in our car park! So we decided to use Ulysse for zero-waste workshops aimed at children in local schools. Discussions, craft workshops, and even sports activities… We've found lots of ways to raise awareness among young children about the importance of reducing waste!
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2020
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!10 YEARS OF LAMAZUNA!
10 YEARS OF LAMAZUNA!
2020 was an eventful year for Lamazuna. We celebrated our 10th anniversary – and our pink zebra got a new look for the occasion! Celebrations were held in both Paris and the Drôme region (in between two lockdowns...), where we were joined by the press, our retailers, and you, our customers!
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!MORE PROJECTS TAKE SHAPE
MORE PROJECTS TAKE SHAPE
In 2020, there were 70 employees in the Lamazuna team, all working together and remaining true to the brand's ethics and values. Our long-term aim is to have 150 Lamazunians, but no more! That's the perfect size for us all to be able to communicate with each other without needing an overly strict framework. Oh, and something else very important happened in 2020! We were given planning permission for our eco-site, and work could finally begin!
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2021
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!NEW GOALS AND COMMITMENTS
NEW GOALS AND COMMITMENTS
In 2021, we've been more motivated than ever! We began the year with plans to launch 15 new products and reformulate five, for a zero-waste bathroom. We've also started to introduce products for the kitchen, and 70% of our products are now certified organic (compared with 30% before). We're working towards making 100% of our products in France and we continue to support projects close to our hearts. We're doing everything we can to satisfy your needs and demands, and to bring us all even closer to a zero-waste future!
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2022
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!ANOTHER PRICE DROP FOR OUR PRODUCTS
ANOTHER PRICE DROP FOR OUR PRODUCTS
In 2022 it is the price of our wipes and our cups that we have been able to lower, once our molds and production tools are profitable, to make zero waste ever more accessible :)
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You are 1 click away from knowing everything!OUR LIFETIME GUARANTEES OUR BIOSOURCED PRODUCTS
OUR LIFETIME GUARANTEES OUR BIOSOURCED PRODUCTS
Dites-leur OUI pour la vie !
Toute notre gamme biosourcée ( L'Oriculi, l'organisateur de salle de bain et les manches de nos brosses à dents) est garantie à vie. Un produit se casse, nous le remboursons gratuitement
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