Josie Maran is relaunching her eponymous brand, WWD has learned exclusively.
“I wanted to check in and make sure the line really reflects the woman I am today,” Maran said. “Ask: ‘Are we doing enough to help the planet? What do we stand for now?’ And doubling down on the original mission of sustainability and what I call chic-ological, which was to bring together high-quality, luxurious, chic, beautiful products and packaging that were also environmentally friendly and clean, or were called natural at the time. ”
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It was in 2007 that the model, actress and “clean” beauty pioneer founded her California-based skincare and cosmetics brand – long before the movement had a name. With argan oil at the core of its creations, the mission from day one has been to deliver products free of harmful chemicals, with the planet in mind.
“When I started the line, [I thought] “If I want non-toxic, eco-friendly, chic products, I’m pretty sure other people want them too,” said Maran, who was the face of Maybelline for a decade, appearing in numerous campaigns and with roles in “Van Helsing.” and “The Aviator.” “I really wanted to be the next generation to bring goodness to the beauty industry,” she added early on.
She is now reintroducing her hero products exclusively at Sephora in the clean category, starting with her line of body products. There’s the 100% Pure Argan Oil, Sugar and Argan Oil Body Scrub and Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter (one sold every 14 seconds, according to Maran). The last two are available unscented in the variants ‘Vanilla Vibezzz’, ‘Topless Tangerine’ and ‘Bohemian Fig.’ The trio will launch on February 29 in Sephora stores and online, as well as on josiemaran.com. Industry sources estimate the rebrand will generate $100 million in sales by 2024.
What is different now is the packaging and the scents.
In collaboration with William McDonough, known for his work in green and sustainable architecture, and Lance McGregor, a designer specializing in luxury beauty packaging, Maran offers more sustainable packaging with refills. The pure argan oil ($39, 1 oz.) is lighter, newly sourced and using a cold press system, packaged in a glass bottle that can be reused endlessly. And the refill ($76, 3 oz.) comes in an aluminum can with three refills. Once finished, the cap (post-consumer recycled plastic) and can can be separated and recycled.
The body scrub ($29, 6 oz.), in a glass jar that is infinitely recyclable, has refill pouches ($49, 13.5 oz.) printed with plant-based dyes and recyclable. The lid, also recyclable, is made of monomaterial plastic. The same can be said for the body butter ($36, 6 oz.) and its own refill pouches ($62, 13.5 oz.). And each product also comes in smaller travel packages.
“We have redesigned the line and reduced all materials as simple and pure as possible, removing as much plastic as possible. So it’s only glass bottles and jars. And we have PCR, so post-consumer recycled plastic caps and closures. And for the refilling system we have really calculated: if we are going to refill, this should generally have a lower CO2 impact. You are meant to use your bottle or jar over and over again for a lifetime. It is an heirloom.”
The new fragrances, all inspired by Maran’s upbringing in Northern California – where her brand ethos is rooted – use only botanical fruit and plant essences. She enlisted Jerome Epinette to create the scents. For example, ‘Bohemian Fig’ has top notes of oranges and lemon, with vanilla orchid in the heart and tonka beans and vetiver in the base.
“I went back to my juicy, joyful childhood and brought back all these memories and smells, smells from my childhood, and let him take them to the next level and make them super refined yet juicy and joyful,” Maran said. “It’s so deeply ingrained in us: ethics, mission, purpose, activism, social justice, everything,” she said of growing up in the Bay Area.
The restart has been three years in the making.
“Sixteen years ago, ‘clean’ was a radical concept in luxury beauty. And I think the industry has come a long way since then,” she said. “There are many people thinking about sustainability, but the impact on the environment has only increased. So I decided I needed to reset and get back to my DNA, but also check in with who I am today. And after all that checking in and resetting, I really wanted to urgently do something about plastic, the planet, taking care of mom.”
It is a continuous process of learning and evolving,” she added: “We are still trying. Progress over perfection. It goes step by step, but I really had to realize how much plastic we put on the market. And I really wanted to change that. Billions of tons end up in landfills and our oceans every year. It’s insane.” (According to statistics from Zero Waste Week, an environmental campaign to reduce waste, the beauty industry is responsible for 120 billion units of plastic packaging waste every year.)
Maran learned the importance of environmentalism and health when she was young, she said; With her mother growing up with chronic fatigue syndrome, and her grandmother, a professor at UC Berkeley, battling and beating breast cancer, she understood the role chemicals play in everyday products. Her goal was to bring those values to beauty.
With almost 17 years of experience in the industry, Josie Maran has grown to a team of approximately 70 employees. The brand is present on QVC together with Sephora.
“We’re hoping to really grow our community, but right now it’s amazing that it’s all ages,” Maran said of consumers.
The new drops also come with a new slogan: “Feel Good Naked.” It’s not about body positive but about body neutrality. Expect to see the campaign on TikTok.
“I really think it’s time to have a new conversation about our bodies,” says Maran, mother of daughters. “And I just want to stand for something more in terms of empowerment and how we talk about ourselves to ourselves and to each other.”
She continued: “While body positivity is well-intentioned, it can also feel very unattainable and make us feel guilty for not feeling positive enough about ourselves…. Body neutrality focuses on appreciating and respecting our bodies, not just for how they look, but how they can feel, and for all the incredible things they do for us. I appreciate this amazing body that brings us into our lives and gives us life.
What’s next for the brand?
“We’re really going to focus on Sephora, but I’m still focused on QVC and launching some great things there in 2024,” Maran said. “In July we’re actually launching the rebranding, the repackaging of my skin care lines, so the facial lines.”
The core of Maran’s success is perhaps its most important ingredient: argan oil, sourced from Morocco and Algeria.
“It empowers women. It is 100 percent organic, sustainable and fair trade. We will go back and invest in our beautiful women there, our beautiful country there,” she said of Morocco.
How did she find out?
“I was traveling in the south of France and met a very beautiful, older French woman at a party and asked her her secret, and she said argan oil. I thought, ‘Who are you? I need to know everything.’ We call her ‘Madame argan’ because I don’t have her name. And I don’t know where she is. If you ever find her, please send her my way.”
“We are so excited to continue our partnership with Josie Maran and introduce their new line of sustainable body care to our customers, exclusively at Sephora,” Brooke Banwart, senior vice president of skin care merchandising at Sephora, told WWD in a statement. “Powered by their signature argan oil, Josie Maran offers effective skincare products with a deep focus on ethical formulation and responsible packaging, which we know resonates with our community. We look forward to launching this exciting line as part of our growing body care range.”
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