Can you introduce Oden?
ODEN (the poetic union of Ode and Eden) creates cosmetics made from plants grown in France such as evening primrose, borage, hazelnut and cherry. The brand works exclusively with local farmers , concerned with respecting French biodiversity .
What is your background? What inspired you to get started?
I am 28 years old and I graduated from a business school. Passionate about botany and cosmetics , I have been creating my own products for 5 years now. I worked for 2 years in the cosmetics industry, where I realized 2 things:
- there are far too many chemical ingredients in cosmetics today
- no brand uses natural ingredients of French origin in their products: they bring ingredients from the 4 corners of the world and "assemble" them only in French laboratories
This is a shame, because vegetable oils have the same properties as fruits and vegetables : the more local they are, the faster they arrive in your bathroom, and the more they retain their vitamins and essential fatty acids (and therefore the better they are for the skin!)
So I decided to launch a range of 100% natural and fresh cosmetic products, all of whose ingredients are grown and processed in France, using short supply chains.
Your mother is your partner. Why this choice? Is it easy to have a family partnership?
I made this choice because my mother trained as an agricultural engineer , which perfectly complements my "commercial" training.
I am very creative and love marketing , while my mother is more thoughtful, organized and likes to "plan" .
Our two profiles are therefore very complementary.
I also find it interesting to be from two different "generations". We do n't always have the same point of view , and our exchanges are interesting and constructive.
It's not always easy, but overall the family association is going very well!
Developing a cosmetic product is supposedly long and complicated. What's the process? What were your biggest challenges?
It's definitely been a long time coming! We launched the brand in December 2017, but I 'd been working on the project with our partner farmers for almost two years .
We are super happy with the brand's debut , we sold our first production in less than 4 months, which is well above our initial forecasts.
Starting this fall, ODEN products will be available at Galeries Lafayette and select Naturalia stores. Less than a year after our launch, we're incredibly proud !
However, we encountered many difficulties : the regulations for cosmetic products are very strict, so it is necessary to be accompanied by a specialist. You also need to know the plants and manufacturing methods well , manage relationships with farmers, do commercial prospecting, marketing, administration, etc. So I would say that the main difficulty is having to manage everything ; you have to be self-taught, otherwise it is impossible to launch a cosmetics brand.
What is your current product line? What are your upcoming products?
Today we offer a range of 7 Botanical Oils , which are exceptional facial treatments . There is an Oil for every skin type. Even for oily skin ! We have also launched a small lip balm, made from only 5 natural ingredients , all French of course!
Do you have a beauty routine to share with us?
Of course !
Morning Routine : I spray organic floral water on my face to gently wake up and tone my skin. I then apply 3 drops of Cherry Botanical Oil (my current favorite) all over my face. I wear light makeup (powder and blush), using an organic brand , of course!
Evening routine: I remove my makeup with cold -process soap . I spray organic floral water on my face again to complete the makeup removal. Then I change my oil, choosing Evening Primrose to plump the skin overnight! I also apply a little French balm to my lips, so they can regenerate well during the night.
Convinced? In any case, we're fans of this inspiring journey and the traceable, beneficial, and natural products!
See you soon,
🎀 THE SCRUNCHIE TEAM 🎀