To combat the spread of COVID-19, the beauty industry is stepping up in a big way to support at-risk personnel and populations, turning manufacturing facilities into sanitizer production sites, and supporting non-profit organizations with charitable campaigns.
Read on for the some of the latest industry efforts to help stop the Novel Coronavirus…
Coty Inc.
The makeup and fragrance producer, best known for brands like CoverGirl and the Gucci and Calvin Klein perfumes, is now utilizing its facilities to produce hydro-alcoholic gel. The hydro-alcoholic gel can be used as hand sanitizer, and will be donated to medical and emergency services personnel. Coty expects production and donations “will reach tens of thousands of of units per week.”
Additionally, sanitizing products will be provided to all Coty employees and pharmacy staff at the hydro-alcoholic gel manufacturing plants and distribution centers.
L’Oreal
The behemoth personal care brand recently launched a corporate donation and employee match campaign, to support Feeding America. Feeding America is a nonprofit organization of 200+ food banks that feed over 46 million people via pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. L’Oreal will donate $250,000 to Feeding America, as well as match additional employee donations dollar for dollar, up to $25,000.
L’Oréal’s North American manufacturing plants are also set to begin the production of alcohol-based hand sanitizer this week. The sanitizer will be donated and delivered to “U.S. employees, partners, and healthcare professionals working on the frontlines of this emergency,” according to an official company statement.
L’Occitane
Natural beauty manufacturer and distributor L’Occitane recently donated almost 200,000 hygiene products to the Clean the World Foundation. Clean the World Foundation provides resources focused on water, sanitization, and hygiene to populations affected by homelessness, poverty, or crises.
L’Occitane’s donation to CTWF included: “74,000 (50ml) bottles of shampoo, 40,000 (50ml) bottles of conditioner, 12,000 (50ml) bottles of shower gel, 33,000 (50ml) bottles of body lotion and 27,400 bars of soap,” according to Happi.
Clean the World plans to use the donated L’Occitane supplies in hygiene kits, to be sent to shelters all over the country.
LVMH
The French conglomerate behind luxury brands like Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Givenchy has turned their factories over to the production of sanitizer gel.
The sanitizer gel will be donated to 39 French public hospitals and health services personnel. LVMH expects to donate 26,455 pounds of hand sanitizer “by the end of this week.”
Additionally, LVMH will add two new production lines, solely for the creation of sanitizer, from its Givenchy factory in l’Oise and its Guerlain factory near Chartres.
ORLY International
To help address the current sanitizer shortage, the popular nail care brand is reconfiguring its Los Angeles nail polish factory operations to include the production of 75% alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The sanitizer will be vegan and cruelty free.
The first 10,000 units from production will be donated to the City of Los Angeles “with a special emphasis on serving the city’s at-risk homeless population,” according the company’s website.
Unilever
Unilever recently unveiled its “United for America” initiative, in order to support Americans impacted by the coronavirus. Under the initiative, the parent company of brands like Dove and Tresemmé will donate more than $8 million USD of key supplies like soap, food, personal care products, and home cleaning products to affected Americans.
The initiative also includes a partnership with Feeding for America and a National Day of Service on May 21, to provide another estimated $12 million of support to COVID-19 impacted American citizens.
Unilever will also send 200,000+ face masks to New Jersey hospitals.
