08 Nov The Story Behind ROSECITRON: A Dedicated Women’s Team!
« December 20, 2014, I celebratedmy birthday a few days early by launching my new artisan soap company, ROSECITRON. I was then jumping into the void to give wings to my project that would, very quickly, become larger than life. »
Pioneer in zero waste cosmetics, this proudly Quebec-based company is committed to handcrafting natural products that are affordable, eco-responsible and vegan, that benefit our environment and your health. Let Roxanne Clément-Gauvin, founder, tell you the story of ROSECITRON 👇
Where a Natural Cosmetics Company Started
As far back as I can remember, I have always been the little green girl. In 1997, when waste production and management were still relatively marginal issues, I would give my relatives a hard time (with goodwill) for not recycling ♻️ And this environmental flame never really left me… However, it was rekindled about ten years later when I realized that the ingredients that made up my cosmetics had nothing for them: not eco-friendly, not ethical, not safe for health, not affordable for some. Nothing justified the purchase and use of such products, except the fact that they were the only ones covering the shelves of the widely available stores near my home.
By the time I was 34 (hey, you’re never too old or too young to make your dreams come true!), my inner flame was still burning 🔥 and even brighter! I firmly grabbed the torch and set out on an ambitious journey: change the way cosmetics are consumed to make a difference in this world. Nothing less!
The steps came naturally. Testing initial recipes in my kitchen 👩🔬 coming up with questionable results 🥴 continuing to believe 🤞 starting over ↪️️ coming up with conclusive results 🎉. Conclusive enough that I quit my job, took a course in herbalism 🌿 and launched my business (the beautiful and radiant ROSECITRON we know today!)
« Combine natural, non-synthetic, non-chemical and non-animal ingredients, add a big dose of love, a touch of happiness and a team that firmly believes in its project, and it is the perfect recipe! »
– RCG
In 2016, a second realization hit me hard: my cosmetics generated too much waste. My desire to develop a line of bulk cosmetics instantly grew. No sooner said than done! In addition to making eco-responsible products, ROSECITRON now offers the possibility to buy without producing any waste: moisturizer, toothpaste, deodorant, you name it! It is still one of my greatest pride to offer ABORDABLE bulk products.
As we say, the project has made little ones! The points of sale started timidly. Montreal, Laurentians, Capitale-Nationale, local ecological stores, big stores, franchises. More and more merchants were jumping into this collective effort to reduce waste. Today, ROSECITRON products can be found in 230 points of sale in Canada, where we can bring our containers and fill them.
The Team: The Lifeblood of a Young Quebec Company
Alone, I knew that the ROSECITRON project would not have reached its full potential. I had the reflex to surround myself with people who shared my dream, my vision and who were driven by the same concerns. To this day, the company has five magnificent women on its team who are also committed to making a real difference every day.
« Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. Jumping into the void is both scary and exhilarating: it’s what allows us to bring to life the craziest projects that have been germinating inside us for so many years! »
– RCG
Enlarge the family with the family! Natacha is my little sister and she is also our Mother Theresa: a big heart on two legs. Having worn many hats within the company, she is now our beloved administrative assistant. She saw me going for some time, the fire in my eyes, and could not help but jump in the project! Natacha is an outdoor lover with a big heart. Between sharing her latest expeditions ⛰️, she takes care of everyone’s well-being, including ROSECITRON, whom she considers her niece!
Mélissa is our great determined woman who always goes forward 😀 Pleasant, smiling and easy to approach, our business development manager approaches suppliers, clients and merchants with candor. Her empathy allows her to understand the difficulties that some partners face in relation to a zero waste shift. But she always finds the right word, the right trick to put them at ease 💡
Some of my long-time friends also joined the adventure. ROSECITRON was becoming a family and friendship story! This is the case with Amanda, who is our little sunshine, always cheerful, sweet and passionate ☀️. She is also known for her 1001 passions: food, travel, DIY and yoga 🧘 If you feel so much love when you unwrap your packages, it’s because Amanda puts so much heart into it!
I met Marie-Hélène, the woman with the infectious smile, through her sister when they were planning to go to the desert in Morocco to raise money for breast cancer research. She is our work bee, the one who makes all the products with heart and she works really hard 🐝. From the moment she joined our team, she knew this was what she really loved doing in life. A revelation that quickly became a love story!
We believe that collaboration is the key element that allows everything to come together. Working together allows our journey to be faster and more enjoyable. It also allows us to combine our beliefs and implement sustainable practices in our business life, such as not having any garbage in the workshop and taking our recycling directly to the sorting center!!!
As you can see, ROSECITRON is our story, a team story 💚 The five of us thank each other for believing in ROSECITRON and especially in a better world. We all have the conviction that it is TOGETHER that we will change things so that future generations will know the lush richness that nature has to offer us. To run in forests, to observe an incredible biodiversity, to breathe in the fresh air and especially to live in a world without waste.
This article was written as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021, declined under the theme of responsible entrepreneurship. At ROSECITRON, we recognize the importance of highlighting the work of all the members of our team, in addition to including environmental and social imperatives in our operations.
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