“Criticized for overlooking slavery risks, L'Oreal keeps eye on mica, executive says”

Author: Anastasia Moloney, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Published: 6 October 2017

French cosmetics giant L‘Oreal SA said on Thursday it has “zero tolerance” for forced labor in its supply chain and keeps a close eye on its mineral mica sources after a report criticized the company for failing to disclose slavery risks in its operations. The report… said some of the world’s top brands, including L‘Oreal, do not report the risks of slavery associated with mica, a sparkly mineral used in makeup… L‘Oreal said its commitment to sourcing sustainable mica in India is reported on its website and that its statement under the Modern Slavery Act should be read in conjunction with its public reporting… “We have been cooperating and engaging with local non-governmental organizations to work on this issue of mica,” [said] Emmanuel Lulin, L‘Oreal’s senior vice-president and chief ethics officer... [L’Oreal’s] “limited number of suppliers” in India obtain mica from legal mines where working conditions and human rights are closely monitored, according to the company website. Child labor is more common in illegal mica mines. [Lulin] also said L‘Oreal has undergone thousands of independent audits that looked into issues such as corruption and child labor, including more than a thousand last year.

[Refers to L’Oreal]