Great Women behind Great Brands: Lani Le Berre, Co-Founder of Orris Paris
With wellness icons like Amanda Chantal Bacon raving about these botanical soap bars, we could’t wait to speak to the women behind the brand, Co-Founder Lani Le Berre. We talk about her personal wellness rituals, the unique look and feel of her brand ORRIS Paris and the power of independent beauty brands to change the narrative of what has been classified as the standard of beauty.
People are raving about your botanical soap bars. What is so special about ORRIS and the philosophy behind your brand?
Orris was created as a problem solving product. My co-founder Kenneth has suffered from eczema and psoriasis his whole life and after finding nothing available on the market that was both visually striking and functional for sensitive skin, he started making his own bar soap. Around this time, he began to be very interested in herbal remedies and holistic practices that had incredibly rich histories like herbalism and Ayurveda. After experiencing amazing results from the soaps, Kenneth gave me one of his bars to try and I started to use this in my shower in replace of liquids. I found that my skin felt much more hydrated and clean post shower and from here, we decided to launch ORRIS with 4 unique bars, each with their own persona and unique naturally derived fragrance while targeting a specific skin concern. When formulating our cleansing bars we made a conscious decision from the beginning to step away from Palm oil, tallow or lard due to their environmental impact. This was a challenge, but in the end, we found a perfect combination of extremely nourishing plant oils and butters which allowed us to achieve the same creamy lather and sensorial cleansing experience. We wanted to change the antiquated narrative that bar soaps are drying and are less beneficial for the skin than liquid cleansers. We transformed it into a beautiful luxurious object, crafted from the best herbal ingredients. Each bar has been specifically designed for the face and the body and cleanse while at the same time depositing nourishing oils back into the skin. Our bars are handmade in the South Of France using traditional artisanal methods and are hand poured, hand cut and cured for up to 6 weeks. Our ethos is harnessing botanicals to create an entire sensorial experience for your daily cleansing ritual.
Your products are inspired by the rich history of holistic practices. Which is your favourite ORRIS bar and why?
My favourite bar is Le Soliste which is the underdog of the 4 bars. People bypass the magic of this cleansing bar due to its fragrance-free composition. However this bar contains Fermented Rice Water, an amazing ingredient used in traditional saké making and part of Japanese cleansing rituals for centuries. During fermentation, rice proteins are broken down into skin-loving amino acids as well as conditioning Vitamins B and E. This is a bar for every skin type and will leave you hydrated and glowing after the first use.
What's special about your products is not only the ingredients but also their style. What inspired the unique ORRIS look and feel?
It was important to us that we not only had a great functioning product, but that it was also visually appealing. We designed Orris for people who love skincare, who are design sensitive and could include it as part of their carefully curated objects at home. Kenneth and I both come from a background in fashion so the visual element of the brand was very important to us. We worked hard on perfecting the visual framework of the brand from the shape of the bar, the colour block packaging, logo and storytelling details. We have been able to collaborate with great designers and artists that have been able to execute our vision and help us create a strong ORRIS visual universe.
When do you feel most beautiful?
When I am taking care of my mind. If my mind is not good, I will not feel beautiful.
What are your favourite Beauty and Wellness Rituals?
My wellness ritual is to be in nature as much as possible. I try to escape the city on weekends to experience some quiet and escape the noise pollution of Paris. Also, I try to take time to be alone everyday even for a short period of time. My beauty ritual is focused on my daily skincare routine. I cleanse twice a day with ORRIS, and switch up my routine during the week between retinol, glycolic acid night serum and skin hydration.
Are there any rituals that are part of your everyday?
I am not a morning person so I have tried to create a consistent daily ritual to help me get going in the morning. This involves lemon water upon waking, green tea, 10 quiet minutes wearing my LED face mask, a light stretch and fasting until around 12 or 2 pm everyday. These are the things that make a big difference to how I feel and if I fall out of this routine I really notice a negative difference. I also do not leave the house without SPF all year round.
A recent ORRIS Instagram Post says "Better with time: celebrating beauty, wisdom and vitality at all ages". What are your thoughts on slow-ageing and vitality as we age?
Your age should be defined by how you feel and how you choose to live your life. We need to embrace that we are going to age, we are going to change physically and there is nothing wrong with that. We can find things that can assist us with our ageing process and help us to nourish our bodies and skin, but ultimately we just have to accept it. The mind is such a powerful tool, it is important to work on our mindset and be open to learning, trying new things and sharing knowledge that we accumulate through our life experiences .
What are your thoughts on leadership and the role a brand can play in changing where the (beauty) world is going?
Increasingly, consumers are turning to independent beauty brands for new and innovative product offerings. There is more transparency in the way independent beauty brands operate in regards to formulation, sourcing, and sustainability and the way they place focus on fostering community while brand building. Through campaigns and visual messaging, brands have the power to help change the antiquated narrative of what has been classified as the standard of “beauty” for too long. Moving forward is about brands creating change, embracing diversity and redefining the beauty standards.
What are you currently reading?
I have picked up and put down “The Laws of Human Nature” by Robert Greene for the past 6 months. I am incredibly fascinated by psychology and human behaviour. As a non disciplined reader, I am determined to finish it by the end of the year,
To add these beautiful botanical soap bars to your curated beauty routine visit ORRIS Paris. Use code SPIRIT10 to get 10% off at checkout. *
Photo Credit: ORRIS Paris.
Lani was interviewed by Isabelle Brockbals, Founder of &Spirit.
*Affiliate Partnership.