The BBC has exclusively revealed an alleged case of child exploitation at L'Oréal and Estée Lauder. As explained by the BBC in the article, the jasmine used in one of the perfumes of Lancôme (from the L'Oréal group), and Aerin Beauty (from Estée Lauder), was allegedly extracted by children. This ingredient is key to the following references: Lancôme Idôle L'Intense and Aerin Beauty's Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia.
As the BBC, which asked industry experts, tells the BBC, luxury perfume brands are reducing their budgets, which also means a reduction in salaries, and jasmine pickers admit they are forced to involve their children in the task. Audits to prevent such actions are ‘flawed and flawed’, the BBC has described them as ‘flawed and flawed’.
The British channel has obtained the testimony of one such mother who is forced to involve her children in jasmine harvesting. Her name is Heba and she lives in a district of the village of Gharbia, in the heart of the Egyptian jasmine. Heba wakes her family at 3 a.m. to help them harvest the flowers to avoid sun damage.
Heba's ten-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with a severe eye allergy and, as the BBC learned from the medical consultation they attended with the girl, she was warned that her vision would be affected if she continued to pick jasmine.
Despite the investigation carried out by the English-language media, it is difficult to say how many people have been involved in this case involving the L'Oréal and Estée Lauder brands, although several people in the Egyptian area claimed that they were forced to include their children in the jasmine collection tasks.
The main collection points are A Fakhry and Co, Hashem Brothers and Machalico. These factories export the jasmine oil to international fragrance houses where perfumes are created and Givaudan, one of the largest fragrance houses has an extensive relationship with A Fakhry and Co. A Fakhry and Co has explained to the BBC that they have a ban on child labour at both their collection point and factory, but most of the jasmine they source comes from independent collectors.
Givaudan declined to comment to the BBC on the grounds that it was ‘alarming information’ and that ‘it is everyone's responsibility to continue to take steps to eliminate the risk to children completely’.