And then there was one: N°1 de Chanel. Famous for its botanically powered formulas and fragrances, the house of Chanel Beauty has launched a new generation of beauty that preserves and fortifies skin’s vitality while indulging the senses, in the form of nine products centred on innovation, sustainability and the essentials.
A collection of beauty for the skin and senses
From the very beginning, Gabrielle Chanel fused efficacy and sensoriality, understanding there is no duality between the mind and the senses, no distinction between reason and sensitivity, and no separation of the body and the emotions.
The multi-faceted (and multi-functional) N°1 de Chanel line inherits this same ethos, presenting nine products spanning skincare, make-up and a fragrance mist:
Red Camellia Powder-to-Foam Cleanser
Red Camellia Revitalizing Serum-in-Mist
Red Camellia Revitalizing Serum
Red Camellia Revitalizing Lotion
Red Camellia Revitalizing Eye Cream
Red Camellia Revitalizing Cream
N°1 de Chanel L’Eau Rouge Revitalizing Fragrance Mist
Red Camellia Revitalizing Lip and Cheek Balm
Red Camellia Revitalizing Foundation
Born from an emblematic bloom
Just like many of Chanel’s iconic formulas, from Sublimage to Hydra Beauty, flowers lie at the heart of it all. Grown in Grasse, may rose and jasmine are some of the key raw materials in the inimitable, 100-year-old N°5 fragrance—and the development and preservation of these precious blooms have grown into a tradition for the house, which has partnered with the Mul family since 1987 to protect and help their plantations flourish. The last 20 years have seen the house apply the same production promises to its skincare products, with four open sky laboratories in different climate zones to not only cultivate and observe the riches of nature, but to also carry out some of the most advanced scientific research the beauty world has ever seen.
Since 1998 in the South-West of France, in the heart of Gaujacq village, is a project especially for the camellia, Mademoiselle Chanel’s emblematic flower. It was established in collaboration with Jean Thoby, an international camellia expert, and the botanical conservatory garden contains 2000 camellia varieties collected worldwide. Here is where the remarkable properties of a red camellia flower extract, from ‘The Czar’ variety of Camellia japonica, was discovered. Its name inspired by 20th century imperial beauty, this force of nature can withstand (and blossom in) some of the harshest environmental conditions, and boasts petals that contain a concentration of protocatechuic acid, a powerful molecule previously unseen in the camellias analysed by Chanel scientists.
A botanical treasure and scientific marvel
In short, this botanical treasure is capable of supporting skin vitality, empowering skin to regain health and remain healthy for a longer period of time. It’s naturally antioxidant-rich prowess also enables the formula to protect skin against multiple internal and external aggressors (like stress and the sun), improving the quality and clarity of skin while addressing the first stage of skin ageing.
These benefits and results were discovered by the Chanel Research team, who observed how the damage caused by internal and external aggressors accumulated in the heart of cells accelerates them into senescence, a key mechanism involved in cellular vitality. These cells then cease functioning at full capacity without being eliminated, and can represent up to 50 percent of total skin cells—thus disrupting the smooth functioning of other active cells, and leading to signs of ageing. House experts then tested the effectiveness of the most promising ingredients on models that reproduced the different stages of senescence for the first time, and the results obtained revealed the unparalleled prowess of red camellia extract.
As good on the inside as it is on the outside
Some of Chanel’s top priorities and development areas are in the realm of sustainability. The N°1 de Chanel formulas contain up to 97 percent ingredients of natural origin and include up to 76 percent camellia derivatives. No part of the camellia plant is wasted, with the extract providing revitalising properties, refreshing camellia water; red camellia oil obtained by pressing the seeds to preserve moisture in the skin; an extract of pichia type yeasy from the camellia microbiota to strengthen barrier function; and seed shells, which are used for their resilience in the Revitalising Cream packaging.
Reflecting the rarefied, raw ingredients that power its formulas, the N°1 de Chanel collection is just as respectful of nature on the outside. The full range of packaging is eco-designed—the designs of jars and bottles have been streamlined and weight reduced; 80 percent of the range are made of recyclable material like glass; the cream jar is refillable (refilling the Revitalizing Cream twice cuts its greenhouse gas emissions by half); the lids contains bio-sourced materials; and the inks, too, are organic.
