Decisively free-spirited, committed, and accomplished, Marilyne Reuschle knows exactly what she wants: to leave behind products that are beautiful, natural, and alive. Since founding Art&Cos, a laboratory specializing in natural cosmetics, at just 28 years old, the visionary founder has stayed true to her path.
To anyone who comes to her with a “copycat” brief (“Make me the same product as this brand”) or a greenwashing project, this radiant entrepreneur simply closes her lab door. Truth be told, Marilyne Reuschle doesn’t need to chase clients. They come to her. “We only respond to about 10% of the requests we receive.” More than a laboratory, Art&Cos is a way of life where ethics are inseparable from business, and every product is developed in harmony with Marilyne’s environmental and human values… with total transparency. While much of the cosmetics industry remains secretive “laboratories don’t open their doors and often produce odorless, colorless products made from silicone, derived from petrochemicals”, natural cosmetics are far more demanding. “Some ingredients can cause irritation, and plant oils evolve over time…” These challenges are what drive Marilyne and her team of 30 to craft magnificent oils and other formulations without dyes, texturizers, or any substances harmful to health.
A 360° vision of the product
Trained as a biochemist with a focus on material extraction, Marilyne had a defining encounter during her studies that opened the door to cosmetology. After earning a master’s degree in cosmetic research at the prestigious ISIPCA school and completing an apprenticeship at Yves Rocher - “a truly great house” - she mastered the fundamentals of raw materials, formulation, galenics, regulatory standards, and sensory analysis. An experience at a major cosmetics group, though valuable, left her unsatisfied creatively and sparked her curiosity for marketing and international business. “I took evening and weekend classes at Sup de Luxe, a school founded by Cartier, then worked for two and a half years for a niche cosmetics brand, BE O, created by a jeweler and based on precious stones.” Yet she had no control over R&D, which was outsourced to a lab. To gain a 360° vision of natural cosmetics and oversee the entire value chain, Marilyne decided to create Art&Cos. “I wanted to support brands from A to Z, from formulation to industrial production.” Starting from home, she worked as a subcontractor for niche brands, “first small batches of 100 units, then 1,000…” Before renting a space, buying it, and upgrading it to meet cosmetic production standards. As success grew, she hired her first employee… Today, she brings on three new team members every year, all passionate and driven by purpose.
“Nature is freedom: it is self-sufficient. Humans only draw from it, and often deplete it. During the pandemic, we rediscovered a glimpse of our humanity. It’s up to us now to change our era and return to what truly matters.”