Who are we?

The story of ZAO

Natural and organic as an obvious choice

Zao Make-Up is a makeup brand owned by the company Cosm’Etika France. It was co-founded in 2012 by four friends. Passionate about nature and aware of the environmental impact of our consumption habits, they chose to develop an organic makeup brand aligned with their core values. This led to the creation of Zao Make-Up, the first refillable makeup brand made with 100% natural ingredients and certified organic by Cosmébio.

It all began in Asia…

The inspiration came from Asian countries, for which one of the founders, David Reccole, has always had a deep passion. A true traveler at heart, he visited India, Vietnam, China, and many other countries several times. The idea was born when a Taiwanese friend gave him a bamboo mechanical pencil and pen set. Seeing these two cylindrical objects with such thin walls sparked an idea! If it was possible to make a pen, then it would also be possible to create lipsticks and other makeup packaging made from bamboo. Upon his return from Asia, the four friends embraced the idea, and the ZAO adventure began…

The beauty of bamboo on the outside, the benefits of bamboo on the inside

Convinced that a certified organic makeup line should use natural packaging, the elegance and modernity of bamboo quickly became an obvious choice for the four friends. All trees store carbon, but bamboo’s exceptional growth rate makes it a champion in carbon capture throughout its life cycle. This allows ZAO products to maintain a reduced carbon footprint. Bamboo is also incorporated into the formulas in the form of sap powder, leaf hydrosol, or bamboo rhizome macerate. This plant is rich in organic silica, an element naturally present in our bodies that contributes to collagen production and helps preserve tissue elasticity. Bamboo is what gives ZAO Make-Up its originality and unique identity.