After professional experience in the beauty sector, Clémentine and Camille conceived of eco-responsible products made in France. Since then, their "Les Petits Prödiges" range has been a hit!
Camille and I are very close friends. We met during our first year of studies and have been inseparable ever since! From that time, we dreamed of creating a company together, but it seemed like an unattainable dream. Once we graduated, we each worked in the beauty sector, which particularly interested us. Camille gained her experience in a large American company specializing in skincare, makeup, and perfumes, while I worked for a famous online product retailer.
When we met up, we always came to the same conclusion: there were too many products on the market! To look beautiful and take care of themselves, women were expected to have in their bathrooms a day cream, an eye treatment, masks, hand creams, body creams, a makeup remover, an oil for damaged hair... But were they all really essential? During a one-on-one dinner, we realized that a single product could meet all these needs. That's when the idea of "Les Petits Prödiges" was born: why not design a multi-functional balm? To align with our values, we wanted a product that respected all skin types, was 100% natural, and not tested on animals. Being very concerned about the future of the planet, I also wanted our products to be natural and eco-responsible. We wanted to return to the essentials, to basic care. At the time, product ranges of this type were not appealing, didn't always smell good, or had unpleasant textures. That's why ours had to be attractive, in pretty packaging, with scents worthy of classic cosmetics. Above all, "made in France" was paramount for both of us: we wanted to support the local economy and savoir-faire and avoid long, polluting transport. It was important to participate, at our level, in the development of "made in France"!
When we met up, we always came to the same conclusion: there were too many products on the market! To look beautiful and take care of themselves, women were expected to have in their bathrooms a day cream, an eye treatment, masks, hand creams, body creams, a makeup remover, an oil for damaged hair... But were they all really essential? During a one-on-one dinner, we realized that a single product could meet all these needs. That's when the idea of "Les Petits Prödiges" was born: why not design a multi-functional balm? To align with our values, we wanted a product that respected all skin types, was 100% natural, and not tested on animals. Being very concerned about the future of the planet, I also wanted our products to be natural and eco-responsible. We wanted to return to the essentials, to basic care. At the time, product ranges of this type were not appealing, didn't always smell good, or had unpleasant textures. That's why ours had to be attractive, in pretty packaging, with scents worthy of classic cosmetics. Above all, "made in France" was paramount for both of us: we wanted to support the local economy and savoir-faire and avoid long, polluting transport. It was important to participate, at our level, in the development of "made in France"!
While continuing our respective full-time jobs, we began to work on this project. We met in the evenings and on weekends, at one of our homes, to make progress. It's safe to say that during this period, we didn't go out much or go on vacation with our friends and family! With Camille, I had to work to refine our idea, conceive the name, the logo, and the packaging of our
brand. Most importantly, I looked for a chemist to formulate the recipe for our product. By chance, we met a wonderful one in an independent laboratory in the south of France. For her, I had a personal and professional crush! She helped us enormously to perfect our recipe and had the idea of adding vitamin E as a natural preservative.
brand. Most importantly, I looked for a chemist to formulate the recipe for our product. By chance, we met a wonderful one in an independent laboratory in the south of France. For her, I had a personal and professional crush! She helped us enormously to perfect our recipe and had the idea of adding vitamin E as a natural preservative.
On October 1, 2017, we launched a crowdfunding campaign online: on Ulule.com, we introduced our project and invited internet users to give us a financial boost in exchange for sending them products. It was a real success: while our goal was to raise 5,000 euros, we received over 21,000 euros in less than a month! The comments were very enthusiastic. This touched and encouraged us to continue. Between the initial idea and its finalization, our project took us a year. On November 1, 2017, we emotionally launched our multi-functional balm, which serves as a facial treatment, makeup remover, hand cream, body cream, hair-end treatment... Available on our website, it was then sold in various stores, in Monoprix and at Nature & Découverte. To meet demand, we assembled the packaging ourselves,
stuck on the labels, sent our products by post... Soon after, we left our jobs to dedicate ourselves 100% to our brand. Building on our momentum, we then created a deodorant in February 2019. Our pride? It was the first 100% natural, made-in-France, vegan, and biodegradable tube deodorant, meaning zero plastic! Once again, on Ulule, our product appealed: we received 4,000 pre-sales. A way to raise funds, without having to advance them, to launch large-scale production. For the past year, we have finally been able to pay ourselves a salary. For young entrepreneurs under three years old, that's a good sign. Our next challenge? To launch a solid soap and shampoo. Then, perhaps later, a toothpaste and washable cotton pads... I am very proud of our success and that our "Petits Prödiges" contain neither parabens, nor preservatives, nor sulfates, nor alcohol.
stuck on the labels, sent our products by post... Soon after, we left our jobs to dedicate ourselves 100% to our brand. Building on our momentum, we then created a deodorant in February 2019. Our pride? It was the first 100% natural, made-in-France, vegan, and biodegradable tube deodorant, meaning zero plastic! Once again, on Ulule, our product appealed: we received 4,000 pre-sales. A way to raise funds, without having to advance them, to launch large-scale production. For the past year, we have finally been able to pay ourselves a salary. For young entrepreneurs under three years old, that's a good sign. Our next challenge? To launch a solid soap and shampoo. Then, perhaps later, a toothpaste and washable cotton pads... I am very proud of our success and that our "Petits Prödiges" contain neither parabens, nor preservatives, nor sulfates, nor alcohol.
I am also happy to share this success with Camille: our friendship was an advantage in this adventure. We knew how to communicate with each other, there were never any tensions. A sign that our ten-year relationship is going strong, I was a witness at her wedding last month!
Clémentine
