Here at its camellia farm and open-sky laboratory, CHANEL has been leading a large-scale camellia project since 1998. And it is here that the camellia seedlings from two of the mother plants that Gabrielle Chanel ordered more than a century ago are still said to be seeded by the House today. A commitment to plant conservation that is complemented by the tireless efforts of a dedicated team working to combine advanced scientific research with the pure wisdom of nature. 

So it is that N° 1 de CHANEL effortlessly combines the key CHANEL Research realms of camellia science, skin senescence, and the art of formulation. This marks the first time that the House has sought to combine skincare, makeup, and fragrance all in one collection. And, under the philosophy of ‘beauty ahead of time’ this series features a tightly edited curation of only the essentials—like the multipurpose Lip and Cheek Balm, infused with red camellia oil, and like the lightweight Powder-to-Foam Cleanser or L’Eau Rouge fragrance mist, with its grounding notes of musk and its fruity flourish, which unfurls into a heart of jasmine-rose.

There is something so romantic about a jar of crème and the reverent ritual of its daily application. I personally have very fond memories of such beauty objects, perched atop my mother’s bedside table and upon my grandmother’s nightstand before her. But what if it were not just these rituals that could be passed down by our ancestors, but also the very vessels themselves? What if, rather than inheriting waste from our forebears, we were instead able to inherit earth-positive practices and thus come together in the spirit of sustainable beauty? This is a philosophy that lies at the heart of N° 1 de CHANEL—a conscious collection of skincare, cosmetics, and a fragrance mist that has been crafted by the House with the natural environment in mind.

Where many modern beauty products contribute vast amounts of waste to the world—from excessive packaging to harmful synthetic ingredients and a “more is more” approach—CHANEL is paving the way for an increasingly responsible, forward-thinking approach to beauty. Featuring a pared-back routine of nine essential products, N° 1 de CHANEL employs a holistic approach and delivers us with a sustainable series of anti-ageing products that are both effective and eco responsible, all at once. 

Partnering with Finnish start-up Sulapac on sustainable packaging for this latest collection, CHANEL has made a conscious decision to minimise excess such as paper leaflets, plastics, and synthetics—instead prioritising recyclable and refillable glass jars, organic inks, and reduced-weight vessels that are crafted from predominantly bio-based materials. 

Mother Nature isn’t just part of the packaging conversation here, though, it also infuses the range at every level. Using up to 97% nature-derived ingredients, the N° 1 de CHANEL products have Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s favourite flower— Camellia japonica—at their heart. In particular, the red camellia, or “The Czar”, which has been found to have remarkable revitalising benefits that help to prevent and correct the five signs of ageing. And which fills the fields of Gaujacq in France with petals of rouge.

For me, though, there is a special sort of magic in the N° 1 de CHANEL Revitalising Cream—a refillable moisturiser that is concentrated with both red camellia extract and red camellia oil. Its silky application recalls memories of my grandmother applying her own crème of an evening and mornings spent cuddling up in my mother’s bed as a girl. In my mind’s eye, I can see this beautiful jar—red, like the flower it is infused with—not only on my own nightstand, but also on that of my descendants in some years to come. Future beauty. 

I am intuitively drawn to this idea of inheriting the vessels as well as the beauty rituals. And of these vessels coming to symbolise not just the container for our powerful memories, but also a shared commitment to sustainability practices where beauty is concerned. Striking objects with a story, set to become as iconic as that storied bottle of Coco’s own CHANEL N° 5. 

For, just as I have inherited some of my most treasured beauty rituals from my mother and grandmother, so has CHANEL inherited the beauty vision of Gabrielle Chanel. One that perceives ‘no duality between the mind and the senses, no distinction between reason and sensitivity, no separation of the body and emotions.’ 

Indeed, our beauty rituals do tend to be charged with emotions. And thus, it feels ever so natural that we should gravitate towards a collection that looks after both body and soul—a journey from the skin to the mind. All in the name of Mother Nature and, most especially, her fields filled with the regal red camellia. 

 
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