The story
Founded by Olivier Baussan in 1976.1
History
Founding and early years
In 1976, 23-year-old Olivier Baussan began producing essential oil from wild rosemary and lavender using steam distillation, which he sold at open-air markets in his native Provence. The following year, he revived the traditional art of Marseille soap-making in Manosque using an old soap factory. The first L’Occitane factory and boutique opened in 1981 in Volx, a village in Provence. The company’s name, L’Occitane, is derived from the French term for “the woman from Occitania,” a historical region of southern France where the Occitan language was traditionally spoken. The name reflects the brand’s Provençal heritage.
Ownership changes and expansion
In the 1990s, Baussan sold a majority stake in the business to venture capital investors to finance expansion, which reduced his role in management.
In 1994, Austrian businessman Reinold Geiger acquired a 33% stake in the company and became majority shareholder in 1996. He invited Baussan to return as creative director, while shifting the company’s focus toward international marketing. In the late 1990s, the company adopted the name L’Occitane en Provence to emphasize its regional heritage and international appeal.
French cosmetics group Clarins became a financial investor in 2001 through a subscription of convertible debentures, eventually holding 23.3% of shares. In 2007, management executed a leveraged buyout, raising Geiger’s stake to 48.7% and reducing Clarins’ stake to 10%.
Global growth
In January 2021, the company’s U.S. unit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey, citing rent costs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company exited bankruptcy in August 2021 with a restructuring plan that provided for full repayment of debts.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the company initially announced it would keep its Russian stores open to protect employees from retaliation. Days later, L’Occitane reversed its position and closed its Russian shops and website, although operations later resumed under a separate local entity.
50th anniversary
In line with L'Occitane's 50th anniversary in 2026, the retailer had a rebrand with its almond collection newly renamed as "Amande Sublime". Forbes magazine described the new packaging "more cohesive, sleek and sophisticated, but the heart of the brand remains the same." CEO Adrien Greiger stated: "50 years is both an achievement and a challenge... This anniversary opens a new chapter focused on a reasserted brand cause: Crafting life ties, with heart and reason. For the next 50 years, L’Occitane en Provence has undertaken to preserve its heritage while reinventing itself, by thinking globally, acting locally, and offering beauty inspiring to all generations."
In April 2026, L'Occitane appointed South Korean actor Park Bo-gum as its 50th anniversary brand ambassador for his "warm and authentic image" which "aligns with the brand's philosophy of respecting nature and people".
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The L'Occitane Foundation
La Fondation d'Entreprise L'Occitane is a private organisation founded in 2006 by the company, with a budget of €4 million over 6 years, to support visually impaired people and help the economic emancipation of women; it supports associations for the visually impaired, particularly in Burkina Faso with NGOs that are specialised in training professionals to reduce blindness. The L'Occitane Foundation has formed a partnership with Orbis, an organisation that fights against avoidable blindness in developing countries. To support economic emancipation of women, the L'Occitane Foundation partnered with the association Faa-I-tuora to improve the way of living of people in Dissin, in the South West region of Burkina Faso.
In 2013, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) decided to recognise L'Occitane en Provence as an exemplary company within the framework of its 2013 "Growing Inclusive Markets" initiative. Since 2013, L'Occitane Foundation has rewarded an ophthalmologist every two years for his work in the fight against blindness. In 2013 Professor Volker Klaus received the first l'Occitane Sight Award with a €50,000 grant for his action in Africa.
From Wikipedia’s article on L'Occitane en Provence, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4