When industry creates the problem… and sells you the solution.
In what we call the Duplomb Law, the same industrial group can intervene both in the creation of an imbalance... and in its correction.
It's a well-established strategy, where health becomes a lever for profitability, not an end in itself.
Bayer: from the field to chemotherapy
Bayer, a chemical giant, is also one of the largest producers of neonicotinoids , the focus of discussions on the Duplomb Law - you probably already know the song.
According to their own report (2025), Bayer generates around 550 million euros per year from the sale of these pesticides.
And meanwhile...
Their oncology division is doing wonderfully well, generating between 1.5 and 2 billion euros each year. ( source )
Harmful substances are being sold in agriculture...
Then we sell the drugs to treat the illnesses they might aggravate.
Yes, they are their own ideal customer.
Hygiene & beauty: the silent capitalization on our children's skin
The cycle of care that damages to sell better
Did you know that all beauty giants own multiple brands? For example, L'Oréal Group owns around 38, Estée Lauder over 30, and Coty nearly 50.
Beneath its gentle and caring appearance, the cosmetics industry applies a well-oiled strategy : create (or aggravate) a skin imbalance... and then sell products that are supposed to correct it.
This invisible but profitable cycle often begins very early, in childhood. Here, we reveal the strategies these brands use to “build” a customer for life.
Step 1: The “fun and foaming” shower gel for 2 euros
It all starts with a children's shower gel.
Problem: it’s full of harsh sulfates (like SLS), which dry out the skin, weaken the skin barrier, etc.
Step 2: Is your skin damaged? Quick, a “repairing” cream
The skin feels tight, peeling, and red. Don't panic: here's the ultra-thick "repair" cream, often made with paraffin or silicones.
It masks the problem without solving it . Silicones, oils that come from petroleum, and even some vegetable oils, have no affinity with the skin structure of children's skin. This creates an excess of oil and unbalances children's sebum, to properly prepare for adolescence.
Stage 3: Adolescence, or the reign of "anti-imperfections"
Then comes the age of hormones. Sebum becomes unruly: too much or not enough. Just as during childhood, a ton of fatty products were applied to the face and body, the hydrolipidic balance is disrupted, and sebum starts to do a bit of everything!
We then apply "special acne" products, packed with salicylic acid, AHA, BHA , to really solve the problem of pimples. But with all the aggressive acids, the skin barrier is really disrupted, even the skin pores are sensitized because of all the anti-microbial active ingredients. We then prepare the skin to receive products for sensitive skin.
Step 4: Sensitive skin, juicy market
Your skin is now reactive, intolerant, ultra-sensitive.
No worries, says the industry: here is the "dermo-cosmetic" range , sold three times more expensive.
Stage 5: Adulthood = New Business Segment
⌛ Around 30, new storytelling:
“Repair your wrinkles”, “Preserve your youth”, “Correct the signs of aging”.
And here come the €90 anti-aging serums that don't really come from the fountain of youth. Let's be honest, when you look at the photos of the big bosses of beauty groups (except for cosmetic surgery), you know that anti-wrinkle products in cosmetics are still lifestyle marketing.
This is not a treatment cycle , it is a lifetime subscription .
And it starts with the baby's bath.
At LiLiKiWi, we make the opposite choice.
No formulas that cause imbalances and then sell the repair.
No compromise on ethics. No greenwashing.
While some focus on treatment, we focus on prevention.
Our treatments are formulated with extreme rigor, because for us, the best treatment… is the one you never need to use 💚
Our commitment?
Truly clean cosmetics, designed for children and transparent for adults.
We take care of the planet with a big heart and lots of little smiles 🌍✨
Images:
A sign saying "Duplomb Law Danger" by an activist against the law during a demonstration at Place des Invalides in Paris, July 8, 2025. | HENRIQUE CAMPOS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
@the little hazelnut