Seventy One Percent

Seventy One Percent is a French skincare and sun-protection brand founded by two surfers who wanted effective sun care made in France. The company dates its founding to 2009, though at least one third-party account records the launch as 2010. Its products are formulated and manufactured in France, and the range centres on high-SPF sun protection alongside daily skincare for the face, body and hair.

The brand name carries its philosophy: roughly 70% of the planet is water, about 70% of the human body is water, and a further 1% of sales is pledged to environmental and humanitarian causes — together, "we are all seventy one percent" [2]. It trades under a tagline of "Solar Living — Enjoy the sun, we'll take care of the rest."

Seventy One Percent was started by Marc Levy and Raphaël Vannier, two friends united by a passion for surfing [10]. According to the company's own account, they set out to create products made in France that met their needs as surfers while respecting their bodies and the environment. The founders framed the venture as a reaction against what the brand calls "the superfluity of marketing promises," putting protection and hydration at the centre of product development.

There is a minor discrepancy over the starting date. The company's history page and the retailer profile beauty.camp both give 2009 [2][10], while a Q&A published by the UK pharmacy John Bell & Croyden states the brand was established in 2010 [9]; the difference may reflect market launch versus incorporation.

The company positions itself around four stated values it groups under a "Mother Earth Approved" charter: efficiency, naturalness, eco-responsibility and solidarity. It describes its products as containing 80–100% natural ingredients and says it takes "a modern approach, without cosmetophobia" — accepting synthetic ingredients where they offer a genuine advantage. The brand also acknowledges plainly that "the perfect product does not exist."

Its audience is defined as surfers, sun and ocean lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts — described by one retailer Q&A as products "created by surfers but designed for demanding Nature Lovers" [9].

The range is built chiefly around sun protection, sold as fluids, milks, oils and sticks, together with facial care, body and hair products. Among its best-selling items are the Sun Kissed Lotion SPF50+, the Coucou Sun SPF50+ sun fluid, the Dry Sun Oil SPF30, and Second Skin, a multi-purpose balm.

According to the company, its sun-protection formulas exclude the filters oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene, as well as silicones and parabens, and use no nanoparticles; its mineral filters are based on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The brand states that 80% of its range is vegan, the exception being Second Skin, which contains beeswax [7], and that none of its products are tested on animals.

A central technical claim is ROKA Smart UV, described by the brand as a patented, photo-adaptive molecule that adjusts to light for up to eight hours of UVA protection [8]. The active ingredient is not developed in-house: the company states it was created by the Spanish deep-tech firm ROKA Furadada and produced by chemical synthesis [8]. The brand attributes anti-ageing benefits to the technology, including limiting UVA-induced collagen breakdown.

Environmental positioning is a defining part of the brand. It is a member of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of annual sales to approved environmental associations, and displays the initiative's logo on its packaging [5]. The company says it has eliminated 80% of its secondary packaging, removed single-use samples, and switched to recycled (PCR) plastic tubes; one third-party Q&A specifies tubes made from 55% recycled plastic sourced from milk bottles [9].

The brand also supports two named organisations: Pure Ocean, an endowment fund for marine-biodiversity projects, and World Vision (Vision du Monde), an international children's charity focused on access to clean water [6]. The company's mission statement ties its 1% pledge specifically to child sponsorship and water access.

The brand is active. It operates a direct-to-consumer site in French and English, maintains a current best-seller collection and an ongoing product blog, and reports having sold more than a million products [1]. It is also stocked by other retailers and lists distribution through the wholesale platform Ankorstore [1].