# Ecobiology: More than just a word, a philosophy emerging from skincare

L. Mcewen, C. Déchelette, S. Fauverghe

► To cite this version:

L. Mcewen, C. Déchelette, S. Fauverghe. Ecobiology: More than just a word, a philosophy emerging from skincare. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 2023, 31, 10.1016/j.jemep.2023.100954. hal-04334502

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SHORT REPORT

# Ecobiology: More than just a word, a philosophy emerging from skincare

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

L. McEwen<sup>a</sup>, C. Déchelette<sup>b,c,d</sup>, S. Fauverghe<sup>e,*</sup>

Reçu le 25 août 2023 ; accepté le 24 octobre 2023

Disponible sur Internet le 13 November 2023

KEYWORDS

Biology;
Biomimetic;
Ecobiology;
Skin health;
Skincare

Summary

**Background.** — Ecobiology is an ecosystemic approach to skincare created by Jean-Noël Thorel, the founder of an international skin care company. While it was groundbreaking at the time of its creation, both the company and the society in which it operates have changed. Thus, we questioned whether the term is still comprehensible and if its meaning pertains to contemporary society.

**Methodology.** — Two semi-structured surveys targeting worldwide general public and the employees of an international company specialized in ecobiological skin care; a 2 two-hour advisory board with dermatologists from 11 countries; and 7 phone interviews with French dermatologists were conducted in order to determine the perception of the term ‘‘ecobiology,’’ its meaning, and its significance.

**Results.** — The results show that there is confusion over the term, which has various meanings depending on cultural context. Nevertheless, our results indicate that it is a profound concept that is felt, rather than understood as the connection between human and the natural world that surrounds us.

**Conclusion.** — The term remains a forward-looking concept that is more important than ever due to the current concern about the effects of nearly half a century of expanding consumerism. Our research indicates that underneath our cultural model of production based on the exploitation of nature, the human connection with the natural world remains deeply entrenched in our collective unconscious.

© 2023 NAOS. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. Cet article est publié en Open Access sous licence CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

<footnote><sup>a</sup> Institut de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les enjeux sociaux, IRIS (EHESS), Campus Condorcet Bâtiment Recherche Sud, 5, cours des Humanités, 93322 Aubervilliers, France</footnote>

<footnote><sup>b</sup> Laboratoire Anthropologie, Archéologie, Biologie LAAB (UVSQ/Paris-Saclay), 2, avenue de la Source-de-la-Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France</footnote>

<footnote><sup>c</sup> LA PEAU AUTREMENT scientific consulting, Toulouse, France</footnote>

<footnote><sup>d</sup> French Society of Human sciences on Skin, SFSHP, Paris, France</footnote>

<footnote><sup>e</sup> Medical department, NAOS, 75, Cours Albert-Thomas, 69003 Lyon, France</footnote>

<footnote>* Corresponding author.</footnote>

<footnote>Adresse e-mail : stephane.fauverghe@naos.com (S. Fauverghe).</footnote>
Introduction

The skin is not merely a passive, protective surface, but
rather a living ecosystem that evolves over time as a result
of its constant interaction with other ecosystems. Following
this realization, Jean-Noël Thorel developed his integra-
tive and ecosystemic understanding of the skin, which he
called ''ecobiology'' (Fig. 1). This systemic vision of skin
health soon materialized in patents that led to the launch
of ecobiologically-sound skincare products [1–8], which use
the principal of biomimicry to give the skin molecules that
are naturally found in its own biological composition. In
so doing, it both supports and respects the skin's natural
metabolism. This ''ecobiological'' approach is detailed in
the patent; ''Cosmetic or dermo-pharmaceutical products
respecting skin ecology,'' which has resulted in products
that give the skin what it needs without over-treating or
under-treating it [9].

However, ''ecobiology'' is more than just an innovative
way to create cosmetics; it is an integrated way of looking at
the living world in which humans are seen as an intrinsic part
of nature that interacts intelligently with it. This posture
is linked to ecosophy, a concept coined by the philosopher
Arne Næss at the University of Oslo in 1974 which called for
a reversal of the anthropocentric perspective: Ecosophy is
an environmental ethic that questions the position of man
as the pinnacle of evolution who is free to draw on natu-
ral resources without limit [10]. It is this attitude towards
living beings that Jean-Noël Thorel transposed to skincare.

For him, ''ecobiology'' is ''the wisdom of taking care of
the skin'' using topical, dermomimetic products as part of
a global ecosophysical approach to the environment [11].

In 1977, Thorel used OIKOS (a Greek word meaning house)
as a founding principle of his concept, because like a house,
the skin covers and protects our body, delimiting its interio-
rity from the outside world. Similarly, the plasma membrane
that surrounds our cells represents the ''Oikos of the cells''',
and the ecosphere is none other than the ''Oikos of our
body'' (Fig. 2). It's easy to see why the word ''ecobiology''
was an obvious choice for the inventor Thorel: the root
Oikos/Eco refers to the skin as house and an ecosystem – not
to ecology. As such, coupling the prefix ''eco'' in reference
to the skin as Oikos, with ''biology'' in reference to the
skin's biological mechanisms was the logical way to embody
his approach. Today, a review of the literature indicates that
while ecobiology remains largely limited to Thorel's com-
pany, it shows potential as an approach in dermatology and
biology [2].

Materials and methods

A mixed qualitative and quantitative approach was used for
data collection, which involved four waves of implementa-
tion:

* first, a semi-structured online survey was conducted among the employees of an international company specialized in ecobiological skin care. In total, 2800 surveys

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1. Map of the Thorel’s conception of ecobiology.</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 2.** Ecobiology, an ecosystemic approach to skin health.</figcaption></figure>

comprised of both closed and open questions were sent out in March of 2023. A total of 1614 responses from respondents representing 77 countries were collected at the end of the survey period;

* then a 2-hour advisory board was organized in Singapore on the fringes of the 2023 World Congress of Dermatology on the 6th of July, 2023. The dermatological visions of all 7 continents were represented through 11 dermatologists. Individual and group creativity techniques were used to elicit participants' perceptions of ''ecobiology'' both at the beginning of the meeting and at the end, following a presentation on this specialized vision of skin care. The word-maps and drawings produced during the meeting were photographed and the recordings of the meeting were qualitatively analyzed;

* semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 7 French dermatologists in mid-July. These 45-minute interviews followed a script of both open and closed questions about the doctors' perception of the concept;

* finally, a semi-structured survey was conducted in-person in the greater Paris area in mid-July. The responses of 100 participants from 32 countries were collected.

Word grouping and discourse analysis were completed, followed by a meta-analysis of all data collected from the 1732 responses received. Throughout the data collection,

there was one question that was asked to all participants. They were prompted to state the first three words that came to mind when looking at the word, ''ecobiology.'' The words cited were analyzed according to word groupings, both individually and collectively. Discourse analysis was conducted on all open-ended survey questions, and of the advisory board recordings and doctor interviews. Common themes in each instance were identified and compared across participant categories.

## Results

### A term void of sense

In response to the first question eliciting three words from the participants following their initial viewing of the term ''ecobiology,'' a total of 4944 words were collected; corresponding to 52 word categories such as, ''environment,'' ''natural,'' and ''science.'' The most commonly cited word was ''biology,'' equating to 524/4944 instances. This was seen as banal due to the presence of the word ''biology'' within the concept studied. What is significant, was that the second most commonly cited word was ''ecology,'' which accounted for 335/4944 citations. This demonstrates the almost automatic association of the prefix ''eco'' with
<table><caption>Table 1 Summary of results.</caption><thead><tr><th>Survey Demographics</th><th>Number of surveys given</th><th>Total number of responses received</th><th>Countries represented</th><th>Age range</th><th>% Female</th><th>% Male</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>2918</td><td>1732</td><td>83</td><td>17 to 80</td><td>73%</td><td>27%</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Number of words given</td><td>Most frequently cited words before explanation</td><td>Most frequently cited words after explanation</td><td>Micro level</td><td>Meso level</td><td>Macro level</td></tr><tr><td>Employees</td><td>4611</td><td>"Ecosystem" (547/12%)<br>"Biology" (483/11%)<br>"Biomimetic" (360/8%)<br>"Skin" (342/7%)<br>"Ecology" (237/5%)<br>"Environment" (153/3%)</td><td>N/A</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"I use it to talk about the uniqueness of the company"<br>"We are guided by ecobiology and biomimetics when we develop our products"<br>"I use it to describe our products to my friends. Our products are designed to help the skin while respecting its ecosystem"</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"Did you know your skin is an ecosystem that is in constant interaction with the environment?"<br>"I use it when training pharmacists, doctors and colleagues about our products"<br>"The way I use it depends on how I am adapting my language, it's different for a colleague and a medical client"</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"There's evidence of the ecobiological vision at the company level, notably our protection and regeneration of the living world"<br>"It's important that we do more to reduce plastic and make more recyclable packaging"<br>"We should prioritize further improving the composition of our products and their impact on the environment"</td></tr><tr><td>Dermatologists</td><td>54</td><td>"Ecology" (8/15%)<br>"Ecoresponsable" (4/7%)<br>"Environment" (4/7%)<br>"Microbiome" (4/7%)<br>"Pure" (4/7%)<br>"Holistic" (3/6%)</td><td>"Holistic" (6/11%)<br>"Microbiome" (6/11%)<br>"Ecosystem" (3/6%)<br>"Natural" (3/6%)<br>"Nature" (3/6%)<br>"Pure" (3/6%)</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"Each cell is a unit in a system, just as the body as a whole is with its environment"<br>"It's a holistic concept of the science of the interaction of an individual not only with their body, but also their environment"<br>"It's a concept of cell to cell and cell to ecosystem"</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"It's based on scientific research on balancing the microbiome of the skin with the biology of the wider ecosystem"<br>"It's about a balance between our biology and the environment and maintaining this balance in a precise, nature-friendly way"<br>"For me it's the science of how the environment interacts with our body through the biology of the skin"</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"It's about preserving the biological ecosystem and using what nature gives us to do it, and in return, preserving the planet"<br>"There's a correlation between human beings and the environment"<br>"We need a scientific approach for the system of natural interactions from the cell to the human to the planetary level"</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 1 (Continued)</caption><thead><tr><th>Survey Demographics</th><th>Number of surveys given</th><th>Total number of responses received</th><th>Countries represented</th><th>Age range</th><th>% Female</th><th>% Male</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>2918</td><td>1732</td><td>83</td><td>17 to 80</td><td>73%</td><td>27%</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Number of words given</td><td>Most frequently cited words before explanation</td><td>Most frequently cited words after explanation</td><td>Micro level</td><td>Meso level</td><td>Macro level</td></tr><tr><td>General public</td><td>279</td><td>"Ecology" (54/19%)<br>"Biology" (40/14%)<br>"Environment" (15/5%)<br>"Eco" (13/5%)<br>"Economy" (13/5%)<br>"Nature" (13/5%)</td><td>"Respects the skin" (27/29%)<br>"Natural" (20/21%)<br>"Respects nature and the environment" (18/19%)<br>"Cares for the skin" (11/12%)<br>"Healthy" (7/7%)<br>"Non-aggressive" (6/6%)</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"For me it means to respect the skin, nature and the environment"<br>"It's a product that respects the skin, that's non-aggressive and made with natural ingredients"<br>"It's good for the skin as a living organism and it respects nature"</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"It's made with natural ingredients that are good for the skin"<br>"I like products that are natural and made without chemicals; that are good for the skin"<br>"I only use natural products"</td><td>Examples of remarks:<br>"I do the same for my food as I do for my cosmetics, I use all that's good for the planet and avoid producing waste"<br>"I'll use it if it's good for the environment, I always try to do what's best for the environment"<br>"If we can save the planet by being ecobiological, sure, why not?"</td></tr></tbody></table>
''ecology,'' which denotes that the term lacks a definite meaning. This is logical considering that ecology started as a naturalist concept based on the relationship between species and their environment that has taken on different points of focus, and meanings, throughout the centuries. Indeed, in the 21st century, ecology has become a rather generic term equated with the environmental conservation movement with humans as the protectors of nature; responsible for meeting the challenges our activity has provoked in the natural world. As demonstrated in Table 1, this vision clearly figured in the overall word association results.

## Automatically linked to ''ecology''

While the notion of interconnectedness still somewhat remains within the contemporary conception of ''ecology,'' it really corresponds more to a sense of interdependence, in which we recognize that we are dependent upon natural resources to live, and that our activities affect those resources. Contemporary ecology has become anthropocentric and a part of the capitalist system. This was shown through the data of the general public survey in which ''economy'' figured among the most-cited words accounting for 4.7% of the 279 words given in responses to the first question. Furthermore, when asked whether they would prefer an ecobiological product or a classical product, 25% of the respondents evoked the importance of price in their product considerations. Various comments were also given about how the ''natural'' label given to products is merely a means to raise prices. For example, citations were given such as: ''if it says it's natural, it's generally more expensive;'' and ''they say 'natural' to charge more, but usually it's not true.''

## An inherent suspicion

The study's overall qualitative data also indicated evidence of a widespread suspicion of the phenomenon of ''greenwashing;'' in which companies portray themselves as environmentally-friendly, when they may be far from it. According to the general public survey data, false promises of products being made of ''natural ingredients'' are used in advertisements and marketing. For example, when asked whether they would prefer a classic or an ecobiological product, there were multiple citations such as: ''it's a lie;'' and ''it's just the selling of lies.'' The internal survey responses also included suggestions that the company go even further to prioritize their eco-responsibility efforts in order to be truly ''ecobiological.''

## Interpretation is directly influenced by cultural context

There were groupings in the responses that indicated the importance of shared, cultural experiences in the interpretation of the term ''ecobiology''. These data clusters can be considered according to three levels.

### The micro level

On the micro level, there was evidence of the influence of organizational culture among the internal survey results. For example, ''biomimetic'' appeared among the

internal word groupings (360/8%) whereas it was absent from the doctors' and general publics' responses. Other examples of this specialized vision of the concept appeared in internal survey-specific responses including: ''skin'' (324/7%); ''natural mechanism'' (76/2%); and ''skin ecosystem'' (59/1%). The exclusive presence of these responses among the employees corresponds to their common lived-experience with the term ''ecobiology,'' which they identified as coming through company meetings and training sessions. Not only did this directly shape their associations with the word, it also influenced the way in which the employees used the term. For example, many of them viewed it as a part of their daily activities and as the heart of what they identified as their ''company culture.''

### The meso level

On the meso level, the terms ''microbiome'' (13/0.2%), ''exposome'' (1/2%), and ''lipids'' (1/2%) were only present in the internal and doctor survey replies. This is logical considering their specialized education on the skin that the general public lacks. Likewise, the terms ''health,'' ''healthy,'' and ''care'' were largely absent from the general public's initial word associations while they accounted for (190/4%) responses in the doctor and employee surveys. Considering that 77% of the employees have advanced degrees and that both they and dermatologists have highly-specialized educations, their automatic association of ''ecobiology'' with the skin's mechanisms, components and care is logical. It again demonstrates the profound influence that a shared lived-experience with a particular cultural vision has on our understanding of a concept.

### The macro level

On the macro level, there were expressions concerning various aspects of our collective responsibility to care for the environment among all three survey responses. For example, ''environment'' was a commonly cited term in all surveys (172/4%); as were ''nature,'' ''planet,'' ''ecoesponsable,'' and ''sustainability'' (264/5%). Falling in line with the 21st century vision of ''ecology,'' this is evidence of the current ethos in which humans are seen as responsible for the environment and the general consumer is increasingly turning towards more ''ecological'' consumption patterns. In the survey responses, this was demonstrated through comments such as: ''I like products that respect the environment;'' and ''I would buy ecobiological products to protect nature.'' It is important to keep in mind that according to its founder, ''ecobiological'' means respecting the skin by mimicking its components and mechanisms. Meanwhile here, we see that there is a widespread association of ''ecobiological'' with ''protecting nature.'' Even among the employee responses, there were comments that the company should be more environmentally-friendly by using, ''recycled packaging materials,'' and ''more environmentally-friendly ingredients.'' Taken together, this implies that there are multiple levels and layers of meaning that are given to words or concepts such as ''ecobiology'' that depend on both our individual and our common lived cultural experiences.
Discussion

At the time of its conception, this term was a truly inno-
vative concept in skincare, and it was designed with a
philosophical vision of the inherent connection between man
and nature. The word ‘‘ecology’’ was coined in 1866, from
the combination of the Greek words Oikos (house, living
place) and Logos (science, study) to arrive at the term
Ökologie, which literally means ‘‘the study of the envi-
ronment’’. Since then, the science of ecology has become
a vast field of research in the biological sciences. Throu-
ghout the survey, ‘‘ecology’’ was always among the answers.
‘‘Ecobiology’’, ‘‘ecology’’, it’s true that the words and the
phonemes do sound alike. The combination of the overly-
vast meaning of ‘‘ecology’’ and its linguistic proximity to
‘‘ecobiology’’ leads to a systematic confusion over this
forward-looking skin care concept and its original meaning.

However, we believe that this systematic confusion does
not give rise to any serious misunderstanding, since both
terms evoke the same prototype of the interconnected-
ness of man and nature. Our data clearly demonstrates that
for many people today, ecology in cosmetics boils down to
environmentally-friendly products with a focus on packa-
ging, marketing and their effects on nature. As a result,
the holistic conception of ecobiology as caring for body and
environment as a single entity is overlooked. To understand
its true value, we need to recall the genesis of the eco-
biological approach and its prefix, which refers to Oikos as
interconnected ecosystems. In other words, we have to go
back to etymology to fully grasp the essence of this unique
approach.

Our study indicates that Oikos is part of the collec-
tive unconscious that is understood through our experiences
of connection with nature. This came out in our data
in various ways, such as in the reoccurring associations
of ''ecobiology'' with the ''Earth;'' ''planet;'' ''ocean;''
''plants;'' ''life;'' ''living;'' and ''nature.'' As we continue
to expand our consumption-based model, there is a gene-
ral worry about the state of the natural world around us.
There is also suspicion of the appropriation of all that is
''natural'' and ''organic'' for sales and marketing. As such,
this concept is more important than ever as the Oikos arche-
type it evokes is actively present in the minds of the public,
who seek to strengthen their connection with nature. Their
comments show the belief that using genuinely ''natural
products'' is a means of both preserving their organism and
the environment in which it is found.

Falling in line with the metaphysics of nature and pheno-
menology, this is evidence of how intrinsic our connection
with nature is and the contemporary desire to reinforce it.
Thus, this study indicates that the feeling and experience
of a concept can indeed be more important than the words
that are attributed to it.

Conclusion

Considering the overwhelmingly positive association of the
word in the minds of nearly 2000 participants from more
than 80 countries and across all age groups; along with the
apparent confusion over the definition and exact meaning of
the word, it is worth developing and refining the definition

of ‘‘ecobiology’’ so that it can be better shared with the
public. Not only with this shed more light on this innovative
term and the potential it brings to the design of skincare
products, it will respond to the public’s demand for products
that are genuinely good for them and which help them to
feel their connection with nature in a more concrete way.
Perhaps by restoring our vision of our interconnectedness
with the world around us, we will be better able to see our
skin as a microcosm that operates with the same materials
and mechanisms as the macrocosm in which we live. In this
sense, ‘‘ecobiology’’ represents a philosophy that emerges
from skincare.

Human and animal rights

The authors declare that the work described has not involved
experimentation on humans or animals.

Informed consent and patient details

The authors declare that this report does not contain any
personal information that could lead to the identification of
the patient(s) and/or volunteers.

Funding

This work has been supported by NAOS Lighthouse.

Author contributions

All authors attest that they meet the current International
Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for
Authorship.

Disclosure of interest

The funding for this study and approval of its methodology
for internal data collection was given by NAOS. Author Sté-
phane Fauverghe is directly affiliated with the company.
Authors Laurel McEwen and Corinne Déchelette are not
directly affiliated with the company.

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