MARULA OIL FROM NAMIBIA

We source our cold-pressed, organic marula oil from a social and ecological project in Namibia. Together with our partner, Namib Desert Jojoba, we support an organization that helps the local people to improve their standard of living through training and continuing education. In particular, we support the work of 1,500 women through this project. They extract the marula oil from marula fruit in the traditional way, using a complex process. Harvesting and processing marula fruit is a centuries-old occupation of the South African Ovambo people.

ALOE VERA FROM GUATEMALA

The aloe vera we use in many of our products grows in Guatemala. This plant contains a gel that not only offers anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, but also helps to stimulate the immune system. The plants are sourced exclusively from certified organic cultivation sites. The project ensures farmers from the Guastatoya region can sell their harvest and has already created 250 jobs with fair pay. In return, we can enjoy pure, high-quality, organic aloe vera.

JOJOBA OIL FROM NAMIBIA

Since 2017, we have been supporting the “Jojoba for Namibia” project as an official partner. The aim of the project is to support the cultivation of jojoba and production of the natural oil in Namibia. As this plant grows naturally in desert environments, it is particularly easy to care for. Jojoba oil offers reliable protection against moisture loss, absorbs quickly into the skin, and is rich in both vitamin E and pro-vitamin A. As a regular buyer of high-quality oil, this project allows us to provide local people with a secure income. The aim is to cultivate a total of 50 hectares of jojoba with 45,000 plants by 2022. This will offer direct support to around 60 people by providing them with a steady income.

HIMALAYAN CHERRY OIL FROM NEPAL

We discovered the Himalayan wild cherry, dhatelo, on the roof of the world and now use it in our natural cosmetics. Old cloister books from Nepal describe the dhatelo wild cherry as being particularly good for the skin. The almost black dhatelo fruit grow at an altitude of around 4,000 meters in Humla, a region in northwestern Nepal. Börlind founded a rural women’s project there that we continue to support to give the local women an income for the first time. They gather and process the rose cherries whose oil we use in our products. This is how we support the women with their livelihoods and contribute toward the education of their children.

!NARA OIL FROM AFRICA

Deep in the Namib-Naukluft Park, right at the heart of the Namib Desert in Namibia, Africa, is where a particularly rare plant known as !Nara grows. It is so rare, in fact, that it only grows in a very specific part of the desert. Since the Topnaar people are indigenous to this region, they are the only ones allowed to harvest and process the rare melon-like !Nara fruit. We support the Topnaar by providing the appropriate equipment to ensure the precious fruit is processed correctly. We also purchase an exclusive quantity of 250 liters of oil each year at an above-market price. This ensures their families can enjoy fair living conditions.

ALGAE FROM BRITTANY

We have been using algae in our products since 1988, with much of it native to northern Brittany in the department of Finistère. This is home to one of the largest algae areas in Europe, which incidentally is also a recognized UNESCO biosphere reserve. To this day, the traditional profession of algae fishery – also known as Goémonier – is still held in this region. These people harvest around 70,000 tons of algae a year. One kilogram of algae includes amino acids, mineral salts, and trace elements from around 100,000 liters of seawater. By buying our algae from Brittany, we are contributing to the preservation of the landscape as well as other ecosystem functions.

TORCH LILY FROM FRANCE

The certified organic torch lily fields span approximately 3 hectares in total in Sérigan du Comtat in the Provençal region of Vaucluse. Hervé Mermin is the only torch lily grower in the world. This makes the raw material incredibly rare since only limited quantities are available. In fact, around 2,000 blooms have to be pressed by hand to product a single liter of nectar.

The enzyme-rich torch lily nectar provides the skin with a high-energy nutrient solution that provides nourishing and protective effects. What’s more, its composition of amino acids, minerals, and fatty acids even offers an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect while strengthening the skin’s natural barrier and protecting against free radicals.

AVOCADO AND SESAME OIL FROM KENYA

We source our avocado and sesame oil through Fairoils, an organization that supports more than 1000 avocado farmers and 400 sesame farmers in rural areas. With their farming cooperatives, Fairoils supports farmers in cultivating new crops and in developing important skills to generate a valuable second income from their land. The plant-based raw materials are carefully processed under strict conditions before being purchased on fair terms. This ensures an essential part of the value chain is kept within the respective countries, where it can serve to benefit the local people. Both the cultivation and trade are certified and checked at regular intervals by the independent bodies of Soil Association and Fair for Life.

JOJOBA BUSH PATRON

We are supporting Farmer Rosa with setting up her own jojoba plantation as part of the “Jojoba for Namibia” initiative. This involves us providing the initial investment to build the plantation, supporting the construction of an irrigation system, and funding 1,000 jojoba bushes. In the first three years while the jojoba bushes are growing, we will also guarantee Rosa and her employees a fair level of remuneration for the cultivation and care of the plants. We then buy the high-quality jojoba oil at above-market prices to use in many of our products.