Here is a new French brand of ethical and eco-responsible cosmetics whose active ingredients come from New Caledonia, a global place of biodiversity !
Pur Pacific was born in June 2020. This young company on a human scale, founded by Isabelle Pagot and Gérard Piolet, is developing a line of natural beauty products launched last March.
After years of expertise in cosmetology, Isabel Pagot always had the same observation: the product offer, with compositions often more mercantile than effective, did not meet the values expected by customers or the promised results.
She then decided, with Gérard Piolet, passionate about ethnology, to venture to the end of the world, to New Caledonia, to integrate the secret and closed environment of the ancestral, natural and traditional Melanesian pharmacopoeia.
“During our adventures, Gérard was badly burned. Collected and cared for in a tribe by the anointing of Tamanu, we have seen the prodigious effectiveness of endemic plants. Convinced and inspired, I felt the need to share this discovery by composing exclusive formulas that combine the powers of Tamanu with the centuries-old virtues of other plants for all skin types.”
Isabelle Pagot, co-founder of Pur Pacific Cosmetics
This range of face, body and hair care is made in France from vegetable oils and essential oils from organic farming. In addition, antioxidants with exceptional properties come from traditional Tamanu seeds from Vanuatu associated with the age-old virtues of Coconut, Sandalwood and Niaouli from New Caledonia grown and picked in a preserved territory.
The Pur Pacific skincare range is certified Cosmos Natural or Cosmos Organic by Cosmecert.
An ancestral know-how
In the family of Alain, the Vanuatu producer of Pur Pacifique, know-how is passed on from one generation to the next. The tamanu trees are grown naturally, without pesticides or chemicals and the harvests are organized with the help of the inhabitants of the other islands. Tamanu nuts are picked by hand.
They are dried in the sun for four to six weeks and then cold pressed.
It is also on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu that the brand found its producer of virgin coconut oil. “Chris, our supplier, carefully harvests and selects fresh coconuts from organic farming. The flesh is extracted through a spinning process that produces a pure and very sweet oil. Moisture, fiber and protein are removed without using heat.”
A chemist by training, Jean is in charge of the Takone distillery located on the customary lands of the island of Maré, the southernmost of the Loyalty Islands in New Caledonia. On this island located 200 km from Noumea, the capital, the civil and customary authorities have established a controlled cutting of white sandalwood by ensuring its regrowth through the creation of nurseries. “Collaborating with Jean, who has developed an innovative and patented cold extraction process, was obvious.”
It was after months of research and numerous trips that Isabel and Gérard finalized their collaboration with Yohann, an artisan from the Caledonian bush, who selects only untreated niaouli leaves. Picking is done by hand in the Haute-Boghen valley in Bourail. The leaves are traditionally distilled over a wood fire, which promotes a slow extraction of the essence and preserves the molecular integrity. Let’s discover together the four active principles that make up the range of treatments, recognized for their dermatological and antioxidant properties: tamanu, coconut, white sandalwood and niaouli.
Tamanu vegetable oil, protective and restorative.
Very effective for dry or damaged skin, this traditional topical oil from Vanuatu promotes the reconstruction of the level of lipids in the epidermis and prevents skin dehydration. A unique asset for anti-aging care, it prevents the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and stretch marks and protects the skin from damage caused by oxidation.
Coconut vegetable oil, the elixir of beauty.
Coconut vegetable oil is derived from fresh organic coconuts harvested on the island of Espiritu Santo (Vanuatu). The coconuts are carefully selected and their flesh is extracted to produce a pure oil. No heat is used during the extraction. The oil is used for its multiple moisturizing, nourishing, softening and anti-aging properties.
The most revitalizing white sandalwood essential oil.
This essential oil comes from its white sandalwood tree, one of the most precious woods in the world which grows in New Caledonia where its culture is preserved. Thanks to its revitalizing properties, it is recommended for the care of dry or damaged skin and in case of itchy scalp. It is used to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Niaouli essential oil, energizing and purifying.
This essential oil comes from the niaouli, an emblematic tree of New Caledonia. Its leaves are harvested by hand and then distilled over a wood fire. Recognized for stimulating the natural defences, it is used as an accompaniment in the event of winter infections. The antioxidant power of niaouli helps to reduce the effects of the natural aging of cells.
The range is on sale on the brand’s online store:
https://purpacifique-cosmetique.fr
Photos: Pur Pacifique Cosmétique / naia©Cissia Schippers
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