An Interview with Owner and Formulator Marianne Griffeth

The Asia-Pacific installment of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit for this year begins today in Hong Kong. We're flashing back to an interview with our owner and formulator Marianne Griffeth from the 2011 conference in New York City. She shares the origins behind the company and our approach to developing products with natural ingredients.

Prima Fleur creates and manufactures exclusive products for some of the world's most prestigious personal care brands. For more information on custom formulation and manufacture with any of these ingredients or other exquisite botanicals from our extensive library of raw materials, please visit our website or email our Sales team.

Unique Oils ~ Distinctive Products

The origins of kendi oil

Between traditional carrier oils and more concentrated aromatic essential oils lies a unique category of vegetable oils that can boost the benefits of products even when used in small amounts. These oils contain higher levels of antioxidants and additional phytonutrients, and often even have scent and color like essential oils. They have been added to our inventory for special uses, such as in luxury facial and body oils or for boosting products used in treatments.

In formulation terms, vegetable oils are often referred to as "fixed oils" because their large molecules don't evaporate, or volatilize, as essential oils do. They can be extracted with heat or solvents, expeller-pressed, or cold-pressed. But this group of rare fixed oils is special: They are expeller or cold-pressed, so there's no exposure to high heat that can reduce the efficacy of beneficial compounds. Many come from fair-trade and organic sources. Often the plant material from which they derive is literally tough to crack ~ think tiny seeds and thick-skinned nuts ~ making them best for more selective use.

Take organic Cranberry Seed Oil [Prima Fleur No. 444], which is naturally UV-protective, anti-inflammatory, and rich in antioxidants and alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids. Highly stable due to its content of phenolic compounds, it may help prevent rancidity when used with other more delicate oils, such as evening primrose, flaxseed, and borage seed. From Madagascar comes Ecocert and NOP certified organic Calophyllum inophyllum Oil [No. 401], featured in many of our Premier Products, including our Rejuvenating Crème Cleanser. Consider also Indonesian Kendi Oil [No. 432], which contains 25% omega-3 fatty acids and is produced via a fair-trade and organic program, and our organic Rose Hip Seed Oil [No. 433] and Carrot Seed Oil [No. 435].
 
For information on our Premier Products and pricing, please visit our website. For questions and to explore custom development with exquisite botanicals from our extensive library of raw materials, please contact sales@primafleur.com ~ or call (415) 455-0957.

GLOBAL VIEW: Palmarosa Cultivation in Nepal



Palmarosa seeds ready to be sowed

The essential oil from the leaves and flower tops of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii var. motia) has a sweet, slightly citrus scent that calls to mind both geranium and rose. A native grass, palmarosa grows wild from the southern subtropical slopes of Nepal to the serene Himalaya Mountains. Nepal is where we find the farmer’s cooperative that produces our Palmarosa Essential Oil [Prima Fleur No. 208]. After the seeds are sowed, the fields are flooded. The resulting grasses are ready to harvest between October and December, after the plants begin to bud. To obtain the highest yield of oil with the best quality, they distill from the leaves and the upper third of the stems. Below, a slideshow of the cultivation process for our palmarosa in Nepal.


Inspecting the oil after distillation

Produced by steam distillation of the fresh or dried grass, palmarosa may be a lesser known essential oil, but it is superlative for skin care, offering cell regenerative and antiseptic properties beneficial to dry, mature, and problem skin types. While palmarosa soothes the skin, it is also uplifting to the spirit, reducing nervous tension and stress, clearing the mind, and calming the senses. Excellent for use in diffusers, palmarosa is high in geraniol, a terpene alcohol that is anti-bacterial, toning, and stimulating to the immune system. Palmarosa’s pleasing odor and its properties against bacteria make it ideal for disinfecting stale rooms. 



The Nepalese name the plant Motiya, and have capitalized on its benefits to create economic opportunities. By providing a guaranteed market for cultivated and wild-collected plants, cooperative programs help small-scale local farmers continue to work the fields, as well as promote the protection of open space for business purposes by leasing privately owned and community lands. Cultivation and harvest are organic and sustainable: What remains from the distillation process is composted and returned to the lands to encourage fertile soil. Micro-financing is available to help local people begin to farm and to provide them with the knowledge to properly cultivate and harvest the plants. Not only can plants like bountiful palmarosa provide therapeutic benefits to people worldwide, they also offer rural residents consistent employment and cash earnings, thereby raising quality of life.

For information on our Essential Oils and pricing, please visit our website. For questions and to place an order, please contact sales@primafleur.com ~ or call (415) 455-0957.