By Goodnews Buekor
Over two decades ago, Olivia Chantecaille and her mother Sylvie started their globally recognized brand as a fragrance company. Their fragrance was made of four main oil fragrances.
A year later, the company expanded its services and ventured into beauty products and natural, botanical-formulated skincare due to a rare ingredient, “the Rose De Mai,” they discovered during a trip to France for ingredients exploration.
“After one year of launching our brand, we embarked on a road journey through the South of France to find a rare jasmine field in Grasse for our fragrances. We came across a floral farmer who walked us through his jasmine garden, and he showed us a pink-coloured row of roses just behind the Jasmine field, “the Rose De Mai”, she narrated.
“The farmer explained the uniqueness and rarity of the rose. Its delicate nature is such that it has to be harvested by hand at dawn when it first blooms.”
As Olivia and Sylvie got fascinated with its fabulous aroma, the duo soon realised that the rose was an untapped skincare formula.
“We found that the Rose de Mai that was grown there was the most unique, powerful, and potent of all roses and flowers,” Olivia says.
Chantecaille became the first brand to use the Rose de Mai. The product formulated from this unique ingredient is “Pure Rosewater”.
The technique for cultivating this unique flower is as impressive as the bloom itself. Within the two weeks that it blooms in the Month of May, the flower is hand-picked at dawn to protect its petals from the sun.
The rare flower is not just unique, it is also very beneficial when added to skincare products. “It disinfects, relaxes, and refreshes the skin; it can be used as a facial cleanser, sets make-up, and it also has a soothing effect,” Olivia noted.
The discovery of Rose de Mai and its significant botanical properties and benefits, plus the wide spread of Chantecaille’s Pure Rosewater, ultimately led to the production of an entire Rose de Mai Collection.
Olivia explains that the complete Rose de Mai Collection is exceptionally rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C and incredibly hydrating and soothing,” Olivia explains. “It is beneficial and soothes all skin types, and the rose is an instant mood booster.”
The skincare magic Olivia and her mother found is also a testament to her mother’s teachings. Aside from teaching her how to enhance beauty using natural methods, Olivia stated that Sylvie taught her to love and appreciate how she looks and to use products that make her feel confident in herself.
“My mother has always been intentional about health and well-being, and she believes that ingredients make a significant difference in how you feel when using a product. She tutored me well, and I am also quite intentional now,” she says.
Olivia has since started passing the lessons she learned from her mother down to her daughter, Delphina, who she intends to teach her to “experiment, to spend time in nature, in the garden, to look after animals, to love herself, to be herself and to relate and listen to her inner self.”
The story of Olivia and her mother, with the magical Rose de Mai flower they discovered, is a huge inspiration to all nature lovers. Nature is truly a blessing, and there is much we can do with everything that it offers.
Comments are closed.