The Fruit of Life
Did you know Le Prunier uses 100% upcycled plum kernels? Not only are they breaking industry standards with innovative sustainability practices, but they have created a line of products fuelled by nature and, in the words of Chrissy Teigen, are "magic." We had the fantastic opportunity to ask Allison Taylor, one of the brand's co-founders, questions about their cult botanical beauty brand. Find out why you'll want to add the power of plums to your beauty routine.
You launched Le Prunier from your ancestors' legacy, a plum farm that began in 1916. When did you think, "We could do something revolutionary with these plums?"
The seed was planted (no pun intended) many years ago when we were teenagers. We were fortunate enough to travel quite a bit with our father to Asia on business trips and it was there that we recognized how highly regarded the dried plum was as a super fruit. This, along with a collective deep love for clean beauty and holistic living, prompted us to take a look at our main commodity on the family farm and figure out a way to innovate. We realized the plum kernels were being discarded by the tons and had a hunch these upcycled antioxidant rich seeds would hold some serious skincare benefits so we spent about 2.5 years on testing and the results were astounding! We knew we had to share and finally launched Le Prunier in 2018.
Why does Plum Oil stand out in the market's long list of face oils?
Our Plum Beauty Oil features a proprietary blend of plum varietals grown, harvested, and pressed on our 100-year-old family farm in Northern CA. It operates as the world’s largest grower of organic dried plums which makes our product unique in the sense that we oversee the entire lifecycle of our main ingredient. Not only that, but we’ve invested heavily into clinical studies and patented plum based ingredients that are exclusive to Le Prunier. We truly believe in the antioxidant rich Power of Plum®. It’s incredibly nutrient rich, high in polyphenols, omega fatty acids, and vitamins which help brighten, balance and nourish the skin. We like to say it’s gentle yet very effective and perfect for all skin types including those with eczema, rosacea or dermatitis as it’s very soothing. It’s also safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The last thing I’ll mention is the all natural marzipan aroma of the oil - it’s no surprise it’s been called the best smelling facial oil of all time!
Chrissy Tiegan Called Le Prunier Plum Oil "Magic," and it sold out overnight everywhere. How does that feel, and did it change how you looked at your product?
That moment was so surreal! We truly thought our Shopify account was malfunctioning. Our Plum Beauty Oil sold out around the world and amassed a 30k person waitlist in 24 hours. We will forever be grateful to her for the support as it changed the trajectory of our business overnight. Viral moments like that are few and far between and we considered it to be the perfect storm at exactly the right time for us. It forced us to grow our operations and team to meet demand which was challenging yet exhilarating at the same time. We always believed in our Plum Beauty Oil but the biggest challenge for us was creating a market for plums as an ingredient and educating the consumer as a self-funded business. After years of diligently attending tradeshows to get the word out and growing sustainably with our wholesale partners, this shoutout really helped expedite the process and catapulted our DTC business.
You began with your hero product and moved to Plumscreen®. Why was sunscreen the apparent next product launch? (BTW, it smells incredible for a sunscreen)
Thank you! During our early testing days, we recognized our Plum Beauty Oil has natural SPF properties which really informed the direction of our next launch, Plumscreen SPF 31. It took nearly 5 years to develop as we worked closely with our labs to create our leading, patented ingredient, Plum Superfruit Complex®. This formula is so elegant and acts as 4-in-1 product serving as SPF, skincare, moisturizer and primer. It applies beautifully under makeup on cleansed skin and is clinically proven to reduce hyperpigmentation and improve the skin’s texture. It offers broad spectrum UVA/UVB/HEV protection and features non-nano zinc oxide. I don’t go a day without using this!
Wren and Wild is very excited to have PlumbodyTM on our shelves. Can you tell us about this beautiful body cream?
Plumbody is a gorgeous body cream that features an innovative, patented plum based ingredient called Midnight Muir® which is essentially a supercharged plum extract that we’ve created. It offers deep hydration and a myriad of antioxidant-rich benefits. Not only does it help to improve skin's elasticity, but it’s clinically proven to reduce the signs of fine lines and wrinkles as well as redness and irritation. Pair this after dry brushing and showering for a luxe spa treatment at home!
What do we have to look forward to from Le Prunier?
2024 is going to be a really exciting year for us! Lots of innovation on the horizon with a new skincare launch later this year featuring an amazing patented plum based ingredient. Stay tuned :)