Immortelle

Immortelle is also known as “everlasting” because the flowers retain their form and color when dried.  This small yellow flower with enviable properties is said to hold the secret to eternal youth. The Immortelle flower grows all over the world.  Of the more than 600 varieties only one, Helichrysum Italicum, contains the optimal amount of a key active anti-aging component. This Immortelle flower, organically grown on the island of Corsica, the “Island of Beauty,” is the superior ingredient used in L’OCCITANE products. This sets us apart from any competitors.

The Legend

According to a Greek legend, Ulysses was shipwrecked on the island of Pheacia. There he met the king’s daughter, who was renowned for her goddess-like beauty. The people claimed that to preserve this beauty she anointed herself with a precious golden oil extracted from Immortelle flowers, said to have considerable regenerative properties. To help Ulysses recover, she gave him a vial of this famous Immortelle essential oil. After applying it to his body, Ulysses regained the strength and beauty of a demi-god and was able to resume his fabulous voyage.

The Exceptional Properties

L’OCCITANE has registered a patent on the effectiveness and use of Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) essential oil. This largely unknown oil has exceptional properties, thanks to its unique composition. Its primary constituent, neryl acetate, is present in particularly high levels in the flowers harvested in the Monts de la Balagne in northwestern Corsica. Neryl acetate gives Immortelle essential oil its specific anti-free radical and anti-wrinkle properties.

The essential oil of Immortelle is:

• Pure: organic, it does not contain any chemical residue (neither fertilizer, nor pesticide).
• Rare: more than 1 ton of Immortelle flowers are needed to obtain 1 liter of essential oil.
• Precious: this low production rate explains the high price of the essential oil
• Highly concentrated: even a small amount of essential oil is enough to deliver all the effectiveness of the flower.

Immortelle farm in Upper Corsica

Since the discovery of the flower’s incredible properties, the picking of wild immortelle increased drastically, putting the beauty of the Corsican landscape at rise. In 2003, L’OCCITANE launched a program to cultivate and grow immortelle in Corsica using organic farming methods.

In accordance with our L’OCCITANE values, the first Immortelle cultivated fields were started to:

• Guarantee a source of Immortelle flowers for our essential oil needs
• Produce our own traceable organic crop
• Preserve the integrity of the wild Corsican landscapes (sustainability)

There are now 8 farmers involved in this program, who have planted organic immortelle in the regions of Aleria and Balagne. The quality of traceability of our immortelle are guaranteed from the harvest to the distillation of the plant. At present, the program covers 27 hectares of land. By 2011, this figure should reach 50 heactares.

Immortelle Collection

The Immortelle range is an expert anti-aging skincare collection. The organic essential oil of the Immortelle flower is proven to enhance microcirculation, protect against free radicals and increase collagen synthesis. After its repeated use, the skin will look refreshed and radiant.  The collection includes: cleansers, moisturizers and treatments for day and night.