Typically, notions of "industrial scale" and "reverence for nature" do not exactly keep company, which is part of what makes Bernard Chevilliat such an unusual organic-beauty entrepreneur.
After moving to the beautiful wide-open Ardèche region in South-Central France in the late 1970s, the biologist-turned-apiarist started a small bee farm which eventually morphed into a family affair with over 500 hundred hives and an elegant hexagonal soap made from homegrown bee goodness. Moisturizers followed, along with treatment serums, deodorants, plant oils, bath & shower goodies, fragrances, and supplements like flower pollen (for beauty from within), and MELVITA is now L'Occitane's sister company and the country's leading brand of natural, eco-friendly (and certified!) organic skin care products companies.
The company's name comes from "mel", from the French for honey (le miel), and "vita", or life, and acknowledges the "extraordinary confluence" between the worlds of plants and animals. "Our roots are the bees, our dear bees, the valiant pollinators which fertilize the world," says Chevilliat. "Bees are the fragile witnesses of the excesses of science and industry. Their disappearance would be a calamity and shame us all...Faced with the combined assaults of industrial chemistry and parasites, the world of bees was already, in my eyes, a reminder of the world’s increasing fragility, because a world without bees would be a world without flowers, fruit, beauty. This was why, from the outset, I wanted to place 'nature at heart' of our approach and of our ecological and humanistic concerns. MELVITA is resolutely organic, because we are convinced that the organic commitment is one of the keys to the future of the planet."
Their corporate philosophy includes using completely recyclable packaging materials, not engaging in animal testing, and using organically-farmed and responsibly-harvested sources that respect Mother Nature. "We are involved in a pro-active approach to sustainable development, with preservation of environmental: beauty, biodiversity, and balance." They are also committed to making their products effective and attractive (they are, after all, French) meaning nothing too hippie-dippie or patchouli'ish - just stylishly packaged skincare and supplements that work.
When growing demand demanded a recent doubling of their production facilities, Chevilliat continued walking a path where industry and eco coexist in peace. "Melvita will not lower our standards for environmental protection," he explains about the now 5-acre site which was originally designed to blend into the surrounding landscape and even includes a wastewater treatment system. "An ambitious eco-construction project will begin proving that even on an industrial scale, we humans can still work together to look after the planet."
Also, be sure to check out the video interview with Chevilliat, where he discusses how he got started, his philosophy of life...and apparently uses his own skincare because he has the most amazing skin.
