Is plum poised to be the next big beauty oil?

08-Mar-2017 - Last updated on 08-Mar-2017 at 13:43 GMT

Beauty oil is one of the biggest skin care trends right now, as consumers opt for simpler and more natural regimes. But with a wide variety of choice, has plum oil been overlooked?

The Taylor sisters believe that the answer to this question is a big yes, and say that extensive research provides scientific evidence to back this up.

The Taylor Brothers Farms has been growing plums in Sutter County, Northern California for over 100 years and is one of the biggest names in the North American industry.

A family affair

As you would expect, the family-run business has built up this reputation in the food sector. Until now, that is.

With her two sisters, Allison and Elaine, Jacqueline Taylor recently co-founded Le Prunier, which will diversify the family business into the beauty and personal care sector.

“Farming is in our blood as my sisters and I grew up on an organic fruit ranch helping during harvest, working farmers markets on weekends and attending trade shows to promote product later in life,” said Taylor, who is the CEO of Le Prunier.

“As fourth generation Taylors, we felt compelled to continue this tradition yet reinvent our main commodity - organic plums. In 2014, we noticed a trend emerging with beauty oil sales on the rise and made the decision to begin exploring alternative uses of our products.”

The part science plays

Taylor says she has always been passionate about skin care, so much so that it extended into her studies at UCLA, where she took a pre-med Biopsychology major for Dermatology. And that background in science has become a crucial part of Le Prunier’s foundations.

“I partnered with two world renowned laboratories to further investigate the benefits from a fresh and innovative perspective. We are thrilled with the results and are so excited to finally share our all-natural, innovative Plum Beauty Oil,” Taylor explained.

Taylor also oversaw extensive clinical testing into the Plum Beauty Oil with two of the best-regarded research facilities in the USA.

Processing a 100% virgin oil

Le Prunier beauty oil is derived from plum pits, a by-product of plum processing for the food industry. The all-natural process involves environmentally-friendly cold pressing technique that involved no chemicals and is a multi-level process that results in a 100% virgin oil.

This resulting Plum Beauty Oil is said to be highly-absorbent, has a silky texture, leaves no residue and has a long-lasting fruity sweet aroma with a natural shelf life of around two years, and could be used both as an ingredient or a pure beauty oil.

“In a perfect world, we would like to target both the premium and luxury ends of the market so that Plum Beauty Oil is accessible and affordable to everyone. Our hope is that Le Prunier will resonate with all ethnicities and age groups that are prone to skin ailments and sensitivity,” Taylor said.

So what are the skin care benefits?

Taylor believes that the scientifically-proven skin care benefits of plum oil will be the ultimate testimony for the product.

“Dried plums contain one of the highest amounts of antioxidants of any fruit, therefore, it only makes sense that the all-natural oil extracted from the plum itself would contain equally high amounts of all-natural benefits,” said Taylor.

“Not only is it rich in critical antioxidants and hydroxyl radicals, it is high in omega 6, or linoleic acid, and omega 9, or oleic acid, which are known to hydrate, vitamin E which is an integral part of the skin’s antioxidant defenses, and beta-sistosterol which is a soothing anti-irritant. It is non-comedeogenic, therefore, great for sensitive skin and can be used day and night.”

Expanding the product portfolio and global reach

Looking to the future, the Taylor sisters have a vision to develop Le Prunier “into an innovative and organic by-product beauty house”.

The company recently took to the road for the first time and exhibited at the Cosme Tech event, which was held in Tokyo at the end of January. Indeed, with further product expansion in the pipeline and the Tokyo event opening up the possibility of future business in Asia, the company is looking to expand in all directions.

“We’re currently formulating a few additional products that will further highlight the benefits of the plum and plan to introduce those to the Asian market followed by the United States. Our brand ethos embodies a holistic ‘mind, body, soul’ approach to beauty where we truly believe in treating our bodies with love, compassion and kindness and only plan to offer the highest quality, all-natural products to enhance one’s natural beauty.”