Can you please share with the AILLEA audience a little background about yourself, both personally and professionally?
My name’s Allison Taylor and I co-founded Le Prunier in 2018 with my two sisters. I was raised on an organic plum farm in Northern CA and studied Communications and Sociology at the University of Southern California. After living in sunny LA for nearly 15 years, I'm currently splitting time between Aspen, CO where I live with my boyfriend, and my 8-year-old rescue pup / best bud, Koda. I’ve always been passionately creative, entrepreneurial, and very interested in health/wellness.
What was your inspiration when initially launching Le Prunier?
We traveled a ton with our father as teenagers to Japan and Korea on business trips, and it was there that we realized how highly regarded the dried plum is as a superfruit with benefits far beyond digestion. It prompted us to really take a look at our main commodity on the family farm and figure out a way to re-introduce this to the US. After spending 2.5 years of testing on our sustainably sourced oil, we felt strongly the benefits spoke for themselves and needed to be shared with the world.
Can you tell us more about what the name ‘Le Prunier’ means?
We went through so many names and Le Prunier was actually suggested by a friend! It means “the plum tree” in French.
Why was creating a clean/conscious beauty line important to you?
We’ve always felt that clean beauty shouldn’t compromise efficacy or results. I’m very aware of the types of food I consume - why shouldn’t I also be about the products that directly absorb into my body? We truly felt the dried plum and its antioxidant superfruit benefits were being overlooked so we sought to change that through clean beauty.
Please tell us more about ‘The Power of Plum™’. Why did you choose plums as the 1-ingredient to feature in Le Prunier?
Our family farm founded by our Great-Grandfather in 1916 operates as the world’s largest organic grower and producer of dried plums. We have such an abundance of this fruit and are fortunate that we can completely oversee the entire lifecycle of our ingredients from start to finish, guaranteeing the highest ingredient authenticity. To further separate ourselves, we feel it’s incredibly important to not only highlight this miracle fruit as much as possible because of its naturally inherent benefits but also to maintain our strong point of view and perspective as a brand.
Can you share any pro tips for how to use Le Prunier?
I’m obsessed with using a full dropper every single night as the last step in my routine. My skin has truly never looked better in my life and I attribute it to our gentle yet luxuriously effective oil. I love the routine of it. It's amazing for dry skin concerns such as eczema or for using on nail beds to soften cuticles. I also add a few drops to the ends of my damp hair to prevent heat damage. You can mix several drops into foundation and moisturizer to give yourself a beautiful glow and added benefits.
Will you be launching any new products soon? If so, can you share any details?
YES! We definitely are and no, unfortunately, I can’t share just yet but stay tuned :)
What are your favorite non-Le Prunier products or brands at AILLEA?
Big fan of Alpyn Beauty skincare products, Ilia mascara, and the Kosas Creme Palettes (I’m obsessed with those!)
