It all starts in Yunnan province, the green lung on the very edge of Southwest China. The region of Xishuangbanna shelters some of the oldest forests of tea plants.
In the shadow of giant oaks, chestnut trees and bamboo, pu'er tea plants grow freely, mostly over 3 meters in height.
Pu'er is widely recognized as a treasured Chinese tea in the world; however, its cosmetic effect was little known until Laurent Boillot, the CEO of Guerlain (LVMH Group), created a skincare brand, Cha Ling, based on it.
Boillot met German biologist Josef Margraf and his wife, Minguo-Li Margraf, on a trip to China. The three of them shared an ecological dream to protect the unparalleled rainforests of Xishuangbanna.
As the perfect solution, the Cha Ling brand was established on Dec 12, 2012, and part of the profits would be used to preserve the 1,000-year-old forests.
Boillot called the LVMH Group for assistance, and gathered scientists to scrutinize and expand their knowledge of the extraordinary cosmetic properties of the leaves of pu'er.
Luckily, a powerful antioxidant was found, and it also acts as an anti-pollutant and anti-ageing substance once it has matured.
"Pu'er from Yunnan is the purest and the richest. And that made something special," Boillot said.
Cha Ling is available from 10 boutiques and spas from several cities, including Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou.
The brand has never forgotten its commitment to protect nature and promote biodiversity.
It insists on using 100 percent sustainable and recyclable materials for packaging,and the cosmetic ingredients for formulation are traceable with a guarantee of at least 85 percent natural ingredients, on average. Eco-friendly ingredients are clearly listed and 10-year contracts have been signed with suppliers and producers to sustain these commitments.
Also, Cha Ling has contributed to the reforestation and planting of 20 hectares (50 acres) of tea trees in their original ecosystem in southern Yunnan.
