Sustainability – Ethos & Values.

Letter from Our Founder.

 

Since I was a little kid, I have been a big advocate of the environment. I remember being worried about food waste, production waste in my granny’s factory, litter around me, and I recall telling adults that their behaviour was bad with the environment; that they needed to pick up their litter. I was in a school society called `Cucarrones Verdes´ (green bugs) to save a specific type of beetle. Now that I think about it I don’t even know if they needed our help..!

 

I grew up in Colombia where we believe in the power of natural medicine, where my Grandmother and Mother prepare natural remedies to make me feel well again quickly - and it actually works; where you do skincare routines with natural ingredients such as Avocado and Savile.

 

In my teens I decided to study Chemical Engineering because of my love for the idea of transforming materials into something bigger, something helpful for many of us. This passion and fascination comes from when I was growing up - my playground was `Comboy´, the family's factory. It was then that I fell in love with production, labs and manufacturing, and I am still pretty much obsessed with it all - one of my reasons for starting PureVive.

 

In 2012 at the end of my undergrad degree I was diagnosed with Rosacea, a skin condition that normally affects people with lighter skin. My skin complexion is brown, but my skin is highly sensitive and has rosacea - not totally fair but it’s what I got..! From them until now, I have been caring about my delicate skin, experimenting with creams that initially burned my skin or left me completely red. Those experiences taught me to accept my skin condition, make dietary changes and appreciate that how we feel inside is normally reflected outside. Sometimes a skin flare-up has a lot to tell us about ourselves.

 

Between 2012 and 2018 I was pretty much involved in the household and cosmetic industry, learning from innovation, production, quality, packaging and management. I learnt so much from leading companies in the market about ethos, sustainability and challenges that larger companies face, then I moved to the UK to learn more about business.

 

In 2019 I finished my Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship, and I began my research into PureVive. As a skincare consumer I found very difficult to find Natural, Organic and Vegan products that were gentle to my sensitive skin and cruelty-free. I noticed that all the products were in plastic containers, and most of these end up in the ocean.

 

7-year-old ´Green Bug´ me felt the desire to tell adults that there are more options out there to produce and pack cosmetics. Even if we are not yet 100% plastic-free at PureVive, we are committed to reducing plastic pollution, to improving our packaging alternatives including recycling and providing waterless products.  

 

PureVive then bloomed into an Aromatherapeutic Skincare and Wellbeing brand. A combination of my Latin American roots, the heritage of ancient remedies, a sense of duty to care for the environment, and the power to transform the earth´s ingredients into a healthy solution.

 

PureVive is kind to people, planet, flora and fauna. Our products are free from harmful ingredients, gentle with your skin and the environment. We offer a range of products that we describe as ´Veganic Cosmetics Enhanced by Latin American Plants.´

 

Our winning formula is 25% the experience of our ancestors, 25% scientific research and development, and 50% our people, the most important asset. We are proud of being inclusive, authentic, equal and diverse.

 

Warmly and with care,

 

Maria-Paula Salazar A.