A rose is a rose is a rose – right? Sure, and who doesn’t love the heady scent of the world’s most iconic bloom. But the beauty maven behind this line of carefully concocted skincare oils is teaching us a thing or two about the importance of origin, in terms of both effectiveness and sustainability. Chase Polan’s holistic KYPRIS Beauty skincare oils include organic distillations of flowers from a family-run rose farm and other wild-crafted resources. We couldn’t wait to share these fresh-as-can-be photos from this Bulgarian rose farm and a little from Chase about why where our ingredients come from truly matters. 

The Chalkboard Mag: Tell us a a little about the ecological values and holistic philosophy behind your brand.  How you source your ingredients seems very important to you.

Chase Polan: Yes, when sourcing ingredients for our oils, we take many factors into consideration: the benefit, growing practices, origin, cultural and socio-economic context, procurement and extraction methods are considered to the fullest extent possible. Beauty from beauty. All our KYPRIS ingredients are naturally derived, and in some instances, we employ green science to increase their benefit. We package in glass and each oil has a high concentrations of phytonutrients – a little will go a long way.

TCM: Can you tell us about a few of your favorite ingredient resources?

CP: Not all ingredients are grown equal. Every single ingredient we select comes with a purpose. A few that make me extra giddy are:

Baobab Seed Oil, also known as the Tree of Life: Some baobab trees have lived for thousands of years, witnessing more history than has been formally recorded. Its fruit seeds yield an oil super rich in phytosterols, which are the plant version of what makes our cell membranes. The fruit is wild-crafted food and the remaining seeds are pressed for the oil known by Senegalese locals for its regenerative and softening properties.

Hawaiian Sea Algae Extract: A blend of algae extracts studied by Retin-A inventor, Dr. Albert Kligman, for their light texture and unique ability to effectively hydrate skin without clogging pores for a happy, dewy complexion.

Rose Essential Oil: Hand-picked beneath the quiet of an early morning sky, the oil from organic Bulgarian roses has been prized for centuries. Studied for its ability to uplift spirits and combat acne, this voluptuous essential oil is best known for its softening and revitalizing effect on even the most environmentally challenged complexions.

TCM: Roses are such a classic symbol of beauty, but how do they actually contribute to more beautiful skin?

CP: Aromatherapeutically, roses connect us with our heart center, which opens us to our innate connection to divine love and ecstatic pleasure. The look of love and kind enjoyment creates the most appealing, instant glow. Scientifically, rose oil has been studied for its calming, anti-inflammatory and soothing benefits. It is rich with antioxidants which helps to challenge free-radical formation, which can lead to inflammation. Historically though, rose oil is known most of all for its softening and toning effects, in addition to its undeniable romantic quality.

TCM: Your Beauty Elixir I: 1,000 Roses is as intense as it sounds. Tell us a little about the oil?

CP: Beauty Elixir I: 1,000 Roses is the ultimate beauty multi-tasker. Open a bottle and you will smell a field of sun-kissed, heirloom roses tossing their warm honeyed-rose essence. This potion features the oil of over 1,000 organic Bulgarian roses as well as our proprietary blend of vitamin E, vitamin C and the only U.S.-made CoQ10. The high concentration of CoQ10 quenches free radicals to smooth and even skin tone. Vitamin C and vitamin E work synergistically to support collagen and to protect against environmental assault. These ingredients are blended into a rainbow of botanical extracts and oils, like UV-protective pomegranate and glycation foe, and black raspberry seed oil.

TCM: Can you tell us more about the farm where the roses in the elixir come from?

CP: The rose essential oil comes from roses grown in Bulgaria. The family who owns the farm and distills them uses organic and biodynamic farming practices to cultivate their fields. Even more impressively, they have worked with the UN to help replant Afghanistan’s poppy fields with roses so the people of Afghanistan have another commodity crop with which to enter the global economy free from war industries, sex trade and illicit substances.

Just like wine grapes, the same plant can grow in many parts of the world, but will smell completely unique to where it is grown. This has to do with the climate, as well as the minerality of the soil and water. The roses were not first grown in Bulgaria, but growing Damascene roses and distilling them for rose water and rose oil was perfected there. The roses themselves are an heirloom varietal believed to be the result of cross breeding, and they look utterly pre-historic with their wild prickly thorns and fluffy blossoms. Most roses today have been bred to yield sturdy flowers, which has caused their luscious fragrance to become a recessive genetic trait. Damask rose blossoms are more delicate and their petals are outrageously fragrant.

TCM: Favorite uses of Beauty Elixir I: 1,000 Roses:

CP: In the morning, blend a few drops into your moisturizer for soft, luminous, delicately fragrant skin all day long. And at night, a few drops mixed in with our herbal retinol-like Moonlight Catalyst for a petal-soft, radiant complexion awaiting in the morning. Plus, the scents invite nuzzling, cuddles and sweet dreams.