Hazelnuts, sunflowers, exotic plants, thyme… cultivated with a prior desire to recreate a natural balance, constitute the resources of the Phyt’s laboratory phytosector. A visit is a must, between Mercuès and Caillac, in the footsteps of Thierry Logre, leader in organic cosmetics.
When he squats like that in nature, behind his lavender which smells good his communicative enthusiasm and his certainties on the virtues of 100% natural, we have the clear impression that Thierry Logre is part of the decor. The founder and director of Phyt’s laboratories, whose cosmetic products, entirely designed in Caillac, radiate throughout the world, expresses himself with the breath of passion. Is it a bit windy?
And Marie-Hélène Logre, whose smile reflects the same enthusiasm for the products that their land gives birth to, is she a sun in a flowery dress who will have no trouble turning the sunflowers planted between Mercuès and Caillac towards her to the needs of the productions that she also cherishes?
Phyt’s and its phytosector weave a long string of good arguments and natural assets planted in the ground to then immerse the virtues dear to this company and this couple who advocate the healthiest possible skin care from the unpolluted resources of our nourishing earth.
A perfectly mastered agroforestry logic
The history of the phytosector is based on an agroforestry logic that Thierry Logre masters perfectly for results that do not suffer from any approximation. Everything is finely calculated, dosed, planted in the right proportion on plots of land acquired between Mercuès and Caillac, the stronghold of Phyt’s.
The variety of plantations allows Phyt’s labs to develop new products with pleasant textures.
“We are accumulating land with the idea of gradually developing organic crops in agroforestry intended to ensure optimum quality for major raw materials. Whether quantitative or qualitative. The most emblematic products are vegetable oils such as hazelnut oil, very useful for products that have a very special emotional resource, high quality sensoriality and great nutritional effectiveness for the skin. In itself, it is not enough. It is accompanied by ingredients of natural origin which help penetration along with other active ingredients. »
Perennial plants mixed with annual plantations
Phyt’s owns about twenty hectares of hazelnut trees, but other cultures always according to a very specific idea of agroforestry. “In fact, through our different cultures, in addition to the needs for our products, we mix perennial plants, such as the hazel tree, with annual plantations such as the sunflower. The advantage of this mixture of two kinds of plants on the same territory is to increase the quality of biomass produced per area while supporting the growth of the perennial plant over several years.
Phyt’s plants and orders its rows without vegetation or harmful weeds around.
The other enormous advantage is to allow the multiplication of the parasites of the pathogens of the other culture. In concrete terms, a certain number of insects will develop in sunflowers which will act as parasites of hazelnut pathogens and vice versa” explains the big boss of Phyt’s.
The key idea: to recreate a living natural balance
The hedges that stand around crops have these same virtues. “It recreates a living balance that provides everything we expect from our products. Natural. This is definitely the key word for Phyt’s laboratories. The plant is thus better nourished, better energized without using chemicals. The action pattern is very healthy. “When we optimize natural balances, we produce much more and in higher quality” sums up Thierry Logre.
In addition to vegetable oils (sunflowers, hazelnuts), essential oils constitute another part of the production based on several natural and wild varieties of Lavender, rosemary, wild thyme, etc.
Exotic plants are grown and protected in this large greenhouse in Caillac.
A tropical plant preserved in a greenhouse
A very important tropical plant for Phyt’s, centella asiatica, is preserved in a greenhouse at Caillac. “Our first greenhouse has been installed for a year. We expect to do between three and five harvests a year. This for a hydroalcoholic or aqueous extract intended to provide the active ingredient for repairing the skin and aiding healing” concludes Thierry Logre, not without a little glance of pride towards the youngest signed Phyt’s: the cream Vintage with the jewels of Quercy, always present. Hunt the natural, it is coming back at a gallop in the Phyt’s product ranges.
Exceptional tours for groups
The beauticians, for whom visits to Phyt’s productions are sometimes organised, in turn have the opportunity to “drive” groups behind the scenes of the manufacture of organic cosmetics, passing through the beauty institute without obscuring the shop where products from brands dear to Thierry and Marie-Hélène Logre. “We didn’t make these visits a promotional tool, but those who want to see the real thing will be welcomed,” says Thierry Logre. The real thing is 100% natural.