Why is TiL unique?
At the start of the year, we want to talk to you behind the scenes of TiL and what makes it a unique brand. Created according to the rules of the art , 100% tailor-made, it promotes Nature thanks to 21st century Science , biotechnology and neuroscience . Four years of work to give birth to this innovative young shoot , worked with passion like the biggest brands.
The story of a tree, a family, a land
We, the 2 founding sisters , came out of large groups and luxury houses, the first in cosmetics, the second in perfume , with the love of a job well done, the requirement, and where exclusivity and innovation were primordial values. Between us, 40 years of expertise and a large ecosystem of great professionals around us…
Above all, a tree imposed itself on us , without us ever having the desire to launch a brand. At a time when the word sobriety is a golden rule, we did not want yet another brand and it was an alignment of personal and professional planets that started it all, with a real discovery like few in the world. : the incredible powers of Linden on the skin. We knew them, like you, on the mind, a very recognized tranquilizer since the dawn of time, and on the body, a renowned detoxifier and soothing which makes it a medicinal tree listed in the pharmacopoeia.,But the skin ??? We didn't know anything about it, we had just been alerted by grandmother's recipes found here and there, which used linden for different skin care treatments .
Because you know, there is no need to go to the ends of the earth to look for an exotic ingredient with a complicated and unknown name , the treasures can be right before our eyes ! This is the case of these lime trees under which we grew up, venerable wild colossi which are 2 centuries old for some, and have never seen the hand of man nor the shadow of treatment.
They surround our 17th century family house in Dordogne , in the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park , and watch over it as they do over us. Around, nature at 360°, in this sublime region , which wrote many pages of the history of France , and of which so many dazzling vestiges remain.
Our lime trees guided everything , from start to finish. They sparked a long R&D process , and given the incredible results, the development of the TiL range .
A holistic tree par excellence, the lime tree gave birth for the first time in the world to a holistic brand which expresses its powers on the skin, body and mind , in cosmetics, food supplements and perfume.
Our obsession was to reconcile the quintessence of naturalness with the effectiveness of objectified active ingredients (i.e. measured and proven by science ), and great sensoriality , because for us, no effective treatment without pleasure.
The stages of a long time of creation
We had our own lime trees harvested by the French leader in plant biotechnology , Greentech. Two different species of lime tree, at two different stages of maturity, and four parts of the tree: buds and branches in March, flowers and leaves in July. Nature teaches patience...
Months of chemical and bio-chemical analyzes to carry out their molecular mapping , a great first .
One day, a call, from the President of Greentech. The new ? Our lime trees are full of anti-oxidant, hydrating and soothing molecules , which constitute a fantastic, very complete anti-aging agent !
So... an incredibly beneficial tree for the skin, the body, the mind, which smells divine , which grows here, and it's our job... what do you think we did? 😊 We got started, setting the bar high (sometimes too high!!).
Three years to develop the active ingredient combining the best of each part of lime , and the formulas that contain it, at an optimal (and not infinitesimal) concentration . Dozens and dozens of tests in the laboratory, for each product (because we started from a blank page) , before arriving at the formulas of our dreams .
Then the battery of effectiveness tests carried out on the active ingredient itself (which shows a considerable reduction in oxidation and inflammation, major factors of accelerated aging ), then on the products with clinical tests, dermatological tests etc…
All under the leadership of a great gentleman in cosmetics , the former boss of Clarins R&D for 35 years!
Sensorial side? A master of perfumery, Francis Kurkdjian , who created the greatest global successes, and his own perfume house. He did us the honor of falling in love with our history and composed the divine eau de toilette TiL, L'Eau Qui Enlace, which bears its name so well; a walk under an avenue of flowering lime trees one early morning in June. He pushed perfection to the point of adapting the olfactory note of TiL by adapting it to the dosage of each cosmetic in the range. Usually, the same olfactory concentrate is used for all products... but the perfume does not emerge at all in the same way depending on whether the texture is oily, aqueous, with surfactants, etc. With him, we were able to make lace...
We don't stop there...seeing the happy smiles displayed after smelling this delicious perfume, we are launching a study with neuroscientists to measure its emotional impact .
We guessed, because he was so caressing, that he was going to be loved, but the results went beyond our hopes, three words stood out: joy, relaxation and comfort ... The three emotions that we all probably need the most , in these troubled times 😊
So, every year, we pick buds, branches, flowers and leaves from our estate, at the best time (for buds and flowers, it's within 2 days !). Harvests led by a former member of the National Forestry Office , with shamanic training, and his team, who harvest our trees by hand , with respect and gratitude , after having established a 5-year harvesting plan.
And there, we do not dry the plant material as is usually done when we buy plant extracts from suppliers. Because when it dries, the plant loses a good part of its active molecules and therefore their effectiveness. We use our fresh parts of lime tree . It's more complicated, because we have to freeze them on site within an hour of picking them, then have them taken by a refrigerated truck to cryo-extract the molecules. But in this way we find all the molecules in their total integrity , and we recreate the original activity of the tree ! This is one of the secrets of the effectiveness of TiL .
Everything is then produced in France, in the Dordogne itself, with French assets , French or European packaging , eco-responsible because it is made of glass and Bakelite . It's more expensive, but no compromise on that.
This is the adventure of TiL , and this is why it is unique .
This tree which has always been everywhere, which we no longer even look at, is an extraordinary tree, with incomparable benefits . Those that we transmit today, enhanced by science , to do you good, soothe you, regenerate you, and revive beauty and well-being. Four long years of hard work and demands , added to advanced expertise and our fabulous trees , a family history and passion for our land ... This is what you will find in your pots and bottles.
Til, we are the linden tree.
Good to know, deciphering the beauty market
A teeming market, where it can be difficult to find your way around and make a difference. France is unbeatable in cosmetics ( 2nd export sector !), with products subject to European legislation, the most restrictive in the world. There, as in all markets, there are products of very high quality and others of lesser value , launched at lightning speed.
How is it possible ? All you have to do is take existing formulas in a lab, possibly customize them with active ingredients sourced from active ingredient suppliers who supply the brands. Even faster, you can opt for products supplied turnkey as a “ white label ” from manufacturers, i.e. already existing, standard formulas, with standard ingredients generally at a minimum concentration . Then all you have to do is put your logo on it.
You can launch a brand in less than a year, very quickly, by assembling existing elements like an Ikea piece of furniture.
This is a bias, but we have made other choices at TiL, and we hope you enjoy them!
