Interpreting Ancient Plant Wisdom

A Tribute to Our Founder, Peter Francis;

Peter Francis often spoke of his time in India, where he spent four transformative years working closely with Dr. Uniyal and Dr. Katiyar. He described this experience as one of the most enlightening and pivotal moments of his career. Their combined expertise in Botany, Ayurvedic Traditional Medicine, and the Modern Medicinal Use of Plants profoundly influenced his approach to plant formulation. Together, they reshaped his understanding of ancient Ayurvedic practices, helping him translate them into modern scientific cosmeceutical formulations. Peter was deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from them and work alongside them during such a pivotal time in his life.

"My education in Ayurvedic Medicinal plants during my time in India taught me to view all plants through the eyes of both a Botanist and a Pharmacologist. Before this exposure, I viewed plants simply as whole plants… a seemingly obvious perspective. But what I mean is that I used to see them as complete entities— for example, Argan Oil was great for one thing, Jojoba Oil for another, Rosehip for its own benefits, and Eucalyptus for yet another."

"But that view was limited. The first and most important lesson I learned from Dr. Uniyal and Dr. Katiyar was that this understanding is only true for plants that are organically grown or wild-harvested."