100% organic cosmetics from products from black bee apiaries

Self-taught in beekeeping, Céline Daubord put her training as a biologist to serve her passion for the black bee. Its cosmetic beauty products made from beehive active ingredients have won several awards. We met her.

Céline had dreamed of making a living from her passion for black bees. So she settled in the heart of the Limousin countryside. When she approaches her hives, she takes a few precautions and checks to see if the bees are too aggressive.

Indeed, the wild bee is not easily approached. The beekeeper only works with small colonies. She chose this particular species: “The black bee is truly part of our genetic heritage. It’s our prehistoric bee that crossed the ice age, explains Céline Daubord. She has exceptional qualities. She is one of the best pollinators. She doesn’t make a lot of honey, we use small quantities. But, on the other hand, we are sure of the quality.”

The black bee is truly part of our genetic heritage. This is our prehistoric bee that lived through the ice age.

Celine Daubord

Beekeeper and founder of Phyto Abeilleessence

Céline started beekeeping five years ago, she works with the products from her hives, on a small scale, while respecting biodiversity. “I completely let nature do its thing and that’s really gentle, ideal beekeeping that suits me perfectly”she confides.

With only one harvest per year, black bees are not subject to high productivity. In her laboratory, Céline develops beauty products based on honey, propolis, royal jelly by incorporating flower or bud extracts.

“I am completely self-taught as a beekeeper. The formulation part is really the heart of my job and it is also a passion. We only enhance the raw material, without altering biodiversity, in any case , having as little impact as possible, that’s the most important thing”underlines the beekeeper.

We only enhance the raw material, without altering biodiversity.

Celine Daubord

Beekeeper and founder of Phyto Abeilleessence

Its beauty serums are winning awards. She has been approached by big names in cosmetics, but her response is clear each time: “No, no, it’s my story, it’s my adventure, it’s my baby. For the moment, I’m not at all interested in big brands,” she explains, categorically.

Between her laboratory and her orchard, Céline creates her 100% organic cosmetic products to the rhythm of the seasons: the apple trees suffered from frost, the flowers were burned leading to a loss of pollination: “This year, it’s going to be problematic, this harvest. It is automatically used for the manufacture of our formulations for next year. So, it’s more next year that we will have an impact. But, we has several orchards, which means we are always trying to find alternatives.”

In this very preserved environment, Céline cultivates her passion for bees and botany, having the chance to be able to live from this work in line with her values.