To care for our skin in an increasingly harsh environment, the giant cosmetic companies of the world are all turning to the natural curative, beautifying and preserving properties of plants. Their idea is hardly new. It derives from bygone eras and dusty books forgotten since the birth of modern medicine and advances in science and technology.

For one marque, the newfound interest in botanics for beauty is not just a response to the mood of the moment. Indeed, for over thirty years, Clarins Instituts de Beaute have been creating and applying products developed from botanical extracts. Plant-consciousness was revolutionary to modern cosmotology when the founder of Clarins, Jacques Courtin-Clarins began developing his products.

Pointing to an ancient book, yellowed almost beyond recognition, Courtin explains how Clarins has unearthed an age old wizardry. "We look for plants that have been used in a particular indication for generations by a population. Then we prove the effectiveness with very rigorous testing", he says. "If you go back to the very beginning of Clarins, you will see that the whole range consisted of six products: three oils for the face and three for the body - complex blends of essential oils made up entirely from plant extracts. I went back to plants. For example, Moringa, which grows in Madagascar, has long been used to heal babies skins when they are red and irritated. Recognising its healing and regenerative properties, we decided this would be a useful extract for skincare products.

"Now, given the recent progress in bio-technology and the problems which can occur with supply, we sometimes use a biotechnological replacement for a plant extract. But only if the replacement is as good as or better than the extract we've been using. Otherwise we use an alternative plant - there are always several plants with more or less the same properties", explains Courtin.

Given that plants are composed of substances which act in synergy, the creation of natural products that will also interact effectively and harmoniously with the skin is complex. It is even more difficult and often impossible, to reproduce plant extracts synthetically.

Courtin has always invested a great deal of time and money in research. In all Clarins products, natural extracts are selected for their individual properties, not merely for fragrance and surface qualities. In fact, Clarins have been the first to include non-fragrant 'treatment' plants like Ginseng, Eleutherocoque and (anti inflammatory) Harpagophytum in a refreshing perfume, making its Eau Dyunamisante a new concept in fragrance. Rubbed on as a 'friction lotion', Eau Dynamisante has proven firming and aromatherapeutic qualities, as well as acting as a perfume. The Clarins team has collected over 400 ingredients from around the globe - from as far afield as Japan, Africa and Australia - to create its 170 product range. Moringa is now exclusive to Clarins and like Carite, another African plant much featured in the range, it has strong regenerative and healing properties.

Reading through the Clarins Reference Guide is like wandering through a magnificent garden. Vegetal oils and extracts have been hand-picked every step of the way. From the cleansing milk with softening Alpine herbs, nourishing wheatgerm oil and soothing camomile and horsetail extracts for texture and tone, to the alcohol free toner with calming linden extract and moisturising cucumber and lettuce extracts, through a range of products mixing vegetal extracts and oils: coconut, licquorice, marshmallow, coltsfoot, rosewood, patchouli, orchid, rosemary, geranium, sage, lemon, grapefruit, witchazel, lotus, aloe, pineapple, copra, marjoram...through the blending and application of these properties, Clarins cleans, tones moisturises and treats a variety of skin types.

When asked what lead him into the world of cosmetics, Jacques eyes twinkle as he answers in typical French style: "I started Clarins because I love women". Jacques was in fact driven by dual desires; to help preserve women's beauty and youth, and by a frustration with his mother's idealism when drawing models for the clothes she was preparing to cut. The tailor's models were always very slim, beautiful and erect: women of Courtin-Clarin's dreams, not of his world.

A qualified physiotherapist, it was while Jacques was studying medicine that he became aware that doctors can often neglect aesthetic considerations in order to focus on the pathology of an illness. He gives the example of a woman, who, after a shoulder operation, asks whether her shoulder has been corrected, the doctor replies in the affirmative and adds that it has been restored with feeling - but what the patient really wants, according to Jacques, is that one shoulder should be just like the other. Thus Jacques resolved to attempt an aesthetic re-education principally for those on the path to a pathological recovery. He opened the first Clarins Institut de Beaute to help women restore their bodies after illness. Gradually, however, he was drawn into a new pursuit: helping women realise their dreams of firmer bodies and clearer, more youthful skin.

Through his experiences with the women at the centre, Courtin developed products and massage techniques designed to preserve a youthful face, maintain a firm body and a toned bust. His own very special massage techniques have become central to the Clarins approach to skincare. From the very beginning, when Clarins was a single institute with 25 beauticians seeing to the needs of 100 clients each day, the evolution of Clarins methods and products came through direct contact with the women that were using them rather than solely through distanced laboratory experimentation. Even now, all Clarins products are constantly studied, revised and tested - on people, not animals - and subjected to a battery of inquisitions including at least 45 modifications before being launched world-wide. Personal contact has been maintained through a Consumer Card/Questionnaire included with every product.

Jacques is understandably discreet about his experiences with individual clients, but he can be drawn out to recount a 'secondhand' story he finds particularly amusing. "A new beautician at the Swiss Institut de Beaute was performing a massage. As our masseurs use pure oil, only a small amount is needed. This beautician used rather a lot and after the massage, she suggested that the client have a shower. As she washed, the client looked at herself and exclaimed: "That's wonderful! All my fatty grease is melting off me!"

Courtin has long been aware of the importance of relaxation as a complement to his techniques and products. "If a person suffers from tired legs it translates to their face", he explains. "If you soothe the legs, the face too, relaxes". It is for this purpose that Clarins has created huile 'Relaxe' which is made up of 100% pure plant extracts - petit grain, basil and camomile to soothe with the added benefits of hazelnut to moisturise. The Clarins range is designed to counteract the byproducts of a contemporary world where women and business are no longer mutually exclusive and all, whether high profile executives, small business entrepreneurs or rulers of the roost, are subjected to increased pollution, stress and tensions. Yet other oils have been developed to battle water retention (the product can act as a natural diuretic for pregnant women to avoid stretch marks and promote elasticity).

Courtin believes, as do many, that 10 or 15 years ago women of 40 looked much older than their counterparts today. "We can't stop aging, but we can slow it down", he says with a serious conviction. "A healthy way of life is the key, but anti-aging products can be effective depending on the honesty of the company producing them".

It is thanks to a team of specialists - pharmacists, physiotherapists and beauticians - and rigorous testing of all Clarins products that none has ever been withdrawn from the market. A recent case in point in Australia illustrates the integrity of the Clarins company. When studies at the University of Sydney indicated an increased incidence of cancer in mice treated with urocanic acid and exposed to ultraviolet radiation, a genuine panic hit users of particular suncare products. With five products in the Clarins suncare range containing a small percentage of urocanic acid as a moisturing agent, the company was called upon to respond. And respond they did. Given that urocanic acid is naturally produced by the body and the limitation of the tests conducted, the company did not withdraw the products as a testament t their faith in them, rather it offered customers refunds or replacements should they so desire. In line with its customer contact policy, Clarins would certainly have omitted urocanic acid from all future product lines had it not already done so (for the new range released in March) in its own continual process of reassessment and improvement.

Such uncompromising guarantees of quality are the result of a battery of rigorous tests. patch tests are conducted on the bottom or the back depending on whether the product is destined for the face or the body. After 48 hours, the skin is then pinched and tested for elasticity. Projects are also subjected to a simple stabilisation test: placed first in a very cold fridge - minus 300 - and then in an oven set at 450. Because they are natural, preservative free items, they have a limited lifespan - three years for unopened products and six months after opening. Additionally, every time a consignment arrives anywhere around the world, a sample from each batch is taken to the laboratory and tested.

Clarins is now recognised as one of the largest, most successful cosmetic companies in the world, its range available in 122 countries. "Dermatology is the same worldwide", said Courtin indicating both Japanese and French books of dermatology during a visit to Japan referring to essential philosophies of skincare. Nevertheless, climatic conditions and food vary, so different products are appropriate for different regions. Total sunscreens are a popular solution in Japan for example, where women want to keep their skin as clear and tan-free as possible. Europeans by contrast, show a marked preference for tanned skin, so products allowing maximum penetration of non-harmful rays or even auto bronzing products need to be formulated. In Africa, suntanning milk and tan accelerators are understandably not great sellers. In Australia, where a harsh climate deprives the skin of many vitamins, Skin Utilitaire is a popular Clarins product line. Constructed from precious essential soil extracts which include lavender and avocado, Skin Utilitaire soothes redness and desensitises the skin. A new product recently developed in response to requests from Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Caribbean for 'something light' will cater for oily skin in humid climates.

Climatic variations in simple day-to-day environments is also accommodated by Clarins in its unique Multi-Active Jour Day Cream, launched two years ago, which takes into account changes in temperature fluctuations such as might occur moving between indoor, perhaps air-conditioned environments and outdoor conditions. A corrective day cream, it normalises the skin's moisture levels, controls temperature variations, allows the skin to benefit from positive effects of daylight while protecting it from harmful ultraviolet rays, and acts as a tone conditioner to reduce slackening in facial skin.

Despite his preoccupation with women and all things feminine, Courtin is convinced that Clarins products cater for men as well. "I've never seen separate dermatology books for men and women, skin always has the same function", he says emphatically. "Nonetheless, men's skin is slightly thicker and the problems of facial hair and sweat can separate products. Generally, however, men and women can and do use the same products: Gentle Foaming Cleanser (a soap substitute which neutralises hard water and makes shaving easier) and Eau Dynamisante are particularly popular with both sexes. So far, except in Australia where a high percentage of men use our products, men represent a very small percentage of the market, less than 10% of the women's market", Courtin continues.

The Clarins approach to skincare is an overall approach, concerned with the education of both client and beautician. Courtin's secret massage method is passed on only to beauticians working for Clarins, but clients are taught an easier appropriation for their home use. For women, it is important to massage with an upwards motion, from hips to toes for example, because of a tendency toward poor blood circulation. This allows for maximum absorption (natural products being quickly absorbed by the skin) without moving and stretching the skin tissue. Accordingly, Clarins envoys are sent around the world to promote the appropriate technique and the products.

Rose Marie Castanos, a travelling consultant who has been with Clarins since its inception, recounts a story that illustrates both the zeal with which Clarins consultants approach their work and their determination that clients appreciate the correct methods of application to receive maximum benefit. During a recent visit to Australia, 'Good Morning Australia's' Kerrie-Anne Kennerly received more than she bargained for when she asked Rose Marie for a demonstration of a new bust improving product from the Clarins range. Prior to the on-camera interview, Rose Marie demonstrated how to apply the product, opening the press studs on her dress without the least inhibition, to reveal her skin up to the nipple unencumbered by a bra. "You won't do that on television?" gasped a somewhat startled Kerrie-Anne. "Oh, No..." replied the Clarins advocate. As soon as the camera began to roll, the brazen Rose Marie repeated the gesture: "the cameraman almost fell of his chair in shock", she recalls laughing. "But", she adds with typical Gallic nonchalance, "that is nothing compared to the demonstration we arranged at David Jones. A naked model applied the entire Clarins range to every part of her body!"

The emphasis on nudity is less a public display of impropriety than it is an exercise in attempting to emphasise the importance of basic skincare as the precursor to all other aids to beauty. "Clarins works on care for an quality of the skin", says Courtin. "Make up has only ever hidden the imperfections, but we aim to suppress these imperfections. It is pointless to have a naturally beautiful skin and to hide it behind thick make up. So, the next stage is to produce a new kind of make up which is very natural and transparent and serves to enhance the beauty of women's skins".

Whilst great fashion designers turn their talents from sumptuous clothing to richly scented perfumes, Courtin interestingly, considers entering the glamorous world of haute couture. "Haute couture finds its bearings in perfume because like the clothes, they are superficial, a costume for the body", he cautions. "I make my beauty products because I apply and live with my products. But, I do not make sheets. If one day, I want to use my name for haute couture, I will take on fashion designers and specialists".

Courtin is similarly hard on himself. Despite an expansion already way beyond his expectations, he ironically considers that he is a 'failure'. "I think the degree of expansion of Clarins is weak in comparison with the quality of my products and the difference between these and other products on the market", he says. "When one thinks of the number of Eau Dynamisante users, for example, it is really nothing compared to the amount of people who could benefit from it".

It is no surprise then, that for Courtin, the manufacture of cosmetics is a serious business indeed. He lives every second of his life for his company, which his employees consider has a distinct family feel. His 'holidays' are taken in a hothouse for reflection where he sows the seeds for the future growth of his coveted botanics for beauty. Although he has often been approached by other companies, Courtin prefers to remain faithful to Clarins which he believes will conserve its independence. He keeps a watchful eye on every aspect of the Clarins product range, made and monitored in the Paris factory.

But despite a serious commitment to the business of beauty, his choice of the name Clarins - which he now adds as an extra moniker to his own - is not without its own levity. When he was 13 or 14 years old, the young Courtin played the part of a friendly prison guard in a high school play. A non-speaking role, Courtin's guard simply stood on stage and hid beneath his uniform. The cast dubbed him 'Clarins', the name stuck, and he realised that it was much easier to remember than Courtin. "I made a promise to myself", he says, ""that if one day, I would have a business, I would call it 'Clarins'".

In the cosmetic industry, too, the name Clarins has stuck. While fashion dictates that the cosmetic industry is the measure of beauty, Clarins is proving that beauty products and the manufacture of cosmetics need not be only skin deep.