Cade

For hundreds of years, the oil of the cade – or otherwise known as Juniper – tree has been highly prized for its natural antimicrobial and moisturising properties and known as the Healing Oils of Haute-Provence. In the past, the cade tree’s precious oil was used as an antimicrobial, helping the Shepherds of Haute Provence protect their hands and faces against the elements as they worked in the highlands of Haute-Provence.
 
Tough, hardy prickly Cade – grows in the rocky sun-baked soils of the Mediterranean. Its strong, rot-proof wood was used by generations of Provençal shepherds to build pens, while its antiseptic essential oil helped to heal their animals' wounds. Impossible to cultivate, cade has to be harvested in the wild. Cade is still grown in Haute-Provence today, our collection uses the finest oils. At L'Occitane we work with local foresters who cut Cade during normal bush clearing activity – which keeps paths clear for hikers and reduces the risk of fires. By distilling its essential oil we're valorising a product that would otherwise go to waste.

"As a child, I used to help my father cut Cade to make vine stakes. My grandfather had also used Cade to make pens for his ewes. We used to walk through the forest collecting it."

"When I started helping the local Forestry Commission maintain their tracks, I came to cut cade wood. My cousin, who knew the world of cosmetics, reminded me of the antiseptic and soothing properties of cade essential oil and gave me the idea: maybe I could distil it. At the time, there wasn't a market for this essential oil, but I wanted to promote the wood so typical of my region."