The Essence of Provence

Olivier's epiphany came when he was twenty-two, when he happened upon a rusty, broken-down still in a field of lavender, which he bought for a song. Somehow he knew that he was destined to gather and distill lavender and honeysuckle, sage and thyme, essences that he would peddle to the region. In 1976 he founded l'Occitane (which means "a woman of Provence" in Provencal), and with a staff of one he began manufacturing shampoos, colognes, bath essences, and later, soaps. As soon as he had distilled a few bottles he would jump in his old rattletrap car, a Citroen 2CV, and head for nearby towns to sell his wares. Soon the company boasted five employees - including his beautiful wife, Marie-Paule, and his mother-in-law. Founded on the premise of pure products, principled ethics, and unorthodox business methods, l'Occitane grew and prospered through good years and bad, booms and busts, becoming by the 1980s a major business. With hundreds of stores and thousands of employers worldwide, l'Occitane today ranks as one of the world's most successful companies - encapsulating a bit of paradise and, especially in this day of corporate scandals, proving that honesty and decency can pay.

This then is the rags to riches story of Olivier Baussan and l'Occitane.