How do you turn farm waste into liquid gold and build a cult beauty brand in the process? Well, Allison Taylor from Le Prunier did just that.
Along with her sisters, Allison took a forgotten byproduct from their fourth-generation, 100-year-old plum farm and turned it into a skincare phenomenon that’s gone viral – while staying completely self-funded. In a world obsessed with growing fast and big, Le Prunier chose slow growth, intention and innovation, proving that less can truly be more.
In this week’s episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Allison returns to the podcast to tell the remarkable story behind Le Prunier. You’ll hear how the Taylor sisters transformed upcycled plum pits into their award-winning Plum Beauty Oil, created high-performance skincare with patented ingredients, and brought regenerative farming into the luxury beauty space.
From humble beginnings at farmers’ markets to partnering with top retailers like Credo and Goop, this brand proves that purpose-driven beauty can flourish without outside investment.
If you’ve ever felt pressured to scale quickly or compromise your brand values, this conversation will inspire you to stay true to your roots – literally.
“You’ve got to figure out your true north and stick to it. That’s what has guided us from day one. For us, it’s always been the plum.” — Allison Taylor
In this episode with Allison Taylor, you will hear:
- From waste to wonder: How Allison and her sisters turned discarded plum pits from their family’s century-old farm into a cult skincare product that went viral.
- Slow growth, strong foundation: Why they launched with a single product and stayed intentionally small for years – prioritising performance, integrity and meaningful innovation.
- Patented plum power: The science and strategy behind their exclusive plum-based ingredients like Plum Superfruit Complex® and Midnight Muir®, and how these elevate their formulations.
- Family first: What it’s like running a purpose-led brand with your siblings, and how each sister brings a unique strength to the business.
- Sustainability in action: How regenerative farming, solar energy and a worm-powered water system earned Le Prunier the title of ‘Best Sustainable Brand’.
Key takeouts include:
- Purpose over pressure builds lasting brands. Le Prunier’s founders didn’t rush into mass-market expansion or investor-backed growth. Instead, they stayed small and self-funded, focusing on intentional, high-performance skincare built on their own terms. This long-term vision helped them remain agile, profitable and true to their values – something rare in today’s beauty industry.
- Upcycling can spark innovation and identity. What began as a farm byproduct became the foundation of Le Prunier’s entire skincare line. The Taylor sisters took plum pits destined for the landfill and transformed them into a hero ingredient rich in antioxidants and natural SPF properties. This not only created a unique product offering, but also embedded sustainability into the very DNA of the brand.
- Patented ingredients can set you apart. Rather than using off-the-shelf actives, Le Prunier has invested in developing its own plum-based complexes. These bespoke ingredients deliver measurable results and have helped the brand differentiate itself in a saturated market. It’s a reminder that real innovation often comes from working closely with your supply chain – and your story.
- Legacy and innovation can co-exist beautifully. Le Prunier blends a century-old farming heritage with cutting-edge skincare science. The sisters’ deep connection to their land and family history gives the brand authenticity and meaning, while their commitment to research, formulation and clinical testing ensures every product is future-facing and effective.
- Sustainability needs to be lived, not just labelled. From solar-powered production and worm-powered water recycling to enriching soil with sheep and cover crops, Le Prunier doesn’t just talk about sustainability – the brand builds it into every layer of the business. This earned them the Glossy Award for ‘Best Sustainable Brand’, but more importantly, it creates a product that customers can genuinely feel good about using.
Meet our guest: Allison Taylor, co-founder of Le Prunier
Allison Taylor has an extensive background in marketing, brand development and creative direction. She studied Communications and Sociology at the University of Southern California and refined her design skills at Parsons New School of Design in New York. Before co-founding Le Prunier, she worked with high-profile brands such as Giorgio Armani, Mother Denim, and STX Entertainment, as well as across film, television and music.
In 2018, Allison and her sisters, Jacqueline and Elaine, launched Le Prunier – a natural and organic beauty brand built on the antioxidant power of the plum and the legacy of their fourth-generation family farm in Northern California.
Le Prunier is rooted in sustainability, innovation and integrity, with ingredients crafted from the byproducts of their organic plum harvests. Today, Allison leads the brand’s storytelling and marketing while championing purposeful growth and high-performing, multifunctional skincare.
Where to find Allison Taylor and Le Prunier:
- Website: Le Prunier
- Instagram: @leprunier | @allisontay
Related episodes:
- Episode 4: The beauty & science of plum (The first time Allison was featured on the podcast!)
- Episode 99: Formulating with botanical pigments
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
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Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.
