Wild Harvested Skin Care
LESSE skin care contains wild harvested ingredients—for optimal efficacy, preservation of biodiversity, and a gentler approach to our irreplaceable Earth.
Wild Harvested Skin Care
LESSE skin care contains wild harvested ingredients—for optimal efficacy, preservation of biodiversity, and a gentler approach to our irreplaceable Earth.
Wild harvesting is an ancient practice of gathering botanicals, plants, fungi, and other ingredients from their natural habitats, ensuring respect for the ecosystem to maintain sustainability. LESSE aligns this philosophy with our actions that actively work in harmony with the ecosystem. By responsibly sourcing ingredients by hand, we preserve biodiversity, minimize environmental impact, and harness the best active botanicals nature offers.
Our actions have always been centered around this care. Formulations are crafted only with natural botanicals harvested in low impact methods, chosen for their abilities to benefit sensitive skin. For us, sustainable practices are forever intertwined with ingredient efficacy, where skin health is reflective of care for ingredients involved in the formulation process.
Along the forest floor of the East Coast and Canada, LESSE farms grow and hand-gather botanicals and mushrooms only when they have reached the peak of maturity. Our Turkey Tail mushrooms, featured in the Regeneration Mist, are wild harvested each Autumn, ensuring that natural growth and regeneration cycles continue undisturbed.
Our practices are deeply informed by historical foraging practices. Mushrooms and botanicals are respected not only for their healing properties but also for their profound connection to the land and culture. Hundreds of years of regenerative knowledge inform how LESSE harvests today with reverence for the ecosystem our ingredients sustain and are sustained by.
Fig 2.
The Regeneration Mist, photographed by Viktoriia Hume.
Beyond our harvesting, LESSE works closely with small farms and trusted suppliers who share our sustainability values. Partners follow certified organic practices and ensure ingredient traceability. Our products are crafted in small batches using low-energy, minimal-water processes. From the forest floor to your skincare ritual, every ingredient is consciously traced to its origin to ensure ecological responsibility, ethical labor, and uncompromising quality.
Sustainability extends to every element of the LESSE process, even in packaging and shipping. Glass bottles, aluminum tubes, and shipping packaging are all designed to be recycled, with detailed steps provided on the LESSE website. LESSE pays attention to our role in balancing the relationship between people and the planet. Our long-term vision shows through each mindful step in creating skin care that sustains sensitive skin and the planet.
FAQs
How does LESSE define wild harvesting?
Wild harvesting at LESSE means select ingredients are picked, by hand, to ensure that natural growth and regeneration cycles continue. This also means a close and personal connection with the land where many of ingredients come from. Our team, including our founder Neada, often visit the certified organic, naturally forested land where our mushrooms and other botanicals are harvested from.
How are LESSE suppliers and farmers chosen?
Each partner is carefully selected for their commitment to transparency, organic cultivation, and ethical labor practices.
How does LESSE ensure sustainability in each ingredient?
Every ingredient in our formulas is either wild harvested or sourced from partners who abide by the highest standards in terms of sustainable and regenerative practices. We believe each ingredient has a story from its origin to its place—and purpose—within your ritual, showing collective respect for ecosystems that sustain it.
LESSE Reading: Wild Harvesting & Sustainability
Our Values
Effects of Ethical Sourcing in Skincare
Sustainable Skincare Supply Chains