Pelegrims
Pelegrims was founded by formulator, Alex Verier, and sommelier-trained former tech executive, Jérôme Moisan, in the UK in 2021. Their low-intervention hair and skincare products are formulated, trialled, and produced in their lab in Kent, which is just 20 minutes away from their partner vineyard: Westwell Wines.
The vineyard is located by the Pilgrims Way in Kent, a route used for centuries by Pilgrims travelling to Canterbury. The estate produces four varieties of organic wine – Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Ortega – and the by-products of this process are used by Pelegrims.
“Our intention is to formulate low intervention, active skincare formulations that work in harmony with the skin supporting it to heal and rejuvenate itself. Sustainability is hugely important to us, so using waste products from the wine making process and harnessing the powerful grape extracts are at the core of our brand and our future research.”
— Alex Verier, co-founder
None of these products are tested on animals, and are instead trialled by the Pelegrims team and their friends and families.They are then sent to a lab in Oxford for safety and stability testing. The end result is a range of products with a heavy emphasis on being scientifically enriched, whilst still made ethically and in small batches with complete traceability.
Pelegrims formulations are made with extracts from by-products (grape skins, seeds and vines) of the wine-making process. The extracts suspend the vital Poly-Phenols, such as Resveratrol, ready to enrich the skins and boost its natural ability to restore and rejuvenate. A variety of scientifically-backed ingredients are added alongside natural grape extracts to bolster their effectiveness. There are no bulking agents or nasty compounds.
All ingredients are sourced ethically and responsibly, with each supplier having been assessed to make sure they look after their supply chain. These ingredients are sourced from the UK as far as possible, and Pelegrims aim to source all of their ingredients from UK farms by 2025. This is a commitment to support the local economy and reduce their carbon footprint