WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
ELEPHAS Paris®’s founder Olivier Behra has been committed to protecting Nature for decades. It was in Cameroon (where he grew up in the Seventies) that he first discovered with his parents and big brother the majesty of elephants, and how they interact with the local communities.


THE ELEPHANT
Over thirty years of professional commitment to the protection of wild fauna & flora have led Olivier to support conservation projects in more than 15 countries. However, the emblematic species that needs urgent protection is the elephant, the symbol of Nature’s grandeur.
BURKINA FASO
In the south of Burkina Faso we find one of West Africa’s largest elephant populations. It is also here that some of the poorest human populations in the world live. Environmental conservation, so vital to Humanity as a whole, cannot take place without taking into account the needs of the communities who live alongside wildlife. We have chosen to work here to show that it is possible to involve everyone, from North to South, in the conservation of elephants.


THE ZONE
Since 2011, Olivier has helped local NGOs to find the funding necessary to develop various conservation programs. One key goal has been identified: strive to ensure that one of the most dynamic elephant populations in West Africa can thrive between the Nazinga Ranch and the Kabore Tambi national park. Conservation status of this specific zone has been reinforced and the next step is to support local communities living close to these elephants.
WILDLIFE FRIENDLY BEAUTY
ELEPHAS Paris® is the first beauty brand to be certified Wildlife Friendly™ by the Wildlife Friendly Entreprise Network for its association with the protection of elephant habitats. This certification system is designed for ethical businesses committed to serving both the conservation of threatened species and of biodiversity. It requires businesses to demonstrate how they bring economic & social opportunities at rural level, to generate tangible benefits in the enhancement of wildlife conservation.


CONNECTED BEAUTY
ELEPHAS Paris® has been created to implement long term actions. We believe that buying high quality, natural ingredients, at a fair and right price, can support conservation of habitats crucial for elephants. ELEPHAS Paris® represents Connected Beauty – connected to your inner self, to those who surround you, to those who provide for you through green value chains (traceable origins and supply) and to Mother Nature herself. A philosophy that offers you exceptional active ingredients, development and sustainability to local communities who are biodiversity’s guardians and to the wildlife that is threatened today.
SOAP FACTORY
Our soaps are handmade in the town of Leo, at the local soap factory run by the Nununa Federation (a women’s cooperative). These women have been trained to make soaps whose quality meets the highest international requirements. We also buy organic Shea butter, one of the main ingredients in our soaps, from this same women’s cooperative.

