“Water, soil, and the green cloak of the earth composed of plants form the world that supports animal survival on Earth.” The popular science book “Silent Spring” has sparked a global wave of environmental protection by describing the impact of pollution on biodiversity. The cosmetics industry, whether in terms of packaging material production or the extensive use of plant-based ingredients, is closely related to the issue of biodiversity.
CHAILEEDO has noticed a Chinese beauty company that has been exploring and pondering biodiversity for many years in the field of biodiversity conservation. Even on a global scale, it can be considered a pioneer. That company is Dr. Plant.
Just recently, the United Nations Development Programme-Dr. Plant Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Phase I and Phase II Project Launch Conference was held at the project demonstration sites of Manyuan Village and Dakalao Village. Through on-site visits, CHAILEEDO witnessed the birth of the “Chinese model” for biodiversity conservation and also gained a glimpse into Dr. Plant’s philanthropic mission and ambitious dedication to high-altitude plant-based skincare.
Starting with the “Kingdom of Plants,” Dr. Plant has been deeply cultivating biodiversity for many years.
“The mysterious fruit is produced in West Africa and contains a mysterious fruit enzyme that can alter taste perception, earning it the nickname ‘Taste Bud Magician.'” “This is the ‘Looking-Up Tree’ that spans three layers, standing tall like a straight soldier”… Recently, at the Fu Li Palace of the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the staff introduced CHAILEEDO to these fascinating details. Through this, CHAILEEDO personally witnessed the unique charm of Yunnan as the province with the richest biodiversity in China.
In fact, Fu Li Palace is also an important starting point for Dr. Plant’s commitment to biodiversity conservation. In 2014, Dr. Plant signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, investing 30 million RMB in the construction of the Fu Li Palace greenhouse complex. After being re-planned, renovated, and expanded, it was opened to the public.
Today, Fu Li Palace has become an important showcase for Yunnan’s biodiversity. Its largest greenhouse covers an area of 4,200 square meters and houses over 2,500 plant species. In 2022, it became a “COP15 Permanent Results Display Site.”
Since then, Dr. Plant’s exploration in the field of biodiversity has deepened. In 2017, under the initiative of Professor Pei Shengji, the founder of ethnobotany in China and the chief scientist of Dr. Plant, Dr. Plant launched the “Biodiversity – High Mountain Plant Conservation Action,” which supports the restoration and sustainable development of high-altitude ecosystems. Currently, it has restored biodiversity across an area of 5,590 acres.
In 2020, Dr. Plant reached an important milestone by initiating a series of explorations in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), including “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation,” “Establishment of Xishuangbanna Ecological Culture Festival,” “Demonstration Site for Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources,” and “Promotion and Capacity Building.” Dr. Plant became the first private enterprise to engage in in-depth cooperation with UNDP in the field of biodiversity.
It is worth mentioning that in the field of animal and plant conservation, there is a saying, “Without utilization, there is no protection.” Pure protection without effective utilization is not a scientific method or path of conservation, and it is difficult to achieve the desired conservation results. While exploring biodiversity in the public welfare field, Dr. Plant has also gained significant empowerment in the development of plant-based ingredients, forming a mutually beneficial model between the two.
In the same year that the reconstruction of Fu Li Palace was decided, Dr. Plant partnered with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences to establish the “CAS-KIB Dr. Plant R&D Center,” with Professor Pei Shengji serving as the Chief Scientist of the brand. They delved into the discovery of a series of high-altitude plant skincare powers, such as Dendrobium orchids.
During CHAILEEDO’s visit to this research center, it was learned that through close collaboration with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dr. Plant has established a closed-loop research and development process, from the exploration and discovery of plant raw materials at the source to the development and utilization of effective ingredients, enabling them to maintain a leading position in the field of high-altitude plant-based skincare.
In fact, after examining the specific actions of global beauty companies in biodiversity conservation, CHAILEEDO found that both international beauty giants and leading Chinese companies are just beginning to make strides in the field of biodiversity. However, Dr. Plant, in terms of both awareness and action, has taken the lead and can be regarded as a Chinese benchmark for global biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Plant fills the gap in China’s biodiversity conservation standards and creates a global benchmark for community biodiversity conservation.
It is worth mentioning that at the meeting held in 2020, the “United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Dr. Plant Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Phase I Project,” a collaborative effort between Dr. Plant, UNDP, and the Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences, has achieved significant progress.
CHAILEEDO noticed that several distinguished guests, including Bai Yating, UNDP Resident Representative in China, Ding Kun, Party Member and Deputy Director of the Yunnan Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Xie Yong, Chairman of Dr. Plant, and Zhong Mingchuan, President of the Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences, delivered speeches at the meeting and highly praised the project.
It is reported that the project has achieved multiple important outcomes. In terms of standard system development, the project released the first guidance standard in China for enterprises to carry out biodiversity conservation work, titled “Guidelines for Biodiversity Conservation of Cosmetic Raw Material Origins,” filling the gap in China’s standards in this field.
In terms of on-site community conservation demonstration, the project team successfully restored over 200 species of traditional Dai medicinal plants and their cultural heritage in Manyuan Dai Village. They also carried out restoration and protection of indigenous tree species through the “Longshan” initiative, achieving a survival rate of up to 95%. As a result, Dao Haiqing, the mayor of Jinghong City, designated May 22nd as “Longshan Protection Day” in Jinghong City.
In Laozhai Village of the Daka ethnic group, during the project implementation period, an area of 700 mu (approximately 46.67 hectares) was planted with Fleabane, resulting in a total extraction of 750 kilograms of Fleabane essential oil and a cumulative income of 1.76 million yuan for farmers. The implementation of the project has drawn attention from the government and businesses to the development of the Fleabane industry, effectively promoting its sustainable development and becoming an important measure for promoting local rural revitalization.
CHAILEEDO learned that Fleabane, also known as Adenosma buchneroides Bonati, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is widely used by the Eni people (a branch of the Hani ethnic group) as an important aromatic plant with mosquito and flea repellent properties.
In addition, the project has achieved several outcomes in supporting Yunnan’s biodiversity conservation through AI intelligent technology, knowledge dissemination, and raising awareness. This includes providing foundational information for the application of AI technology in intelligent supervision of ecological environmental protection and biodiversity resource management, as well as the innovative creation of the “Yunnan Youth Biodiversity Conservation Action Network.”
Regarding the fruitful achievements of the project, Ding Kun stated, “In the three years of collaboration, we have seen that Dr. Plant, as an enterprise that values technology and promotes ecological culture, is playing an increasingly important role in biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization, becoming a model for innovative development.”
Bai Yating also highly praised the project, stating, “Through setting examples, establishing standards, carrying out restoration work, and providing alternative livelihoods, the project’s outcomes have far exceeded expectations.”
Ma Chaode, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP in China, gave satisfactory and highly satisfactory ratings to the project’s implementation effectiveness and efficiency analysis, stating, “The project has provided support for community economic and social development, offered extensive ideas and policy basis for the country’s exploration of sustainable development paths and local implementation actions, and ensured the sustainability of result application.”
The Dr. Plant Phase II Project has officially started, bringing Chinese ingredients to the world.
It is worth mentioning that during the meeting, the “United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Dr. Plant Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Phase II Project” was announced and the signing ceremony for Phase II cooperation was held. The project aims to promote the mainstreaming of corporate biodiversity conservation international standards and conduct key standard research. It focuses on typical ethnic minority villages in Yunnan Province, establishing on-site conservation, sustainable utilization, and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) community demonstrations for genetic resources of high-value plants such as Alpine Prinsepia (Gardenia jasminoides) and Tiaozhacao (Adenosma buchneroides Bonati). This signifies that Dr. Plant will continue its efforts in the field of biodiversity conservation, using the power of enterprises to promote the long-term development of biodiversity conservation in China.
During the establishment ceremony of the Phase II Project Expert Guidance Committee, Zhong Mingchuan stated, “Choosing Yunnan for the Phase II Project is wise. Yunnan is the province with the richest biodiversity in China, and the known number of species in major biological groups is close to or exceeds half of the national total.” He emphasized the importance of managing the project effectively.
Inspired by Pei Shengji in the early years, Dr. Plant focused on alpine plants and redefined alpine plant skincare products. After years of dedicated work, it has become a pioneer and leader in the field of alpine plant skincare. Dr. Plant has also been involved in the protection and research of alpine plant diversity.
“During the project implementation, Dr. Plant has increased research and application of Dendrobium, achieving the ‘highest retail sales of Dendrobium skincare products globally’ in December 2023,” said Xie Yong, Chairman of Dr. Plant. “Looking ahead, in the upcoming Phase II Project, Dr. Plant will collaborate with the Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences to promote the inclusion of Dendrobium in the list of cosmetic raw materials, benefiting biodiversity on a broader scale.”
“Biodiversity conservation is fertile ground, and Dr. Plant hopes to cultivate three golden flowers—Dendrobium, Dendrobium nobile, and Alpine Prinsepia—on it,” further stated Xie Yong.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Plant’s collaboration with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has entered its second decade and entered a new stage of research and development. Among them, the most representative achievement is the signature ingredient of Dr. Plant, “Dendrobium Active Essence.”
“Dendrobium Active Essence” is a functional liquid developed jointly by Dr. Plant and the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is rich in highly active anti-aging factors derived from Dendrobium. Through efficient enzymatic hydrolysis technology developed by the Dr. Plant Research Center at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Dendrobium polysaccharides are hydrolyzed into uniform low-molecular-weight polysaccharides, which have superior skincare activity compared to crude polysaccharides. It is reported that Dendrobium Active Essence is rich in oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and other small molecular components, with excellent anti-aging and moisturizing effects.
To date, Dr. Plant has invested nearly a decade of effort in exploring and researching the skincare effects of rare alpine plants, and has obtained four high-tech certification enterprise certificates, 16 high-tech technology certifications, 55 software copyrights, and 126 research and development patents. With multiple patented ingredients, the brand has built strong research barriers.
It is worth noting that in April of this year, Dr. Plant also established the Dr. Plant-Jiangnan University Chinese Cosmetic Ingredient Research and Development Base in collaboration with Jiangnan University, a research powerhouse in the field of cosmetics. With a focus on cosmetic efficacy, the base conducts in-depth research on alpine plant ingredients. They have already initiated projects such as “Dendrobium and Chinese Skullcap Encapsulation Technology Cooperation,” injecting a strong impetus into the research of alpine plant ingredients in China.
Public welfare and research, like two wings of a bird, have become the internal driving force of Dr. Plant, promoting and propelling each other, and achieving a high market reputation. As a leader in alpine plant skincare, Dr. Plant will adhere to its brand positioning of “Alpine Plants, Pure and Beautiful Skin.” While continuously promoting biodiversity conservation practices, it has embarked on a unique path of independent research and development of Chinese ingredients and will further promote Chinese ingredients on a global scale.
