Ekos Maracujá

DISCOVERING MARACUJÁ

Originally from the Atlantic Forest, the Maracujá, or passion fruit, is a fruit appreciated by local communities for its fresh and tangy taste.

In the indigenous Tupi Guarani language, its name means the meal prepared in a gourd, in reference to its delicious seeds and the bowl-shaped rind of the fruit. Traditionally known for its nutritional properties, this yellow fruit, filled with juicy pulp and seeds, is a real delight.

THE VIRTUES OF THE MARACUJÁ

Maracujá is a real treasure: as well as having a delicious fruit, its leaves and flowers are used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics due to their high passiflorine content, an active ingredient known for its natural calming properties. It's rich in vitamin C, fibre and iron.

The oil extracted from the seeds of the fruit is rich in omega 6 and helps to restore and hydrate the skin.

Natura formulas enriched with Maracujá oil have light and pleasant textures and provide immediate hydration. The crushed Maracujá seeds used in shower exfoliating products provide gentle exfoliation, ideal for everyday use.

HARVESTED ENTIRELY BY LOCAL BRAZILIAN COMMUNITIES

The Maracujá grows on an elegant creeper, with superb flowers that are large, colourful and majestic. Maracujá is often used for its beauty and its very decorative aspect, but its greatest strength lies in the pulp of its fruit, and its seeds that yield a rich oil.

Once ripe, some of the fruit is sold at local fairs and markets and the rest is destined for the fruit juice industry. The seeds are a by product of juice production, which only uses the pulp, and are recovered by local communities, then washed and dried.

An emollient and fragrant oil is extracted from them and used in Maracujá body care products. The seed residue is also used in exfoliating shower gels and exfoliating soaps. Using Maracujá oil and seeds in Natura products cuts down on waste from the juice industry and helps to make the most of all parts of the crop, representing a significant extra income for families in the local communities.

The Maracujá used by Natura is cultivated by the Coaprocor and Camta communities. Its cultivation helps to preserve local species through sustainable forest management that encourages biological diversity.