SEED: A New, Innovative Collection of Seed-Based Body Care Products, Harnesses the Power of Nature to Enhance Your Natural Beauty

NEW YORK, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Graine de Vie LLC today announced the official launch of SEED, its natural body care products collection, at Whole Foods Market in the Pacific Northwest region. Company co-founders Rebecca and Benjamin Gournay developed SEED to market a powerful and 100% Natural body care line that showcases the beneficial skincare benefits of seeds and seed nutrients. The grape seed oil based collection features Nourishing Body Lotions, Moisturizing Body Soaps, and Lathering Hair Shampoo Bars. SEED is accessible to all, targeting women and men who seek products that feel great and lets them feel great about using them.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100224/NY60125)

Graine de Vie rolled out a soft launch of the collection at the end of 2009 in Whole Foods Market Northeast region stores (NY Metro and NJ) and on Amazon.com. In addition to that continued and growing retail availability, SEED also expanded its online availability with newcomer Alice.com, a service that helps users manage their household essential needs online.  

The SEED story began with Rebecca and Benjamin Gournay's search for the most potent ingredients to enhance your daily body care ritual and their commitment to using ingredients that have real published science behind them. SEED's launch team includes a microbiologist who researched and developed monographs on ingredients to formulate meaningful, scientifically supported products that really work. They found the answer inside a grape seed. Each tiny grape seed, a natural byproduct of the wine-making process, is rich in Vitamin E, a potent mix of antioxidants, and beneficial essential fatty acids, all known for healthy skin benefits.  

"After getting married, my husband and I embarked on a journey to detoxify our lives and what we found was that there weren't a lot of options that seemed approachable to me," said SEED co-founder Rebecca Gournay. "I was looking for a brand that meant more than just natural.  I wanted something that would deliver real benefits, feel great, and be a good value. So, we created SEED."

SEED goes beyond nurturing your skin. Graine de Vie has signed the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics contract and is committed to never using ingredients that are known toxins. All SEED packaging is recyclable and /or biodegradable and all products and packaging in the collection are made in the United States to cut down on carbon footprint. By developing products like a 100% Natural hair shampoo bar, and launching its body-cleansing moisturizing bar, it also reduces water use and eliminates toxins (like petrochemicals frequently found in hair shampoo) entering the water table.  

Co-Founder Benjamin Gournay adds, "We are committed to sustainability and will keep challenging ourselves to continuously offer the best sustainable products possible to consumers."

"Very importantly," Benjamin stresses," we are also very committed to our customers, so much so that we are currently developing new products based on their feedback."  Rebecca reinforced the idea by adding, "We are gathering consumer feedback via social media and constant engagement to ensure our brand will always be relevant and responsive to consumers."

SEED's innovative product line includes:

Nourishing Body Lotion

Invigorating Citrus Blend/Restful Lavender Sage/Simply Unscented

Brimming with the power of grape seed oil, SEED body lotions are rich in natural Vitamin E, linoleic essential fatty acid, and phytosterols, offering anti-aging benefits, protection of skin, a natural anti-inflammatory, and plumping of skin.  The lotion is boosted with antioxidant-rich green tea extract and shea butter to make skin suppler. Importantly, SEED body lotion absorbs quickly into the skin, is not greasy, and is long-lasting. Essential oils provide naturally sensual fragrance, or, unscented with just a touch of cedar essential oil provides a fresh, clean scent. It is available at select Whole Foods Market stores for a suggested retail price of $8.99.

Moisturizing Body Soap

All Vegetable Based Invigorating Citrus Thyme/Simply Unscented

SEED's Body Cleansing Bar Soap is enriched with emollient grape seed oil and antioxidant rich grape seed extract.  Red Clay draws out impurities, and refined pomegranate, apricot and strawberry seeds gently exfoliate. It is available in a natural citrus thyme blend and unscented. It is available at select Whole Foods Markets in the Pacific Northwest for a suggested retail price of $4.49, and at amazon.com in 6 packs for $19.85.

Lathering Hair Shampoo Bar

All Vegetable Based Invigorating Citrus Thyme/Unscented

This spectacular grape seed oil enriched shampoo bar, specially formulated for those with fine to normal hair, lathers rich with its unique formula and ergonomic design. SEED shampoo bars feature conditioning panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5 and a unique fruit seed oil blend from Brazil which are shown to thicken hair and leave it feeling thoroughly clean. It is available in both natural citrus thyme blend and unscented. The compact quality of this bar makes it easily portable for travel or the gym and lasts a long time. Inherently sustainable by eliminating plastic bottles and reducing water during manufacturing, it is also a tremendous value. It is available at select Whole Foods Markets in the Pacific Northwest and online at alice.com for a suggested retail price of $4.49.

Rebecca Gournay was previously the President of GEM Business Development, where she worked with start-ups in the natural sector, launching new products to market. Prior to GEM, Rebecca focused on sales and marketing at three Johnson & Johnson consumer product divisions. Rebecca also led the internal go-to-market strategies and planning at J&J Consumer Products division on numerous brands, driving growth on a $350 Million franchise by creating customized programs for retailers. She has managed customers as varied as Stop & Shop Markets to Target.

Benjamin Gournay was Sales Strategy Director at Mars Snackfood, where he led the development of a five-year roadmap for growth and redesigned the sales planning process. Prior to Mars Snackfood, Benjamin led business development for the Club Channel at Personal Products (a Division of Johnson & Johnson), where he identified new growth opportunities and led new product development initiatives managing cross-functional teams including project management, packaging, marketing, finance, and supply chain to capitalize on those opportunities.  

About Graine de Vie LLC

Graine de Vie launched its first 100% Natural Personal Care brand SEED in November 2009. Company co-founders Rebecca and Benjamin Gournay, who met while working at Johnson & Johnson, are partners in business and in life. Combined they have approximately 30 years of consumer products experience, most of it focused on health and beauty care. During their time in the industry, they have grown and developed both small and large brands with mainstream and specialty retailers. Graine de Vie board members include Patrick Gournay, former CEO of The Body Shop; Marc Gobe, Marketing Consultant and author of "2.0 version of Emotional Branding"; Steve Felsher, former Vice Chair of Grey Advertising; and Olu Fajemirokun-Beck, former Vice President M&M/Mars. Graine de Vie is committed to using healthy ingredients, and seeks sustainable formulas and design in its line, and its business. Please visit www.seedpowerbodycare.com for the latest news and in-depth information about SEED products.

SOURCE Graine de Vie LLC