Breton Cachou sailor cap screwed onto his salt and pepper curly hair, straightforward, luminous gaze, at 65, Jean-Pierre Nicolas retains his allure of an adventurer, a man of the field. What remains above all, even if fate sometimes taking cross roads propels him in 2004 into a universe which is foreign to him, that of cosmetology. It is Jean-Marie Pelt, botanist, writer, founder of the European Institute of Ecology, now deceased, who breathes his name in Clarins. The company therefore wishes, through its first edition of the ClarinsMen Environment Prize, to reward:
"a visionary committed concretely to the protection of the planet"
.
Jean-Pierre Nicolas ticks all the boxes: social animator, herbalist, anthropologist, ethnobotanist, gratified, during his doctorate on the traditional pharmacopoeia of the Mayas Quichés, congratulations from the jury of the Sorbonne. He travels the world to
"create links that enhance the human and the plant in a quest for harmony".
Clarins then awarded him his prize, and impressed by his career, his convictions, invited him in 2007 to work with the company's research laboratories, to find new plants, study the active ingredients, carry out traceability research on plants and ethno-scientific verifications, to develop new products within the framework of specifications that respect biodiversity and cultures.
We owe everything to nature.
If we respect her, she is generous.
Jean-Pierre Nicolas, ethnobotanist
“I understood that through this function, I had the opportunity to continue to explore the infinity of the plant world, to exchange knowledge and forge links with local communities. We owe everything to nature. If we respect it, it is generous, we still have to juggle the scientific with the traditional and vice versa to transmit useful knowledge. I never get anywhere as a conqueror, as a man who knows. I listen, I observe, with humility. For a long time, whether in the Breton countryside or in the Madagascan bush, the natives have gathered, cultivated, protected, and used in their daily lives, plants for food and health. By playing the ferryman of botanical knowledge,I value their knowledge and can support them so that they make profitable their crops and pickings while respecting the environment. ”
What he does in Guatemala, Honduras, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Mongolia.
First, it identifies the local plants used by these populations, identifies them, collects information on their therapeutic efficacy and toxicity in order to select them.
Then he created gardens of medicinal plants, support for training actions.
It also supports, as part of a fair trade approach, producers wishing to export the species sought by the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries.
Aware that the knowledge of traditional pharmacopoeia is in danger of disappearing for lack of means and transmission, the ethnobotanist has written 14 simple works for women, nurses, midwives, young people and inspired ethnobotany manuals. through his travels and meetings.
“We must nurture the interest of young generations for plants, give them confidence in the future and in themselves.
It is a work of environmental and health education: to ensure that they respect each other, respect nature and take an interest in the uses of what it offers. ”
His good sheets and other advice
Aloe vera
, cultivated everywhere in the tropics, to calm sunburns and burns.
Open the sheet, apply the translucent gel: immediate effect.
Plantain
, against insect or nettle bites, leaf crushed and rubbed on the bite.
Lemon balm leaves
to relieve digestive problems, nervousness, fatigue, jet-lag.
Buy lemon balm water or Carmelite water in pharmacies.
Ginger
against motion sickness: chew organic candied ginger, or infuse fresh SDP ginger for 12 hours in very hot water, then store in a small flask to take away.
Mint alcohol
, anti-inflammatory and antiviral.
In case of sunstroke, muscle cramp, sprain ...
