Text by Lindsey Kesel
Images courtesy of Seed to Skin Tuscany
Immediately, Jeanette improved her diet. She consulted an herbalist and an acupuncturist, planted an herb garden, and researched Chinese medicine. After two years of embracing holistic paths to wellness, Jeanette became pregnant with her son, Vincent. “It was such a testimony to the power of nature and herbs, and what can happen if you actually live by them,” Jeanette says. “From then on, that became my journey and what Borgo is about today—eating natural food and living a natural life.”
As her fascination for botanical healing grew, Jeanette dreamed of ways she could harness the curative properties of plants for health and beauty. She studied with Neal’s Yard Remedies in London, a pioneer in the world of organic skincare, and was inspired by the brand’s integrity—something she felt was lacking in the beauty industry. “The concept of ‘natural’ was exploding, but there was a lot of mystery surrounding the big names in beauty and where their ingredients came from,” she says. “I wanted to create better products that would make a difference and be totally transparent about how we were doing it.”
With its many microclimates and mineral-rich soil, Borgo Santo Pietro offered an energetic ecosystem where a skincare line could spring to life. As the Thottrups invested in more land and expanded the six-guestroom hotel they opened in 2008, they established a regenerative farm, laboratory, and processing plant, allowing ingredients to be grown, tested, and formulated on site. Anna Buonocore, a cosmetologist and cosmetic science professor at the University of Siena in Tuscany, became a founding partner and recruited a team of scientists. In their quest to create science-driven skin solutions powered by nature, Jeanette and company hoped to set a new standard for skincare. “We wanted to prove that this was the only way to do it, ” she says.
Following five years of preparation, Seed to Skin Tuscany launched in 2018 with an ethos of “slow, conscious beauty.” To that end, the evolution of a new product, or integration of a new ingredient, can take years to perfect. In the estate’s experimental herb garden, Jeanette nurtures 50 or more varieties at a time. While Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and lavender grow naturally, introducing foreign plants into the clay-like soil—such as ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort, currently under observation—involves a great deal of trial and error. “If we’re going to dedicate 20 acres to a brand-new herb, we have to put in the time to make sure it grows well,” she notes.
In the lab, the Seed to Skin scientists engage in biotech practices such as fermenting and infusing to pack upwards of 60 components into a skincare formulation, with the goal of high potency. The researchers apply green molecular science—which the company describes as a method of layering molecules for optimal absorption into the skin—to ensure every ingredient makes an impact.
Skin to Seed caters almost exclusively to luxury spa clients that are willing to work closely with the brand and undergo thorough training on its products. “We’ve spent so much time and energy on our line, in the end we want to deliver it to people who understand the science,” Jeanette explains. “We’re only as good as the therapists using our products, so education is really important.”
Guests of Borgo Santo Pietro are invited to tour the grounds and observe raw ingredients at their source—in the wild and in the garden. Visitors can also watch products being made through a massive glass wall in the lab. “It’s like when you see people cook food—you want to eat it,” Jeanette says. “When you see skincare being made by real people with a real passion for what they do, you want to try it.”
With 350 acres of health-centric enterprises, including Claus’s recent biodynamic winemaking operation, Jeanette hopes their sprawling Tuscan paradise is a testament to the virtues of sustainability and living off the land. “Borgo Santo Pietro is a place where you live a natural life when you’re here. You can speak to the farmers, eat what’s grown here, feed your mind and body,” she says. “This is the real luxury—everything you can grow out of well-nourished soil is a luxury, because it will live in the world going forward.”
The Little Nell is the sole North American hotel to carry Seed to Skin Tuscany’s bath products in-room.