At From This Island, every ingredient we use carries a story — of biodiversity, tradition, and the people who’ve cared for these botanicals for generations. Our commitment to ethical, sustainable skincare goes far beyond lab formulations. It begins with the communities across Indonesia who know these natural botanical treasures best and whose wisdom guides the way we work.
Papua: Guardians of the Red Fruit
High in the lush, misty highlands of Papua, a vivid red fruit known locally as buah merah thrives. For generations, it has been more than just food; it’s been medicine, nourishment, and a symbol of life.
In the village of Wamena, elders recall how buah merah oil was used to strengthen children, protect against illness, and soothe skin affected by the harsh mountain sun. Mothers would warm the oil gently and rub it onto their babies' skin, believing it to carry both healing and protective properties.For the Indigenous communities of Papua, buah merah is deeply woven into rituals of care and togetherness. It’s prepared in ceremonial meals — especially during weddings and communal feasts — often mixed with sago or shared alongside sweet potatoes.
By sourcing buah merah directly from Papuan communities and working with a patented extraction process that preserves its potency, we aim to honor generations of wisdom while bringing this extraordinary fruit to modern skincare — with care, integrity, and respect. It’s more than an ingredient; it’s a shared story between land, people, and purpose.
Borneo: Sustaining Forests with Illipe Butter
Deep within the rainforests of Borneo, Dayak communities have long harvested nuts from the Shorea stenoptera tree to produce Illipe Butter — a rich, intensely moisturizing plant-based fat prized for skincare. Known locally as tengkawang, these nuts only fall from the trees once every two to three years, making their harvest a highly anticipated and culturally significant event.
Collected by hand, the nuts are washed in fresh forest streams, sun-dried, and cold-pressed — a gentle extraction process that preserves their nourishing bioactive properties. Traditionally, Illipe Butter was used to heal sores, sunburn, and even mouth ulcers. It continues to hold cultural significance for the Dayak people, with harvests governed by customary rules that protect both the trees and the surrounding forest.
At From This Island, we’re deliberate about how we source this ingredient, partnering through responsible, traceable channels like ForestWise, an organization committed to supporting forest-based livelihoods. By working directly with smallholder farmers and indigenous communities, we help sustain incomes, encourage sustainable harvesting practices, and contribute to rainforest preservation. In fact, for every ton of Illipe Butter purchased, an estimated 13.5 hectares of rainforest can be preserved for at least three years.
Beyond its skincare benefits, the sourcing of the Illipe Butter represents a deeper commitment: safeguarding the cultural heritage, ancestral skills, and forest ecosystems these communities have nurtured for generations. It’s more than just an ingredient; it’s a connection to the land and people of Borneo.
A Commitment to Ethical Partnerships
As these stories show, our ingredient journey is about more than clean skincare — it’s about respecting the people and places that make it possible. From fair trade practices to supporting community-led initiatives and sustainable farming, we believe every ingredient should give back to the land and lives it comes from.
And as we continue discovering Indonesia’s incredible botanical diversity, this is a virtue we’re proud to carry forward.
Because when you choose From This Island, you’re not just embracing natural, effective skincare — you’re joining a growing network of communities working to preserve Indonesia’s rich botanical heritage for generations to come.
