INTERVIEW: Meeting with Elsa Snakers, co-founder of APOTICARI

By Ninon L'Hostis


Born in the heart of Auvergne, the Apoticari story is written like a family affair where respect for the land is a cornerstone. Founded by Elsa Snakers and her family, the brand, whose boutique is located in Le Puy-en-Velay, draws its inspiration from herbalist knowledge, a welcome return to basics in a saturated beauty industry. Meet Elsa Snakers.

Apoticari or craftsmanship at the center of beauty

“ When I discovered the Hôtel-Dieu (editor’s note: a former hospital built during the Middle Ages in the heart of Puy-en-Velay), I was deeply struck by its old pharmacy. It was a place where pilgrims were treated with plants, where beauty and health were intimately linked to gesture, to the territory, to nature ,” explains Elsa Snakers. This centuries-old place then became the backdrop for Apoticari , an ancestral space that inspires the cosmetics offered by the brand.

The latter is distinguished by its direct roots in the Auvergne region , a way of being close to the workshops but also to those who shape the products. “ We work with local producers, harvest certain plants by hand, and distill in the traditional way in copper stills. Our treatments are not simply natural, they are rooted in ancestral and local knowledge .”

Apoticari uses apothecary methods both in the manufacture of its products and in their compositions. The plants are distilled using gentle steam in copper stills to obtain rich and vibrant hydrosols. The soaps are made using cold saponification , an ancestral technique that preserves the ingredients. Thus, they retain all of their properties. As for the vegetable oils , they are extracted by cold pressing, without solvents.

The label focuses on the gesture, a clear concept of an authentic brand. " Beyond the processes, there is a spirit: short formulas, versatile uses, treatments that respect the rhythm of the seasons and skin, " explains Elsa. Apoticari reverses the curve of contemporary beauty with a real focus on transmission.

Since its creation in October 2024, Apoticari has already won over a discerning public, fans of French-style clean beauty . The best-selling product? Verbena hydrosol . Multi-purpose and accessible, it can be used daily for immediate effects. “ Biomimetic, its pH is close to that of the skin, which allows it to rebalance, soothe, and prepare the epidermis to receive the treatment. It tones the skin and revives the complexion’s radiance. On an emotional level, it calms without drowsing; it is a light plant that soothes the mind while remaining invigorating ,” reveals the entrepreneur.

Elsa Snakers' Beauty Secrets

Elsa truly embodies the Apoticari philosophy. This enthusiast of ancient plants and ancestral remedies never stops informing herself by reading books, in particular those of Hildegard of Bingen , a pioneer in herbalism and natural cosmetics. Having worked for large groups such as L'Oréal and La Colline , she decided to turn to clean beauty as an extension of her passion for craftsmanship, as she explains: " I started my career in large groups, then I did advertising for luxury brands. But what really touched me was the craftsmanship, the gesture, the material, the long time. This is what naturally led me to stop-motion, a meticulous art where each image is made by hand ."

In her daily routine, Elsa incorporates all of the Apoticari products , combining them with a few grandmother's tips that are still just as effective. " In the morning, I
"I start with a splash of verbena hydrosol with cornflower hydrosol compresses on the eyes to decongest, then I follow with a massage using our calendula elixir . Then, I use the mint eye contour and an SPF ," explains the co-founder.

For the evening, the routine is simple but the products remain the same: " In the evening, I do a gentle double cleanse with our new camelina cleansing oil, I spray the hydrosol again and I apply our borage oil oleo-serum then thebeech bourgeois cream ." Her secret? " Don't overdo it. The skin can regulate itself, if you leave it alone ."

Her first beauty memory?

“ The green clay mask . I had a lot of acne when I was a teenager and it was my ritual to try to regain control. Clay has incredible properties, it purifies, sucks and regulates. At the time, I let it dry completely but I have since learned that you should definitely not do that. The clay works as long as it remains moist. It is a raw, essential treatment that I have never really given up .”

Beauty for Elsa comes first and foremost through a gesture of love towards oneself , a sort of ritual that we grant ourselves: " The possibility of reconnecting with ourselves. It is an intimate, almost sacred space, where we can listen to what we need, physically, emotionally, and respond to it gently ." In the beauty and well-being secrets that she puts into practice, Elsa draws on traditions: raspberry herbal teas and clay poultices . Indeed, the young mother uses raspberry leaf a lot, a plant popular in women's health for its multiple benefits.

Towards sustainable beauty

The dialogue with Elsa on Apoticari invites us to rethink the concept of beauty. So
While cosmetics are released every day without stopping, the founder wants to slow down her consumption: " Beauty is not a fight, it is a treatment. We must also question what we really put on our skin. Too many so-called "clean" treatments still contain active ingredients from the other side of the world, cultivated without traceability, formulated with dubious preservatives or silicone textures that give the illusion of treatment without repairing anything ." Beauty is above all a question of transmission , of gestures that are learned from generation to generation. A precept claimed by Apoticari in its different ranges: " Beauty is these small, simple and sensory rituals that cross generations ."

For its first year of existence, Apoticari is multiplying its projects with the opening of a spa in its boutique in Puy-en-Velay next summer and, perhaps, an upcoming arrival in Paris...

Its latest innovation?

A camelina cleansing oil , 100% natural origin, with no added fragrance, enriched with cold-pressed organic vegetable oils. A joy to apply every evening which truly proves Apoticari's talent for taking care of our skin with full awareness...

Author: Ninon L'Hostis