The Story of Mistral

During winter and spring the Mistral wind sweeps down from the Alps across the storied landscape of Provence, leaving behind luminous, deep blue skies. Our collection of exquisitely scented bath, body and home products takes its name from this legendary wind whose fragrant course is shaped by the mountains, rivers and plants of the region.

The Mistral wind moves over the entire Rhone valley, creating seasonal changes and spectacular climatic swings. It has a profound effect on the terrain by rejuvenating the soil, creating lush planting conditions and giving birth to fields of herbs and flowers.

By evoking the powerful spirit of the Mistral wind, we invite you to experience the scents and colors of Provence as part of your daily bath and beauty moments.

The History of Mistral

In 1993, Matthew Tilker, Mistral's founder and president was studying alternative cancer therapies in Europe on a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. During a stay in Provence, France, Matthew met a seventy year old master soap maker who, in a family factory, still crafted soaps according to a three hundred year old traditional triple milling process, always using the finest natural ingredients. The soap maker's artistry, love of his craft, and extraordinary knowledge and experience in soap making, left a lasting impression on Matthew. After completing his studies and returning home to California, Matthew imported soaps directly from Provence and sold them at his mother's home during the 1994 holiday season. It was the beginning of Mistral; and his mother loves to remind him that the first Mistral store was actually located in "mom's" house!

The soaps were so popular, that within months, Matthew opened the first Mistral boutique on a quaint street in his hometown of Solana Beach, California. Over the next several years he returned often to the South of France experimenting with different fragrances and unique formulas as he worked with the best perfumers in Grasse. Matthew's talent and passion for fragrance, as well as his background in natural healing, encouraged him to create and develop an extraordinary line of soap scents, which continues to be embraced wholeheartedly by Mistral customers. In 2001, a second Mistral boutique opened in Los Angeles.

Currently, the Mistral line offers customers thirty soap fragrances, as well as a full range of Mistral-scented personal care products. In addition to the Mistral store, customers can shop online at the mistralsoap website, the Mistral catalog, and at fine stores and boutiques in the US, Canada and internationally.

About Our Products

The true test of any personal care product is its power to transform you. At Mistral, we take our name from a wind which brings change and transformation throughout the region of Provence. Every product we create honors the very spirit of the legendary Mistral wind and informs our core philosophy of change. When you apply one of our nourishing body care products, bathe with our exquisite soaps, or inhale one of our signature fragrances, your skin will soften and beautify, your mood will brighten, and your spirit will be soothed. It is this journey, both sensory and experiential, that guides our research and product development team in their quest.