Akureyri, Iceland · Since 1994
It started with herbs.
And a wish to help.
Before Purity Herbs became a skincare brand, it was a personal passion: exploring Icelandic herbs and making something useful from them.
A new home. A world of discovery.
When André Raes moved to Iceland, its wild plants opened up a new world of possibilities. Fascinated by herbs, he began experimenting with creams and oils, sharing his creations with friends and family.
There was no business plan. Just curiosity, a love of nature and a desire to help people care for their skin.
The cream that started it all.
At the kindergarten where Ásta Kristín Sýrusdóttir worked, a young boy was struggling with troubled skin. With his mother’s permission, Ásta tried one of André’s herbal creams.
The improvement they observed inspired the name Undrakrem — Wonder Cream. That experience became the turning point in our story.
From a homemade cream to Purity Herbs.
The boy’s grandfather, local pharmacist Böðvar Jónsson, encouraged André and Ásta to take their work further. He offered space at his pharmacy for André to continue developing his ideas.
With encouragement and support from Böðvar and Elín Antonsdóttir of the Eyjafjörður industrial development organisation, André and Ásta founded Purity Herbs in Akureyri in 1994.
Connected to the nature around us.
Northern Iceland is where our story began. Many of the herbs used in our products are gathered or grown near Akureyri, and harvested by hand with care for the plants left behind.
That close relationship with herbs remains at the heart of Purity Herbs.
