Pura Vida

Pura Vida, registered as Pura Vida Organic d.o.o., is a Croatian maker of organic, CBD-based skincare and cosmetics based in Zagreb. It was founded by Jennifer Deegan, who formulates handmade, plant-based products aimed at sensitive and problematic skin. The name comes from a Costa Rican expression that the company translates as "pure life" or "simple life," which it uses to frame a minimalist approach to skincare.

The brand's founding date is recorded differently across sources. Amazing PR gives 2015, the year Deegan conceived the brand while in Amsterdam [11]. Croatian outlet Story.hr dates it to 2017, when production was established in Croatia [13]. Both timestamps describe the same venture at different stages: the earlier reflects its conception, the later its move into Croatian manufacturing.

Jennifer Deegan, a South-African native, has said she started the brand after failing to find products that met her standards. She has described suffering from topical dermatitis, a form of eczema, for much of her life, and says her symptoms cleared after she switched to hemp- and CBD-based skincare [11]. According to the company, this personal experience shaped a product line built around plant ingredients for reactive skin.

Deegan trained through Formula Botanica, an online school of organic cosmetic formulation, completing its Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation and Advanced Diploma in Organic Cosmetic Science; the school lists her as a 2017 graduate [10]. Alongside the branded range, she also develops white-label and private-label formulas for other clients.

After its early years, the company built out a certified manufacturing base in Zagreb, where its skincare is produced at a facility it calls PVO Labs. In 2018 the operation passed FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practice and ISO 9001 assessments [11]. The following year it presented at Indie Beauty Expo London and, according to the brand, became the first CBD skincare producer in the EU to obtain both COSMOS Organic and COSMOS Natural certification [1].

Recognition followed at organic and natural beauty competitions. The company reports winning Best Face CBD Product and Best Body Butter at The Organic Clean Awards in 2021 [11]. In 2025 it lists two further wins: Best Body Sunscreen Product at the Orgànics Clean Awards in July, and an Excellence Award at the European Natural Beauty Awards ceremony held at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris that September [4]. It has also taken part in industry events in its home market, including the first CroHemp Conference at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Agriculture in 2022.

Pura Vida positions itself as a maker of minimalist, handmade organic cosmetics. The company describes its products as plant-based, pH-balanced and dermatologically tested, and states that they are 100% vegan and cruelty-free [1]. It frames its work around a small set of stated values: handmade quality, sustainability, biodynamic farming, and, as a woman-founded company, a policy it describes as zero tolerance for discrimination.

CBD, or cannabidiol, extracted from industrial hemp is the brand's signature ingredient and runs through most of its range. According to the company, the CBD is sourced from organically grown hemp in Slovenia and extracted using a supercritical CO2 process. The catalogue spans facial skincare, CBD oils described as THC-free, haircare, massage oils, deodorants, tattoo-care products, men's grooming and baby balms. Named items include a CBD Eye & Wrinkle Serum and a CBD Face Mask. Beyond CBD, the brand highlights ingredients such as aloe vera, bakuchiol, arnica CO2 extract and biotin, and it also sells raw materials to customers who formulate their own skincare.

Sourcing is tied to the local landscape. The company says its lavender is grown on the Croatian island of Hvar and its hemp cultivated nearby, through partnerships with local farmers. It reports COSMOS Organic and COSMOS Natural certification, alongside ISO 9001, ISO 22716 and HACCP standards at its production site [3], and uses recyclable or reusable glass, aluminium and grass-based packaging.

Pura Vida Organic d.o.o. is an independently held Croatian company; no parent company or acquisition is recorded in the available sources. The brand sells directly and through more than 20 pharmacies, and lists authorised distributors in Ireland and Spain. In the Nordic markets — Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark — it is distributed by Tree of Brands [6].

The brand is active. Its most recent recorded activity is a news post dated October 2025 announcing its European Natural Beauty Awards win, part of a run of regular posts through 2025 [5]. It maintains active distribution across Croatia, Ireland, Spain and the Nordic countries.