OUR STORY

A FRENCHMAN TRAVELS TO ISTANBUL

Our story begins in 1895. Jean Cesar Reboul, a young French pharmacist, was traveling through Istanbul on his way to Trabzon, a city in the northeastern part of Turkey, to visit his father, who was working as an engineer to build the highway from Hopa to Trabzon. Istanbul, with its unique blend of old-world mystique and modern commerce, immediately captured his imagination. The entrepreneur in him was awakened, and he found the perfect spot, on Rue de Pera in Beyoglu, to open one of Turkey’s first pharmacies, the Grande Pharmacie Parisienne, or the Great Paris Pharmacy.

 

 

 

 

  

 

Kemal Müderrisoğlu first approached Mr. Reboul about an apprenticeship when he was in his first year of pharmacy studies at the University of Istanbul. Kemal wanted to learn at the feet of a master. However, Mr. Reboul was uncompromising. To be eligible for an apprenticeship in the Grande Pharmacie Parisienne, the young man would have to learn to speak French. Kemal was undeterred. He enrolled in evening language classes at the French consulate and returned to Mr. Reboul the following year, armed with his new language skills and the same level of determination. “Why do you insist on coming to this pharmacy?” asked Mr. Reboul, to which Kemal replied, “I know that you are a very different pharmacist and therefore I want to learn the profession from you.” His resolve paid off. In 1920, Kemal began his apprenticeship with Mr. Reboul.

 

 

 

FROM APPRENTICE TO PARTNER

When he finished his studies as one of the first graduates of the University of Istanbul’s Faculty of Pharmacy in 1923, Kemal was offered a lucrative position with the government. Yet he opted instead to continue working alongside his mentor, where he could pursue his passion for research and development within the pharmacy field. For the next decade, the two pharmacists laboured side by side, their mutual curiosity and fascination with their profession propelling them forward and prompting them to create innovative, forward-thinking products for their customers

In 1936, Mr. Reboul invited Kemal to be a full-fledged partner in the pharmacy. The pharmacy’s name was changed to Kemal and Rebul Pharmacy. In 1938, Kemal changed the name to Rebul Pharmacy, to pay homage to the mentor who had given him so much.

  

THE LEGENDARY LAVENDER / AN ICON IS BORN

 

The  Rebul Pharmacy quickly grew in reputation and prestige, and one product in particular helped to cement the Pharmacy’s place in the minds and hearts of its customers, REBUL LAVANDA. The story of our iconic cologne begins in 1938. Originally made from lavender flowers growing in Mr. Reboul’s own garden, Rebul Lavanda soon became the fragrance of choice for Istanbul’s gentlemen. It was a part of a distinguished man’s identity; a tradition that was handed down from fathers to sons over generations. It’s use of pure lavender oils made it an attractive choice for barbers as well, who used it to pamper their customers, giving them soothing hair treatments that helped relieve stress. It was also a prestigious gift reserved for special occasions. In 1981, the cologne’s iconic status was sealed as it was awarded the gold medal by the International Beauty Products Quality Control Centre, an accolade that recognized and affirmed our tireless dedication to creating fragrances and skincare products of the utmost quality.

  

 

 

 

  

THE ONLY PHARMACY STILL EXIST TODAY: REBUL

In 1939, Mr. Reboul decided to return to France, leaving his beloved pharmacy in the capable hands of his protégè and business partner, Kemal. Kemal changed the name to Rebul Pharmacy, to pay homage to the mentor who had given him so much. Rebul, which was founded in Beyoglu 125 years ago as Turkey's first pharmacy, has since been continuing to create specialized products and formulas in its own laboratory to meet the health and beauty needs of its millions of customers in the most lively area of Istanbul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OVER A CENTURY OF DEDICATION

We have been crafting skincare and fragrance products since 1895. The knowledge we have acquired during that time has been meticulously passed on from generation to generation. With our roots as a local pharmacy also comes a unique bond with our customers. We’ve been servicing some of the same families for decades. Our long history means we have a loyalty to our customers that comes from caring for their personal needs for generations.

  

 

 

 

 

 

THE PHARMACY TRADITION LIVES AT ATELIER REBUL

 

Having been reinterpreted as a former cosmetics workshop with inspiration from 125 years ago, Rebul now processes the purity of nature with the precision of an artist, combining beauty and health with scientific expertise through its ATELIER REBUL stores, thanks to its generations of know-how and experience. Our founder Jean Cesar Reboul's statement that ’Quality and Trust is the Most Significant Legacy of the Rebul Family’ is the essence of all the work we do today.

 

 

 

  

 

EVERY INGREDIENT HAS A PURPOSE

 

We believe that there is an essential connection between nature and pharmacology. As a brand that is specialized in pharmacology, we know a lot about herbal extracts. We believe that the answer to most health problems is found in nature. With our pharmacy roots, we know which plant will work best for the problem we are trying to solve. We take the traditional mortar and pestle knowledge and methods which are an indispensable part of pharmacy and use them to create safe and healthy formulas. We create formulas with highly natural contents. We adopt the philosophy of 100% confidence & 100% transparency.

 

Since 1895, we have had more than 1,500,000 formulas. In our collections, we use our traditional herbal content knowledge and methods that we have created for over 120 years. They are also natural ingredients with proven test results blended with scientific expertise. For example, in our new collection named Pharmacy, we use live prebiotics and probiotics that are indispensable for healthy skin, body and mind. We enrich our candles with herbal base. We have developed our cologne contents with various ingredients (roses from Isparta, tangerines from Bodrum, jasmines from Italy, lavenders from Grasse, etc.) that we have chosen from every corner of the world. Based on our timeless fragrance expertise, we choose the best, highest-quality and safe ingredients for your skin and soul. We do not use chemicals such as paraben, mineral oil, phthalate in our products and we take care to design it so that the whole family and all skin can be used safely. Our hair care products contain broccoli extract which is perfect for protecting hair follicles against contamination and other environmental free radicals. Our products use ingredients such as green tea extract that detoxifies the senses and Cercis, an elegant floral scent that brightens your mood and gives you a sensation of joy.