Indie Botanicals

Tell us the Indie Botanicals story?

Indie Botanicals was born by accident if I’m completely honest! I have always been interested in skincare and beauty; you name it, I’ve tried it. From the high street must-haves to high-end beauty products, I’ve tried it all! Following a holiday in the Indian Ocean, I had developed a sensitivity to SPF which required long-term antihistamines and steroids to get under control and from then on, sensitivity bred more sensitivity and before I knew it, I seemed to be reacting to almost everything I put on my skin. Having previously qualified as an aromatherapist but never actually practised, I’d developed a keen interest in the qualities and benefits of the various carrier oils available in addition to the staggering effects of essential oils. As I hadn’t been able to find anything on the market which suited my skin, I began to experiment at home and very quickly my skin calmed. Having become somewhat disillusioned in my previous job I decided to see if I could turn the formulations I’d discovered into a cottage industry. Since then we’ve gone from strength to strength with a great launch and plenty of repeat orders.

How important is the ‘made in Britain’ tag to the Indie Botanicals brand?

We are really proud to be part of the ‘Made In Britain’ campaign and it’s something that is incredibly important to Indie Botanicals as a brand. We will always keep our manufacturing in the UK, not only because we believe in supporting the local economy but also because by actually making everything ourselves we have total control over the process, the packaging, the ingredients and the testing. None of Indie Botanical’s products have ever been tested on animals, nor will they ever be. We also believe in supporting other British businesses and source as many of our services within the UK as possible and preferably from start-ups and new companies like ourselves. For example, all our make-up bags are made by hand in the UK and our photography for the website was done by a start-up company. We’re proud that we’re ‘Made In Britain’ and will always continue to be…

What sets Indie Botanicals apart from other British beauty brands?

There are a lot of small batch luxury beauty brands in the UK but our combination of individual elements sets us apart. First of all, we are a purely oil based and completely natural company. ‘Natural’ is a rather misleading word in the beauty industry as there’s no clear definition in terms of the legislation under which we all work but when we say ‘natural’ we really mean it. All our ingredients are pure, cold-pressed and unadulterated.  We only work with oil based products as this means we can be completely free from emulsifiers and preservatives. We like to keep our business and products completely transparent; we operate an open door policy with our customers, we encourage conversation and questions and will answer anything and everything we can from before purchase all the way through to helping you with any queries once you’re using the brand. We love our products, we love our customers and the two put together is a marriage made in heaven.

Can you explain Indie Botanicals oil cleansing method and why it’s so beneficial?

Oil cleansing is the most amazing natural cleansing method for all skin types which enables the skin to balance and calm. The Indie Botanicals cleansing balm comes as a solid which melts instantly when rubbed between your hands. The melted balm is then massaged onto your face and helps to dissolve all make-up, oil and pollution that’s been left on your skin. Oil cleansing is suitable for all skin types because not only is it the most important step in any beauty routine but this method also helps all skin-types to balance. Oily skin-types can end up in a vicious circle with typical cleansing products as they strip the skin of excess oil but ultimately this only encourages the skin to produce even more oil to try and right itself so the scenario of oily skin carries on. By oil cleansing and by then gently nourishing your skin with one of our non-cosmogenic facial oils within a very short space of time the skin naturally produces less oil of its own accord and begins to balance.

We produce our cleansing balm in three variations; oily/problem skin, sensitive/normal skin and dry/mature skin. All three balms are produced with the same core ingredients (cold-pressed moringa oil, castor oil, evening primrose oil, shea butter, beeswax, tea tree, geranium and lavender) but in differing concentrations to suit each skin type. We then add a skin specific oil to each balm to make it ideal for your skin type. 

Do you find that customers are loyal to the Indie Botanicals brand due to its British status?

Yes, we do find that our customers are loyal due to our British status. Not only do our customers like the idea of buying a product that was formulated and manufactured locally but it also helps to give customers a reassurance about its quality and ethical status. There is something very personable about knowing a brand is in Britain and nearby. I think there’s an increasing loyalty towards home-grown brands and crafts across the board and this can only be a good thing.

What struggles do you face as a solely ‘made in Britain’ brand?

To be honest? None. I can’t think of any draw backs to being a British brand or involved in the ‘Made In Britain’ campaign. We are a handmade, small batch brand; a glorified cottage industry! We have amazing products and a great philosophy to go with it. If we were a massive corporation then I can imagine that manufacturing costs in Britain may make things cost prohibitive but that’s not what we are or are aiming to ever be. We are most interested in helping our customers gain beautiful, balanced skin, being aware of the environmental and ethical impact of our business, and providing our small team with a working environment that supports them from all stances.

What advice would you give to small business owners considering becoming a ‘made in Britain’ brand?

If your British roots matter to you and your customer base then most definitely get involved. It’s a great campaign to be involved in and will boost your business in terms of exposure and networking.

What’s next for Indie Botanicals?

It’s a really exciting time at Indie Botanicals! We are shortly due to launch our new website plus our range goes completely vegan in the very near future too. We are proud of our ethical stance and policy but it’s also ever evolving. We were initially happy using beeswax as it has some incredible skin benefits but over the last few months we’ve listened to our customers, done some research and decided that in fact we’d prefer our products to not include any animal products at all so we set about changing to a plant wax which comes from an ethical source and doesn’t alter the results of our cleansing balms and lip treatments.

We’re also very proud to be becoming a ‘not just for profit’ company. At the same time as our vegan launch we will begin donating a percentage of our profits to an amazing charity called Supporting Dalit Children which runs a programme supporting women in India to gain financial independence by developing tailoring skills to enable them to work from home. We also have a couple of new products up our sleeves; a gorgeous rosehip and pomegranate serum with geranium essential oil and also a gentle version of our exfoliating grains. Things never stand still for long at Indie Botanicals, it’s a crazy wonderful ride that I’m incredibly blessed to be a part of.