Homegrown Beauty Brands: Ireland

Home-grown, as the title suggests, is something that is grown or made in the home country or home. Whereas this article discusses the beauty brands which are organic, “home-made”, and Ireland based, that are entering the market and have achieved a certain name.

There are new brands that are attracting the audience with their organic and Irish home-grown sustainability. The ingredients are fully Irish with brands like Nunaia and Modern Botany. Such brands seem to be gaining more acceptance in Ireland’s beauty market and have started to export overseas.

The companies may be small but they are beneficial with regards to their motive which is to achieve the best results. With these products, now everything used as skincare or in cosmetics can be Irish.

It’s the new luxury that is the result of sustainable and organic resources.

• Fashion and Beauty with the pandemic

During 2020 and now in the new year, 2021 there are several brands that make their mark in the industry.

Dublin based skincare brand “Oxmantown Skincare” is a must keep, with several beauty concerns it aims to fix. www.oxmantownskincare.ie

Another known vegan brand, “Moss of the Isles” takes up earth elements to produce its many spa ingredients. The raw products are famous in Ireland and Britain. www.mossoftheisles.com

Aliso organic beauty

Web: www.alisobeauty.com | Instagram: @alisobeauty

It was the first time she started looking into things that she uses on her skin when she was pregnant with her first child. Andrea Roche looked carefully into the ingredients in the lip balm she used on a daily basis and was astonished to find that the high-end brands which claimed to be using “natural ingredients” only also contained different types of synthetic chemicals, petroleum, and plastics which were just there to give a slippery coating, giving the illusion of moisturization with no hydration properties.

She moved on trying to achieve the alternatives of the contained nasty ingredients and came up with a completely natural lip balm that gives a glossy texture as well as hydration and nourishment.

In autumn 2019, Aliso Beauty came into the market.

2B Organic

Web: www.2borganic.ie | Instagram: 2b_organic

Made from locally sourced Irish ingredients, this brand has been known as one of the best for skin care. Simone became an Herbalist and Naturopath by taking training at the College of Naturopath Medicine in Dublin. With her 35 years of experience in beauty therapy, she came across her passion for herbal medicine and combined the two areas in creating her handmade, organic, and herbal skincare range.

Her “Carrageenan Night Mask” for scarring and blemishes is hugely popular. For soothing, one can try her “Head to Toe Baby Cream”; though the name has ‘Baby cream’ but it is suitable for all ages. Simone can also be contacted in her clinic for consultation and can have a personalised cream made for you.

The Handmade Soap Company

Web: www.thehandmadesoapcompany.com | Instagram: @thehandmadesoapcompany

Even their name has Handmade in it… They follow a long path to take care of the fact that the products produced are made with natural ingredients and the packaging is as kind to the environment as to the skin. The ingredients they use are raw, local, and sustainable. They avoid the use of plastic. The bottles are made from 100% Post-Consumer Recycled materials and are recyclable. The boxes used are made from FSC approved sustainable cardboard from managed forests.

They have an ethical sourcing policy with all their suppliers. Everything made by The Handmade Company is cruelty-free and vegan friendly. With good looks for the bathroom, their range has delicious smelling products including natural skincare, candles, and diffusers. It would also make a gorgeous gift for all the family.

• 2021 Fashion Trends

Ella & Jo

Web: www.ellaandjo.ie| Instagram: @ellaandjocosmetics

It is a company started and owned by two entrepreneurs, Charlene Flanagan and Niamh Ryan who are experts in their field of make-up and skincare. Their main aim while developing their sell-out range of products was to establish innovative and impactful skincare that would make a woman’s life easier and boosts their skin.

Their Squeaky Clean Brush Cleanser, 3in1 Hyaluronic Skin mist, and Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum are few things to try and all are made of raw Irish ingredients. These two Irish ladies have tried their best to make a name in the market and have not delivered any kind of disappointment yet.

Luna by Lisa

Web: www.lunabylisa.ie | Instagram: @lunabylisa

Hair, lips, eyes, and face; you name the product and Lisa has it. Luna by Lisa is a brand launched in 2017 and it has been a huge success ever since. The brand has everything from haircare and skincare to eyelashes and lip kits with glamorous and attractive packaging. She has also kept the range of make-up brushes which are equally healthy and are made from synthetic hair. She has made out her unique beauty bag which turns into a little make-up stop when you open it up; perfect for on-the-go glamour.

Ireland also has its own county-based products which started catching the attention of people following their way of keeping their skin healthy-looking and glamorous at the same time.

The Nature of Things is a well-known name. Benoit Nicol knows a lot about the benefits of essential oils. His company beautifully presents the collection of the highest quality, vanilla oil to lavender oil. He is also interested in putting together personalised boxes of oils for his customers, which can be a thoughtful gift. Lemongrass is good for sleep and anxiety; whereas Mandarin is for uplifting. There is also an easy-to-use MAEL diffuser too, affordable and decent looking. Indian Tuberose Oil works well when worn as a perfume, layered with patchouli.

• Make-up Trends 2021

A luxurious skincare brand, Barechic Skin is yet another organic brand by Fiona Carr. This tiny micro-batch brand is based in Galway. The Glistening Oil is a bestseller which is a multitasking product. A massage through hair pre-shampoo gives extra shine and softness to the hair and soothing to the scalp. Few drops to the face with skincare adds up more to the health of the skin and an instant glow. In 2020 a new oil serum was launched, Rose of the World. It is purely made of rose, with an exquisite blend of organic, cold-pressed oils. It is beneficial for highly sensitive and oily skin types.

Jenny Faison, a beauty therapist, introduced Flying Wild’s handmade massage balms which are used by her at CalmBeauty. Based in Nenagh, Co Tipperary; Flying Wild’s Arno Schouwenburg traded publishing for beekeeping back in 2012 to start his eco-conscious business,  making products using the goodness of the hives. Here raw honey and natural beeswax are used to make candles, facial oils, massage oils, and everything else with only organic and unrefined ingredients. The menopause blend with clary sage and geranium; rosemary and raw honey lip balm are must-have products in a house.

Potion maker and the owner, Reidin Beattie, describes her Warrior Botanicals as an “antidote to a modern skin and body care”, while also having a timeless feel. At her studio at Grainstore, in West Cork, she puts together oils and serums with organic herbs and botanical extracts. For 2020, she launched breast oil which is for detoxing and improving circulation of the lymph. Breast massage is an important practice that is largely forgotten, though it is cited as being a good preventive measure for cancer.