The best small British beauty brands to support right now
The past year has been a tough time for many businesses – months of closures followed by reduced hours, reduced capacity and many working remotely has turned many bussinesses on their heads, with many struggling to stay afloat. The beauty sector, in particular, has felt the impact. Salons, hairdressers and nail bars all suffered months of being shuttered up, and with staff unable to work from home, all operations had to cease entirely. Although now allowed to open, salons, spas and cosmetic clinics have had to change the way they work to streamline customers and enforce strict social distancing measures, meaning business is far from normal.
While it took months of lobbying with efforts from campaigns such as Beauty Backed and the British Beauty Council for the government to treat beauty businesses fairly under new Covid-19 restrictions, there's no denying that the beauty industry itself is one of the UK's biggest employers, accounting for 1 in every 60 jobs. This isn't to mention the domino effect such a major sector has - the production line employees, the delivery services, the factory workers and the jobs in marketing and sales. "The beauty industry has a large multiplier effect in terms of jobs," explains Millie Kendall MBE, CEO of The British Beauty Council. "For every £1 million in the beauty industry, there is another £1 million spent on the supply chain."
In many ways, it's the small businesses who have been hit the hardest - the ones who don't make huge profits so haven't been able to save for a rainy day, and may not be able to benefit from government grants.
With more of us stuck back inside looking for small ways to cheer ourselves up, lending these businesses our support, if we're able, could make all the difference. For starters, being more prudent about where we choose to buy our basic essentials – body wash, deodorant and shampoo – rather than overwhelming our already stretched supermarkets, is a significant way we can each contribute to supporting British beauty brands.
Besides, there's nothing like retreating to our beauty stash for a little self-care in these crazy times.
Here's a few of our favourites, which you can pick up online...
Following a fast-paced and stressful job in fashion, founder Laura Tudor was suffering from hair loss. Together with her husband and hair stylist Kieran Tudor, she formulated a range of cruelty-free, natural treatments to stimulate growth and boost overall hair health.
Boucleme has carved out a niche for itself as the go-to destination for curly-haired girls. Set up by Michele Scott-Lynch, it was created as a solution to her own curly hair needs, with sustainability and conscious consumption also at its core. All products are conceived, and created in the UK using fair trade ingredients wherever possible. All packaging is fully recyclable and the ingredients are biodegradable, making it as good for the planet as it is for your hair.
Try: The best-selling Curl Defining Gel, which has already built up a devoted following for its ability to support curls and hold them in place without feeling sticky, flaky or heavy.
At 18, Brit founder, Flow, swapped a degree in pharmaceuticals to study cosmetic science. At 22, after spending all her time between the lab, the library and luxury beauty counters, she decided to start building her own beauty empire, focused around the things she loves – hip hop, fashion, science and outstanding beauty products with outstanding pigments.
Try: One of the brand’s best-selling lipsticks, Bossy, a brown toned nude, inspired by singer Kelis, that works on almost all skin tones.
Bamford, is simply an extension of the work done by Daylesford Farm, one of the most organic, sustainable and pioneering farms in the UK. It’s founder, Carole Bamford, reckons what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them – hence the delicious range of bath, body, hair and skincare, spanning beautifully scented shower treats to rich cleansing balms.
Try: The Botanical Bath Salts, which combine softening epsom and deep cleansing sea salts blended with relaxing geranium to help induce zen.
Despite being conscious from the outset, recently Pai has upped its game, looked across its ingredients and packaging and revamped everything with sustainability at its heart. Independently certified by COSMOS (Soil Association), Cruelty Free International and The Vegan Society, the brand can be sure there’s good in everything they make since everything is kept in-house in the London HQ.
Try: Instant Kalmer, a sea aster and ceramides serum to help with distressed skin. It’s meticulously formulated free from ingredients that are known to irritate eczema and rosacea prone skin, and designed to strengthen barrier function and bring zen to skin.
High tech, results-driven skincare meets luxury formulas that feel utterly indulgent, Skin Design London is one of the beauty industry’s best kept secrets.
Try: For an everyday essential that suits all skin types, the Antioxidant Glow Vitamin C Superstar Serum helps to protect skin from everyday aggressors to reveal its true glow.
Votary is known for its high-tech naturals, using botanical ingredients to deliver skincare solutions. Plus, it’s vegan, sustainably packaged and caters to every skin type.
Try: Their newest product is a glow-giving mask which combines naturally derived Salicylic acid to buff away dead skin and impurities as well as watermelon and passion fruit oils to give an instant dewy finish.
With social responsibility and sustainability at the core of the brand, We Are Paradoxx is proudly 90% plastic free and committed to using as many organic and natural ingredients as possible to create their high performance haircare range.
Try: Mind Blown Hair & Body Treatment Candle for a restorative, at-home spa experience.
With a background in beauty buying and product development, founders Colette Newbury and Mark Curry are the dream team. They set up Inkey List to provide stripped-back, but ultra effective skincare solutions at transparent and accessible have-a-go prices.
Try: The Vitamin C Serum, £7.99, this potent antioxidant serum will help put the pep back in dull skin.
Loretta De Feo set up Dizziak simply because she couldn’t find anything on the market that catered to her needs, so she created a solution herself. It’s designed to deeply condition hair that has multiple different textures, and combines an assortment of naturally nourishing oils (some heavier some light), to enhance hair without weighing it down.
Try: Dizziak Hydration Wash, £20, for a soothing, deep-cleansing hair wash
Founders Dominika and Elsie started as beauty bloggers, trained as formulators and then became brand founders with BYBI a natural, sustainable and forward-thinking beauty brand gaining traction in the beauty-sphere. Their mission is to change an old-fashioned industry from the inside, which is why they’ve pushed for the most planet-friendly solutions from the biodegradable sugar cane plastic tubes, to the upcycled strawberry seeds that they’ve rescued from food industry waste.
Try: The Bakuchiol Skin Booster, £12, a more gentle alternative to retinol
Built and named after the streets of Covent Garden, Floral Street was set up by ex PR powerhouse Michelle Feeney, with a responsible and sustainable attitude at its core. All of the brand’s packaging is reusable, recyclable, compostable and sustainably sourced and the fragrances are unique, gutsy and beautiful.
Try: Floral Street Electric Rhubarb, £24, a punchy floral fragrance that has signature scent written all over it.
This therapeutic beauty brand started by ex-journalist, Nicola Elliott, was built to bring the joy in times of strife. It’s uplifting scents were specifically designed to calm, energise, minimise stress and add a touch of cheer across a range of skin, body and home products.
Try: The Scent To Make You Happy Hand Balm, £9, a transportive scent that’ll soothe dry, cracked hands.
With a background in the medical industry, Greenwich-based Joanna Silva set up a beauty brand designed to optimise natural ingredients with science for highly effective, results-driven skincare.
Try: The Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, £27, for an intense hit of hydration
Malako is an east-meets-west fusion brought together by its founder, Kanchalika Stephenson’s, Thai-British heritage. Made with holistic, herbal ingredients, it’s designed to combine healing skin salves with complementary fragrances.
Try: The Magnesium Spirulina Bath Salt & Scrub, £24, for an ultra calming bathing experience
Up Circle Beauty is all about beauty that’s great for our skin, and great for the planet, so they use leftover ingredients or byproducts to create their products (think coffee grounds, brewed chai tea spices and fruit stones).
Try: Up Circle offer a range of facial soap bars that help to cleanse and support skin’s needs. The Fennel & Cardamon Chai soap bar is great for exfoliation and detoxing congested skin.
Fun, fresh and oh-so-fabulous, London-based Neighbourhood Botanical creates no-BS natural oil-based skincare created by founder Micaela Nisbet.
Try: Face Off Oil-to-Milk Cleanser for a 100% natural solution to everyday cleansing (including removing waterproof mascara).
The brand works with UK scientists and chemists to formulate its haircare with natural Fairtrade ingredients. The aim was to give curly-haired women healthy options that weren’t packed with chemicals and harsh preservatives. It’s designed specifically with allergies in mind (co-founder and trichologist, Rachael is allergic to almost everything) so all common irritants are excluded.
Try: The Newly Natural Set, £40, an edit of products to get you started on a natural hair journey.
Three guesses which star insect is responsible for the main ingredient of Beeutiful? All the products are handmade using beeswax or honey from the brands own or local bees. The brand are careful to harvest sustainably without harming their bees and make regular donations to Friend Of The Honeybee.
Try: The Honey Lip Balm, £3.50, which is salvation for chapped lips
Translated as “to cocoon oneself” in the Nigerian dialect of Ebira, this beauty brands sounds like exactly what we need right now. It was created by Nigerian born, Oxford University grad, Ozohu Adoh, using organic ingredients from Africa, developed in a UK lab.
Try: The Hydrating Mist, £40, to soothe dry, itchy skin
After a stressful time at work knocked her menstrual cycle out of whack, former nurse and founder, Hayley, started experimenting with skincare as a way to unwind. Once her periods returned to normal, she noticed that she was drawn to a specific combination of oils for each phase of her cycle. So she researched from home, then joined global skin school, Formula Botanica and created her skincare line based around four scents: Harmony (best pre-menstruation), Restore (best for when you’re on your period), Awaken (best pre-ovulation) and Radiance (best during ovulation).
Try: The Restore Facial Moisturiser, £22, for some comfort even when you’re not on your period
Tucked away on Berkeley Street in London’s Mayfair, Nails & Brows was set up by beauty expert Sherrille Riley. It’s a secret favourite spot of Meghan Markle’s and has built up a devoted following, but the salon industry has been hit hard by the latest lockdown rules. You can still access the salon’s expert know-how via its small selection of grooming products.
Try: The Brow Filler, £20, for a precise and natural-looking way to fill in your brows.
Preservative and cruelty-free, this brand strives to be as ethical and sustainable as possible. It will even accept used glass packaging to sterilise and reuse on its formulas in the future.
Try: The Lemon Breeze Deodorant, £9.50, because if you’ve ever thought of doing the switch to natural deo, now’s the time
This small British beauty brand has a small, but thoroughly considered edit of natural beauty products. Every single ingredient (even the preservatives) is decoded, so you know exactly what you’re sticking on your face.
Try: The Nutrient Boost Cleansing Balm, £29.99, which smells spa-like and is packed nourishing rosehip, chia seed and vitamin E.
Organic, vegan and hand blended by founder Pascale Edwards-Labelle, this botanical oil based beauty brand offers indulgent bath time treats as well as elevated everyday staples.
Try: Rhassoul Clay Powder - just add water to this mineral-rich clay to concoct your own purifying face mask. The brand also has a range of vegan soaps that are well worth investigating.
Not only is this lipstick brand officially carbon neutral (they use solar energy for production and offset all of their employee’s travel, all freight, facilities, shipments, accommodations, conference and raw material travel), the
the lipsticks have a built-in mirror for on-the-go application and the formulas themselves are supremely creamy, hydrating and the colour payoff is second to none. While their range is limited to lipsticks at the moment, we're keeping everything crossed for more products soon.
Founder Guy started formulating products for his own use at 22, sourcing all organic, wild-grown ingredients that were beneficial to the skin and kind to the environment. Now Guy Morgan Skincare offers skincare for everyone to enjoy, with each bottle hand-blended in his East London studio.
The idea of the Glowcery was to create a grocery (see what they did there) of products for your skin. To develop face food with the same virtues that we look for in real food – products that are rich in minerals, vitamins and the types of ingredients you’d typically find in your local greengrocers.
Try: The Clean Greens Superfood Serum Facial Oil, £33, a green juice for your skin.
Natural, vegan and cruelty free, Wheesht Masks prides itself on its ethically responsible beauty products and charitable giving. Plus, all of the packaging is recyclable.
Try: Wheesht Release Bath Salts for a delicate blend of Mineral-rich Pink Himalayan salts blended with coconut oil, bergamot, lavender & sandalwood essential oils to soothe skin and relax the ming.
With a no nonsense approach to skincare, Barker & Sloane create efficacious products using British oils from British farms that protect skin from the elements, leaving us free to enjoy the great outdoors whether rain or shine.
Try: Daily Defender Protecting Moisturiser with White Poppy, Raspberry and Marine Algae Extract, which protects from UVA and UVB, while simultaneously brightening and hydrating the skin.
Organic, vegan, cruelty free and hailing from Birmingham, the brand, set up by Alixzondra Samuda, was designed to balance high colour pigments with natural botanical oils, to give us products that perform without compromising our endocrine system or environment.
Try: The Matte Liquid Lipstick in Velvet Cherry – a classic red with a gorgeous velvety finish.
Shelfie-chic and kind to the planet, Sister & Co’s elevated everyday essentials are as feel-good as they are efficacious.
Try: Rosa Body Oil for a luxurious moment of self-care and skin that feels supremely soft and hydrated.
Beauty industry disrupter and new kid on the block, My Beauty Brand, empowers people to create their own virtual makeup store. Plus, they also have their own range of powerfully pigmented products to play with.
Try: ByMe Pure Power Blush for a luminous flash of colour.
