Making Belle&Basil

CREATING

Each of our products starts with an idea, often inspired by nature, such as the long rose hedge in the garden which inspired our first product, the Nourishing Moisturiser.

Then there is lots of experimenting along side a formulating chemist to make sure the products meet EU standards, as well as the requirements of The Vegan Society certification. We also send a sample of every batch of skincare we make to a UK laboratory to be tested, so you have the joy of using handmade, small batch skincare, and the security of knowing it has been made to the highest quality.

Finally there is the making, in the peace of the garden workshop, surrounded by the sweet fragrance of essential oils and the beauty of rose petals and dried herbs.

HARVESTING

The harvesting starts at the end of May.

The seaweed is usually collected on the high Spring tide at the end of May, in early June. It is then left outside to be bleached by the rain and after several weeks taken indoors to be dried. We used to do this process ourselves, trekking to remote parts of Ireland to get the cleanest seaweed but now use a company that sustainably harvests wild Irish Moss on the beautiful, rugged coast of Donegal, in the North West of Ireland.

The roses start budding in May and the finest petals are picked, dried and then added to Apricot Kernel Oil to be infused for several weeks. The comfrey comes into full flower at the beginning of June and then is picked, dried and infused into Apricot Kernel Oil, also for several weeks.

Throughout the year we make seaweed and plantain serums from the dried seaweed and herb as we need it.

MEDITATING

Meditation and mindfulness is just as important a stage as any other for us at Belle&Basil. It’s what we do before we start anything. It might be just a short pause before a meeting, or an early morning meditation to set us up for the the day. Mindfulness has become well known and appreciated for its benefits. I was lucky enough to have a father who taught me relaxation techniques when I was a teenager and encouraged me to learn to meditate in my early twenties. It is a huge part of my life and I’m incredibly grateful for it. Mindfulness and meditation teach me how to keep calm amongst the busy demands of life, and how to be kind to myself when I forget.

We hope you enjoy using Belle&Basil skincare as much as we love making it.