To read Part 1 of this article click here. 

Wondering how I research my ingredients to ensure they meet my stringent requirements? Read on to find out!

Have you ever wondered how I go about researching the ingredients I use in my skincare? Well, wonder no more and read on!

One way to ensure that products are more environmentally friendly is to cut down on the air-miles of the various ingredients. In this article, I'll be giving a sneak peek into where some of my essential oils and extracts come from. 

Want to learn how I formulate my Luscious Lipstick? Read on for a look behind the scenes! 

A look behind the scenes into what goes into making the Multi-Purpose Powders available in the shop on this site. 

​This month I had the opportunity to sell my products in John Lewis for one week, as part of a scheme organised by The Great Brand Exchange. Find out how it went in this article. 

You've probably noticed that there have been a few changes around here lately! As well as a brand new website, we also have a new name. I've been wanting to shorten the name to something more memorable and easier to type into a browser for a while now. I was thinking of just shortening it to Gaia Skincare, but I realised there's already a successful brand called that, so I needed a new angle. I played around with names for hours and hours, wanting something short and simple, but that also reflected the Welsh heritage of my brand. Eventually my mother came up with the solution. "Why don't you just call it Natur?" (That's Welsh for 'nature', for those not familiar with the language!) So simple, it simply hadn't occurred to me. 

The official name is Natur Cosmetics, just to make it clear what I'm actually selling. Now that I have a name for the long-term, I can go ahead with finalising designs for printed packaging, which was what sparked me off on this little introspection in the first place. But why incorporation? Well, since customised packaging costs a lot of money, it's important to protect the brand name that I'm having printed on it. But also, being incorporated as a limited company gives me access to new suppliers for ingredients, as many wholesale distributors will only establish relationships with registered companies. Being able to buy ingredients wholesale means I can buy in bulk for a lower environmental impact and also get better prices, which means I should in time be able to lower the cost of my products, benefiting you as a customer too. 

I'm pretty busy at the moment reviewing all my suppliers for ingredients and packaging, and seeing which I can switch to more eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives. Rest assured it will not affect the quality of the products, as I will never go for an option that does not meet my high standards just because it's cheaper. As ever, I'll keep you posted!