Posted on September 23, 2020
Being surrounded by the beauty of The Cotswolds among artisans who use the area's natural resources to craft everything from lavender tea to honey, it only makes sense that a number of makers have been inspired to bottle the beauty of The Cotswolds into natural skincare, body care and well-being products.
From targeted skincare that harnesses all the natural power of plants, flowers and herbs, to hand-poured candles inspired by locally foraged botanicals, we have curated a list of our favourite beauty brands from The Cotswolds.
ila Spa
The word 'ila' is an ancient Sanskrit word for Mother Earth and perfectly embodies the vision for ila Spa. With products made from only ethical and sustainable sources, ila harnesses the power of plants, flowers and herbs to carefully create results-driven products and spa treatments.
Handmade in small fresh batches within a meditative environment at a barn overlooking the rolling Cotswolds hills, ila products go through minimal processing with an intent to nurture beyond the surface of the skin.
75% of our emotions are generated by what we smell and every cream, oil, scrub, mask, candle and fragrance designed by ila hopes to not only nourish the skin but also the soul for a joyful and relaxing experience.
You can discover more about ila products and treatments over on their website.
LA-EVA
Founded on a working saw mill in Oxfordshire, LA-EVA is the organic evolution of an artisan soap studio. Creating handmade, traditional cold-process soaps provided LA-EVA the opportunity to explore scents, natural raw ingredients, and practice the care and attention it takes to create something truly beautiful. Today, LA-EVA harnesses this heritage to create its own daily self-care range, with each product described as a 'unit of wellbeing'.
Focussing on the core products of our daily self-care rituals, LA-EVA's range includes a body and face wash, shampoo, conditioner and oil.
Each product is certified organic, vegan and ocean friendly, and is beautifully presented in a recycled amber glass bottle. Sustainability is an important pillar of the LA-EVA brand, so much so that it was one of the first UK-based brands to offer a refill service and is continuously working towards the most ethical practices.
Click here to peruse and shop LA-EVA's daily self-care beauty range online.
Bamford
Bamford is a brand truly born from the Cotswold countryside. Its founder, Carol Bamford is the owner and founder of Daylesford Farm, one of the most sustainable organic farms in the UK, and Bamford was created from her belief that what we put on our body is just as important as what we put into it when we eat.
Nurturing the body, mind and spirit in tandem is at the centre of Bamford's philosophy and to feel well and happy, the three need to balanced in perfect harmony.
This philosophy is reflected in their products which range from home fragrance and essential oils to body care and skincare. At their Bamford Wellness Spas these three pillars also form the core of their well-being philosophy, offering holistic treatments, classes and therapies focused around moving, breathing and healing.
You can discover Bamford's extensive range of ethical body care and skincare products online.
Cotswolds Candle Co
The Cotswold Candle Co was born out of the power of fragrance to evoke memories and create experiences. Its founder Polly began hand pouring her own candles in the garden of her Cotswolds home, in search of scents that were wonderfully nostalgic with a timeless, English feel.
Today the Cotswold Candle Co is renowned for its candles inspired by the English countryside, with scents of bluebell, lavender and white mulberry to name a few. The candles are beautiful in their simplicity, with wooden wicks that softly crackle as they burn and are designed to focus on the scent to connect you to the place you seek to create.
Even though the range has grown extensively, Polly still hand pours every candle and sources everything from within the UK. The glass, soy and mineral wax, wicks, fragrances and packaging are all thoroughly British and hold true to the values that sparked the origins of the Cotswold Candle Co.
Choose your own Cotswold Candle Co home fragrance from the fantastic selection of classic scents on their website.
Willowberry Skincare
Launched in 2017, Willowberry describes itself as 'Nutritious Natural' skincare for grown-ups. Its founder Jenni Retournée had worked in the beauty industry for over 15 years and noticed a space specifically for women navigating noticeable skin changes through life. Jenni wanted to make products to help women appreciate their own beauty without apology at any age and so Willowberry was created and quickly became a cult favourite.
An award-winning, independent British brand, Willowberry’s highly effective natural products are specifically formulated for grown-up skin to protect its natural barrier function to nourish and transform. Not only is this product loved for its effectiveness, but also for its luxurious texture and spa-like scent for those few moments of precious ‘me-time’ each day.
Shop the cult favourite skincare item from the Cotswold over on Willowberry's website.
Votary
Votary began at the kitchen table of makeup artist, Arabella Preston as she blended pure plant oils to cleanse her skin, and to also prep the skin of her high profile clients. Having seen noticeable improvements from cleansing with the facial oils she made, she teamed up with her friend Charlotte Semler to create the natural skincare brand Votary.
Rooted in a belief that beautiful skin lies within your cleansing routine, Votary's hero product is its range of cleansing oils and 100% pure cotton face cloths to clean and care for your face. Every product is made from pure plant oils and botanical actives, with a Votary product created to work with every skin type.
All Votary products are made in small batches from the highest quality ingredients and the proudly vegan range spans cleansing oils, facial oils, deeply nourishing creams and powerful serums to give you healthy, happy, glowing skin.
Check out Votary's selection of cleaning oils and other luxurious skincare over on their website.
Spots and Stripes
Spots & Stripes is a beauty brand made in the English Cotswold countryside, specially formulated to be safe, gentle but effective on tween/teen skin.
Spots & Stripes came into existence after its founder, Charlotte-Anne Fildler noticed a clear gap between gentle baby products and teen-acre or adult products which were too harsh. Not wanting to compromise, Charlotte-Anne created products for her 12 year-old daughter that addressed the particular needs of tween/teen skin and hair. After lots of research and testing, Spots & Stripes became a home staple and ready to share with the rest of the tween world.
Their range includes shampoos to deal with greasy roots, washes and deodorants for when they get sweaty, a cleansing lotion for delicate, hormonal skin and a spot zapper for the odd breakout.
Adults and tweens can shop for this wonderful skincare brand online.