Organic beauty brand enters Singapore market

British beauty brand Neal's Yard Remedies is the latest organic brand to enter the Singapore market.

But unlike many brands that claim to be organic without credentials to back it up, the 33-year-old brand is completely upfront about the contents of its formulas.

Printed clearly on each of its jars and boxes is a logo of the Soil Association, as well as the exact percentage of organic ingredients used in each formula.

The Soil Association is a United Kingdom-based non-profit organisation which designed one of the world's first organic certification systems, and certifies businesses that meet its organic standards. Neal's Yard Remedies was the first health and beauty company to be certified by the association in 1991.

Ms Fran Johnson, the brand's formulation manager, says: "On our packaging, we are transparent with the ingredients used.

"To ensure that our products are made ethically and are friendly to the environment, we also design, manufacture and pack all our own products, so we have full control of them, from conception to the shelves."

The company's products are made in its eco-friendly headquarters in Gillingham, Dorset.

Ms Johnson was in town last month for the launch of the brand's first store here at Millenia Walk.

Currently, Neal's Yard Remedies is available in 23 markets, including Japan (where there are 30 stores), Qatar and Greece.

The franchise here is owned by Ms Janice Chew, a 36-year-old entrepreneur.

The 511 sq ft store stocks at least 80 per cent of the entire range of products available in the UK, including essential oils, skincare, bodycare, a mother and baby line, candles, tea and herbs. Prices start from $14 for a lip balm to $148 for a 2.5ml bottle of Rose Otto Essential Oil.

The store also houses a treatment room for facials (from $78 for a 45-minute session).

There is an in-store service where you can buy treatment oils and bath gels to blend yourself at home. There are 50 different types of essential oils and prices start from $18 for a 10ml bottle of Eucalyptus Organic Essential Oil.

Started in 1981 by Ms Romy Fraser, a teacher and pioneer of organic skincare who used to live in a commune in the 70s, the brand got its name from the location of its first stall in Neal's Yard, Covent Garden in London.

Ms Fraser, who also practised homeopathy, started out selling essential oils and herbs, as well as traditional remedies in Neal's Yard. Two years later, she started to blend her own formulas, including the Frankincense & Myrrh Skin Cream (now called Frankincense Nourishing Cream, $64), which remains a bestseller.

Over the years, the brand has gained celebrity fans such as Thandie Newton (who calls the Wild Rose Beauty Balm her "secret weapon"); Jennifer Aniston (who uses the Almond Oil on her skin and nails); Jade Jagger (who stocks up on the Frankincense skincare collection); and Kate Moss (she uses the Eucalyptus Organic Essential Oil in her steam room).

In 2005, Ms Fraser decided to return to teaching and sold her business to organic farmer and former publisher, Mr Peter Kindersley.

The brand's annual revenue in 2012 and last year grew around 20 per cent year-on-year.

And while Neal's Yard Remedies is still big on organic ingredients and traditional formulas, it has been taking strides towards hi-tech concoctions.

One example would be the Frankincense Intense Cream ($138) that was launched last year. Made with organic frankincense sourced from northern Kenya, gardenia plant stem cells and peptides, the brand says it has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, while firming and boosting skin suppleness. It took Ms Johnson and her team three years to produce it.

"We made the product to show that organic products can be proven to be effective and perform as well or even better than non-organic formulas.

"So with certain products, we're going in the direction of Frankincense Intense, while sticking to traditional waxes and oils for others. We want to combine ancient wisdom and technology," she says.

gladysc@sph.com.sg

BEAUTY BESTSELLERS

Keen on trying out Neal's Yard Remedies? Here are some of its popular items:

Wild Rose Beauty Balm, $88

A blend of 99 per cent organic ingredients, this multitasking balm works as an overnight mask, facial cleanser, exfoliator (use the muslin cloth that comes with it) and make-up remover. It contains wild rose seed oil, beeswax, hemp seed oil, patchouli leaf oil and jojoba seed oil.

Mothers Balm, $60

Made to improve the appearance of skin affected by stretch marks.

It is 100 per cent organic and formulated with coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, beeswax and almond seed oil.

Beauty Sleep Concentrate, $78
Photo: Neal's Yard

A soothing cocktail to calm you before bedtime and boost your beauty sleep. It is 90 per cent organic and contains cypress leaf oil, clary sage flower oil, orange peel oil and aloe vera.

This article was first published on Sept 12, 2014.
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