You might think that making your own natural, organic skincare is as easy as whipping up some unadulterated shea butter and coconut oil bought in a health food shop and adding a drop or two of a favourite essential oil. On one level, it can be. But if you wish to make products that are safe, high-performance and are more than homemade ‘mommy’ gifts to family and friends, then you’ll need to work through some serious science, business ethics and cosmetic and skincare legislation as well as a lot of trial and error creating formulas.
This is where you leave the kitchen table and start thinking more like a skincare company with a pro cosmetic lab. The worry for any new skincare entrepreneur with vision and a mission to create truly natural, organic skincare products, is how you can compete with the likes of a REN*, the British natural skincare brand that got bought out by Unilever earlier this year. The leap isn’t easy but there is an online space out there that can support you all the way from concept to your first consumer sales – that space is online school Formula Botanica, the world’s only organic, cosmetic science school.
A Science of Skincare School
Note the key word in that tagline – science. Formula Botanica courses are rigorous and require you to do more than dust off rusty school science. There’s a lot to learn if you wish to train as and think like a professional natural skincare formulator. When I started out with the concept of Alchemy du Corps, I knew I needed a pro training course behind me to ensure that I not only comply with the minefield of stringent EU and US legislation and requirements to place skincare on the market, but also to have the know-how to create unique formulas that can differentiate my brand from others.
The Credentials
I knew I needed total confidence in my training provider to give me the confidence to create safe, professional organic skincare. Being the world’s only or first organic skincare school wasn’t what really attracted me to Formula Botanica; it was the professional credentials and dedication of its teaching staff. Formula Botanica director is biologist and organic skincare formulator Lorraine Dallmeier whose passion for passing on her extensive knowledge in both the structured courses and through personal support is limitless. Lorraine is backed by an equally pro team which includes Dr Elham Eghbali, a cosmetic chemist with over 20 years in cosmetic industry consulting; Elham has a formidable depth and breadth of expertise in natural preservation of skincare formulations.
The Courses
The school offers flexible learning at your own pace with courses ranging from Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas in Organic Skincare Formulation to its International Skincare Entrepreneur training. There are also shorter, individual units in natural skincare preservation and anti-ageing formulation. Formula Botanica now has 1,000 students in over 75 counties; don’t dismiss these are mere figures – there is a real spirit of community. The school’s social media, particular its Facebook group, sees active and willing cooperation (not competition) among students with someone somewhere always out there ready to chip in and help resolve your formulation or study queries.
…and you?
The organic, natural skincare sector is one of the fastest, if not fastest, growing segments of the personal care market. Heightened consumer concern about the long-term effects of so-called ‘nasty chemicals’ on our bodies has seen a huge rise in the number of organic skincare brands coming onto the market – the global organic skincare market is growing at around 9.6% a year and predicted to reach US$13.2 billion by 2018. These days, even those of us less prone to scrutinising the minutiae of skincare product labels will be fairly familiar with terms once the preserve of the chemists such as parabens, sodium laurel sulphate, phthalates, PEGs and proplylene glycol. But, even brands sporting labels claiming they have ‘no nasties’ can often have hidden undesirable ingredients. The word ‘parfum’ can cover a lot of ills in what look like the most worthy ‘natural’ skincare products.
If you wish to truly avoid the known and hidden undesirable chemicals and use ingredients as natural and organic as possible in your skincare, then formulating your own is the way to go whether you wish to sell or simply supply family or friends with your creations. With Formula Botanica it’s a path of discovery that’s tough at times, but do-able and a journey among a fantastic, friendly group of like-minded formulators.
Formula Botanica – more info
Find out more about Formula Botanica organic skincare school.
See also, school Director Lorraine Dallmeier’s organic skincare blog Herb & Hedgerow.
*REN – see:
Unilever to buy REN Skincare (ft.com)
Is REN skincare really skin friendly. (thebeautybrains.com)
Image courtesy of Formula Botanica.
[…] organic skincare course with a superb online school – Formula Botanica (see my review here) and a few modules in, while genning up on the pros and cons of essential oils and ploughing […]