The Green Edit: British sourced beauty buys

BY Imelda Burke | 07 November 2014

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about where we source our skincare from, partly inspired by where I shop for my food. The first thing I do at the start of the weekend is take a trip to my local farmers' market for some shopping. I prefer this to the supermarket, as every stallholder there is an expert in his or her field.

One of my favourites, Hook & Son, has excellent tips for using its raw milk and cream, while the organic butcher gives sound advice on cooking times and best cuts, and my favourite raw cake makers, Mr Prempy's, fills me in on the benefits of the superfoods in each cake and the providence of its raw cacao powder. Needless to say I'm a fan of shopping locally where I can for my food and while not every single ingredient used may be locally grown, I like the fact that my food has been expertly produced somewhere close by.

There are two main reasons to shop this way; firstly, it supports local growers, makers and producers. Secondly, I consider this "close to source" produce to be the best quality, or "luxury," food I can buy and many of you who are interested in organic skincare will share the same ethos. When you consider the term "luxury", it is often applied to describe a product created from a meticulous attention to detail, design and craftsmanship - often handmade. This creative combination is at the heart of what makes haute couture clothing and bespoke jewellery so special, but interestingly, it can in fact be applied to much of the produce you would find at your local farmers' market. However, when it comes to skincare - which is after all the "food" we are feeding our largest organ - this crafted, handmade ethos often falls by the wayside and we are left choosing between mass-produced brands in skincare "supermarkets".

Part of the problem is access to these brands. Small skincare producers can't be found on the shelves of your local pharmacy, supermarket or department store. But inspired by the makers and growers we, at Content, have decided to put together our own made in the UK Great British Beauty Collection - an online and instore beauty market of sorts to connect you with high quality UK skincare growers and makers, alongside some international favourites who share the same ethos.

The UK has a rich history of plant use from medicinal to topical use and hidden away in corners across the country are a small batch producers using these traditions to create some of the most exciting beauty brands to launch in the UK over the past few months. Some of our favourite discoveries include:

Edition Perfumes: Hand blended and left to mature like fine wine, the first perfume from the East London Studio of Timothy Han combines all natural ingredients with a small batch ethos. Natural ingredients vary from season to season and crop to crop, affecting the fragrance in minute ways, making every edition of the perfume subtly unique. The first fragrance, She Came To Stay, is limited to just 500 bottles.

Read the full article at The Telegraph or shop the perfume >