Honey Skin Care
Honey Skin Care Q&A with Suzie
Suzie Hutchinson, co-founder of the Northumberland Honey Co discusses the evolution of her natural skin care brand, tracing its roots from her bio-chemistry doctorate and the golden ingredients she harvests from her hives, creating exceptional honey skin care.
What happens when a PhD in the ‘Genetics of Ageing’ meets a multi-generational familial history of beekeeping?
An unquenchable interest in the properties of honey, beeswax and the effects of these ingredients on nutrition, health and skincare.
Suzie Hutchinson talks to us about going back to first principles with her skincare range combining the very best of science and nature.
Why do honey and beeswax make such effective ingredients?
“We put only the best natural ingredients into our cosmetics, starting with Heather Honey, which is antimicrobial and boasts a wealth of benefits for skin care.
I first noticed how effective Heather Honey was when extracting the Autumn harvest many years ago. Naturally, you end up with sticky hands and after a week of extraction work I observed stronger, healthier nails and chapped or damaged skin healed in next to no time so I made a mental note to use it for future cosmetics projects. Honey is widely known to be a beneficial ingredient in skin care but I have observed Heather Honey to provide extraordinary benefits.
Beeswax is a natural product produced by the bees; they secrete wax from mirror glands on their abdomens. There is no chemical processing to produce beeswax, it is all natural and sustainable. Beeswax benefits the skin by providing a protective barrier against environmental damage and helps to retain moisture as well as providing antiseptic properties.”
Why did you embark on the skincare range?
“I wouldn’t call my skin sensitive, but I certainly notice when it becomes dry, or if a product disagrees with my skin.
I wanted to explore cosmetics and figure out what all the components of an ingredient list did. This prompted me to start trialling more natural skin friendly cosmetics for my own use. I quickly found that making a cosmetic more natural and using only the best ingredients proved very effective.
I then discovered that many ingredients used in the cosmetic industry are not essential for skincare but are more to do with marketing a product. Such as additives like perfume/scents and artificial colourants. These chemicals give a product a different identity which might sell a product but is not actually beneficial for our skin and in many cases can cause damage.
I simply want cosmetics that work, are gentle on skin, natural and use the best ingredients with no ‘cheaping out’ on palm tree products for fat profits.”
Tell us a little about your PHD and the how your scientific studies complement your beekeeping work and product development now.
“My science/lab background has provided many transferable skills and a base of knowledge to build upon, including an understanding of genetics which really helps in the bee breeding we carry out at NH co. When creating new cosmetics, a good level of chemistry knowledge certainly helps, I am currently looking into formulating a shampoo and conditioner.
At the end of my PhD I said I didn’t want to carry on with lab work and wanted to establish a beekeeping business. Yet, here I am 10 years on, one of my favourite jobs is the cosmetic product development and I get very excited about bee genetics and improving and preserving bee genetic lines.
Despite stepping away from research science, naturally the scientific aspects of the business are what I enjoy the most.”
Tell us about the products?
Honey Soap
“The check list for this every day product was that it had to be gentle and cleansing but non-drying and nourishing at the same time. I think the time of liquid soap has had its day as, counter-intuitively, it’s often drying on the skin. I put our heather honey, beeswax and soothing oats into our soap. It’s a versatile product as the cotton bag we package it in makes it perfect for travel and gifting, but it’s also gaining a loyal following for everyday household use.”
Lip Balm
“This was one of my first formulations. When I looked at honey lip balm recipes, they all contained minimal honey, something I wanted to change, heather honey was the star here.
I thus formulated a lip balm with a much higher honey content which does require extra steps when producing it. However, the extra care and attention to gain a lip balm with a high heather honey content makes all the difference. Heather honey has antimicrobial and healing properties which is exactly what is needed for dry lips, the beeswax locks in moisture and protects your lips all day.”
Hand Cream
“Every year my hands get a treat while working to extract the Heather Honey, so I knew I had to work on a hand cream for our customers when I got the chance. It’s a rich formulation so only a small amount is needed. The antimicrobial properties of the Heather Honey come into their own with this nourishing cream while the beeswax does its usual duty providing a protective barrier. It will be a lifesaver in the Winter months but I have a family member who relies on it to look after her hands throughout the Summer gardening season, too.”
Body Cream
“The natural next step, I wanted to produce an everyday natural body cream to be used after showering that will be mild enough for sensitive skin while still providing the nourishment of our raw Heather Honey and beeswax. It has a gentle honey aroma and is an effective part of a no nonsense, natural beauty routine.”
Foot Cream
“We are based near to Hadrian’s Wall and we have a lot of walkers passing through daily so we have been asked for a healing foot cream on many occasions. Dry, cracked heals can be easily soothed with the right cream. Our foot cream contains not only honey and beeswax but also Tea tree oil. Tea tree is antimicrobial and has fantastic healing properties, ideal for tired feet.”
Leave In Conditioner
“I suspected the properties of honey and beeswax that are so beneficial in skin care would be healing for hair, too. Washing my hair daily during beekeeping season leaves it dry and prone to frizziness so I experimented with ratios and created a thick formula rich in natural oils. The beeswax protects hair from heat damage during styling so it does double duty as a heat protection product as well as a conditioner.”
Shaving Soap
“The antimicrobial qualities of Heather Honey and the protective power of beeswax came into their own once more in our Honey and Sandalwood Shaving soap. Particularly popular with customers who have sensitive skin and dislike the harsh, natural oil stripping effects of some mass market shave ‘gels’ and ‘foams’, I worked hard on a formula that leaves post shave skin soft, soothed and nourished.”
Beard Balm
“A customer asked me to produce a beard balm from natural hive ingredients to condition and nourish his beard and to help with styling. Beeswax is the ideal natural ingredient for the balm to help with shaping and the gentle honey and sandalwood scent is proving popular.”
How are the products being received by customers? What are you learning?
“So far, we have had some very positive feedback from customers, and we receive repeat orders which is the ultimate stamp of approval. I find many people are the same as me; they want a quality product that works and is not full of chemicals and marketing nonsense.
I am learning more every time I tackle a new product, from how to formulate a stable emulsion to the chemistry behind those complicated ingredients you see on the back of your cosmetics at home. This newfound knowledge is driving me to create more natural, quality products.”
Which is the one product you couldn’t live without?
“Lip balm, I wear it every day, applied once in the morning.”
What are your future plans for the range?
“It takes time to formulate and trial a new product, so I have set a goal for the coming year: a deodorant and a shampoo and conditioner.
My aim is to create a deodorant that agrees with my own skin. I have always struggled with deodorant in that I find if it contains a chemical fragrance my skin itches, and if it is a liquid deodorant I react to it. Thus, I am currently using my own homemade deodorant. It needs a little more work, but I’m very pleased so far.
I have already created a leave-in conditioner for hair. I wash my hair daily when beekeeping which causes my hair to be dry and the leave-in conditioner has made a huge difference and I no longer have frizzy dry hair because of frequent washing. This prompted me to look closer at my shampoo and conditioner; a run of the mill brand from the supermarket. I discovered some strong detergents like SLS were present in both the shampoo and the conditioner. Strong detergents strip the hair of its natural oils; very good at cleaning but can leave your hair dry. The urge to create a shampoo and conditioner was fuelled.
I am currently at the research stage of this project, so watch this space… and yes, our Heather Honey features!”