ABOUT AMANDA

Amanda Saurin is the founder and a plant grower and gatherer, distiller and maker at A.S APOTHECARY. She is a traditional Apothecary. Amanda has worked with herbs and homeopathy for many years, developing effective, gentle, bespoke products.

Through A.S APOTHECARY she brings together her love of plants, growing, making, healing and collaboration to produce a small range of beautiful products.

An appreciation of the transformative nature of scent, of the rhythm of the plants, of their terroir, of landscape and the inter-connectedness of us all, are pivotal to the philosophy that underpins and informs her work.

Guest Post by Amanda Saurin of A.S Apothecary for The Greenly Guide

Last week I walked through our land and examined our Roses – there are around 200 of them, their leaves were glossy and buds were forming on strong prickly stems, I’m hopeful to see flowers in the next couple of weeks. I moved on to the rows of Lavender and Clary Sage then paused to admire the Immortelle before looking at the hundreds of seedlings popping up in the polytunnel soon to be planted out. Trays of Calendula, Chamomile and Achillea to name but a few.

Our work as makers is unique in this fickle world of beauty where people are persuaded to strive for the latest ‘must have’, where the relationship between whole plant and product stretches ever further apart. Even within the world of green beauty the words ‘derived from…insert plant name…’ seem to be dominating development. That there is a tenuous relationship to a plant now seems adequate to trumpet naturalness. But actually it’s disingenuous to claim naturalness and green credentials where a plant has gone through so many processes of industrial extraction to become an ingredient.

Equally adding an ingredient on the basis that we produce it in our own bodies, such as hyaluronic acid, does not shout natural if the production uses the combs of dead cockerels or genetically engineered micro-organisms.

What we do, in contrast, is labour intensive and very time consuming drawing on my life’s work as a Plantswoman, Homeopath and Herbalist. We use the whole plant and our methods of extracting the therapeutics are as old as they are effective. We distil in a big copper Alembic slowly and gently making separate distillations for our Aromatic Waters and Essential Oils because each demands a different type of distillation. We macerate our plants by chopping them up and adding them to oils to draw out their goodness over the course of a lunar month. We do the same with alcohol to produce medicinal tinctures. We enfleurage by resting the flowers on a bed of Shea butter to slowly absorb their wonderful perfume, changing them up to a dozen times.

All our processes are simple because that is all that is needed to make a product that strengthens, heals and nourishes the skin. It is not about multiple processes but rather about a few, done very well, on plants grown organically or foraged by us and picked at the perfect moment.

It’s also about making by hand. As everything is made with our hands it means that the only ingredients that go into our products are the ones that benefit humans. Where products are made in factories by machines, ingredients must be added to control viscosity and texture, they must be homogenous and without seasonal variation. There is also something about intention – where making is on a human scale, every stir of a spoon, picking of a plant or filling of a Still is imbued with positive intention, the little pot carries within it something more than the sum of its ingredients.

We also believe in going to the plants. We know that Geraniums and Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom and Thyme grow best in a dry, hot climate. In the UK we definitely don’t have that so each April we travel to Cyprus where we keep a big Still and we pick and distil there. The plants are fresh, they are in perfect condition and they have grown in a landscape that suits their needs.

We also travel to the Outer Hebrides in Scotland to a little island in the Atlantic Ocean where the very best Heather, Meadowsweet and Honeysuckle grow. We pick and dry the plants before bringing them home to macerate and tincture them.

Our work is not driven by profit, it is driven by a desire to help people have the very best skin they can and our products deliver, perhaps not overnight but with regular use. Healthy, beautiful skin takes time to recover from the ravages of mass produced, industrial skincare but it’s so worth the wait.

A customized skin ritual

In terms of products, we like to encourage slow ritual. As a population we are stressed, overworked and juggling increasingly busy lives so we love the idea of taking 15 minutes to reconnect and relax and the essential oil combinations we use and textures we create offer a salve for the spirit as well as the skin.

We start with Cleansing oil 5, just 3 or 4 drops is sufficient. Drop it onto the fingertips and then massage into the face slowly and gently, leave for a minute and then rinse off with our crocheted Cleansing Cloth.

Follow this with one of our Aromatic Waters, Rose for dry, sensitive or mature skin, Lavender for inflamed, irritated skin, Orange Blossom for a mild astringent or Geranium where hormones play a part in breakouts.

Then we suggest a Face Cream – our creams are rich in antioxidants and fabulously creamy without being greasy at all, no3 for mature skin, no5 for balanced skin or no6 for skin tending towards oily.

Once a week we suggest an exfoliation with Mineral Powder – it contains all our best flowers, Seaweed which we have dived for us in Harris, Clay from Argyll and medicinal grade Sandalwood. Make it into a loose paste using Cleansing oil and gently massage it into the face and backs of hands, then rinse it off with warm water. Don’t scrub, it doesn’t need that, just be gentle. Exfoliating with this powder very gently removes dry skin cells and allows the other products to penetrate the skin better leaving it glowing and healthy.

It’s our hope that we can encourage people to feel good about their skin and make the change to an effective skincare regime that enhances the skin, protects the planet, isn’t subject to fashion and is made with love…

*All photos in this post are courtesy of and belong to A.S Apothecary.

Connect with A.S Apothecary on their website, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook.

The post Guest Post: How A.S Apothecary is crafting slow skincare rituals appeared first on The Greenly Guide.

The Back to Basics Skincare line is fully customizable to your needs.  It was formulated to work within your current routine, and can be added to your face cream or you can mix and match with other Back to Basics Skincare oils to get a unique routine that works for you.  Their oils are cold-pressed, made in small batches and contain several organic ingredients.

I had the pleasure of speaking with founder and formulator of Back to Basics Skincare, Manon von Csiky-Sessoms about each of the oils in the line, and we also spoke more in depth about her background and products.  I hope you will enjoy learning more about this affordable high quality line in the full post below!

Back to Basics Skincare Lineup

High performance, natural skincare, 100% plant based, cruelty free, unisex, customizable

Rose Hip Radiance Oil

About this oil: This powerful brightening oil is formulated with natural ingredients ranging from rose hip seed oil to kiwi seed oil to improve skins texture, fade dark marks and reveals brighter, glowing more youthful skin.

Skin Benefits: Brightening, hydrating, plumping, soothing, softening, pore minimizing, acne fighting, fades dark marks, anti-aging

Formulated with 8 of the worlds most active natural ingredients: Organic Rose hip oil, Organic Grape seed oil, Seabuckthorn berry oil, Organic Camellia oil, Organic, Chia seed oil & Jojoba oil.

Macadamia Nut Hydrating Oil

About this oil: Lightweight, non-greasy, all natural oil formulated with macadamia nut oil, argan oil and antioxidants to hydrate, preserve, and heal your skin.

Skin Benefits: Hydrating, plumping, soothing, softening, acne fighting

Formulated with 7 of the worlds most active natural ingredients: Organic Argan oil, Organic Watermelon seed oil, Vitamin e oil, Organic Macadamia nut oil, Organic Camellia oil, Cranberry seed oil & Jojoba oil.

Avocado Repairing Oil

About this oil: A game changing blend of natural oils, that helps hydrate, heal, and soothe problem skin. This Back to Basics all natural oil is perfect for skin that needs a serious pick me up. It helps with issues ranging from severely dry skin, dry patches, sunburn, eczema and everything in between!

Skin Benefits: Extremely hydrating, plumping, soothing, repairing, softening, pore minimizing, balancing, healing, anti-aging

Formulated with 10 of the worlds most active natural ingredients: Avocado oil, Apricot kernel oil, Cranberry seed oil, Kukui nut oil, Tomato seed oil, Organic, Calendula extract, Organic Carrot seed oil, Jojoba oil, Pomegranate seed oil & Organic Camellia oil

The Greenly Guide: Can you start by sharing a little about your background and any formal education related to skincare you hold and why you chose to start Back to Basics Skincare?

Manon: I went to the University of Rhode Island and studied textiles. 

I started Back to Basics because I was having a really rough time with my skin and my dad recommended that I try using vitamine E oil to heal some scarring I was getting. It worked wonders and really helped clear up some of my acne. I decided that I wanted to create a line of natural products that started with facial oils for people to use that targeted specific skincare issues.

From there I set out to formulate something I felt was missing in the market place. Natural skincare that is more affordable but still felt luxurious and that was easily incorporated in anyone’s routine!

The Greenly Guide: Why natural and organic oils? How did you first become interested in this area of skincare?

Manon: I chose natural and organic oils because it was what worked so well to help clear up and help my own skin. I have noticed such a difference in my skin, even during more hormonal times of the month!

The post Brand Profile and Interview with Manon von Csiky-Sessoms of Back to Basics Skincare appeared first on The Greenly Guide.