In a world where chemicals are used to recreate even the most sacred of nature’s scents and where we’re assaulted by man-made aroma in almost every facet of our lives, it’s becoming increasingly more important to find products that really do pay homage to nature in it’s purest form. No chemicals. No preservatives and nothing but the highest grade form of ingredients gathered at the source. Earlier this year I heard a whisper from friends in the ‘beauty-know’ about a product that really was having profound effects on all skin types, especially troubled skin. Just one little bottle – handmade, sourced and produced by one woman. It piqued my interest and at the back end of summer I headed to south london to meet her and talk about this fast becoming iconic product.
And breathe – from apricot kernel oil to rose otto, the Vanderohe scent and consistency varies from each batch making it a truly hand crafted, organic experience.
Olivia Thorpe, the picture of health and vitality looks younger than her years, she has fresh, glowing skin and excudes a positive and infectious energy. Her creation, Vanderohe No 1 Nourishing Face Serum (a product you will have read about here on The Stylish Stuff before and in all the mainstream media) is a perfectly packaged potion of undisputed purity – it’s the result of an absolute commitment to creating a facial oil to soothe, heal and moisturise. It also dispenses with the need to slather your face in multiple products in the quest for healthy, youthful skin. Olivia’s creative journey began when she fell pregnant with her first son – as someone who had suffered from eczema as a child, mild acne in her teens and then sensitive and allergic skin in her thirties, her doctor warned her off using any beauty products containing strongly chemical ingredients. Like most of us, she hadn’t quite realised what this meant – I mean who really reads those lengthy ingredient lists on the back of packaging? It was then that she turned to using more natural and organic brands in her personal life and became increasingly aware of the synthetics used so widely within the beauty industry, noticing a difference immediately she decided to start blending her own skincare oils. Sampling from different producers around the world, she quickly realised that going directly to the source meant a better quality and potency of oil. It’s a no brainer really, if a plant has grown somewhere naturally for thousands of years, it means the soil and native environment enhances it’s natural benefits. Part of the alchemy of the process and a testament to Olivia’s passion.
After finding a formulation that suited her own skincare needs, it became apparent just how good her product actually was when friends and relatives tried and tested it – the results were quite astounding. Friends with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, excessively dry and patchy skin all noticed a difference within just a couple of weeks and the more feedback she received the more evident it was that this was a product that should be marketed. Part of the allure for me, is the handcrafted feel of it all, this is mixed and formulated in her own home, packaged and sent out by her own fair hand.It means that the oil stays true to the intended formulation and when it’s tricky to lay hands on one ingredient, Olivia can work to readdress. There’s a little note inside that reads;
Testimonials from those in the know who recommended it to me..
Jo Glanville-Blackburn – Health & Director Woman & Home Magazine – “I fell in love with this pure, uncomplicated, beautiful oil the first moment I used it. I apply one drop last thing at night all over my face, and the residue in my palms I massage into my cuticles, elbows and ends of my hair. Never waste a drop!”
Lisa Valencia – Make-up Artist – “It calms my sensitive skin and sits beautifully under makeup, leaving me with a natural glow.”
Kate Turner Jones – Freelance Beauty Journalist – “Everything about this face oil – the ingredients, texture, packaging – is a joy. It’s 100% natural,100% luxurious and makes my skin feel incredibly nourished and healthy. I adore it.”
Scent from heaven: from top left: apricot kernel oil (Pakistan); organic grapeseed oil (South Africa); organic rosehip oil (Chile); organic neroli essential oil (Morocco); organic rose geranium essential oil (Egypt); from bottom left: organic lavender (Bulgaria); organic rose otto (Bulgaria); organic frankincense essential oil (Kenya); organic Roman chamomile essential oil (UK); wild crafted myrrh (Somalia); organic cedar wood essential oil (Atlas Mountains, Morocco). The beautiful illustrations on all the packaging and leaflets are by Lara Pilkington and further enhance the sensory experience – walking you through ingredients, their benefits and the countries of provenance.
Why does The Stylish Stuff LOVE this product? Well, for starters every ingredient used within Vanderohe serum is certified organic by The Soil Association unless it grows wild, which then means it bears the certification of pure and ‘wild-crafted’; the bottle is made from Miron glass – deliciously and darkly guarding the potency of the contents, plus 10% of the profits go to the Marine Savers Programme at Four Seasons Resort Maldives – which is home to the pioneering research on Manta Rays and coral reefscaping in the Baa Atoll. A project that has been successful in reintroducing over 40 thriving species of coral. I believe you get what you pay for and yes, good ingredients cost, however, a little really does go a long way. The serum rebalances, revitalises and repairs the skin as soon as it’s applied, you can literally feel it sinking in and not sitting on the surface like some other products do. The scent is relaxing, gently exotic and definitely aids in calming a stressed mind, just add 3-4 drops to your palm and breathe in the goodness as you apply it to your skin. A couple of drops in your daily moisturiser is a great way of giving your skin a fix during the day. I love the glow it gives and use alone day and night – no need for eye cream either as you can use this safely around the delicate eye area. Last but not least, the oil is of course 100% cruelty free and vegan.
When I use the term alchemist – I don’t use it lightly – Olivia has experimented and researched and studied to produce a product that magically transforms the purest, rawest ingredients into the perfect combination. Follow Olivia on Instagram @vanderohe
At home with Olivia: rich accents of colour and texture, flowers everywhere and hearty reading matter for the healthy minded. I loved her wall of inspirational images in her office: flowers romantic fashion imagery and the gorgeous illustrations by Lara Pilkington whose delicate work adorns the packaging.
Coming soon the travel sized version of Vanderohe launching on the 16th October and other exciting formulations on the way.
To shop Vanderohe No 1, £88 go to www.vanderohe.com
Unsponsored. Inspired by nature.
By Shelly Vella
Pictures / Shelly Vella / Pinterest /Vanderohe Instagram