Style & Life
Natural Beauty | In Conversation with Floragy
Article By Sahara .
Mar 14, 2024
In the delicate dance between nature and skincare, Floragy emerges as a harmonious conductor, orchestrating the benefits of skin, body, and soul. Guided by the insightful expertise of Floragy Founder, Louisa Tidy, this journey through the realms of natural skincare unveils the power of plant, seed, and fruit extracts. With a commitment to sustainability and continuous innovation, Floragy is a beacon of future-friendly practices, ushering in a new era of radiant beauty. Join us as we explore the essence of Floragy and embark on a transformative journey towards a more mindful approach to skincare.
Could you delve into how Floragy utilises the power of plant, seed, and fruit extracts to create a synergy between the natural world and the body?
Botanical and naturally based ingredients have been used throughout history to heal and improve the skin, body, mind and overall wellbeing. At Floragy we carefully select botanical ingredients known for their beneficial properties to the skin. Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are harnessed to produce effective and gentle skincare products which support the skin’s natural healing and regenerative process as well as offering holistic benefits.
Our formulations are custom blends used to help specific skin concerns while promoting overall skin health. The natural world provides us with ingredients which are known for their efficacy and in return we need to respect how they are farmed and sourced to ensure our impact upon the biodiversity of the planet is minimal.
The philosophy of treating the skin with the same care and respect as we treat our planet reflects an understanding of the interconnectedness between personal wellness and environmental health. This approach focuses upon the importance of a balanced, gentle, and holistic method to skincare.
Floragy champions uncomplicated skincare routines. What are your recommended first steps for someone interested in transitioning to a more natural approach to skincare?
Firstly, do your research. Look into ingredients and brands which echo your skincare goals. We recommend starting with the basics: cleanse, moisturise, and protect. Begin by swapping out your current cleanser and moisturiser for natural alternatives that contain botanical ingredients. Look for products with simple, recognisable ingredient lists and those which suit your skin type. For example, mature skin types benefit from products which are high in antioxidants and vitamin C. If you’re not sure which skin type you have, a qualified Esthetician will be able to tell you.
Check which naturally derived ingredients mimic their synthetic counterparts, for example Bakuchiol (a seed extract) is a fantastic alternative to retinol as it doesn’t cause irritation.
These steps will introduce you to the benefits of natural skincare but also help establish a simple, effective routine that supports your skin’s health.
Can you share your top 5 tips for achieving and maintaining healthy, glowing skin as we transition into Spring?
1. Drink plenty of water - 2 litres every day to keep hydrated.
2. Eat a healthy diet, cut back on processed foods and sugar as this can unsettle the appearance and health of the skin.
3. Use products which suit your skin type. A lightweight moisturiser is more suitable to the warmer weather.
4. Establish a basic routine of cleansing, moisturising and using a face oil and SPF - and be consistent. Exfoliate once per week. Skin loves consistency!
5. Use SPF every single day. This is crucial in the warmer weather.
How can we support the integrity of our skin through what we eat?
Understand your skin type and condition, for example if you have dry skin avoid alcohol, caffeine, salty foods. If you have breakouts avoid greasy foods and sometimes dairy and gluten can play part in unbalanced skin. The gut/skin connection is something I’m obsessed with so eating a balanced, healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables and oily fish is key to maintaining healthy skin.
Drinking plenty of water has a huge impact on improving hydration.
What are your favourite ways to unwind, reduce stress, and support overall wellbeing?
I love reading, I love books! I’m reading Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton currently and try to read every night before sleep to unwind and take a break from my screens.
I’m a huge foodie so thinking about food and cooking is a big part of my downtime, I like making new recipes and making it a bit of an occasion.
Also, a hot bath with salts and a candle is good for the soul. For me, it’s the small things which I get the most pleasure from.
How do hormonal fluctuations such as peri-menopause and menopause impact the skin? What skincare advice do you have for counteracting these effects?
Hormonal fluctuations during peri-menopause and menopause often lead to dryness, loss of elasticity, and an increase in wrinkles and fine lines. Due to decreased estrogen levels the skin loses its ability to retain moisture and produce collagen. Additionally, these hormonal changes can make the skin more sensitive and prone to irritation leading to breakouts for some.
It’s crucial to focus on hydration and nourishment. Opt for richer moisturisers that contain hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture, and look for products with peptides and antioxidants like vitamin C to support collagen production and combat free radical damage. Incorporating gentle exfoliation into your routine can also help improve skin texture and allow better absorption of skincare products. Hormonal fluctuations can also lead to increased sensitivity, choose products with soothing ingredients like aloe vera, and always include a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect against UV damage.
Facial tools such as Gua Sha, jade rollers, and face yoga seem to be gaining popularity. Do they really work, and do you have any tips for incorporating them into a skincare routine?
Facial tools encourage lymphatic drainage which is excellent at reducing puffiness, increasing blood circulation, and facilitating deeper absorption of skincare products. When used correctly and consistently, they may help in firming the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines.
You can easily incorporate them into your routine; start with a clean face and apply a facial oil or serum to help the tool glide smoothly over the skin. Use gentle, upward strokes to massage the face with a jade roller or Gua Sha.
For face yoga, dedicate a few minutes daily to perform facial exercises that target different areas of your face, even 5 or 10 minutes will give you subtle results. Be consistent to increase radiance.
Essential oils seem to play a key role in Floragy's products. Can you share your favourite essential oils and why they are chosen?
Personally, I believe scent is related to memories so maybe that’s why I’m drawn to herbs such as rosemary. Rosemary can help to improve scalp health, and enhance mental clarity.
I also love bergamot as it pairs so well with other oils and is thought to help balance oily skin, soothe irritations, and promote a clear complexion. It’s such an uplifting citrus scent so can enhance mood as well.
We use and love Lavender as a grounding scent in some of our products, there’s a beautiful lavender farm local to us called Castle Farm where we source our Lavender oil from. Lavender is brilliant for calming and reducing redness.
Rose geranium is my favourite scent profile in our Nurture face oil, it smells divine and reminds me of a trip to Morocco. Rose geranium is also great for balancing sebum production, making it ideal for both dry and oily skin types.
Your commitment to sustainability is commendable. How do you balance the quest for future-friendly practices, while ensuring your products maintain the highest standards of efficacy and quality?
It is an ongoing, constantly evolving process to ensure the quality and efficacy of the product remains a priority but we do stay in touch with new ideas around waste and materials.
One decision we made from the beginning is to bottle nearly all of our products in miron glass. Miron protects the product from UV light, except for violet light, therefore enhancing the preservation of products which helps in maintaining the potency of active ingredients. It also protects against temperature fluctuations and is reusable and recyclable. Thus, we haven’t needed to use outer boxes for our products which would otherwise get thrown away immediately after purchase. So for us it’s about looking for solutions which enhance the product and are accessible for a small brand like ours.
What exciting innovations or future projects can your customers look forward to from Floragy? Are there any up-and-coming skincare heroes or ingredients that customers should be aware of?
You heard it here first…but we’re looking at developing a men’s range. We have a few ideas at the moment but it will be based upon multi-tasking products for men and making it easy to incorporate into busy lives.
I’ve also recently trained as a facialist so I now offer holistic treatments using our products which are proving to be popular so I’ll be looking at potential pop ups and residencies in key locations going forward.
We’re also looking at a potential natural beauty product which is very exciting!
We have another product launching this year…this one I’m keeping close to my chest, sorry no spoilers!
To enjoy an exclusive 20% off Floragy, use code SAHARA20 at Floragy.co.uk. One use per customer.