Our Work in Harris - Small is Beautiful

Tonight I was watching an episode of Grand Designs filmed in 2023, it was a revisit to the first house build they filmed in 1998, it was a pretty simple structure with inexpensive interiors. It sat in a field above the cliffs in Newhaven in Sussex. Tonight's programme revealed that the same people still live there 25 years on. 

It was so unlike the more recent programmes where another £300,000 magically appears to complete the job, where a lot of the properties demonstrate what can be achieved with a lot of money and little imagination, interiors to photograph rather than relax in, where it often feels more about show than love.

I was really struck by the similarities between the first people and us. They created something magical over 25 years, they filled the garden with trees, they raised their family, they knew how to inject love into their home to make it a place of sanctuary.

Over the past 25 years I've been learning how less can be more, how paring back ingredients but ensuring that they are the very best they can be is where the magic lies. It's not the bling of the exotic, the rare ingredient, the following of the trend, it's the understanding that on our own doorsteps there are plants that outperform the exotics, that not only work hard for us, but also sustain the insects that we need to thrive and which we don't need to ship half way round the world.

It makes me sigh that we import masses of Bakuchiol (Psoralea corylifolia) hailed as the retinol alternative, which is a common plant in India and China forming part of their herbal medicine tradition, when in the same family in the UK we have Gorse and Lupin both of which have a significant action on the skin. We also have Seaweed and Rosehips (which contain a very mild form of retinol) growing in profusion here, which support skin texture, firmness, structure and so much more. 

Exotic doesn't necessarily mean better, it can be that a particular plant has a long, documented history of use in a particular place in the world, which means that when skincare brands are looking for an ingredient that sets them apart, they will hone in on something and it rapidly becomes the ingredient of the moment. It was Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) for years, it was in everything and now it's Bakuchiol.

This interests me because historically, everywhere, people looked to what they had growing locally and used it for health, gradually building up a knowledge base of which plant did what. This was passed from mother to daughter down the generations. In the Hebrides, Meadowsweet was used to calm inflammation, Bogbean was used for skin complaints, Bog Myrtle was used to protect from insect bites, the mosses and lichens were used for wounds, Yarrow was used to stem bleeding and so on. Each plant used as it was needed.

Moving to Harris has truly set me free with the space and time to explore what incredible properties our plants have and how in the right combination, treated the right way they can make your skin absolutely beautiful, healthy and glowing.

Here, we have made this landscape our pharmacy, picking and choosing native plants and those we grow, for our skincare, drinks and therapies. We have walked this island hunting for the very best plants we can find and grow from mountain, machair, croft and sea. 

From the Sea

What we have found is pure gold - Seaweeds that actively support the skin structure, encouraging and sustaining the production of collagen, helping to balance sebum production, that prevent water loss and condition and repair the skin. Having found the seaweeds I discovered low tech but extremely effective extraction techniques. 

You'll find our Fucus seaweed in the Timeless Beauty Serum at its most potent, ground with Rosehip oil for natural, gentle retinol and filled with the first flush of Blackcurrant leaves for a boost of skin brightening Vitamin C, 

In the Blemish Resolve Cream we chose Sugar Kelp seaweed for its brilliant oil regulating properties and its profoundly skin softening emollient qualities. Alongside Chamomile for scarring and Witch-hazel to shrink pores and calm inflammation, this cream works beautifully to soothe the skin, treat breakouts and help to prevent others. 

In the Cleansing Mask, we turned to the sea water itself, wading out to collect fresh seawater for every batch. With over forty naturally occurring minerals, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, the pristine seawater around Harris offers incredible skin support especially when mixed with our own long fermented coffee, honey and propolis.

From the Croft & Machair

Our Croft is the engine room of the Apothecary full of Roses, Calendula, Hypericum, Chamomile, Rose Geranium, Blackcurrant, Hops and all the rest, whilst the Machair offers Red Clover, Meadowsweet, Eyebright, Plantain, Ladies Bedstraw and so much more.

We use the Roses in virtually everything we do, from Skincare to Wild Eve, Teas to Tinctures and of all our plants, it is the Roses that we turn to for their calming, soothing, free radical fighting, fine line reducing, hyperpigmentation treating benefits. You'll find them in the Isle Mist as one of the 3 distillations that we do to make that incredible product which draws on every part of the island flora.

The Calendula with it's remarkable healing properties is to be found in the Wild Beauty Balm alongside Rosehips and Bog Myrtle. That little pot, more than any other we make, offers a layer of protection against even the harshest weather - hot or cold. It can be used as a rich night cream or a daytime hydration restorer when used after the Isle Mist. I've used it as a cleanser as well when I was away and literally only wanted to take one product for everything. 

Our Chamomile weaves its way through our Wildflower Tea, Wild Eve and into our beautifully gentle Unblushing Cream the perfect product for sensitive, reactive skin prone to redness.

And then there's two of my favourites the antioxidant rich Mare's Tail (Equisetum arvense) the bane of every gardener, which is an incredible plant, one of the oldest plants to survive in the UK, it is truly ancient, at around 360 million years old it's often described as a living fossil . It can be eaten like asparagus if the tips are picked early, it has more silicon than any other plant so it is amazing for skin, hair and nails. We use it in our Harmonising Cleansing Balm to smooth the skin and to promote new cell generation.

The other is Nettle which is a natural astringent, tightens and firms the skin, regulates natural sebum production, treats acne and promotes flawless skin. It is also in our Harmonising Cleansing Balm.

From the Mountain

The high areas of Harris offer endless Heather, they bloom in the early autumn turning whole hillsides into a most beautiful rich purple. We use the Heather flowers in the Isle Mist, we look for the flowers still containing pollen because when distilled it adds the most incredible honey note plus extra therapeutic benefits. We leave tons for the bees! 

We also pick Rowan berries from the trees that manage to cling onto life, bending and twisting into incredible shapes under the full force of the brutal winter winds we have here. The Rowan berries are to be found in our Timeless Beauty Serum because they speed up skin regeneration. contain beta carotene a precursor to Vitamin A which stimulates cell regeneration and collagen production, reduces fine lines and improves skin texture.

From the lower reaches of the hills here we pick Spruce tips when they are young, sticky with resin and flexible, they join the Bog Myrtle in the distillations for the Isle Mist. I really love that distillation, the smell that fills the whole workshop is delightful, it always fills me with hope. I'm not sure why, I think it might be a fast-track forest bathe.

Going forward we are busily working on products that we can make from other areas of the island, that incorporate the rocks, the fleece, the plants that don't work in skincare but which offer other treasures. These are such exciting times for us and we're looking forward to showcasing more of what we can do up here. Some things will be in such tiny amounts they will only be available in the A.S Apothecary shop on the island so we hope we can entice you to travel to this extraordinary place and share in the delights of what we offer (bring a vest!)