Elsewhere Organic skincare
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Elsewhere skincare was created by founder, Lynsey Allett, from her own frustration at not being able to find product ranges that brought together plant-based ingredients with potency yet were ethically made and centred around skin regeneration. So, after years of formulation studies, research and testing on friends, she launched her own, Elsewhere, in January. I caught up with her to discover how an upbringing connected to nature, her own mid-life illness and an interest in traditional Chinese medicine all have shaped the new luxury range.

‘On reflection, I now realise just how much my upbringing has informed my viewpoint and has come together at this moment, in launching Elsewhere skincare,’ begins Lynsey. ‘I have strong recollections of visiting The Body Shop as a child, it was the exception to a world where skincare felt so synthetic and disconnected from long term skin health. The Body Shop so successfully led by Anita Roddick, was an antidote and showed that nature, ethics and beauty could co-exist.’ She continues, ‘I also had family involved with animal sanctuaries and growing up worked with wildlife and, later, on an organic farm in Australia. It’s all informed my approach to life that we are not separate from the natural world and we are all interconnected.’

About a decade ago, ‘my son was suffering from sensitive skin and my skin was dry but dehydrated so I started mixing my own oils on my kitchen table as I couldn’t find anything I wanted. My friends also loved the products as an antidote to the beauty industry which was becoming centred around quick fixes rather than working regeneratively and with the skin’s natural ecosystems.’  So, Lynsey completed a formulation course, launching Elsewhere with two seminal products, Regeneration Formula: Gel and Regeneration Formula: Cream.

The light textures are formulated with intentional but rare botanicals, including in the Regeneration Formula: Cream, eco marine algae, sea buckthorn and carrot, designed to complement each other, support skin hydration ‘an underlying problem across most skin types,’ work with the skin’s natural microbiome and are formulated at the precise PH of the skin: 4.7-4.8 (is the PH of the Regeneration Formula: Cream). Lynsey explains ‘it was when I was ill a few years back that I became interested in the ideas of traditional Chinese medicine and wisdoms, one of which is that medicine becomes greater than the sum of individual ingredients,’ she continues, ‘that really informs the cream formulation because the eco marine algae increases collagen synthesis through cellular proliferation, and the sea buckthorn and carrot, which all work so well together in terms of cellular regeneration and renewal.’  The Regeneration Formula: Gel designed to be a preparatory step in the process is a water based light texture combining rose otto, vegan hyaluronic acid and frankincense for absolute hydration and visible plumping. Lynsey is passionate about transparent sourcing of the rose otto, ‘it is a very expensive ingredient but I wouldn’t compromise on quality at all so it is direct from the fields of Bulgaria, where female artisans have learnt the art of harvesting and distillation over family generations.’

Although I was initially concerned the textures might be too heavy for my sensitive skin, I have been delighted by the results. The light gel texture seeps into the skin and works as a gentle layer underneath makeup in the day: the cream is an emulsion that doesn’t just sit on the surface but easily blends into the skin layers morning and evening. I note the unusual yellow tone of the face cream, ‘yes because actually the eco marine algae, sea buckthorn and carrot are all slightly orange in colour at root,’ she is inspired by her life at home by the sea coast, ‘the sea buckthorn actually grows rapidly in the dunes here,’ Lynsey says when I enquire whether it is difficult as an independent to source ingredients sustainably. ‘There are a few really good suppliers here in the UK who know that consumers want full lineage of products so it hasn’t been a problem,’ she adds. ‘I think the biggest challenge in starting Elsewhere is that I point blank refused to use Palm Oil as the formulation emulsifier, which is what we used on my course and is mostly used in skincare formulations. Infact, there are over 200 names for Palm Oil and it often seeps into ingredient lists without consumers knowing.’  Instead, she went about sourcing a Palm oil free alternative which at the time wasn’t available in the UK but luckily now is. She also chose to source ethical sandalwood from Western Australia rather than the more likely place, India, where ingredients can go unchecked.

Lynsey adds, ‘I’d really like people to establish their own ritual with Elsewhere skincare rather than feeling they need to follow something prescriptive. For me skincare works best when it becomes part of the rhythm of everyday life.’

She also infuses her interest in spacetime theory into her skincare formulations, ‘I’ve read a little around the theory and that not everything exists along a single forward moving timeline. So I don’t believe in anti-ageing as a concept but am much more interested in regeneration and how transformation is always possible.’

I look forward to seeing the range expand: a cleanser, toner, facial oil, lip balm and dedicated teen range are all currently undergoing Elsewhere’s long and meticulous research and testing process before coming to market.

www.elsewhereorganicskincare.com