Tell us how it all began…

Lisa & I have been friends for 18 years, with a shared passion for health, wellbeing & beauty. This lead us to look at the possibility of doing a project together. My background is in holistic health & Lisa has a background in fine art. Lisa & her family moved to an idyllic organic farm in Sussex to pursue an ambition to live in a sustainable, organic way. They discovered this unique water source & we had this ‘eureka’ moment, let’s use this silver rich water to create a range of facial mists, blending with flower hydrosols & botanical extracts that had an affinity to the area.

“Clean beauty” is a term we hear a lot, but what does it really mean?

I think terms like ‘clean’ ‘green’ ‘natural’ etc. can be quite misleading and often misused as a marketing ploy which is frustrating for consumers as it is hard to know what to trust. The Clean Beauty label should mean that a product is safe, non-toxic with transparent labelling. As I am a Holistic Practitioner and Lisa lives on an organic farm we go to great lengths to ensure our products are not only of the highest quality but also meet our strict requirements in terms of impact on both the body and the environment. Every ingredient is listed both on our boxes and on our website.

Which are your favourite AMLY products that you couldn’t live without?

We really do create the products we both want to use so it makes it difficult to choose a favourite – I would put them all in the category of ‘can’t live without!. Deep Reveal Cleansing Balm is an essential for me, it has the most beautiful texture and smells divine, it makes an incredibly indulgent mask too. I would have to choose a mist and as I use my Radiance Boost all day long so I think it would have to be that one, it also has a special place in my heart as it was our first product.

Are you an advocate of facial massage when using your products?

I trained as a Facialist and in Facial reflexology before studying Homeopathy and Craniosacral Therapy so I am a huge advocate of facial massage as part of your skincare routines. We are a Holistic Brand so fully recognise the advantages of incorporating wellness techniques into our day. We have created specific AMLY Rituals for Morning and Evening, these include some of the techniques I use in my Craniosacral Practice.

Natural and organic products are a real current trend in the beauty industry, what do you think the next big trend will be?

I think the general trend is toward improving both our wellbeing and that of the planet in general. Ingredients and packaging that meet those requirements are the way forward. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our sustainability and there are so many new, innovative ingredient and packaging solutions emerging.

What inspires you on difficult or challenging days?

There are always challenging days but I think as there are two of us it really helps having someone else there to either have a moan to or to take the reins if you are having a bad day. Luckily we seem to manage to not both have this happen on the same day!

What has been your experience as a female entrepreneur?

We are very much a female company, almost everyone we work with is female and the beauty industry is full of strong women so it feels a very natural thing. I would say my experience is a very positive one up to this point.

Have you ever tried face yoga?!

I first tried Face Yoga about 10 years ago when a yoga teacher introduced me, I absolutely loved it and even considered training myself – you never know I may still do it!

What is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is chocolate – I really can’t resist a really good dark chocolate, current fave RAW OMBAR!

How do you relax and unwind?

A long walk in the countryside with my dog is my favourite way to relax, I love being in nature, watching the seasons change and breathing in the fresh air. No matter how stressed I am I always feel better after a walk.

What’s next for AMLY?

We have been incredibly busy during lockdown, it has given us the chance to dedicate more time to advancing some of the product development we had been working on. We also have some really exciting collaborations and projects that bring together some of our passions – wellness, art, nature – coming up as soon as we are able to navigate the current restrictions.