Behind the Brand with Handmade Naturals

Let me ask you a question – would you go to any dentist in any town for your routine check-up? Are you happy to go to any hairdresser who has an appointment? The answer will be no! – we do business with those we like, know and trust! As customers we want to know if we can ‘like, know and trust’ the companies we buy from, so in this series we ask the person behind some of my favourite natural, organic and holistic brands and businesses to step out into the spotlight.

It’s the turn of Rossi Cartlidge from Handmade Naturals

How did you get started?

Back in 2007, when my daughter was a baby we had a difficult time keeping her nappy rash free, despite using the usual off the shelf products recommended by the doctors. Out of desperation I researched alternatives online and learned a lot of scary things about the products used by many. Back then natural products weren’t as popular as they are today. I am my happiest in my kitchen, absolutely love cooking and baking, and having tried a number of baby balms, I decided to order some ingredients and make some myself to suit our needs. I experimented and came up with a lovely nappy balm for my girl and a face cream for myself. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What were you doing in a previous life?

We are 100% natural, and organic, where possible. My main aim was to create an affordable skin care brand, where natural products are not luxuries but every day essentials. So cost of the raw ingredients does come into consideration. I do believe that a purely natural product is much better and more beneficial to the skin than an organic product with some chemicals added, unfortunately a small percentage of chemicals are still allowed by the organic certification bodies.

What’s your USP? What sets you apart from your competitors?

We are not only 100% natural but also make everything ourselves in our workshop in Cheshire. Using third parties makes it difficult to have full control over the quality of the ingredients or the making process itself. If you want products that are natural, vegan, handmade in the UK in small batches and cruelty free approved at Handmade Naturals you will find exactly that. And this is our guarantee.

What kind of feedback have you received from clients?

Our product development has always been customer led. We listen to customer requests, suggestions and recommendations regarding new products and packaging, and make them a reality where possible. We think customers love our products. Many come to us after being recommended our products by friends or relatives. We have regulars who have been with us from the start, and we have been in business since 2007. 14 years of repeat purchases speak volumes.

What’s the next big launch / project coming up for you?

Covid has unfortunately had a negative impact on the supply chain and Europe has made post Brexit trading rather difficult and expensive. We are currently concentrating on maintaining stocks of our current range.

What’s your big dream?

HEALTH FOR ALL! Using natural skin care is only one aspect of being healthy. Nutrition and lifestyle are just as important, but sadly still gaining momentum. We have started adding articles to our blog https://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk/blog about ways to reduce stress and how to improve nutrition. Because the health of our skin is reflective not only of the skin care we use but very much so of the nutrients on our plate and the lifestyle we lead too.

Where can we find your products / services / store?

Our full range is available to purchase directly from our own shop and website at www.handmadenaturals.co.uk, some of our products are also on sale at www.amazon.co.uk and we have a small number of re-sellers the details of which are available from our website.

Website address:

www.handmadenaturals.co.uk