20 Fantastic British Skincare Brands Worth Trying

UpCircle

UpCircle was founded in 2016 as an answer to the beauty industry’s waste issues. The brand, which has quickly become a trailblazer in sustainable British skincare, takes would-be waste ingredients and turns them into premium skincare products that nourish and strengthen skin. Think coffee ground-based exfoliators, chai spiced face masks and serums made with surplus fruit juices.

Elemis

Another well-known British skincare brand, Elemis has carved out a niche for itself by offering spa-quality products that deliver visible results. Fusing natural active ingredients with innovative biotechnology, the brand is known for its potent skincare heroes that feel luxurious and help effectively transform skin.

Liz Earle

Founded in 1995 on the Isle of Wight,  Liz Earle is a household name in British skincare. The brand is renowned for its botanically inspired, naturally active products, having carved out a niche in the beauty industry with its commitment to harnessing the power of nature without compromising on efficacy. Its biggest product to-date is the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, which has solidified the brand’s place in many a bathroom throughout the UK.

Aurelia London

Certified B Corp, British skincare brand Aurelia London specialises in probiotic skincare – harnessing these beneficial bacteria to balance and protect the skin and promote a healthy microbiome. Partnering with NGOs like PhytoTrade Africa to source its coveted botanicals, Aurelia makes sure that all its ingredients are sourced fairly and benefit the local communities that harvest them.

Made For Life

Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Cornwall, Made For Life Organics is redefining the essence of skincare with a philosophy rooted in nature and holistic wellness. This British brand has garnered a devoted following for its commitment to using 100 percent organic ingredients, transforming the beauty routine into a nourishing ritual that celebrates both skin health and environmental sustainability.

You can read our interview with brand founder Amanda Winwood here.

OSKIA London

Award-winning nutri-cosmeceutical brand, OSKIA London, has worked up a huge cult following since its launch in 2009. The brand, which specialises in bio-cellular skin nutrition, creates products that help to revive skin and leave it feeling healthier than before. Made here in the UK, each product uses naturally-derived or nature and bio-identical ingredients, to help ensure a more environmentally and socially sustainable make-up – think vitamins, minerals and high-tech bio-actives (including plant stem cell technology, peptide complexes, anti-oxidants, enzymes, prebiotics, botanical extracts and floral oils).

Medik8

A quickly growing name in the world of skincare, Medik8 was founded in 2009 by Elliot Isaacs – and is now raved about by skincare specialists and beauty editors everywhere. The brand combines biochemistry with the natural movement (in particular the values of fair trade, sustainability and using natural ingredients) to ‘create results-driven products with proven science’. Medik8 is perhaps best known for its CSA theory, which highlights that human skin needs vitamin C, sunscreen and vitamin A for optimal function – making them the best basis for our skincare routine. The brand also has a long list of planet-friendly goals it aims to achieve over the next few years, including zero direct carbon emissions and waste to landfill by 2025, reusable or recyclable packaging by 2026 and a completely traceable supply chain of natural raw materials by 2030.

By Sarah London

B Corp beauty brand By Sarah London was launched by sisters Sarah and Lauren in 2017. The brand was first developed by Sarah, who wanted to use natural skincare to help repair Lauren’s skin when she was recovering from leukaemia, and has since gone on to develop products that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and transparency (for each product, all of its ingredients are listed on the side of the bottle). By Sarah creates organic, plant-based and cruelty-free skincare that works to strengthen the skin barrier and support the skin’s microbiome to repair, regenerate and regain balance. Key ingredients in By Sarah’s skincare line include cold-pressed organic and upcycled plant oils (expect no synthetic fragrances, essential oils or irritants), making it ideal for those with super sensitive skin.

Scientia

Self care and thoughtfully-created products are at the centre of Scientia’s ethos. It aims to promote and assist with the perfect skincare routine which will leave you glowing inside and which involves using carefully considered products. To ensure this, Scientia blends nature with science to create the best product possible, and it’s also Leaping Bunny Certified cruelty free, Vegan Society approved, and uses FSC certified packaging.

Frances Prescott

Luxury skincare brand Frances Prescott was created with working men and women in mind, simplifying skincare routines with products that deliver three essential benefits. The brand’s hero product, the Frances Prescott Tri-Balm, cleanses, exfoliates and moisturisers in one step, giving users a glowing complexion at a fraction of the effort.

Dr Sebagh

With 30+ years of experience as an aesthetic doctor, Dr Sebagh’s line of skincare is specially formulated for people looking for ‘ageing maintenance’. In the range, active ingredients are used that are clinically proven to rejuvenate, repair and revitalise the skin at every age.

TEMPLESPA

Treat yourself to spa-level skincare at home with TEMPLESPA’s in-house line. It was founded by Liz and Mark Warom, who were inspired by the warmth, vibrancy, and wonderful nutritious ingredients of the Mediterranean. Its skincare products feature rich botanicals of things like olive, avocado and red pepper, plus Temple Spa’s signature Phirmaderm complex, a rich concentration of plant extracts that help address ageing by boosting collagen synthesis and plumping skin.

Bamford

Inspired by the award-winning Bamford Wellness Spa, the Bamford skincare range contains a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients, some of which are organic, too. The brand also has Butterfly Mark certification, powered by Positive Luxury, for its commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

Rhug Wild Beauty

Crafted from ingredients foraged from Lord Newborough’s Rhug estate in north Wales, Wild Beauty offers a luxurious collection of skincare products. There’s the cleanser with dandelion, which is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, which can help to hydrate tissue and support the overall skin function. Or there’s the skin tonic, with meadowsweet, which contains salicylic acid that works to remove dead skin cells from the skin surface, and reduce inflammation and irritation. Or the replenishing mask is made from honey from Rhug’s very own bees.

Leaves & Flowers

This British brand was born when its founder, Sadie Leibo, started using CBD topically to help with her exercise regime. ‘I felt so different from the first day I started taking it,’ she recalls. ‘Yes, it took away aches and pains but it also invigorated me and yet also helped me to relax into any stressful situation. My whole wellbeing changed dramatically.’ She wondered what the effects would be if she incorporated CBD into a luxury skincare line – and so Leaves & Flowers was started. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, CBD has a balancing and soothing effect on the skin.

Neal’s Yard Remedies

Although natural skincare is now de rigueur in the beauty world, when Neal’s Yard Remedies started in Covent Garden in 1981 it was an industry outlier. Today, its signature organic blends of ethically sourced herbs, botanicals and essential oils are loved around the world.

Skin & Tonic

An overwhelming life crisis and constant dermatitis flare-ups prompted Skin & Tonic founder Sarah Hancock to quit her job in TV and retrain in skincare formulation and aromatherapy. Then, she set about creating her own products to soothe her skin and promote wellbeing. All Skin & Tonic’s products are independently certified organic and natural by COSMOS, meaning its ingredients are organically grown and harvested, non-GM and grown without pesticides.

Wildsmith Skin

The in-house skincare line of Hampshire’s Heckfield Place, Wildsmith Skin is named after William Wildsmith, who planted the estate’s woodlands in the 19th century. The anatomy of trees, and how they heal and grow, guides the brand’s skincare philosophy. It features the latest plant-derived bioactives, botanicals and minerals combined with targeted delivery systems to give clinically proven benefits.

Bramley

Originally created by Chloë Luxton for the bathrooms of her family pub, The Beckford Arms in Wiltshire, Bramley now adorns the sinks of boutique hotels across the country, as well as the cabinets of natural skincare devotees. Caring for the environment is foremost in the British skincare brand’s ethos, and its ingredients are all biodegradable and sustainably sourced, and use Fair Trade essential oils.

Haeckels

Founded in 2012 in Margate, Haeckels harnesses the power of seaweed harvested from the beach in front of its shop. Seaweed is rich with valuable vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and it’s also anti-bacterial, skin rebuilding and anti-inflammatory. Sustainability has always been a part of Haeckels’ brand identity from the very beginning, and it has various conservation initiatives in place, such as refillable glass bottles, and offering a free product for every bag of beach rubbish brought to the shop.