Claire’s recipe for skincare success
A TINAHELY mother who decided she had enough of commuting hours to work at the expense of precious family time, has taken a leap of faith and launched her own online natural skincare business.
Claire Williams who lives on a dairy farm with her husband Jonathan and their four year old son Dylan recently launched Meadows - pure skincare fresh from the farm.
The idea came about a few years ago when Tipperary native Claire started looking into the effects of chemical-laden products on the human body.
‘I have a science degree and I started exploring the idea of using more natural products on our skin and in the home. Our skin is an organ and 60 per cent of everything we put on it is absorbed into the body. I started making small batches of natural products for ourselves and friends and it grew from there.’ When Claire decided to make the move to working from home, launching her own range was a natural progression.
‘Jonathan’s job is 24/7 on the dairy farm so I knew we couldn’t both have around the clock jobs. I wanted my business to fit in around our son and so that I could work while he is in pre-school and be there for him in the afternoons,’ Claire says. And the farm was the inspiration for Meadows.
‘It is all handmade here on the farm, with nothing but natural ingredients such as essential oils and butters. They are free from parabens and chemicals. The only preservative is Vitamin E with helps the products to maintain a shelf life of 12 months once they are opened. In the future I hope to explore the idea of a product made with our own milk protein. All the products have been tested and meet European standards and regulations.’
To get the ball rolling, Claire completed a business course with the Wicklow Local Enterprise Office and says that the support of the staff and fellow female entrepreneurs has been invaluable.
‘They gave me excellent advice and feedback and it was great to be able to pitch the product to other women in business to see what they thought. Running a rural business can be isolating too so this is also a good networking and social outlet.’
Now stocked in six outlets including Tinahely Farm Shop, Brooklodge, the Meeting of the Waters and the Jolly Walnut in Blessington, Claire says that having Meadows sold locally and online is the perfect balance. And although she lives on a farm, Claire isn’t one to let the grass grow under her feet and is already developing male and baby product lines, which she hopes to launch next year.
‘I want to keep investing back into the business and I have been working on these ranges for a while. It is also my intention to host workshops on homemade products.’
With a newly designed website meadows. ie Claire is expecting to be a busy lady as Christmas approaches.
‘The feedback has been really good so far and I’m really excited to grow the business into the future.’