Family secret that’s been healing for 200 years ... AND NOW MEDICAL BALM PREPARES TO GO GLOBAL
AN ORGANIC healing cream, passed down by members of an Anglesey family for 200 years, is about to hit the shelves.
Eliawen lotion has been distributed across the island for generations, but never taken to market – until now.
Ianto Jones, from Llanfaethlu, 50, has been working behind the scenes for five years, developing the cream with the support of international retail consultants and Bangor University academics.
The formula was first brought to light by his grandmother, who told the recipe to his father and used it to treat burns and other skin ailments among family members and the community.
Ianto was first shown the recipe – which includes the unique healing powers of natural local ingredients – as a child, and decided, when his father passed away 10 years ago, to finally supply it to a wider audience.
“My father was always eager to help anyone on the island who had a burn and showed me many times how to mix the cream and get it to the right composition,” said Ianto.
“I’ve carried out tests and trials and researched to get to this point, to the point where it’s almost ready to share with the wider public, not just people in our local community.
“It’s exciting, and I’m very proud to have taken this on and committed to it, especially for my family.”
He added: “To have been nominated for a prestigious Wales Start-Up Award as we enter the market and prepare for launch gave me confidence that this will be a success, and that there is belief in the product and the direction I’ve taken. A lot of hard work has gone into this behind the scenes, with me working alongside chemistry professors and consultants from big companies to ensure the cream is ready to hit the shelves.
“There has been a lot of interest from high street chains and global manufacturers, but I’m being patient and waiting until everything is in place before giving it the green light.”
MÔn Naturals has garnered a long list of testimonials from customers whose injuries cleared up within 24 hours of using the cream, which can be applied directly to a burn, a sore or even eczema. It solidifies on the surface before regenerating tissue cells; a gauze must then be wrapped gently over the wound so it is given time to heal.
Among those to have joined Bangor University in backing his vision are Menter Mon enterprise agency in Llangefni, the Beacon Project, through a collaboration with the BioComposites Centre, BIC Innovations - which is helping prepare for launch - and Madrid University, which carried out clinical tests to support Eliawen’s antiinflammatory properties.
Ianto has even written a 20,000word thesis on the cream’s medicinal merit, to aid patenting requirements and academic investigation.
Most importantly, he is passionate about making the product a success, to pay tribute to past generations of the Jones family.
“Since my father died, I have always dreamed about developing the cream, it was something we always spoke about,” he said.
“I have researched, developed and produced it in line with the 200 yearold original recipe, so it is consistent and the quality is very good.
“This ancient tradition must not be lost, the people way back then knew of its medicinal properties and it’s now the right time for it to be reintroduced into society so that burns can be treated effectively and naturally.”