Innocent Oils is a natural skincare company based in the UK, specialising in hemp seed oil products, which has gone from strength to strength since its inception 2 and a half years ago.

I thought it would be fascinating to learn about the inner workings of such a company and so Helen very kindly agreed to answer a few questions for the readers of Online Goddess:

What initally attracted you to Hemp Seed Oil?

About 13 years ago I was in Amsterdam with my hubby and I was handed a leaflet which had in bold letters on the front 25,000+ uses for Hemp. I read it and thought wow I had no idea, then not till much later did I think about it again and by then there was a huge wealth of information on the internet about the Hemp Plant. So I started to research and try and find something negative about the oil but after 6 years found nothing, and to date still nothing only misconceptions and misinformation mostly from the USA and all due to the illegality of Cannabis in America, not anything related to the properties of Hemp Seed Oil directly. Today there is even more positive news regarding the Hemp plant than ever as the world is now in crisis looking for alternative fuels, plastics, papers, foods, clothing, etc the list goes on and Hemp is always there with a solution.

I knew of its skin care properties for soothing eczema and having such over-sensitive skin I thought I would give it a go and was amazed at the results. Sadly though, Hemp was still very much linked to it’s sister the illegal Cannabis plant Marijuana and this was evident in the packaging of the limited products available. I wanted to buy Hemp Seed Oil which made no political statement, and was sold for its fantastic properties, but at that time this didn’t look possible. So I decided to source my own Hemp Seed Oil and package it without any mention of Cannabis and no hash leaves on the labels, or marketing material.

I have no desire to legalise Cannabis or have any political statement to make. I am all about 100% pure natural skin care not politics, and have no wish to get involved other than to some day maybe find a way to get the USA to agree that although the latin name for Hemp and the illegal drug Marijuana is ‘Cannabis Sativa’, the two plants are very different and should not be confused. It seems the rest of the world has realised this already, but sadly not America, but thats another huge can of worms I’ll not go into now.

What made you decide to take the plunge and actually start a business around Hemp Seed Oil?

I knew that whatever I did I had to be passionate about it. It sounds all too easy, but I had a eureka moment, not something that has ever happened before, but I felt like suddenly all the pieces of a jigsaw had fallen into my hands and I had to see where it would take me. I had a new baby that I wanted to keep clear of all the petrochemical-based products we have thrust in our faces day to day, and chemical sensitive skin myself that wouldn’t tolerate even the most pure products I could find, as many still contain ingredients that I react to, even the so called ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ ones available.

Having spent so many years wondering what would be my ideal career suddenly it was there in front of me. I had a year off on maternity leave to play around with the idea of going it alone in business and to see if my idea was just an idea, or as I hoped a fantastic business that would fill a gap in the market for a much misunderstood oil which has so much potential for us, as human beings and the planet by being rediscovered.

It is so hard to pinpoint one thing that made Innocent Oils come about. I really believe it was meant to be, and out of my control it feels like its all just happened. I know that I am just at the beginning, and it feels like the tip of the iceberg, but I can’t imagine where it will take me. More like I m too scared to think of where. But I will go with it and hope for the best because so far it is so much more than I could have wished for, and at least if it all fails, I know I can make a mean face mask from oats if all I am left with is tuppence.

Where do you make your products? Do you have a seperate business premises or a special area in your home?

We are very lucky to have the space at home to have an area specifically for making my products, as well as a secure area nearby for storage. I am so attached to the business that it makes sense to keep it close for as long as possible.

In the future we expect to expand into a workshop/kitchen/shop where we hope to be able to provide natural skincare courses (similar to those I do in Cornwall with Brigit Strawbridge) and show how our products are made and of course sell the finished article too. The only thing holding us back is finding the right place. I know its out there I ve just got to find it. LOL

I must say that making skincare products from natural ingredients is not difficult there are millions of recipe choices out there already. But the cost, time, and effort in making them original, tested acording to EU Cosmetics Regulations, and all that goes with running a business from scratch is no mean feat, but it’s without doubt the best decison I ever made and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

How far-reaching is your business? Are your customers UK-based, international or both?

When I started Innocent Oils in 2005 my customers came from the USA and Australia mostly, certainly not local. Aiming the business at the worldwide market before local was very much a deliberate action on my part and thank heavens for the Internet as without it I could never have considered setting up in business myself. I wouldn’t have had any idea where to start sourcing what I was after locally as quite frankly it would have been nigh on impossible. Not to mention I am very nervous in person so hiding behind a computer is a wonderful solution for me, while I build the business and learn what I need to run the business professionally.

Even now when people ask what I do for a living I find it really hard to find words that describe what I am trying to achieve, as most seem to think I sell a few bits ‘n’ bobs at craft fairs for pin money, or assume I’m an eBayer. Not that I disapprove of either but for now it’s not really what I am about. I personally don’t have the time or money to travel to all the places I would need to go with a stall to sell my wares and its also to prove to the bank’s business adviser that I have bigger expectations for Innocent Oils.

To be honest it has only been since 2007 that I have gained new local customers, probably a result of not having a shop or local stockists here I imagine.

How supportive was your business advisor?

She told me I would never succeed if I didn’t start by selling at craft events and build up a local customer base. I knew I was naive, but not stupid. So I took matters into my own hands, refused bank assistance and decided that to succeed I needed to think laterally, and build the business from one product – 100% Innocent Hemp Oil – and as profits grew, reinvest every penny to develop new products. This meant no budget for advertising, instead I rely on word of mouth and recommendation, which is gold dust, and any company who underestimates the value of good customer service and customer support should do so at their peril. Even now I limit paid advertising to just a couple of fantastic ethical magazines who have helped me with editorial work, advice and support along the way.

What helped inspire you in times of doubt?

Very early on I lacked confidence in my abilities, and was ready to give up at any moment through my impatience, even though I knew the business has huge potential. Having been so disappointed by the lack of enthusiastic advice I had been given by the Bank, I was on the brink of giving in. However, while playing around with my first attempt at a website by chance I watched Woody Harrelson on Jonathan Ross talking about his Hemp activist work in USA. I decided I had nothing to lose in sending an email to him letting him know how I agree and support his passion, and a told a little about my ideas for a new business selling the purest chemical free skin care available, utilising the beneficial properties of Hemp Seed Oil. I fully expected to hear nothing back, but to my surprise I received the most lovely encouraging personal email reply, and that inspired me to carry on no matter what. Thus business was directed stateside initially. Soon followed by interest from Australia, known for their pioneering, forward thinking, attitude to sustainability.

What has the success of the business meant to you?

The way Innocent Oils has developed has felt like all my dreams have come together and at long last I have found my niche at 34. It’s certainly not a road paved with riches as I certainly don’t earn what I used to, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world. All that will come in time, with luck and good grace on my side. I feel happier and more worthwhile than any amount of money I could earn working for someone else again.

Building Innocent Oils is like building a delicate 3D jigsaw. I needed to start at the bottom with solid foundations first, while always focusing on the next step, but at the same time not rushing ahead before the pieces are ready to fit into place. Sometimes I spend ages looking for the next piece and think its not there, then suddenly it will appear from nowhere, or I have the next piece but haven’t got the structure in place to fit it in just yet.

Starting your own business is no small move. What was the deciding factor?

Circumstances really, a new baby, and my first child was 4 and a half, soon to start school, meaning work would become hard to manage successfully, and I was starting to feel that I had two choices - one was to jump both feet into my career, losing more precious time with my kids than I was willing to sacrifice, or make a huge change of direction and make a life that involved the family in a positive way. I took the change of direction and enjoy every moment of it

What sealed it was that while pregnant with my second I had a brain haemorrage :0 - this made me realise rather dramatically that we have one life and it is precious and not to be wasted. Luckily I came out unscathed, but had a whole different view on life and how I was going to live it.

If you are not happy in what you do, dont moan about it and carry on. Change it, and do everything you can to make it more fullfilling. I feel lucky to be here, and just wish it hadn’t taken something so drastic to make me realise how lucky I am to be alive. My kids and hubby now know what I do, what I am about, and why I am doing it, and now understand me as a person far more, something that wouldn’t have been possible previously when I talked about work.

What does your family think of the business? Do they get involved?

Even my own parents have been shocked by how far the company has come in such a short time with no money or backers. It has way passed my initial expectations and I can’t wait for the next step. The most fantastic thing has been all the wonderful people I am meeting along the way and yet being anonymous to most, and being able to be at home with my girls. I take my oldest to school every day and look after my youngest at home and most of the mums I know have no idea of what I am doing when I get back from the school run. I love that, and hope it continues for a while to come.

The kids come first always and my youngest daughter always comes with me to meetings no matter who they are. We go as a family to Cornwall or events when I am working, so they see it as a holiday and as a result I hope they will grow up with the knowledge that nothing is impossible if you focus, and work can be fun if challenging sometimes. We only have one life and I believe we need to make the best of the chances we are given, find new ones if not, and not give in to the grind of daily life if we want something different out of it.

You are a very active and respected member on the “It’s Not Easy Being Green” forums. How did you become involved with the site and it’s owners?

In May 2006 the BBC TV series It’s Not Easy Being Green had just finished and I thought it would be lovely to chat with Brigit about her love of natural skin care and to my surprise, having spent weeks trying to find a way of contacting the Strawbridge’s, they had just launched the forum a few days previously. Dick and Brigit emailed me back and invited me to join the forum (something I had never been involved with previously) and a wonderful friendship grew from there.

I first discovered Innocent Oils through Pure Skincare. What led to your products becoming available through their store?

In May 2007 I received an email from Debbie at Pure Skin Care, a company I had admired for a long time for their ethics and lovely products. Debbie had just launched her Skin Care Cafe forum and a customer had asked Debbie if she had seen my products, then a few more from the INEBG forum saw this and added their recommendations too. Soon I was supplying Pure Skin Care which was another highlight along the road.

Debbie really understands fresh hand made cosmetics unlike many other similar businesses who expect the products they sell to behave like commercial brands which of course they don’t. Debbie has become another great personal friend and has given so much support and encouragement I can’t thank her enough as a friend and stockist.

I understand one of your products has won an award recently – would you tell us a little about that?

Yes, Debbie encouraged me to enter my products into the Natural Health Mag – Beauty Awards 2008 and to my great delight my Innocent Angel Butter was one of the winners in the ‘Best Foot Cream’ category, in which I was just pipped to the post by Lush with their Fair Trade Foot Cream. No shame in that, Lush are huge, and the other contenders were all strong established much bigger businesses than lil ‘ol Innocent Oils.

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You can find out more about Innocent Oils on the official website at http://www.innocentoils.com and Helen can be found helping to moderate the It’s Not Easy Being Green forums under the username Indica Mama. The complete range of Innocent Oils products are also available through Pure Skincare.

If any readers would like to ask Helen some questions, I’m sure she’ll be happy to answer if she can. Just pop them in the comments section or send me an email via the contact page and I’ll pass them along. :)

Source: Online Goddess

Interview With Helen James, Founder Of Innocent Oils

Ingredients: Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Montmorillonite (French Green) Clay, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Ground Almond), Lavender Flowers, Lavandula (Angustifolia) Essential Oil, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Essential Oil, Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens) Essential Oil

I tend to exfoliate with a plain loofah, but a few months ago I decided to try something a little more luxurious for special occasions. I was drawn to this product because of the mix of oats, clay and almonds - other scrubs tend to have only a single exfoliating ingredient.

Initial Impressions: The scrub is contained in a little glass jar, it’s light and crumbly and looks good enough to eat!. Innocent Oils certainly named this product well - it smells absolutely heavenly. I’m not generally a fan of lavender, but the combination of ingredients here really works well. I could just sniff this all day, nevermind using it lol! 

Application & Results: I simply shake a small amount out of the jar and onto my palm, then add a few drops of water and presto, it forms a sticky paste. I’ve used rosewater as well which seems to make the consistency a little thicker and leaves the skin extra soft after use. Then I gently massage the mix all over my face for a few moments and rinse off. It continues to smell fantastic during use and does an amazing job of removing the excess oil and flaky build-up from my skin. My face is left very smooth and, best of all, oil free!
Sometimes I tone and moisturise after using it, sometimes I don’t. I can still smell the product for a while afterwards, regardless of what I follow up with. It stays on my hands too!

Review Conclusion: This is a really wonderful product, particularly beneficial to those (like me) with problem oily skin. I don’t use it as often as I would like as I would easily get through a couple of jars a month, but it’s great for when I want to pamper myself.

Source: Online Goddess

Review: Innocent Oils Angel Face Scrub