SkinFood Apothecary

It has been said that you need a burning desire to create something of value from scratch. If this is so then the creators of niche organic skincare brands need to have a raging furnace beneath them.

The natural skincare brand SkinFood Apothecary encapsulates everything we love about the beauty industry. Clever natural ingredients, a realistic take on preservation, and a brand story than includes a holistic approach to total wellbeing. Made in South Africa, SkinFood Apothecary is an artisan apothecary brand that offers handcrafted organic skincare products made from botanicals and other natural ingredients such as roots, leaves, flowers, minerals and exotic oils. SkinFood Apothecary offers a range of products that heal, calm, revitalize, and nourish the skin.

MEET FATHIMA, Founder and Creator...the sweet and delectable soul behind SkinFood Apothecary. Everything in this namesake line, from the drop-dead gorgeous glass bottles, to the wild-harvested ingredients, convey Fathima's main mission: creating luxurious little moments of self-care that give women that indulgent daily lift! Armed with potent fruit oils and raw ingredients, Fathima began whipping up her first concoctions as part of her own beauty ritual, but it quickly became clear to her that these unique skincare treasures should be shared with the world – and we couldn’t be happier. We talk to Fathima to find out what makes SkinFood Apothecary special.

There are already many organic skin care lines out there, why did you launch your own?

The short answer is that I had many requests from friends and family as to guide them as to what to use on their skin on seeing my radiance. The long answer is that my own research, knowledge and experience with many having tried so many brands and different skincare products out there drove me to start thinking about creating my own skincare line. Since niche skincare is my passion, once I figured everything out, it happened very quickly.

I created a very interesting way to infuse my formulas into my carefully selected plant oils, along with my aromatherapy knowledge that I have been cultivating for years. So, I believe the culmination of my study and experience has allowed me to offer something special and unique that I haven’t seen on the market to that extent. An artisan gourmand skincare range that is sure to delight every sense.

My products provide a moment of mindfulness, a conscious awareness of the present moment which provide a wonderfully enchanting and completely restorative state for the mind and soul. Lastly, I do believe that everything should be organic. That organic should be the ‘norm’ and not the other way around. So I am really pleased that there are already many organic skin care lines out there and I am excited to make my own contribution.

When a client comes to you with skin ailments, do you recommend a specific dietary and or specific supplement protocol as well as skin cares recommendations?

I always give recommendations about diet, supplements and product because I know that it’s a package deal. With some people I am being much more extreme with the diet if their skin is in really bad condition. The clients that follow my nutritional, supplement and herbal suggestions; the difference is night and day. When a client comes to me for a facial treatment, I know exactly how good or bad she/he was with their nutrition just by looking at their skin.

What is your philosophy on skincare, and how does the SkinFood Apothecary range reflect this?

My philosophy is keep it simple. I believe SkinFood Apothecary reflects my philosophy because the range is small with a simple but beautiful ritual-like routine and every single ingredient I use goes past my nose before it's then passed on to my manufacturer. Quality control in absolutely essential for the continuing success of my brand.

What is different about the way in which SkinFood Apothecary products are manufactured and how does this affect the quality of the final product?

The majority of the ingredients are not subjected to the usual high temperatures required for emulsification to take place - so when you apply SkinFood, it almost feels like a living product. Also our products are highly concentrated with a much lower water content than regular skincare. I believe this is one of the keys to SkinFood Apothecary's success and this is why I believe I have such a strong dedicated following - once you've experienced the quality and efficacy of my products it's hard to go back to other formulations.

What is a favorite beauty product of yours?

This is a really hard one to answer since I am obsessed with my "honey melt" cleanser. It is a rather unique product comprising of carefully selected actives in a base of raw indigenous african honey. Obviously these are all very different from one another, BUT if you had to put me on a deserted island with one product only, I guess I would choose my "repair & renew face elixir", and wash my face in the ocean and scrub my face with the sand :)

Which product was your very first creation, and why?

My first creation was a face oil that really enlightened me to the healing power and nourishing capabilities of natural oils. I was discouraged when I realized many of the so-called “natural” brands of skin care aren’t really all that natural. So, like any moderately obsessive skincare person, I started making my own truly natural skin care products. Friends and friends of friends began asking for “that face oil Fathima makes.” Since then (that was years ago) I’ve learned so much about the myriad of carrier oils and essential oils that are out there! Now, I make different face oils blends that all incorporate various healing oils and essentials based on specific skin needs.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when you started SkinFood Apothecary?

My biggest challenge was finding a way to connect my products to a marketplace without the hefty time and financial commitment of trade. That’s where my SkinFood Apothecary Website and Etsy comes in! Since I have been blogging on natural skincare past years and reviewing products for companies worldwide, I had developed a good database of resources. It’s been a challenge learning the SEO ropes and how to engage social media to spread the word about SkinFood Apothecary, but there are so many resources and lovely helpful people that guide me. I’m always learning!

What’s next for SkinFood Apothecary? What do you hope to achieve with your products?

Up next for SkinFood Apothecary are a few products in development that I am super excited about! One of them is a creamy cleanser that incorporates matcha green tea with probiotics as well as a superb face cream. I hope to have these ready sometime in December. I am so grateful that the company continues to grow and spread the word about the incredible healing and nourishing powers of natural ingredients. My goal is to provide a healthy luxurious skin care experience with beautiful results. I believe in embracing the sophistication, beauty, and power of what nature creates as we gratefully accept this wisdom to nurture our well being. This belief goes into every product I create and I hope to share that belief with many!