In this week’s interview, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to Sarah Silvester, the Founder of Laidbare Skincare. I’ve been a big fan of Laidbare for a good while now: their vitamin c serum and hair minimising cream are two products that I take everywhere with me!
As with all the beauty products I write about, I like to make sure they’re clean of nasty ingredients, and also work well. Laidbare Skincare does this with all its products, but with a whimsical twist and at an affordable price too. I hope you enjoy reading through our interview, and also get a little insight into a stellar natural beauty business!
1. You’ve worked over 10 years in the beauty industry – what inspired you to go into natural beauty?
I spent years working in the beauty industry, developing brands that were aesthetically pleasing but of no benefit to the skin. Pretty on shelf with very little else!
At the time I also developed rosacea, due to the stress of organising my upcoming wedding, so I decided to try a new natural, high-end skincare brand I had found during a trip to NYC. I was amazed that within a few days my rosacea had disappeared and to this day I’ve never had another outbreak. The fact the brand wasn’t available in the UK made be think I need to bring it to the UK market.
I felt so confident in the results, I approached the brand owner and soon enough I became the sole UK Distributor. As a product developer this quickly lead to my idea – to create, develop and launch my own ‘affordable’ natural skincare brand to deliver exceptional results without costing more than £15. And that was how Laidbare Skincare was born!
2. I love the bright, playful nature of Laidbare products, it really sets you apart! Was this a deliberate choice, and is it a reflection of your own personality?
Yes we definitely wanted to have some fun when we launched the brand. Women take their skin and caring for their skin very seriously and so they should. It’s often the first thing people notice about someone – that and good hair and shoes! But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun along the journey of achieving great skin. We always love coming up with our new product names and I definitely think it reflects my personality. I may be a serious business woman but I love a good giggle with my girlfriends, who doesn’t?!
3. Which Laidbare products do you personally use and recommend?
Well obviously I love all of them, but I would say that. I guess my top three would be:
- DIY Cleanser: It’s so quick and easy to use, and never makes my skin feel dry afterwards unlike many facial washes
- Pack Your Bags Eye Cream: I love it, I use it to tighten and brighten my under eyes
- Dusk Til Dawn Night Serum: I never go to bed without applying it! It’s just so simple and calming for my skin, and I adore the smell
4. What’s one natural beauty tip everyone should know?
During this hot weather, keep your mosituriser or body lotion in the fridge! It feels so lovely applying cool cream or lotion to your face when every other part of your body is hot and sweaty!
5. Finally, do you have any exciting plans for the future?
Oh we are always thinking about the next thing… We are currently testing a few new products so watch this space! It takes at least six months to get a product to market so a lot of patience and tenacity is involved.
We are also looking at increasing our UK distribution – with a bit of luck you’ll start seeing Laidbare in some of your favourite high-street shops in the not so distant future.
Oh and I am also planning a sneaky get away with my hubbie to Ibiza at the end of the summer, so that is obviously VERY exciting indeed!
I hope you have an amazing time Sarah, and also best of luck with your ventures onto the high-street!
You can keep up with Sarah and the Laidbare team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
