Woad Natural Beauty

Woad Natural Beauty is our go-to for ethically and sustainably sourced makeup and beauty products. Think natural ingredients, plastic-free & low waste ethics, zero cruelty tolerances, and refillable packaging; all crafted by small apothecaries and stocked here at Woad. We adore.

 

The Inspiration behind Woad Natural Beauty.

Watching a film at school about waste disposal, Heather (at the young age of eight) was horrified by the sheer scale of the landfill site shown. Later that evening when asking her mum what would happen when the site was full, her response of "The world is a big place, they'll just dig another hole." seemed utterly resigned and defeated, even to a young Heather.

This instilled something in Heather that would see a lifetime aiming to make a difference instead. Knowing that landfill was too vast, and that the world could not cope with that volume of waste, really inspired Heather to do her bit.

She began to recycle whatever she could, and always seeking for the most eco-friendly option available. However, some time ago, she realised this simply wasn’t enough anymore.

Recognising the mountainous volumes of plastic waste, and the increasing damage that microplastics were causing to our ecosystems; Heather knew more needed to be done.

Microplastics are widely used in cleaning, hygiene and beauty products. Impossible to filter from our wastewater cycle, and so too, our food chain. Known carcinogens and hormone disruptors, Heather is aware that avoiding them, particularly in makeup, can be extremely challenging.

 

 

Plastic-free and ethically sourced makeup.

Woad is born from Heather’s frustration with the lack of access to plastic-free beauty products. Cosmetic packaging is rife with single-use elements. Often with small, complex pieces that would have no purpose after the life span of that product has passed. The ingredients too, are reliant on heavy microplastic use. Something that Heather is passionately against:

"The aim of Woad is to bring you sustainably, and ethically-sourced products using only natural ingredients. With a focus on plastic-free & refillable packaging; limiting landfill waste as much as possible, and products that honour our planet and empower the wearer."

 

With vegan principles being close to Heather’s heart too, the cosmetics available are vegan wherever possible, and always with cruelty-free processes.

 

The future vision for Woad Natural Beauty.

Heather wholeheartedly believes that zero waste is a journey, rather than a destination. She aspires to make continual improvements to her range to follow this ethos.

She stocks cosmetics from Love The Planet which are available by weight, but not something she can currently buy. As soon as the order volume increases this will become a buying option for Heather, for the moment the compostable pouches are the most sustainable option instead.

As demand also increases, Woad will continue to bring handcrafted products from small-batch apothecaries. Championing small, innovative start-ups, rather than mainstream brands with less sustainable practices is key.

Even when sustainability finally reaches more mainstream brands, Woad will continue to seek out the most original, carefully curated selection of brands from inspiring producers.

Things you probably didn’t know about Heather...

1. Heather once scree jumped (free jumping down large hills made of loose rock fragments) down the side of Crib Goch at the age of seven. Her advice? Don’t do it. Ever.
2. Quite the adventurous childhood, Heather also climbed the Horse Shoe in Wales aged nine. She saw a natural phenomenon known as “The glories” rarely seen by regular climbers in a lifetime! So incredibly amazing it was, that Heather says it's impossible to convey in words. Which doesn’t help us here much.
3. Heather used to teach Art History at University and has also had work published.
4. Heather once had a series of operations on her jaw, involving donor tissue. The company supplying this tissue were later prosecuted for illegal harvesting of bodily tissues from corpses, including the late Alistair Cooke. Gulp.
5. Heather is worryingly good at singing “Letter from America” by the Proclaimers.
6. At University, Heather was researching the link between art and grave robbery.
7. Heather is a raw vegan (fruitarian). We’re not sure if this, or the natural makeup, is the result of her enviably flawless skin.
8. Heather is not legally allowed within 30 metres of a McDonald's restaurant. And we’ll leave that there.

 

How to find Woad Natural Beauty.

Woad is nestled right in the heart of our Main Room here at the Eco Village, take a right past The Stationery Cupboard, and you're there!

Have a further read about Woad's vision online, or follow on Instagram for all the latest products and beauty tutorials.