Beauty made in Sussex

Denise Ravenall runs her exclusive beauty range from her base in Arundel. Here Gemma Windham catches up with her to find out the secrets behind the brand…

WHO IS DENISE RAVENALL?
My professional background was in luxury hotels and so I was familiar with using the high end beauty products that would be in these hotels around the world.

And, like most people I really enjoyed collecting them, and using them in my bath time routine. However, after the birth of my first child my skin became hyper-sensitive and would come out in rashes if I used most products.

So I was forced into examining the back of skin care products and checking what the manufacturer was putting inside them. I quickly established that cost didn’t always equate quality.

Chemicals and synthetic perfumes seemed to be in most products. Unable to find a brand that offered exactly what I wanted, for myself and my three children I decided out of necessity to make my own.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS?
Your skin has a big job to do in protecting your body and we need to look after it. I believe more and more men and women are questioning what they are actually putting on their skins; after all, some of it is going to be absorbed by the body so it makes sense to know that what we apply is the very best it can be. Our products are paraben and sulphate free and absolutely nothing is tested on animals.

Our signature product, the Organic Unperfumed Cocoa Shea Body Butter, does not compromise on performance. Like all of our products it’s 100% natural, suitable for vegans and vegetarians and will leave your skin feeling soft and moisturised.

WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? 
My children, first and foremost. And having being diagnosed with Lupus, I also understand the importance of living every day to the maximum. I am a passionate person and I think that my range has evolved from a necessity for an affordable quality hand-blended product.

www.deniseravenall.com
facebook.com/deniseravenall
0800 8841048

Title recommends…
Organic Cocoa Shea Body Butter £9.99 for 60g

I put Denise’s Organic Cocoa Shea Body Butter to the test and it didn’t disappoint. The presentation is great, the box and ribbon make it a lovely product to give as a gift and the jar looks great sat on the bathroom shelf or dressing table, not one you’d hide away in a drawer!

The butter took a fair amount of rubbing in but then once it was all absorbed my skin felt really soft and not at all greasy; and what was surprising for an unperfumed product was that I applied this first thing and could still smell the peach kernel and coconut oils at lunchtime! Overall a great product; I’ve spent far more on less effective products in the past.