Schmoo Skincare

I recently came across the wonderfully named Schmoo Skincare. It sounded intriguing, and as a cruelty free organic skincare range made with high quality fruit oils - I needed to know more!

I spoke with Sam, who works for Schmoo Skincare. A passionate brand ambassador, she answered some questions for me, and if you fall in love as much as I did - you'll appreciate the lovely discount that they are offering my readers!

L xx

Who exactly is Schmoo?

Schmoo Skincare was created by industry expert Fiona Otley, and has been growing in success since launching in 2014. Schmoo is now used by a number of spas & salons across the UK, with the newest stockist being located in the Channel Islands. The range is inspired by all things natural, organic, and ethical, with a strict “no nasties” policy. We leave out harmful ingredients such as parabens, sulphates and alcohol and use only the highest quality of fruit extracts, oils and butters.

What inspired you to start up?

After spending over a decade within the spa industry Fiona worked all over the world with many top, well known brands but never felt completely satisfied with the products or ingredients she was using. Whilst working overseas Fiona made a body scrub using the exotic fruits that surrounded her, the results were so dramatic it inspired her to create her own product range, Schmoo Skincare was born. We still use fruit extracts in each and every creation because not only do they smell Schmootiful they also have amazing benefits to the skin.

Where did the name come from?

Schmoo is a word that can describe having more than one fruit. We think it’s really fun and suits our brand really well as our products are packed full of so many fruits. We have even created the “Schmoo dictionary” which includes words like Schmootiful, Schamazing and Schmoozy, our therapists are even called Schmooziers.

What are the key benefits of natural products, over well-known mass-produced brands?

Sadly for a lot of brands it is all about making products as cheaply as possible, so ingredients that aren’t of a high standard or have much if any benefit to the skin will be used. In fact a lot of ingredients used can often have a negative effect and cause more skin concerns & irritations than solve them. Many brands unknown to the consumer will also have products that go through horrific animal testing procedures which in our opinion is unnecessary and very cruel.

This of course isn’t true of all well-known brands as some are very ethical and selective of what they use in their products and testing procedures.

Natural products are the way forward as they will not contain cheap bulking agents or harmful chemicals such as sulphates. Sulphates are added to products to create a foam, it’s used in many face washes and shampoos but also powerful household cleaning products, this chemical completely strips the skin of its natural protective oils causing breakouts and other skin conditions, then once all that soapy foam goes down the plughole it enters the ocean causing drastic effects to our wild and sea life.

With natural products every single ingredient has been carefully selected for its unique, effective properties, there is little risk of adverse reactions and additional skin conditions being developed because there are no nasties, just beautiful ingredients that work in harmony with the skin. At Schmoo Skincare we use Grapefruit & Tangerine extracts in our range for combination skin as they naturally decongest and remove excess oil whilst maintaining those all-important protective ones. The results achieved using a natural brand really do speak for themselves and many first time Schmoo users are converted.

What has been your journey so far?

We are still a fairly young company with a long journey ahead but we have certainly had a great time getting to this point. We have spent a lot of time listening to our clients and researching what people actually look for and find important in a product. Is it that it’s Organic? Is it important that it's cruelty free? Maybe it’s the smell? We took all this advice and then developed Schmoo Skincare over time which is a brand we feel ticked all the boxes for people and is fun, and exciting to use. We are working with a lot of salons and spas currently and hope to see Schmoo in more and more locations over the next 12 months.

What beauty/personal care trends do you love and hate?

There are some weird and wonderful skincare trends that come and go, it’s what keeps the industry fresh and exciting. We’ve seen procedures come into trend like the vampire facial popular with Kim Kardashian, but we really do think with regular maintenance and RELAXING treatments the same results can be achieved without so much blood! However the 24 carat liquid gold facial was a fun trend, who doesn’t love gold.

Call us boring, but when it comes to skincare we believe that Mother Nature is every girl’s best friend. No matter what your age, nothing gets skin glowing quite like a product packed full of earthy goodness that’s been made with love.

Where can Schmoo be found?

Schmoo Skincare products and treatments are available at 5 of our own spas within Hilton Hotels. Products are also available on our website www.schmooskincare.com, and we have a growing list of stockists that will be added to the website soon who will have a selection of products and treatments available.

• The Escape Spa Hilton Puckrup Hall, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
• The Escape Spa, Hilton Cardiff
• The Escape Spa, Hilton St Anne’s Manor, Wokingham
• The Escape Spa, Hilton Cobham
• Schmoo by the sea, Hilton Brighton Metropole

How do you make your products?

We work closely with a fabulous formulation expert who shares our passions for natural/organic and cruelty free products. We discuss with her what we’d like to create and the results we would like to help our clients achieve. She helps us source amazing ingredients like super fruits Acai & Goji berry and multi-acting oils like Marula. All the ingredients are split into different phases of when they need to be added or mixed together, (a bit like when you bake a cake) then just like magic all those wonderful ingredients come together to make one super-duper product.

What would you recommend, as the perfect skincare regime?

The perfect skincare regime is what you make of it, so many people skip important steps or use skincare "no-no"s like facial wipes or 3in1 products because they “don’t have time” but skincare shouldn’t be a chore or a hassle, each step should be enjoyed!

Many clients we see within the spas use a cleanser but not a toner. This is like using shampoo but not a conditioner, if you go over your skin with a little toner on a cotton pad and saw how much dirt and make-up was still there after cleansing you’d think twice about skipping this step. Each step start to finish has a reason and will make your regime more effective. So find 2 minutes each day to cleanse, tone, and moisturise but don’t forget to exfoliate 2-3 times a week to help those gorgeous products work deeply within the skin. If you have a quiet night in, get cosy in your PJs pop on a mask and let it work while you catch up on your favourite TV show. Easy!

What does cruelty free mean to you?

Cruelty free is the future and WILL be the norm one day, people are becoming more aware of the procedures and unjust testing that goes on in the cosmetic industry. Many companies/brands are getting on board to support cruelty free because there is really no justified reason why an animal should suffer so that we can have a particular shower gel, face cream or perfume. For us launching a skincare brand that is cruelty free is a way we can stand up to it, and give animals a voice, we work hard to educate our clients and even convert those who are unaware of how much mistreatment goes on for results that are often unnecessary and unreliable. If more people could look into what they’re using and make the choice to use cruelty free products over the unethical well-known brands we will be much closer to putting a stop to animal suffering.

And finally, what is the one product you couldn’t live without?

A real favourite is our Schmoo Skincare Apricot & Peach treatment oil. It’s a light, silky oil that smells divine, the apricot & peach oils are almost a perfect match to our skins natural, protective oils so it’s great for all skin types and leaves the skin feeling beautifully smooth and not greasy like some can feel. Because of the 99% oil match up it can be used as a wonderful primer under make-up as well as an overnight treatment. It contains Marula oil which is multi- acting, drawing out impurities, hydrating deeply and stimulating cellular activity to help fight against signs of ageing. It’s product to be enjoyed daily and it would certainly be hard to live without it.

The discount

Love the sound of Schmoo Skincare? You can enjoy 10% off online by using code schmoo16 at the checkout!