After COP26 we're asking more questions about the planet and sustainability than we ever have before. Consumers want to know not just what product works the best on their face, but what product is best for our planet.

A study by the British Beauty Council found that of 23,000 beauty shoppers, almost half (48%) are looking for more information, clarity and transparency about beauty brands’ values and commitments to the environment.

Now more than ever we need to decode what 'sustainability' actually means in the beauty industry. Can a product ever be truly sustainable or is it just another marketing ploy designed to provoke more spending?

As consumers what should we be looking for when purchasing beauty products? How can we help, and how should the brands we are choosing to buy from help?

For an eco-powerhouse like Menteath, sustainability means that everything that’s created does no harm.

Founder Felicity Stuart-Menteath, or Flick as she’s affectionately known, uses research-led and laboratory-tested products, with each bottle hand-crafted and poured in her studio in Lewes, East Sussex.

Located in Lewes’ Needlemakers, a unique building once used as a factory for making needles during WW1, the studio is tucked away, perfectly placed for an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Inspired by her family heritage from Scotland and New Zealand, it was the many hikes across the South Downs in Southern England that form the inspiration for her products.

“It’s from the beauty of the Sussex Downs and the dramatic Scottish landscape,” Flick laments, “that I draw my inspiration needed to create sensual products to soothe the mind and support the body.

“Through the nervous system, creating scents that connect our mind, body, and soul in each bottle blend, it’s reflective of my journeys across these wild landscapes.”

Flick has a penchant for holistic healing; once involved in disaster relief, she has seen more than her fair share of unrest, uncertainty and grief in times of great difficulty.

But out of the wreckage of her own experiences of traumatic disaster relief and helping people rebuild when all has been lost, Flick took another turn in her career, again in healing and restoration. This time, of the soul.

Among the myraid of small batch smoke-infused skincare Flick formulates, it is her aptly-named Scorched Earth Facial Oil that is our hero product. The fragranced oil is reminiscent of the smokey embers of Lewes Bonfire; a luxury fragrant wood combined with warm spice and rich earth. A truly sensorial experience.

At her rustic studio in Lewes, Flick offers massages and facials, combining her traditional techniques with modern technology.

A Menteath facial involves an invigorating face massage and is combined with a relaxing shoulder and head massage, designed to help relieve pressure points and gently lift the complexion.

“I specifically use Cryo technology,” Flick says, “because it recreates the conditions your skin requires to absorb, plump, tighten, tone, and reset during your facial.”

Tailored to her client’s needs, the facial formula is effective and long-lasting, with her products making waves across the industry already; Menteath’s Dusk Wood Facial Oil was the Editor’s Choice at The Beauty Shortlist Awards in 2022.

The award-winning nostalgic face oil uses deep extracts of fire and wood to calm and connect the mind, body, and soul.

Established in 2019 in memory of her grandfather, Fred Hatton, Flick’s Menteath has gone from strength to strength in a short time, with accolades under her belt, a beautiful studio in which she creates a safe and open space for her clients to rest and restore and a multitude of high quality, sustainable products created out of love and care for the community, it’s safe to say there’s a lot for Fred to be proud of.

For bookings in December, visit www.menteath.com

or visit Needlemakers, West St, Lewes BN7 2NZ to secure your spot in person now.