Spotlight On:

Naturally Queen Bee

We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! To start 2019 the right way, we have an exciting new Crafter in the Spotlight interview for you to read.

 

This time, we got to speak to Rachel Holmes, the founder of Naturally Queen Bee. Located in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands, she produces high quality skin care products that are lovingly made, as well as being fresh, natural and organic.

After many years of using different mass-produced skincare creams, Rachel grew tired of not knowing what ingredients were in them and not getting the results that they promised. And that’s where her craft business journey began.

“After a lot of research, I began to produce skincare products just for myself. I found that my creams ticked all of the boxes and I have never looked back, and neither have my customers!”

If you visit the Naturally Queen Bee Etsy store, you are certain to find something to suit your skin. They stock a wide range of products, from hand and foot creams to clay masks and body lotions.

Rachel told us that initially “the most popular product with customers were the beautiful range of hand creams” because “everybody’s hands suffer.”

“Because my hand creams are so absorbent, and give instant relief to your skin, my customers fall in love with them and it becomes their ‘go-to cream’. They then try my other creams and fall in love with them too!”

One thing that we really like about Naturally Queen Bee is that not only do they offer a range of products to suit everyone, but they also make them in lots of beautiful fragrances. We asked Rachel where she gets inspiration for these and she said: “My main inspiration for the fragrances arrives from the benefits of the organic essential oils will offer my customers.”

“For example, the sweet orange oil I use is especially good for eliminating toxins from the skin. It is rich in vitamin C along with anti-oxidants. This oil is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory which makes it an ideal ingredient in your skin care routine. It isn’t just for acne-prone skin though as it’s been shown to increase the ability to absorb vitamin C, collagen production, and blood flow, all of which are essential for anti-aging. And it’s suitable for all skin types!”

If you’re looking for something to help you relax, products which contain lavender are perfect. Rachel told us that lavender oil “is suitable for all skin types and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. It helps delay fine lines, age spots, wrinkles and sun spots because of its skin regenerative properties.”

Another popular fragrance that Rachel uses in her products is rose geranium oil, which is “especially good for nourishment and rehydrating dry and mature skin.”

“Rose geranium oil is useful for healing skin conditions. It can be used regularly in your beauty routine to enhance the appearance of your skin making it appear clear and glowing. It’s suitable for all skin types but is particularly good for those with sensitive skin.”

And finally, one of the other fragrances that Rachel uses is peppermint oil. “This oil is especially good for cooling and refreshing your tired feet. It’s a fantastic remedy to soothe tired, aching muscles and can be used on all skin types. Not only that, but it smells fantastic too!”

Naturally Queen Bee, as the name suggests, are all about the natural, organic ingredients. When asked why this was so important, Rachel told us that: “The skin is our body’s largest organ and because of that, it’s essential that it is looked after correctly. It shouldn’t be slathered in harsh chemicals, especially when you consider the skin ingests what is placed on it.”

That’s why it’s so important to me that all my products are lovingly produced in small, controlled batches ensuring that they are fresh, natural and organic.”

At CraftCover, we are passionate about independent craft businesses and try to support them as much as possible.

When asked why it’s so important that others also support independent crafters like herself, she said: “It is essential that independent craft businesses get the support, as we are producing high quality, natural, lovingly made products, which are not mass produced or available on the high street.”

Naturally Queen Bee has lots of wonderful feedback on her Etsy store and social media platforms, which is great to see! “As a small business, I can’t afford high advertising costs, so rely on the positive feedback from my customers. It also lets me know that people love and enjoy my products as much as I do.”

From the interview, we could tell that crafting is something that Rachel really is passionate about. We were keen to find out what she gets up to outside of the business and she told us that she is a mum of 3 and a “lady beekeeper looking after 9 active honey producing hived in Staffordshire” which keeps her busy!

2019 is set to be another busy year for Naturally Queen Bee as it plans to “grow and have more people fall in love with the products.”

“I am considering the introduction of a range for men so watch this space!”

As we came to the end of our interview, we had one final question for Rachel. We wanted to know whether craft business owners like herself are aware they need insurance and she told us: “Maybe not at the start, however, once you start selling to the public insurance is an absolute must.”

“Plus, it shows commitment to your business and products, and gives customers confidence to purchase.”