Renowned for her game-changing skincare that tackles everything from ageing to acne, Heaven Founder DEBORAH MITCHELL has always created and developed her own products. She took time out from her busy schedule to talk us through the process.
How did you start coming up with your own products? I had very bad acne as a teenager and everything I used made it worse. Despite all my training in aesthetics and cosmetology I still had acne and whatever products I tried just made it worse – even my tutor had no idea what I should do, which really didn’t help me when I was so embarrassed going home on the bus as an 18-year-old with a spotty face. Luckily I learnt leg waxing (what’s that got to do with spots, you ask). Well, when you wax, the skin gets sensitive, red and sore, so on my course we used a remedy called blue chamomile that instantly healed and stopped redness. When I started making my own creams I used some of it and it seemed to work; so much so that the other girls on my course asked me to make some for them. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like going on the bus with a spotty face! In fact, my bestselling Chamomile Hydrogel still uses this very ingredient because it’s great for acne, sensitive skin and eczema. I suppose this taught me to always think out of the box.
How do you come up with your ideas? To be honest, most of my ideas just pop into my head usually a day or so of me or a client needing a specific product to tackle a specific issue. I’m always dreaming and I use my dreams to fuel my ideas. Part of my making new products is really thinking and listening to my heart for what feels right.
And how did you come up with the idea of using bee venom? Historically, bee venom has been used as pain relief but it had never been used as a skincare product before. I wanted to find an alternative to Botox after I noticed wrinkles starting to appear on my face and I did literally go to bed one night and woke up the next morning and just knew how I would do it. Because my sister kept bees I already had a lot of information in my head.
What’s the first thing you need to think about when coming up with a new product – is it, for example, what it will be used for or the ingredients you’ll use? I like to be able to create a product that meets a need, say a mask that helps tackle acne or an exfoliator that combats fine lines. It has never been about earning money but always about coming up with a solution to a problem.
What kind of research do you do? I’m constantly researching, I see it as my hobby – I love learning new things and gaining new information. But research alone doesn’t help me actually come up with the ideas; it tends to be the other way round. In facts I get some of my best ideas when I’m relaxing in the bath!
Once you have the idea, how do you start making that become reality? A new product concept can usually take between two to three years from conception to sale. However my newest product - Nettle Venom Anti-Ageing cream – took me six years.
Talk us through the process of how you actually make the product? The idea comes first and then I have to work out how to make it a reality. This involves lots of problem solving as sometimes the ingredients I imagined using may not work together. Some my ideas actually never actually come to market but that doesn’t hold me back – I just keep coming up with new ideas. Take Nettle Venom – I wanted to create a vegan alternative to my Bee Venom for as long as I could remember. To actually make this into an effective anti-ageing cream was near impossible because I couldn’t keep the venom active. It really was a case of try, try and try again.
What tests do you carry out to ensure the product is safe to use? By law we have to carry out testing on all our products while the ingredients are fully tested for suitability on humans. The research and development side of the business can be very long-winded but it’s fun to do.
How important to you is using organic ingredients and why? For me, natural and organic products are vital because I suffer from sensitive skin. If I can’t use my own products – for example because they contain toxins – then I would have no inclination to make them. I care deeply about people so I would never wish to use any ingredients that could be harmful.
Which of your products are you most proud of and why? There are so many but I guess it would be my Age Defiance Cream as it was one of the first products I created. I designed it to tackle signs of ageing as well as help with acne and break-outs, and it was the product that really kick-started my success. I know many of my celebrity clients can’t live without it!
Have you already got your next big product in mind? I’ve not got a big project in mind at the moment but there’s a few smaller ones I’m playing around with. I’m very much interested in combining inner and outer beauty, the idea that looking after your complexion is more than just skin deep. It is not just about improving the skin, but also about improving our state of mind.
