WHAT THE PRESS SAY

 

 

mESMeRICK have customers in a real lather


Published on Wednesday 25 July 2012  BERWICKSHIRE NEWS

 

Two local performers have gone from the stage to being well on their way to soap stardom by designing their very own range of chemical free products.

 

Euan McIver and Rick Mondeau, came up with idea of hand made body products during an idle moment between shows last summer.

Rick, with over 30 years experience in the beauty industry, ran his own hair and beauty salons in the USA before moving to Scotland in 2010, had already been accustomed to making his own shampoos and conditioners,

where he was able to carefully control the ingredients.

“We were aware the media were constantly talking about the dangers of chemical additives to our food, and how many people now shop more carefully, and prefer organic produce. However, what you put on your body can be just as important as what you put in it” Rick said.

“Research shows skin is highly absorbent, everything you put on it can be taken in, and can have just as many health effects as your diet. The same goes for hair, nails, and just about all of your body. So when shopping for hair and beauty items, it makes sense to be just as concerned about their ingredients as you would about your groceries. Natural beauty products are the safest and healthiest choice. We decided we could make soap and shampoo without the need for the harsh Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) that manufacturers use to make their products lather.

“We burned the midnight oil in our kitchen in our then home in Duns and made a few varieties of soap using simple ingredients we knew we could trust. People have been using plants and other natural ingredients for centuries, both for medicinal purposes and also for their beautifying properties. So when you wash your hair with simple SLS Free shampoo, or treat your skin to goat’s milk soap, you are using the wisdom passed down through generations to get the best possible results.”

These trial soaps proved popular with friends and family so the range was extended and some special Christmas varieties were created.

“We have had a major success with our Goats Milk soap for sensitive skin, psoriasis and eczema” said Euan.

“Unperfumed and uncoloured it works amazingly well on all delicate skin types from babies upwards.

“Being an actor washing off stage make up night after night really dries out the skin, but using our Goats Milk Soap keeps the skin supple, moisturised and soft, and even those with skin problems who refuse to change their brand of soap, in case a new type causes irritation, have admitted that our Goats Milk soap has really helped their skin.”

The business has expanded rapidly, so much so that mESMeRICK relocated to Coldstream where they continue to hand craft a range of SLS Free Solid Shampoo Bars, as well as their SLS FREE Essential Oil Soaps and Goats Milk Soaps.

And the hard work and care that goes into hand making, hand cutting, hand wrapping and labelling every single item is obviously paying off as the pair have recently been approached by a TV shopping channel to provide them with a selection of their items bundled as a pamper pack.

“We are thrilled that our hand made products may be going nationwide” said Euan, “but we still hope that the local area and environs, for now, will provide the bulk of our customers, and we are actively seeking local outlets who would like to carry a range (or all) of our products.

“We have already sent products out across the UK and some of our environmentally friendly soaps and shampoos are on the way to Borneo.”

 

                                                         

     
                                    
                

              Eyecatching soaps are an eggcellent idea            

                                                       

This weekend millions of chocolate eggs will be handed over as gifts but keen to put a different and less edible slant on the popular tradition, Coldstream cosmetic company mESMeRICK have come up with their own soap eggs for Easter.

 

The eggs, which have been on sale at mESMeRICK’s shop at the Crafthouse Gallery since the week leading up to Mother’s Day, contain various natural elements such as coconut oil and jojoba oil and honey which are all good for the skin.

Euan McIver and Rick Mondeau, the pair behind mESmeRICK described the soaps as “just a bit of fun” but they said that customers had taken a keen interest in what was in them and seemed to like the idea of being able to give a present that wouldn’t be wolfed down in matter of minutes.

“We’ve sold quite a few in the past few weeks and what’s so good about the eggs is that they have a marble effect when you wash with them- you get all the different colours running through your hands,” Euan explained.

“Judging by the response we’ve had to the store since we opened here earlier this year people do seem to be thinking a bit more about what they’re using on their skin and what is actually in the soap they use.

“Running the business with Rick has been an education for me too. While he’s a professional in cosmetics I knew little about it. One of the best things I’ve discovered is that goats milk is very good for getting stage makeup off!”

At the moment the multi-coloured soap eggs make an eyecatching sight in the Craft Shop Gallery window but with Easter over for another year in just a matter of days, Euan and Rick are already looking ahead to all events in the 2013 calendar.

“We’ve produced a shaving soap for men so we were thinking of coming up with some sort of gift set for Father’s Day,” Rick commented.

“We’re starting to make a few different products with men in mind as they are still quite neglected when it comes to things like this.

“We’re also hoping to make some soaps in the Coldstream Civic Week colours. We’ve managed to find out one so far and we’re working on discovering what the other one is!

“This year is a particularly big one with it being Flodden 500 and we’d like to mark it somehow.”

To find out more about mESMeRICK and the homemade products they sell visit www.mesmerick.co.uk.