About Us
I’m Alison and, as a busy mum of two children (and a dog!), I'm constantly washing my hands. During COVID-19, my hands and those of my (then) seven-year-old son bore the brunt of hand sanitisers and harsh soap and our hands became extremely dry and cracked with bleeding dermatitis.
With decades of experience working with natural oils in my bespoke aromatherapy practice, I started experimenting with these to make moisturising soaps, lotions, creams and balms for home use, testing and using them on my children. During one of these experiments, the gardener’s liquid handwash bubbled up over the worktop and, despite washing it all up, my hands (and the cloth) were the softest they’d been in ages.
The children love the new products and visiting family told us they smelled amazing and made their hands feel lovely and soft. To be able to share them with our friends, I arranged to have them cosmetically safety assessed so they could take them home, and they are also now available for sale.
Taking inspiration from Scotland’s rich natural heritage and the garden plants which surround us, I created Castle Apothecary Scotland with science-led aromatherapy.
For sustainability reasons, I’d love to be completely plastic free, but for safe use at home with children's little hands, the 250 ml liquid soap bottle is made from 30% recycled PET and larger refill pouches are available. The packaging can be reused, repurposed or recycled.
I intentionally do not use palm oil or artificial foaming agents such as sodium laureth/laurel sulphates as they irritate my hands. Instead, I use eco-friendly and sustainable premium natural skin-loving ingredients, from oils and butters to natural botanicals, and include locally sourced ingredients where possible. Each product is handcrafted in small batches in the Castle Apothecary with the aim of helping dry and sensitive skin.
I hope you enjoy the Scottish botanical skincare range as much as the customers who return to buy more and, of course, we love using it all at home too! ❤️ Alison
