4 minute read
Gardiner Family Apothecary
GARDINER FAMILY APOTHERCARY
Sensitive to the Environment
Gardiner Family Apothercary, makers of sensitive skincare brand Elave, are making products, manufacturing processes and global distribution more sustainable than ever before
So far, 2022 has been a high performing year for Gardiner Family Apothecary, who manufacture Elave Sensitive specialist skincare for sensitive skin conditions.
Joseph Gardiner founded Ireland’s fi rst family apothecary in 1934 to create dry sensitive skincare formulations under the Ovelle brand, including the iconic Ovelle Silcock’s Base.
Later on, as the business grew, Elave Sensitive skincare was created to provide a daily regime of facial skincare, shampoos, lotions and creams that work to reduce the risk of fl are-ups of eczema, rosacea and other sensitive skin conditions.
The company is based in Dundalk and manufactures all its skincare to the highest globally recognised Pharma Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
Proud members of Guaranteed Irish, Elave Skincare appreciate the enduring support and trust of pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, and healthcare professionals who recognise and recommend their formulations.
“We are exceptionally pleased that dedication has been recognised with a host of awards from Guaranteed Irish Business Awards, OTC Pharmacy Awards, Global Health & Pharma, and Green Parent Awards,” says CEO Joanna Gardiner, granddaughter of the founder. GLOBAL MARKETS During the Covid-19 pandemic the business refocused eff orts with new selling and marketing activation strategies that have driven omnichannel growth throughout all markets.
Among their top-selling global markets are the UAE, Gulf States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East,
UK, Hong Kong, and USA. Gardiner Family Apothecary are targeting the United States as an area of huge potential for growth going forward.
Elave won the 2022 Guaranteed Irish Business Awards for Best Home, Beauty, and Lifestyle business, as well as being awarded Global Health & Pharma’s Best Sustainable Skincare Brand and Best Cruelty Free Skincare Brand.
A major brand renovation earlier in the year is being accelerated this autumn with a six-fi gure promotion of Elave Sensitive to include prime time advertising across multiple TV channels, including RTÉ, Sky, Channel 4 and TG4.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS Under Joanna Gardiner’s stewardship, eff orts have been ramped up and global steps taken to make products, manufacturing processes and distribution even more sustainable.
Gardiner reveals, “As a result, an 85 per cent reduction in carbon footprint, with 0 per cent of waste going to landfi ll, has been achieved while adhering to the highest European and Global standards, including SEDEX Ethical Supply Chain Standards and ISO14001 Environmental Standard.
“Elave Sensitive Renew products have moved to 100 per cent aluminium packaging, which means the packaging can be endlessly reprocessed with low emissions without losing any quality, while redesigned smaller caps use 80 per cent less plastics.
“Across the product ranges, single use packaging has been
GARDINER FAMILY APOTHERCARY
minimised with all plastic being 100 per cent recyclable. More bottles come in larger sizes to reduce frequency of purchase, and new metal-free pump packs use 60 per cent fewer parts than traditional dispensers.” FOREST FRIENDS In partnership with Reforest Nation, who aim to plant one million native trees by 2024, Elave Essentials packs are offered online minus the outer carton and sleeve. Each time a customer chooses the ‘Unboxed – Plant a Tree’ option for their cart, one tree is donated to help reduce environmental impact, fight climate change and restore biodiversity.
Gardiner Family Apothecary boasts product lines which are ECOCERT certified as Natural and Organic, meaning that 99 per cent of the total ingredients are of natural origin and 20 per cent of the total ingredients come from organic farming.
Remaining true to their core beliefs in doing what is right, no product has ever been tested on animals and all are PETA CrueltyFree, PETA Vegan (apart from a small number containing beeswax and Manuka honey) and 100 per cent gluten-free.
Both production and packaging processes have been reconfigured in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) and Goal 13 (taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).
MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION An installation of 220 solar panels at the fully integrated research and GMP manufacturing facility at Dundalk contributes to 100 per cent of the site lighting and therefore also contributes to a decrease in energy used.
Although Gardiner Family Apothecary exports over 55 per cent of their output, they are committed to keeping supply chains short to reduce their impact on individuals at one end of the scale, and the global environment at the other end.
As well as contributing hugely to the local economy in Dundalk, Gardiner Family Apothecary supports local sports organisations, particularly rugby and soccer, selected Irish cancer charities, including the Cancer Fund for Children, and Northern Ireland premature baby charity, Tinylife.
Joanna insists they are still a family values business at heart, boasting deep roots in the community going back three generations. It is a philosophy which has served the business well – but, at the end of the day, she says it’s what’s in the bottle that matters.
“Your skin is the body’s largest organ and you have got to look after it. Elave skincare is where you can satisfy all your skincare needs for even the most sensitive, eczema or rosacea prone skin.”
