Natural benefits

An entrepreneur who created a brand of natural cosmetics from native Scottish wildflower meadows, and pioneered a project to protect pollinating insects, has become the first UK business to win Wildlife Friendly Certification.

Dr Sally Goldstone, botanist and founder of the family-run firm Seilich in East Lothian, is passionate about protecting the environment.

Dr Sally Goldstone

Following a 20 year career, which saw her travel the world working on projects as far a field as Borneo, Belize and Madagascar, before settling down in Scotland with a role at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh specialising in Scottish plant conservation, she decided it was time for a change.

Two years ago she started the company which now boasts a range of handmade natural cosmetics including face mists, body sprays and room mists.

“The botanicals we use in our products are based on Scottish wildflower species such as yarrow, comfrey, plantain and wild carrot, all of which we grow in our meadow.

From day one it has been Sally’s passion to create range of natural products that are beneficial for the environment.

“I began Seilich (pronounced ‘Shay-lich’) in 2018 after the birth of my little girl Willow,” said Sally who chose the Gaelic translation of her daughter’s name for her brand.

“I wanted her to grow up in a world surrounded by nature, seeing colourful flowers and tapestries of green, to hear birdsong and the hum of bees, to smell the wet earth after the rain.

“My research had taught me that this was looking less and less likely as natural systems were collapsing around the world and extinction rates were soaring,” said Sally.

“Taking on the global biodiversity challenge was perhaps not going to be on my agenda for a while, but I could still make an impact by doing something much closer to home. So I began the creation of a wildflower meadow, rotavating, harrowing and seeding with Willow firmly positioned in the sling.

“In the spring the first seedlings started to appear and with each week that passed the meadow unfurled its colours, textures and sounds. With her first steps Willow would bumble among the tall grasses surrounded by buzzing insects and brightly coloured flowers and I thought, this is how it should be!”

Today, the meadow is packed full of a variety of species, all of which can be found naturally in Scotland, from which Sally has created a range of truly natural cosmetics.

In addition to encouraging pollinators such as bees, hoverflies, butterflies and birds all the plants have proven beneficial properties. Some are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and/or antioxidant while others may have recognised moisturising or anti-aging ingredients.

As a result of Sally’s commitment to nature conservation Seilich is the first Wildlife Friendly Certified company in the UK and only the second in Europe.

“We were able to gain this certification due to the growing practices we use which ensure our meadow is first and foremost a place of shelter for wildlife,” said Sally.

“Joining forces with the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network offered an opportunity for us to demonstrate that natural products can be 100 per cent natural and a force of good for nature.

“These species not only produce powerful ingredients for our cosmetic products but also provide amazing habitat for wildlife, and with over 97 per cent of wildflower meadows in the UK being lost since the 1930s, they form an important habitat in their own right.

“For this reason we are really careful about the way we harvest, ensuring a food source for pollinators even post-harvest, and to compensate for any losses, we also work with community groups in the wider area to create a network of wildflower meadows throughout East Lothian.”