THE Wheatbelt landscape may not be the first thing to pop into your head when you think about a beautiful range of natural skincare.
But there are plenty of farmers who could do with a spritz of Beatrice Skincare Toner to refresh them after a sweaty day on the header.
The iconic Wheatbelt landscape has been a huge source of inspiration for Donna York and her two daughters, Isabella and Eve, who launched Beatrice Skincare last year.
The York family has farmed at Tammin for many years, and those within the community are likely to be familiar with Donna’s work as a qualified herbal practitioner.
She has been producing creams for family and friends for more than 10 years.
Isabella and Eve were the more-than-willing guinea pigs and as they grew up, showed an increasing interest in what their talented mum was up to, as well as an enthusiasm for the potential opportunities that existed.
“Over time mum has fine-tuned the formulas,” Eve said.
“It had always been a dream of ours to share these completely natural products with everyone else.
“Beatrice had been a discussion for a long-time prior to launching in September 2016, it was a matter of timing coming together for the three of us!”
Beatrice Skincare, chosen due to Beatrice’s meaning of “she who makes happy”, is doing just that – creating happiness for users of the range, as well as women in the York family who have been united in its production.
Eve said she believed the three of them all bought a different aspect to the business – with Donna at the helm in terms of driving the ingredient selection with her knowledge of the power of certain oils, butters and botanicals and how they can work in multiple ways to heal the skin and body.
Those natural ingredients include rose geranium, cypress and frankincense oils, which are found in the Beatrice Day Cream and help to reduce wrinkles and sagging skin, relieve anxiety and inflammation, boost immunity and balance hormones as well as giving the skin a clear and vibrant glow.
The ingredients, which are predominantly organic and sourced locally where possible, also give the products a subtle aroma, designed to be understated rather than overbearing.
There are currently six products in the Beatrice range, which as well as the day cream, include a night cream, men’s cream, nappy rash butter, toner and body lotion.
“My favourite product is definitely the night cream,” Isabella said.
“It smells divine and is so nourishing.
“I have naturally quite dry skin, so I use it morning and night.”
They can be purchased online through the Beatrice website, at the Newman Visitor Centre, Silo in Kondinin, and at various country markets.
The products are all handmade by Donna, with the assistance of her girls, in small batches – either produced on the farm in Tammin or by the beach in Cottesloe.
“We are hoping to be stocked all around regional WA,” Isabella said.
“We are wanting to focus on regional areas as growing up in Tammin we understand how hard it can be to get your hands on 100 per cent handmade natural products.
“We also have a couple of new products in the works that we are working towards launching soon!,” Eve said.
Farming-wise, the York family has long promoted the benefits of growing saltbush in fighting salinity and aiding regeneration of the soil.
There is even a variety of saltbush named after their farm, Anameka, as they have worked closely with the CSIRO on saltbush research.
That philosophy is carried through to Beatrice Skincare, as they have pledged to donate one salt bush plant to be planted in the Wheatbelt, for every product sold online.
“Beatrice began as an exciting family venture, an opportunity for us girls to share something we love with each other and our community, and I think the honesty of the products beginnings transcends,” Eve said.
“The product is 100 per cent natural, handmade in small batches, with love and integrity, and gives back to the environment in which we live.”
