Carefully produced, natural, and sustainable.
These are just some of the words that encapsulate the essence of Britain’s best-loved personal care and beauty products - from historic brands such as Penhaligons and Asprey, to modern, on-trend soap and skincare formulations used in high-profile brands.
In an age where manufacturers of personal care products have access to a global market for raw materials and near unlimited access to base ingredients and product formats, the term ‘Made in Britain’ still invokes a sense of quality and pride in craftsmanship. As a country, we are gaining recognition for our efforts to safeguard the environment, not only during manufacturing but in our research and development programmes too.
This focus means that Britain now stands 7th in the world in promoting eco-innovation, the circular economy, and the development of new business models with environmental benefits – from raw material sourcing to processing to final packaging.1
This highlights the positive impact that ethical and responsible British companies like Stephenson can have on the personal care sector, consumers, and brands as it speaks to their sense of innovation, personal ethics, lifestyle, and trust. It also offers significant opportunities for distributors to drive these attributes and benefits to their customers and the companies they choose to do business with.
While it might seem strange to apply these qualities to products such as extruded soap and Melt & Pour soap bases, syndets, and ingredient solutions, at Stephenson we believe that it is a natural fit for our diverse portfolio. It enables us to continually push boundaries and explore new opportunities across multiple geographies.
A star ingredient is Durosoft®, our range of naturally derived polyglyceryl esters with application possibilities across sustainable formulations in skincare, cosmetics, and hair care. The range was developed by a British team of experts at Stephenson.
The Durosoft® range currently includes sustainable emulsifiers and solubilisers that can be used to produce creams, solid lotions, cleansing oils, and micellar water formulations. It is ideal in skincare and cosmetic product formulations that offer natural and sustainable raw material labelling claims.
We know what we are good at
There is another very British trait we attribute to our business: level-headedness. While we acknowledge that our company is not massive, by no stretch of the imagination are we a small company either.
We firmly believe this plays in our favour, enabling us to be agile, flexible, and quick to respond when faced with the challenge of developing a new product, getting a new concept launched for a client, or supporting our distributors.
Whether you are a global manufacturer in Switzerland or Germany, a small homegrown craft brand in Britain, or a large distributor in the US, you can be sure of our undivided attention.
Launching a new product is not always straightforward, but our technical team can support brands through this challenging time. We have the information and expertise you need and will support you from the concept to the final product launch stage.
We don’t believe in greenwashing either. While our products are made in Britain, our certifications are international, including Natrue for our extruded soaps and syndets, COSMOS, RSPO SG, Vegan, Made with Organic, and China Compliant for our Durosoft® range, amongst others.
At Stephenson, we remain committed to the use of natural and sustainably sourced ingredients in our product, and our ethos remains grounded in the principles of green chemistry. We aim to become part of the British success story that will drive a new era in ethical manufacturing, focusing on delivering safe, effective natural ingredients, directly, and through our distribution network to local and international markets.
The personal care, beauty, and skincare market landscape will continue to change. Whether it’s a concept we initiate, a project you’ve already started, or if you want to become part of our distribution network, our British technical expertise, insight, and inspiration will assist you in staying ahead of the curve.
Contact us today for more information on our product portfolio or to speak to one of our team members.
