Neal's Yard Remedies
September 18, 2026
We invited award-winning beauty journalist Lisa Oxenham to our Peacemarsh eco-factory in Dorset to uncover the science, craftsmanship and integrity behind our certified natural fragrances. As we celebrate 45 years of beauty without compromise, Lisa speaks with our co-owner, Anabel Kindersley, and Formulations Manager, Fran Johnson, to learn more about our approach to sourcing, formulation and the inspiration behind our new Mood Awakening Collection.
Step behind the scenes to discover what it takes to create a sophisticated natural fragrance, and why the way we think about what we wear on our skin (and what we breathe in) is changing.
Here’s an excerpt from Lisa Oxenham’s conversations with Anabel Kindersley and Fran Johnson:
Lisa and anabel
Lisa: 45 years is an absolutely incredible milestone. When you think back on the brand, what makes you feel the proudest?
Anabel: The brand was founded on the belief that inner and outer health were to be in perfect balance, and it's all in our logo. If you nourish the roots, the tree will flourish. We were pioneers in organic beauty, and when we started, there wasn't certification for beauty, only for food. We are still true to our principles, 45 years on, and that is what I'm really proud of. To have an ethical supply chain and manufacture it yourself is definitely challenging. We are constantly navigating climate change, geopolitical situations, and the impact of what you do can't be at the expense of future generations.
Lisa: As a brand, you use the phrase “beauty without compromise”. What does that actually mean to you?
Anabel: I don't think you should compromise. We are certainly a brand that hasn't compromised! For me, it's not mutually exclusive.
Lisa: Why did you think it was the right time to create the Mood Awakening Collection?
Anabel: We have 45 years of understanding the therapeutic benefits of essential oils and how they can make you feel. We've been wanting to do this for years, but we have very strict guidelines. We didn't want to use synthetic musks or phthalates.
Lisa: Why has frankincense remained so important to Neal's Yard Remedies?
Anabel: It's such an incredible ingredient. We've been on the frankincense trail for 40 years. We did a study to show that when you inhale frankincense, participants felt calmer. It's clinically proven to have therapeutic benefits*. It supports your health and wellbeing, and we ethically source it.
*Based on a placebo-controlled clinical study over 3 weeks.
Lisa and fran
Lisa: Why is it so difficult technically to create natural fragrances?
Fran: We can only take what nature gives us. With a natural perfume, you work with the inherent architecture of the formulation: the structure of the formula. Traditionally, you'd use a synthetic musk as a fixative for your fragrance, but we've actually got a really lovely ambrettolide, which is derived from ambrette seed oil, working to hold the perfume onto the skin to slow down the evaporation rate. It really is about the skin and the perfume working together. Your perfume could smell slightly different day to day, depending on your skin's pH, your hydration levels, and your natural microbiome. It's a really fascinating science.
Lisa: How does aromatherapy work in terms of a process?
Fran: It works through fragrance molecules. So, when you smell fragrance, those fragrance molecules are going up the nasal passages into your olfactory system, which reacts with the limbic part of your brain and that part of the brain is related to memory, as well as facilitating your smell.
Lisa: They are COSMOS Natural certified, which is really exciting. It must have been really difficult to get to that stage.
Fran: COSMOS certification is a real challenge. It pushes the boundaries of everything that we can do, but it also means that we're looking at the way that the ingredients are produced, the packaging as well. It includes the whole supply chain.
Lisa: And what do you have to take out of the formulation?
Fran: We don't use any petrochemical derivatives. We have to make sure that the body of the formula is as natural and organic as possible.
