The cosmetics industry continues to expand globally but the consumers are now taking a more holistic approach to their health and beauty. As a result of the growing public awareness and concern about the possible unwanted side effects of the chemical substances commonly used in cosmetics, the market for natural and especially organic toiletries is now the fastest growing section of the beauty industry. Many of us are hugely concerned about what we put in and on our bodies – and rightly so! We do not want anything harsh or containing infamous parabens, SLS or other toxic but still commonly used chemicals. And we do not want our products to be tested on animals either! What we really want are REAL natural products – simple and pure – for our everyday skin care regime. The good news is there are plenty of wonderful options AND not only they do not have to be expensive but can even be organic!

As a result, many take it a step further and prepare their own home made natural preparations. It may seem easy to make one’s own ‘cream’ but how effective is it going to be? And most importantly could this be sold as a part of a successful new brand of products? Unfortunately, without appropriate training and in-depth knowledge, the answer is no. So, if you ever dreamed about having your own brand of products ‘out there’, it will require a lot more than some emulsifying wax, sweet almond oil and spring water.

Course Details

This is what this Diploma Course is all about – it is designed to inspire, empower and equip you with current knowledge and understanding of the field of skincare products, its language, high-performance speciality ingredients, formulation and safety. You will also learn the importance of the responsible sourcing of ingredients – the ever growing issue of sustainability and ecological concerns, which you cannot afford to ignore.

Oh, and yes, rest assured, we will not be teaching you how to use any controversial ingredients, like fragrance oils or parabens!

During the 10 day course we will be studying the following:

1. Underpinning knowledge:

• Understanding the language of the cosmetic field
• Types of products and their function – toners, cleansers, etc
• Types of ingredients and their role in cosmetics – humectants, emulsifiers, etc
• Commonly used and controversial ingredients in ‘high street’ products
• The importance of the responsible sourcing of ingredients
• Sustainability and Ecological issues
• Antioxidants – the roles and types
• Preservatives for different types of natural and organic products, what to choose and how to use.
  

2. Equipment for small scale product making

• Basic equipment – what to choose and why
• Other equipment.
• Safety and sterilisation in a nutshell.

3.  Study of the raw ingredients:

• Water and hydrophilic ingredients
• Lipid ingredients – understanding Vegetable Oils, Butter and Waxes
• Composition and other characteristics, their application and use in products, suitability for different phases of formulations, product types and skin types, activity in skin care, etc.

4. Essential oils and herbal extracts in natural products

• Blending skills, essential oils for fragrance and therapeutic properties
• Allergens/sensitisers, IFRA and EU guidelines in essential oils and legislation
• Top 25 essential oils relevant to skin care
• Herbal extracts for the use in cosmetic preparations

5. Formulation of natural skincare products

• Formulation skills – developing your own skincare formulas for the following:

~ Lipid based formulations:

• Speciality ingredient
• Formulation
• Serums
• Balms & Butters
• Other preparations

~ Water based formulations:

• Gums and thickening agents
• Speciality ingredients
• Formulation and preservation
• Toners
• Various gels and other preparations

~ Emulsions:                                      

• The science of emulsification
• Emulsifying agents
• Formulation and preservation
• Creams and lotions
• Other preparations

~ Detergent based (foaming) products:

• Foaming ingredients and speciality ingredients
• Formulation and preservation
• Bath and shower products
• Shampoo
• Other foaming products

This training will give you the skills and knowledge to enable you to create a unique brand of phyto-skincare cosmetics, free from synthetic substances and unnecessary fillers they will only contain time tested ingredients with proven efficacy.

A clever and often surprising combination of plant oils and other natural ingredients can not only produce cosmetic effect but also bring forth amazing results and offer natural solutions to some common problems.

There is no formal examination but to complete the course you will be required to successfully complete a number of both theoretical and practical projects and assignments.

Who Can Attend?

This course is designed for those who are truly serious about developing their own range of products and prepared to go through with what it involves.

You MUST demonstrate a good understanding and command of spoken and written English and have basic numeracy skills (calculating %, understanding the idea of ‘ratio’) and some knowledge of common raw ingredients and some experience of product making (home / hobby use) together with moderate IT literacy would be very useful.

Assessment

There is no formal examination but to complete the course you will be required to successfully complete a number of both theoretical and practical projects and assignments.

More Information

Course Duration: 10 days (10.00am-5.00pm)

Course fees include:

• • In-class tuition
  • A comprehensive course manual
  • An MSCM Diploma in the Development of Phyto-Skincare Cosmetics
  • 30 cpd points

2 Bonus On-line Courses

FREE OF CHARGE

to all those attending the Diploma in the Development of Phyto-skincare Cosmetics 

On-line Course 1 – The Study of the Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin:

The structure of the skin

Functions of the skin

Skin types and skin care regime elements; racial variations

Ageing process, ageing factors, effects of ageing on skin, prevention

Skin permeability and absorbency

Skin sensitivity vs. allergy; cross-sensitisation

Raw ingredient and product patch testing 

On-line Course 2 – Good Manufacturing Procedures for Small Cosmetic Making Companies:

European Cosmetics Directive and ISO standard 22716 (2007)

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) – ISO 22716:2007

Key elements

How to ‘do it’ – your Good Manufacturing Practice File

Personnel

Premises

Equipment

Raw materials and packaging materials

Production

Quality control

Product release

Aloe Vera has been used in cosmetics for as long as we can remember. It is one of those timeless cosmetic ingredients popularity of which does not seem to wane. Used for burns and itchy skin conditions, helpful for acne and psoriasis, the applications for Aloe Vera gel seem endless.

There are many Aloe Vera gels available on the market but sadly, just one look at the list of ingredients will make many of us shudder… carbomers, synthetic colours, harsh preservatives and more, can all be found in what could be a very simple product. No wonder that so many try to make their own!

There are endless DIY recipes on-line but how do we know what is a ‘good’ recipe and what is simply ‘wrong’? Worryingly, the World Wide Web is full of incorrect/misleading/confused information, so let’s learn how to make (and preserve) your very own, pure and natural, Aloe Vera Gel!

Course Details

We will cover:

• How to safely use Aloe Vera plant for home emergencies
• Benefits and applications of Aloe Vera Gel – what research tells us
• Aloe Vera’s skin benefits are well known but are there any negative effects?
• Ingredients to avoid in high street Aloe Vera Gels
• Aloe Vera Gel – how to make it correctly:
  –       professional cosmetic ingredients (aloe vera extracts, gelling agents, etc.)
  –        method of preparation
  –        equipment required

• Do I need to preserve my gel? How to preserve Aloe Vera gel using natural preservative
• Hands on: Aloe Vera Gel – Recipe and Preparation

At the end of this half day workshop you will leave with a jar of handmade Aloe Vera gel and you will be able to make even more at home! 🙂

Who Can Attend?

All welcome.

More Information

Duration – 3 hours

Course fees include:

• All class tuition
• All ingredients used in class

Plus you will take home with you

• An MSCM Certificate of Attendance for your professional portfolio
• 3 cpd points
• jar of handmade Aloe Vera gel

Balms are truly versatile and so easy to use!  A good balm can be used as a lip protector, dry skin barrier, nappy rush soother, brow tamer, frizz fixer, cuticle softener and a cracked heal rescuer! A bit of a knight in shining armour, there should be one in every handbag! 😉

Balms are also fun to make! But which recipe should we go for? If you have ever tried to follow one of the online recipes you might have been lucky or it could have been a disaster. We get asked all the time ‘Why did my balm end up with that gritty texture?’, ‘How do we make it glossier?’,  ‘And how do we make it vegan…? I’ve tried and it was very hard!’ It’s time to get it all sorted and for all the questions to be answered.

Join us for this informative hands-on half-day workshop and leave with a foolproof recipe and a handmade sample of a vegan multipurpose balm!

Course Details

We will cover:

• What are balms
• Popular ingredients used in balms – what to choose and why and what to avoid
• How to transform a  non-vegan recipe into a vegan one
• How to make a good balm:

–   professional cosmetic ingredients

–   method of preparation

–   equipment required

• Shelf life of balms – do I need a ‘preservative’?
• The SPF question
• Hands on: Multipurpose Balm recipe and preparation

Who Can Attend?

All welcome.

More Information

Duration – 3 hours

Course fees include:

• All class tuition
• All ingredients used in class

Plus you will take home with you

• An MSCM Certificate of Attendance for your professional portfolio
• 3 cpd points
• jar of multi-purpose balm

This one day workshop is for anyone already making, or planning to make, products of any type that are used on the skin, e.g. soaps, perfumes, creams, ointments, balms, etc. Whatever the scale of your intended or current business in the UK – whether you are a hobbyist, a ‘crafter’ or an industrial scale producer – you are legally bound to comply with European Union (EU) cosmetics legislation.

As you may be aware, on the 11^th of July 2013 new legal requirements – EU Regulations EC No 1223/2009 (Previously EU Cosmetics Directive) – came into force.

Reading and trying to understand technical jargon of the legislative documents may be a daunting prospect. This is why we have designed this workshop to help you understand the current legal requirements and lead you step-by-step through the compulsory procedures. The last thing we wish is for you to give up your dream just because of the new regulations.

Trust us – it is not a rocket science!

It is perfectly do-able and not as difficult as you think!

Course details

We will cover:

• Step-by-step guide to understanding the regulations
• Sections of the new regulations: Articles and annexes
• The definition of the term ‘cosmetic’ – which products does the law apply to?
• Responsible person and/or distributor and their obligations
• Product testing and safety assessment
• Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS)
• Batching
• Product information file (PIF) – records keeping
• On-line Product Notification Process (CPNP) – formulations, restricted and prohibited substances, allowed colorants, preservatives, UV-filters, substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction, etc)
• International Fragrance Association’s (IFRA) standards for the use of fragrances and/or essential oils
• Animal testing
• Labelling requirements including list of ingredients and allergens, warnings, ‘best before’ dates, etc
• Claims of efficacy
• Other aspects
• Helpful templates

Who Can Attend

Open to all. Useful for anyone starting a business selling natural products. This specially designed workshop is a ‘must’ for all product makers. It will help you to overcome legal obstacles and enable you to move forward with confidence, knowledge and understanding of your obligations within the law.

More information

Course fees include:
~ All class tuition
~ Extensive course manual
~ MSCM Certificate of attendance
~ 5 CPD points

Let Seaweed Be Your Secret To Beautiful Skin

Seaweed acts not only as a barrier to protect the skin but also sinks deep down into the epidermis to hydrate and nourish cells, giving you an enviably healthy glow. The healing benefits of seaweed for skin are so numerous that it makes an incredible addition to any skin care routine.

With the abundance of vitamins and minerals found in seaweed, the benefits of using this ingredient in your hair and skincare products are bountiful. Seaweed, which grows in abundance in our oceans, is a natural source of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, with anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties that help to heal the skin. Seaweed comes in many variations, and the benefits of each species are unique in their own way.

 Course Details:

Join us on this one day class where you will learn to make beautiful products for home-use 

• An introduction seaweed and seaweed extracts
• Learn about the deeply therapeutic benefits of seaweed and types of seaweed most suitable for hair and skin treatments and products
• Understand the importance of using only the finest certified organic ingredients
• Get hands-on working with these wonderful ingredients!
• We will make a range of products and treatments including:

                        – DIY seaweed shower gel
                        – Nourishing seaweed hair and scalp tonic
                        – Luxurious Seaweed bath products
                        – Enriching Seaweed face masks
                       – Luscious seaweed mousse/body creme.

• CHILL OUT during our Spa Session! Relax with a beautiful seaweed foot bath using some of the products we make in the class.

No special equipment is necessary. All recipes demonstrated can be made at home using ordinary kitchen equipment such as pans, bowls and whisks.

You don’t need to be able to harvest your own fresh seaweed: the techniques and recipes we use can be made with dried seaweed bought from a health store or seaweed company.

Ingredients used are vegan, fair-trade (where applicable) and certified organic

 Who can attend

*No previous experience necessary. This class is suitable for complete beginners as well as people who have made some cosmetics before.

*Practitioners of holistic medicine (e.g. herbalists, aromatherapists etc.) and beauty therapists often come to these classes to learn techniques that can help them to improve the quality of products that they make for clients attending their clinics/salons

Qualification Recognition by Professional Associations

Validated by IPTI – (Independent Professional Therapists International) and widely accepted by most Professional Bodies.

More Information

Duration: 1 day

Course fees include:
~ All class tuition
~ Recipes
~ Handouts
~ An MSCM Certificate of Attendance for your professional portfolio
~ 5 cpd points
~ All ingredients useed in class (highest quality -vegan, fair-trade (where applicable) and certified organic)
~ Taking home products made on the day

About the Tutor

Vivienne Campbell BSc (Hons) MNIMH qualified as an herbalist in 2003. She is lives Ireland and has an herbal medicine clinic there. She runs classes on herbal medicine, wild food foraging and natural cosmetic-making for the general public as well as CPD classes for professionals. She also teaches worldwide via her online video course.

She has appeared on Irish television numerous times and is a popular speaker at international conferences and events. She gave a lecture and lead foraging walks at the Botanica conferences. She was interviewed for the upcoming documentary Uncommon Scents: The Movie. In her lecture for Formula Botanica (an international organic skincare school) she explored the potential of using sustainable local herbs in professional natural products.

Vivienne loves teaching people how to use herbs simply, effectively and joyfully. She believes it is everyone’s birth-right to know how to use common local plants as nutritious wild foods and health-enhancing natural remedies. She is currently writing her first book. You can discover more on her website: https://theherbalhub.com/

Handmade soap is truly unique and beautiful. Rich in natural glycerine, it is much better for the skin and if made properly, should not be too drying on the skin. As people become more and more conscious of what they use on their body and are looking to protect themselves from harsh chemicals and artificial fragrances, the natural skin care and natural soap making industry has grown. Handmade soap as a product and soap making as a craft has increased in the last few years. For the soapaholics, it is very addictive to make.

Handmade soaps come in so many different types and recipes that the possibilities are endless. For most people though, soap making is still something of a mystery. With our step-by-step practical and hands on course you will learn the secrets of the natural skin care industry and discover how to make beautiful moisturising soaps using all natural ingredients.

Course details

This special soap making course is the first step to enable you to consider starting your own profitable soap making business, make natural soaps tailored to yourself, your family, and your friends, create your own unique and beautiful handmade gifts or maybe just learn a new, enjoyable and rewarding hobby.

During this special 1 day course you will learn about

• The many types of soaps
• History of soap making
• The process of soap making – saponification – what`s it all about?
• Necessary materials, ingredients and equipment
• `Cold` method, hand milled soaps, glycerine soap – what they are and pros and cons
• Raw ingredients – choosing oils for hardiness, lather and conditioning
• Emollients
• Exfoliants
• Colourants
• Botanicals
• Useful essential oils and all important ratios – how much to add?
• Health and Safety Aspects
• Trouble shooting during the soap making process
• The moulds – the good, the bad and those `on a shoestring` – what to look for and what to avoid
• Soap making ideas and recipes
• Choosing commercial melt and pour soap bases avoiding unwanted, harsh chemicals
• Correct storage for different types of soap
• Information about what to study next in order to turn your soap making into a business.
• Melt and pour soaps
• Rarely taught so called `cold` process – traditional methods of making soap from raw ingredients

Who can attend?

Open to anyone – ideal for aromatherapists. Our Soap Making Course is suitable for complete beginners and for those wishing to expand their skills. There is no prior experience required just a willingness to experience the joy of creating your own soaps from scratch.

More Information

This is a practical course and you will be making a selection of soaps yourself. You will learn hands on under supervision in small friendly groups. A full workshop handout, including recipe sheets, main ingredients and moulds will be provided, along with a wealth of information as well as the lovely products you have made for you to enjoy and take home.

Please note: You will be required to bring some items of equipment to class, details of which will be sent with the joining details upon booking. Please closely follow the guidelines and start gathering the equipment straight away allowing enough time to collect the necessary items.

Duration:  1 day

Course fees include:
~ Ingredients and moulds for use during the course
~ All class tuition
~ A comprehensive course manual
~ An MSCM Certificate of Attendance for your professional portfolio

Vegetable oils (also known as carrier oils or fixed oils) play a far more significant role in massage than many people realise, but unfortunately, some therapists still feel they are of little importance. In fact, to believe this would be a mistake, as they offer a wealth of health-giving benefits. They contain vitamins, essential fatty acids, various antioxidants and phytosterols. Many of them soften and improve the condition of the skin. Some of them are also highly effective in treating irritated, sensitive conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, as well as helping to reduce wrinkles and scar tissue.

There are a wide range of vegetable oils to choose from, as well as infused or macerated oils such as Calendula or Carrot. The variety of vegetable oils available to a newcomer can seem a little bewildering at first, since there is very little written on this important subject but choosing which ones are for you is not really complicated at all!

Selecting vegetable oils for treatment is simple – you choose the ones with the properties that match your client`s particular requirements. All you need to know are some basic facts about the therapeutic properties, composition and viscosity of vegetable oils, and then choosing becomes so much easier.

Course Details

We will cover:

• Introduction – what is an oil
• Extraction methods /Organic oils
• Components of fixed/herbal oils
• Quality, safety and storage
• The growth of carrier oils in skin care and body therapies
• Benefits in skin care and therapeutic uses
• Creating blends
• Profile and overview of 12 oils, including infused oils:
  • Safflower;
  • Fractionated Coconut;
  • Sweet Almond
  • Macadamia
  • Jojoba
  • Hazelnut
  • Walnut
  • Grapeseed
  • Arnica
  • Calendula
  • St Johns Wort
  • Carrot
• Plus and introduction to many more

Join us for an interactive, fun day with demonstration, sampling, blending and group work.

Who Can Attend?

Anyone can attend this unique and interesting day. It is particularly suitable for massage therapists and aromatherapists who wish to refresh or further their existing knowledge of this therapeutic medium, to benefit their clients.

Recognition by Professional Associations:

Validated by IPTI – (Independent Professional Therapists International) and widely accepted by most Professional Bodies

More Information

Duration:  1 day

Course fees include:
~ All class tuition
~ A comprehensive course manual
~ An MSCM Certificate of Attendance for your professional portfolio
~ 5 cpd points