La Potion Infinie by Argentum

ARgENTUM uses the timeless strength of silver to deliver la potion infinie. After many years of research in the field of anti-ageing ARgENTUM has formulated a patent pending fusion of two vital ingredients – Silver Hydrosol & DNA HP. The result is a natural, super hydrating cream that may visibly improve fine lines, wrinkles and the overall texture of your skin. la potion infinie is 99.5% from natural origins. Here we catch up with CEO & Founder, Joy Isaacs.

Tell us a little bit about the story behind La Potion Infinie?

The idea to start ARgENTUM came to me a few years ago when I had an actual dream about Colloidal Silver with its extraordinary antibacterial and healing properties and using it in skincare. Prior to this dream I experienced a severe infection after major surgery and my saving grace was the Doctors agreeing to use expensive silver wound dressings, which ended up being miraculous in their healing power. This traumatic experience must have stayed in my subconscious, only to resurface at a later time as an empowering dream. Since then the journey to deliver a magical product with integrity and love, has been an inspiring one.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started?

I could say I wish I’d known this or that, but the story of ARgENTUM has been all about the journey and the joy of learning, every step of the way. I try and stay focused on the moment-by moment creating whilst holding a vision of the end result, which is easier said than done. I don’t know everything, nor do I feel I need to; instead I make a point of being guided by my intuition.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

I love all the different aspects and involvement that come with being an entrepreneur. For me, the hardest part is trying to juggle being a mother and pursuing a corporate career. I have three very active boys who take me far away from the world of beauty…maybe that brings in the balance I so desperately crave.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

What matters, is what you make matter. We always have a choice, even if it’s how we choose to feel about something. I try and focus my energy only on what I want to matter, what is important to me and what is positive. Self-help authors like Neale Donald Walsch explain this notion beautifully. I have applied this concept to ARgENTUM, making sure we focus on our core belief of beauty delivered with integrity and love, because I wholeheartedly believe what you give out, you get back.

What are your everyday beauty essentials?

That would have to be mascara first and my runner up is eyeliner. As I have gotten older, I have become more aware of protecting my eyes from the daily barrage of black kohl and gunk we plaster in and around this delicate area, so I am always on the lookout for new and natural eye make-up that is non-toxic and gentle.

Who do you admire and why?

There are so many admirable people out there, but today one of them stands out for me and she is Stephanie Thierry, the co-founder of ARgENTUM. Since the start of this journey when I shared my dream with her, she has given me unwavering support and belief in everything we do. When you hold a dream, you are blessed to have the support of dream believers, people who share your passion. I admire her focus and determination in helping to deliver such a natural product.

What’s your favourite holiday spot?

That would have to be Cape Town, South Africa. There is something so unique about being at the most Southern tip of the world, sandwiched between the ocean and table mountain. It has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

If you would treat yourself to one thing this month it would be…

Well I’m lucky enough to have an endless supply of la potion infinie, so I think I would splash out on a manicure and pedicure. The summer is nearly over and I’m going to try and wear sandals until the frostbite sets in.

Shop here for: Argentum La Potion Infinie, £147. Sample available here.

Beyond organic: Ila Skincare

Bringing purity, energy and balance into everyday life is an aim we share our brand 'ila'. This British brand' creates luxurious skincare products that work at every level and go 'beyond organic'. Everything is cruelty free and comes directly from supreme quality plants or minerals to support holistic wellbeing. 

The brand’s signature cult product is the Ila Face Oil for Glowing Radiance, £75. This organic face oil has been called a 'little miracle' because it helps skin rediscover its natural bloom. As it deeply nourishes, it gives an instant healthy glow to your face.

The Ila range is quite expensive and one of the best way to try the range is their Ila Spa Travel Essentials Collection, 12. This is lovely travel essentials and utterly pampering collection of natural skin, hair and bodycare presented in a convenient, zipped travel bag.
Shop here for: Ila Skincare.

 

The Green Apple Collection

The Green Apple collection by Juice Beauty is all you need for refined, radiant and ageless skin. One of our most efficacious ranges for skin brightening, it is especially formulated to accelerate cellular turn-over and boost antioxidant protection. It is the ideal solution to brighten, even skin tone and reduce dark spots and discoloration without harsh chemicals or damaging bleaches. 

The exfoliating power of malic acid from organic green apples combined with citric and tartaric acids, peptides, alpha lipoic acid, CoQ10 and DMAE brings visible and instant results. This collection is suitable for all skin types except sensitive and rosacea skin. Perfect for putting the brakes on fine lines!

Shop here for: The Green Apple Collection by Juice Beauty (from £25)

The ultimate anti-ageing elixir

Just in: The new addition to the decadent Caudalie Premier Cru range: The Elixir (29ml). With 99.5% natural ingredients, the ultimate anti-ageing elixir combines half serum, half dry oil to rejuvenate and moisturise the skin leaving a smoothed and nourished finish. Including 5 separate oils (pear, sandalwood, jojoba, grape & coriander) and three signature patents from Caudalie; Polyphenols, Resveratrol and Viniferine, The Elixir creates firmer, radiant skin with anti wrinkle and anti dark spot benefits. It is effortlessly luxurious with the delicate Premier Cru scent of rose and oak.
 

Caudalie Premier Cru 'The Elixir' is to be used morning and night, by applying 4 drops to a cleansed face and décolleté before moisturising and is complemented with Caudalie 'Premier Cru The Cream'. Caudalie Premier Cru The Elixir, £49 is now available at Naturismo. We have a limited number of free samples (1ml) available with any Naturisimo purchase.

Shop here for: Caudalie Premier Cru The Elixir.

Peachy Keen – The Face Oil

The new Mitchell and Peach Fine Radiance Face Oil, £30 treats your skin to luxury every day.
 

Hand-blended on a Kent farm, this 100% natural face oil uses cold-pressed English cobnut from the estate which has a luxuriously powdery feel and is light an easily absorbed. The cobnut oil acts as a mild astringent, which soothes skin and tightens pores. It’s also a natural source of Vitamin B - one of nature’s finest anti-agers, which evens out skin tone - and Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that neutralises the effect of skin-damaging free radicals.

As with all of Mitchell and Peach‘s products, the Fine Radiance Face Oil smells absolutely divine; lightly scented with their signature Flora No. 1 fragrance, is a natural blend of uplifting floral essences including rose, ylang-ylang and lavender grown in the state. The result is a delicate, uplifting blend which is a joy to use.

The Mitchells have been farming the same land in Kent for five generations. Continuing in the family’s tradition, Ian and Jod Mitchell planted fine lavender on the estate. The quality of the essences distilled from the plantation inspired them to create a bath and body range of uncompromising quality. That’s how Mitchell and Peach was born. All Mitchell and Peach products are hand-blended in England using the finest natural ingredients, including matured essential oils from the family’s fields, cobnub oil and honey collected from hives on the estate. 

Shop here for: Mitchell & Peach.

Swell 3-Step Hair Care System

Swell is the haircare brand everyone's talking about. Its breakthrough 3-Step System is a saviour for fine, limp and thinning hair.

Obviously I like using natural products on my hair and Swell’s volumising system makes my hair thicker, fuller and naturally stronger as well as leaving it smelling divine.
 
This is a unique range with at least 97% natural formulas with no silicones, parabens SLS or build-up plus inspirational signature aromas from pure essential oils.  

The main active ingredient is Peruvian Maca, which is proven to stimulate growth, protects the hair from environmental stress and reduces hair loss. The result: hair growth improved (by up to 93%), hair loss reduced (by up to 50%) with less fall-out and healthier growth. Amen to that.

Shop here for: Swell Hair (samples available).

Absolution - A Cosmetic Revolution

Unable to find a cosmetic brand bespoke to her specific needs, Isabelle Carron had her light-bulb moment: an organic brand that would be more effective than conventional ones, with more soul and modern formulas. Not a small feat! Meet the woman who made it happen.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

Difficult question because I enjoy almost ALL the things I’m doing for Absolution. Let’s say the best part for me is all about developing new products: get the idea, think about the ingredients and formula, doing some research, discuss with the lab and Christine, the chemist, about the sourcing, evaluate all the tests, then decide which one will be THE one. That’s for the cosmetics side, but we have also to find the right packaging – and it’s more difficult than you think: the design of the primary and secondary pack, write the texts, etc. This part is the natural follow up of my former job as creative director and general manager when I was in the communication and design field.

I also like a lot to meet customers and stores: it’s always interesting and rewarding to find out what they think of the products, which one is their favourite, how they use it (mix & match it or not …or not always), what is the next product they’re waiting for, if and when I could improve something. Last, and not the least, I enjoy travelling very much! It’s pretty new for me, but it’s a pleasure to discover new countries, cities, and people, thanks to Absolution.

Highlight from the last 5 years of your company

I started about … 6 years and a half ago... May 2008. As a Creative Director, I made my “career” in Global Advertising - I often had to work on beauty accounts throughout my carrier... As a woman, I hadn't fallen in love with a brand as a whole... Some products were good here and there, but there wasn't the kind of range and brand I was looking for. I started to use organic cosmetics 7 years ago, and I my skin really changed in less than 2 weeks. That experience convinced me that organic skincare was really better for the skin (and health) but moreover was also more efficient than traditional cosmetics. I also strongly believe in the philosophy that the skin is a living ecosystem, a communication interface always balancing to be at its best according to various information: external (weather, pollution, heat, AC...) and internal (diet, smoke, sleep, moods etc...). Therefore it doesn't need the same care every day! There is no cosmetic brand that offers the possibility to treat our skin daily according to its very specific needs. Finally, I thought that the aesthetics of the organic brands were not modern enough. I was looking for more than just that.This is why for me there were a real place on the market for a new proposition, with more spirit and soul, with a great quality and organic high standard, daring to speak differently to people ready to go organic but not willing to go for it by giving up on pleasure of all senses... I tried to ally all these things in a brand, and Absolution was born...