Newsletter No.15
This week, Natalie Millar-Partridge meets Pix Ashworth, founder of Land & Water — a coastal-inspired skincare brand designed to awaken the senses with nature's most therapeutic ingredients.
Born on the shores of Watergate Bay – a beautiful two-mile expanse of sand, backed by a dramatic cliff face on the north Cornish coast – Land & Water draws inspiration from nature with a vision to create products that mirror the invigoration, natural radiance and elevated sense of wellbeing sparked by the elements.
Established in 2020 by Pix Ashworth, who, after two years of researching and developing products and packaging, launched the initial range of body care - packed with botanical actives and pure essential oils, sustainably sourced and created using ethical recipes. With an ethos that surrounds ‘awakening the senses with nature's most therapeutic ingredients to evoke invigoration with an essence of calm’ - it’s no surprise the brand captured the industry’s attention.
‘Our products are made in the British Isles using natural, ethically sourced ingredients, some of which are certified organic. Ours is a small-batch philosophy, built on craftsmanship, chemistry, and commitment, with our technicians being ex-chefs who we have sponsored through biochemistry degrees. This combination of values means that our products are packed with nutrients to nourish, strengthen and repair the skin, alongside uplifting and calming the mind.’
Led by wide skies and expansive landscapes, Land & Water began with the simple idea that spending time outside makes us feel better inside, but the entire collection also embodies painstaking care for the environment that inspires it, launched with two key environmental principles - to create natural products using only ethical and sustainable ingredients, and to push the boundaries in finding the best packaging solutions possible. It was key to invest in sustainable practices from day one, selecting partners and suppliers whose principles chimed with their own.
‘From the natural, sustainable, vegan ingredients we select, to our 100% post-consumer prevented-ocean plastic bottles, we are always looking to minimise our impact on the environment we love.’
With a heritage in hospitality, the team spent years witnessing the positive impact that outdoor activity at Watergate Bay had on guests. ‘The ‘warm glow’ feeling we get from being on the threshold of land and water’ – it’s this unique blend of invigoration, calm and radiance that sits at the heart of the brand.’
How do you feel when you’re by the coast? Energised by the salt-fresh air? Invigorated from the cold water? Balanced, listening to the sound of the waves? These are the sensations that Land & Water cleverly encapsulate through their products. Whether it’s a full day out in the elements or a quick 20-minute jaunt, being by the coast offers a chance to unplug and escape the everyday.
‘For us, relaxation is as much about awakening the senses as it is resting adventure-tired limbs. Experiences that make you feel alive and reset your headspace pour ample inspiration into Land & Water. Balance, inspired by the sweet spot of invigoration and calm that we feel when on the threshold of land and water, leads our design ethos.’
Natural ingredients shape the collection, and branding is intentionally pared back, with a contemporary yet timeless thread – the kind of products that you will delight in seeing in hotel rooms, yet also love having on display in your own bathroom. A joy to use, formulas are simple, yet refreshing, tapping into plant extracts to unlock skin-enhancing properties, with a clutch of key ingredients – all thoughtfully selected and sustainably sourced. Lotions are infused with samphire, washes with spike moss, and oils and scrubs with sea buckthorn oil, harnessing the plants’ remarkable biotechnology to restore, rejuvenate, and hydrate. Other defining natural ingredients include blackberry oil (packed with vitamins and antioxidants), vitamin C (glow boosting and collagen stimulating), mint (endlessly refreshing), and sweet almond oil (deeply moisturising and nourishing).
The skincare range launched earlier this year and will comprise of facial products, designed to bring the skin’s vitality back to life. Blackberry oil to brighten, rosewater to refresh and soothe with samphire to lock in moisture, and green tea to wake up tired eyes – each product is blended with natural actives to evoke the therapeutic benefits of time spent in the elements.
‘It felt like the right moment to expand our skincare beyond our own spas, opening it up to customers across the UK. Our team spread far and wide – from Cornwall and Somerset to Norfolk and Cumbria. Technicians, wordsmiths, project managers, apothecarists, warehouse coordinators, designers, therapists; I often think of our team like an orchestra, each a specialist in their ‘instrument’, bringing the best of their skills together to create the symphony that is Land & Water.’
With our awareness and understanding of physical and mental health evidently increasing in recent years, we have ever more information at our fingertips and just as we want to be sure that we’re nourishing our body with fresh ingredients, we also want to be sure that what we put onto our skin nourishes both in the short and long term. Consumer behaviour has shifted, alongside broader societal movements, increasing appetite for ingredient transparency and clean, safe, environmentally-friendly alternatives to synthetic ingredients.
‘Our shift in lifestyle goes hand in hand with the rise of the wellness movement and the support social media lends this movement, meaning consumer expectations are rightly higher. Our product research and development will continue – ensuring we are at the cutting edge of biotechnology – delivering that 'warm glow' sensation we feel after time outdoors – and the unique blend of invigoration, calm, and radiance that comes with it.’
*Land & Water work with Dementia Adventure, whom they have supported over the past two years with awareness campaigns and financial donations. Dementia Adventure reconnects people with dementia to the natural world, helping them and their carers to lead an active and fulfilled life.
land-and-water.co.uk
We hope you have enjoyed our newsletter. Cam & Kate x