Himalayan Spring Water is a beauty ingredient that needs to be on your radar. Why? We sat down with Aly Rahimtoola, founder of natural, earth-friendly skincare brand, Herbal Essentials, to discover more about this youth-enhancing ingredient and why it could be mother nature’s answer to naturally glowing and radiant skin. 

Where did you first discover Himalayan Spring Water and what prompted you to consider using it in skincare?
Whilst I was educated in London, I am a Pakistani and grew up making frequent trips back where I kept hearing about the curative, treatment type powers of various ingredients, substances and botanicals from the Himalayan region in the North of my country, especially the water that’s used there. The vitality and purity of the region stuck in my mind. Being fortunate enough to have travelled the world and live abroad, I realised that more and more people in the West were looking for a more holistic solution to their everyday lifestyle stresses, whether that’s skincare, supplements, or dietary needs. 

Realising that there is a value in the vitality and simplicity of life that the Himalayas bring from its purity, I decided that I wanted to create a unique brand that harnesses the simplicity, vitality and the power of the Himalayas and the Northern region and put that in a bottle that can be used to address modern concerns where people are searching for equilibrium. It seems that modern lifestyles have created an imbalance in this mad, crazy world that we live in and my aim is to help people address this through ancient beauty wisdom.

There are many ingredients hailed as the secret to anti-ageing…. What makes Himalayan Spring Water so great for keeping our skin youthful?
Just like the water that we are powered by, transparency is deep rooted in Herbal Essentials ethos. We do not claim to turn back time or diminish all signs of ageing. However, we have vigorously tested the pure Himalayan spring water that is in all our products and are proud to say that it has been clinically proven to visibly support skin cell turnover. This is a key process that our skin cells need to maintain a healthy, radiant and youthful complexion. The combination of magnesium, calcium and potassium that the Himalayan water collects on its journey down from the glaciers in the Himalayas is key to this as all these minerals are known to be beneficial to the skin.

Are there any other skincare concerns Himalayan Spring Water is good for?
Herbal Essentials (and by extension our Himalayan Spring Water) is all about optimising skin health. It has alkaline properties that are high in antioxidants, meaning it effectively helps to neutralise free radicals as well as supporting skin cells and tissues to regenerate and repair themselves. We believe that all skincare concerns are deep rooted in the health of your skin and our day-to-day skincare concerns can be supported and rectified by using Herbal Essentials.  

As we enter the colder months of the year, what are some important factors to consider when thinking about looking after our skin?
As we enter the colder months, products that boost hydration like our Cleansing Milk & Refreshing Toner are so important so that skin is protected against the colder weather and heating. While nourishing skin is vital at this time of year, it’s important to realise that we still all have different skin types even in the coldest months. Oily skin types often really struggle this time of year as the skin produces even more oils in the colder conditions, which is why our four collections are easily mixed and matched to ensure that hydrated, purified and radiant skin is possible all year round. 

I personally think that Mask-ne will continue to be an issue throughout winter. To combat this, the whole team has been using the Purifying collection to help unblock pores and remove impurities.  We’ve all noticed the difference in our skin and the lack of breakouts when wearing a face covering!

You use a lot of Ayurvedic ingredients in your formulas. Can you share some of your favourites?
The power of Ayurvedic ingredients we use is not just in their natural properties, but the unique combinations we use them in. One of our hero formulations of natural botanical actives is Neem & Hyssop which can be found in our Purifying Fresh Face Wash. These ingredients are not as well-known as others such as Honey or Rose, but are fantastic for balancing sebum production, promoting pore reduction, help to reduce scarring and combat acne forming. My particular favourite is Neem which has a legacy of healing and wellness in Ayurveda and is a prime example of ancient beauty wisdom.

Your ethos is focused on natural ingredients, sustainability and cruelty-free, which undoubtedly makes creating beauty products a little more difficult! Why did you choose to go down this route?
I’ve learnt that the best things in life are never easy! I’m committed to creating products that encompass these values but which actually work. Our ethos was never really a conscious decision, it developed naturally and was a key driver in developing the brand by respecting the sources of our ingredients but also looking at this from a consumer perspective. Coming from outside the industry and founding a skincare brand at the age of 40 is in my mind a blessing as it allows me to look through the lens of the consumer as a consumer and not as an industry player who opted to create a brand. We found that even the most natural skincare formulations are incredibly effective at combating our biggest skincare concerns and that’s why we decided that all products would have a minimum 90% natural origin content. 

We also want to show the industry and consumers that natural, sustainable and cruelty-free skincare shouldn’t break the bank and be accessible for all. Everyone deserves to have healthy skin and we want to show as many people as possible that it can be achieved with our products. 

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They also have a fantastic online consultation to help find your skin type and the best products for your needs. Discover more here.