An image of Emma, the founder of minimum (by a lake on an autumn walk)

Hi, I’m Emma and I’m the founder of Minimum. 

When shopping for skincare products I often found myself thinking ‘Wow, I have tried so many of these, and still not found one that is quite right for my skin.So quite simply – this is how Minimum began.

I studied chemistry to PhD level and taught chemistry at secondary schools for years, so knew I could have a good go at making something that would work well for my particular skin.

Like many people, I couldn’t classify my skin as one generic ‘type’. It gets quite dry in places but I suffered acne as a teenager, and often had hormonal breakouts as an adult too. Traditional foaming cleansers that were intended to help with my spots just dried the hell out of my skin, so as well as having a few little red spots to cover up I also had flakey dry patches that clung to any makeup that came near it. Lush. Then, most moisturisers I tried seemed to block my pores and cause even more breakouts. I was stuck in a vicious circle. 

I knew oil cleansing would be better for my skin, but I couldn’t find ‘the one’. Many seemed too heavy or leave my skin sticky. So I made my own. A super gentle cleanser but made with all oils and butters that were low on the comedogenic scale (meaning they're less likely to block pores). I experimented with the recipe and over time I felt I had nailed it! My skin improved – it was not dry and wasn’t breaking out as much.

My friends asked me what I was doing to my skin. Then they asked if I would make some for them to try, which I did. Their (overwhelmingly) positive response then prompted the formation of Minimum.

I love experimenting, and have used my friends (hey folks!) as my human guinea pigs for each product;

The deep clean cleanser I made to use on breakout areas at break-outy times, and the face oils are designed to deliver a range of the essential fatty acids that your skin needs to be healthy and moisturised, but not block your pores. The body balms are just a lovely hug for your skin. They are awesome at getting rid of dry shins (it can’t be just me that happens to) and one friend in particular attributes her super soft comfy baby bumps to it too!

But the ethos of minimum goes deeper than that. Every day we are bombarded with slick advertising campaigns for a range of cosmetic products that, quite frankly, you don’t need and are not worth the price tag. Minimum stands against that. We hate the exploitation of body insecurities to make cash. You need to be clean and moisturised but no £100 cream will turn back the clock!

We don’t claim to do miracles – but we do want to make products that will work with minimal ingredients. We explain why we choose the ingredients we do and we believe a good basic skincare regime and a good SPF will leave you with happy skin.

Embrace who you are, love your every quirk and enjoy your life.

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Love and respect,
Emma