The winners of the tenth annual Free From Skincare Awards winner have been revealed, with Irish handmade skincare brand Holos Skincare scooping Best Free From Skincare Product for its This is More Get Better Butter.
The Best Free From Brand Award was shared between Lyonsleaf, winner of almost 30 medals in the history of the awards, and Australian brand Eco by Sonya, which bagged a Gold and two Silvers with its three entries this year. The Free From Achievement Award went to three entries: Lyonsleaf’s Calendula and Marshmallow Balm; Matinata’s re.water serum; and Scence’s Pure Deodorant Balm.
Gold winners included Rue & Cole’s Oh So Delicate Whipped Balm (Family Skincare); Annwyn Botanicals Ltd’s Indulgent Body Crème with Mango & Ylang Ylang Flower (Leave On Body Care); Urban Veda’s Purifying Body Oil (Body & Bath Oils); Wild Beauty by Rhug Estate’s Exfoliating Body Scrub with Rosemary and Rhug Honey (Rinse Off Body Care); Weleda’s Prickly Pear Cactus Hydrating Eye Gel (Eye Care); Bowe Organics, Lip rescue balm (Lip Care).
“This was our tenth year, and it was a record-breaker in terms of entries,” Free From Skincare Awards director Alex Gazzola told NPN. “We cracked the 300 entry barrier for the first time ever. There were over 300 entries from around 170 brands in almost 20 countries, including Estonia, Croatia, Iceland, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Greece.
“We also noticed a significant increase in fragrance-free products this year, which we very much welcomed. Making natural cosmetics which still smell pleasant and which don’t have added fragrance or fragrance allergens is not easy, but many brands are rising to this challenge in the face of increased skin sensitivities among many consumers – so we know the fragrance-free need is there.”
Gazzola also noticed a growth in start-up, home-made and ‘one woman’ (or man) brands. “Educators such as Lorraine Dallmeier and the Formula Botanica team have shown that anyone with passion and interest and enthusiasm can learn to formulate and launch their own cosmetics. We hope to see more allergy-aware brands and entries in the future.”
He concludes: “The quality of products has probably never been higher. Out of over 300 entries, only 16 products scored an average of under 7 out of 10 points with our testers. It can no longer be said that natural or ‘free from’ cosmetics can’t perform as well as mainstream cosmetics. They really can.”
A total of 37 products that were shortlisted for awards were registered with the Vegan Trademark, with 23 individual products with the mark taking home prizes.
You can find a list of all the winners of this year’s awards here.
