Queenly things for sensitive skin

Pastel eyeshadows are hot this summer (and sensitive eyes you can be on trend too)

2011-05-27T15:57:00.001+01:00

At Queen, we do pride ourselves on being classic and vintage rather than trendy. Sometimes, however, the two worlds do collide when one of our products suddenly finds itself (or themselves in this case) a la mode quite by chance.

This season, pastel eyeshadows are in. You heard it here (belatedly admittedly). Sky Living has carried out a review of pastel eyeshadows and we are featured! As you know, Queen make-up is developed for sensitive skins and eyes and so to find that we are reviewed among main stream brands is very exciting. And, for all of you with sensitive eyes, you now have all the proof you need that just because a product is for sensitive skin doesn’t mean it isn’t bang on trend! There’s a lovely lilac, light rose and baby pink and a soft blue and dove grey too. We haven’t ventured into the lime greens and yellows but, equally, if this is what you are after then always give us ring to see what we can do.

Anyway, if you wish to read our review and see what else is tipped, here you go: http://skyliving.sky.com/reviews/pastel-eye-shadow-reviews

Queen Cosmetics Eye Shadow

Queen Cosmetics Eye Shadow

Tested by: Suzannah Ramsdale, celebrity journalist

Verdict: I tried out the pinky tone out of the lovely Queen eyeshadow palette. The hint of colour was so subtle that I could barely see it. For daytime antics, this is perfect but it's probably too light for a night out on the razzle. Also, I tend to prefer my pastel eyeshadows to come with a bit of shimmer and this had a matt finish. Having said that, a hint of pink makes a nice change from the old faithful smokey eye.
Stockist: queen-cosmetics.com

Elsewhere, new website and soon-to-be-launched magazine Rookie wrote a lovely review of Queen at http://www.rookiemagazine.com/?p=1687. Says the beauty editors:

“No fancy packaging, no over the top prices and no ridiculous gimmicks are what attracted me the most and when the kind people at Queen sent me a few products what I soon discovered was that they not only lived up to the PR but also to my extremely high expectations!

Having spent ten years trying to find the perfect skin care range, I’ve finally found it. This isn’t a sales pitch, trust me, I don’t secretly work for Queen…I’m just in love.”

We can confirm she doesn’t work for us, secretly or otherwise.

It’s back to the orders now, dragging ourselves away from crowing about our nice reviews and from coverage of Cheryl Cole’s sacking from X Factor USA. Poor Cheryl, we hope she emerges victorious elsewhere. I hope she knows too that she has the support of (the) Queen!

Have a great bank holiday weekend.

Technorati Tags: sensitive eyes,pastel eye colours,pastel eye shadows,eyeshadow for sensitive eyes,queen cosmetics,sensitive skin make-up

Unique cleanser for sensitive skin is “a delight”

2011-03-22T13:25:00.001Z

We have had such a lovely letter from a customer this morning. She says:

“I enclose another order for some of your products. It is really helpful to be able to purchase trial sizes: you will see that my order is mainly for these trial sizes, but next time I will be ordering the standard size products.

“I just wanted to express my appreciation of your products and excellent service; I have never had any skin problems but a few months ago developed red patches and tiny blister-like spots on my face. I stopped using make-up and night creams which frankly I need to use. I searched the internet and came across your website and am so glad I did because since receiving my first order and starting to use your products my skin has returned to normal. So many thanks. I shall start building up my collection of Queen products and give all the other much-publicised products a miss!”

We also received two orders this morning which were from friends of existing customers – customer referrals, I guess they are technically known as! Certainly, word of mouth is currently our major source of new customers and it remains the most powferful with most referrals becoming regular customers. It is not really surprising – if you have sensitive skin, it can take some persuading to be convinced to try a new product and to see a friend - who you know has sensitive skin too – with great-looking skin is a powerful endorsement.

More good news came in the form of some great coverage for our Theatrical Cleansing Cream, a longstanding Queen favourite and ideal cleanser for super-sensitive skins and for anyone who needs to remove heavy make-up or stage make-up on a regular basis (as it won’t dry skin out or cause irritation).

Read it here at great beauty blog Confessions of a Beautyholic.

http://www.confessionsofabeautyholic.com/2011/03/queen-cosmetics-theatrical-cleansing.html

Let’s hope the good feedback continues to flow!

Find a skincare regime and stick to it!

2011-03-16T12:21:00.001Z

This was the advice of one Queen customer yesterday when talking about how she manages her rosacea.

“In the morning, I wash my face with Cetaphil face wash as I like to use a wash-off cleanser. Next, I wet my face again (I know it sounds odd but it works for me!) and my hands then I put one drop of jojoba oil on my hands, rub them together then smooth the oil all over my face.”

She continues: “In the evening, I use your Sensiderma Cold Cream to take my make-up off (I don’t wear much) then I use your Skin Cream as a night cream. I have been doing this for years and it keeps my rosacea under control.”

This regime may not work for everyone but it does show that there are routines that can be found and followed with success. As this particular customer said, it can be a process of trial and error and that what she found so helpful about Queen when she was looking for products was our trial sizes.

“What is so good about your company is the fact that you can try things and that there is a decent amount in the skincare trial sizes – not just a sachet full which you would get from a beauty counter. This is essential for sensitive skin.”

We are always pleased to send one or two free samples to people who are genuinely looking for products for their rosacea or other sensitive skin condition. In addition, we do offer a ‘FREE sample of the month’. Please visit our homepage www.queen-cosmetics.com or email us at info@queen-cosmetics.com to find out more.

Today, we had a returning customer. This is always a happy occasion! If customers have not bought products for some time, we assume they no longer wish to be on our mailing list and remove them. This lady, Mrs H, said she had tried other products but that “nothing had come close to Queen Enriched Moisturising Lotion” so she was returning to the fold. It is human nature to want to try other things, especially in today’s beauty marketplace where launches for new creams and lotions are a daily occurence and each product sounds more appealing, amazing (and perhaps too good to be true!) than the last. Mrs H is firmly back on our mailing list!

With the Royal Wedding just over a month away, we are busy putting together our Royal Skin Care Packs – well, with a name like Queen, what do you expect?!

The Queen Team

Reviews for Queen Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream for sensitive, dry, eczema-prone hands

2011-02-16T12:21:00.001Z

The fame of Queen Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream is spreading with some lovely reviews on some beauty sites over the last few weeks.

With the continued cold weather and central heating still on full (well it is where I am!), hands have really been suffering and I for one have been slathering on our own handcream in a bid to keep them looking smooth and young (well smooth anyway). Well, it seems that we are not alone in our quest for a hardworking hand cream.

Says Confessions of a Beautyholic (www.confessionsofabeautyholic.com): ‘Queen Cosmetics have a variety of products from skincare, bath & body to make up. They keep the look and feel of uncomplicated beauty products that were prepared by a pharmacist, which is brilliant! They all look very interesting and the fact none of their products contain unnecessary ingredients, win big points with me. Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream is an unique hand cream that has one of the most nourishing formulation that I have ever tried……design to gently care for dry, irritated, inflamed and chapped hands, including those suffering eczema and dermatitis. Although my hands are not in such bad state, they were quite dry and instantly after using Sensiderma, I could see the difference……. I started to use this product and I must say it delivered incredible results!’

Another beauty site, Beauty Truths Not Ugly Lies (beautytruthsnotuglylies.blogspot.com), also likes this product. It says: ‘I know I posted a list of my favourite hand creams up a few weeks ago but my attention has been brought to a new one out and well it was so good I needed to include it. Queens Cosmetics are experts in sensitive skin but even if your skin isn't that sensitive you will love their products.’

She continues: ‘It’s a really rich formula without being greasy and melted into my skin quickly. Very useful for me as I am always putting on hand cream and having to waiting till it absorbs. Try picking up a pen and trying to write something after you have smothered your hands in something greasy!’

This is a really good point because, as well as being really effective at moisturising and soothing dry hands, Queen Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream’s other USP (unique selling point to those of you not familiar with marketing jargon!) is that it is really easily and quickly absorbs which, of course, is why it is so good at moisturising and soothing! With many handcreams, you can spend 10 minutes massaging the product in and yet still have to wipe away excess before you can actually resume whatever it was you were doing previously.

So, there is our trumpet blowing for the week. Queen Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream is just £9.35 for 50g (remember, a little goes a long way) and is excellent for all skin types but particularly hands which are very dry or scaly or suffer from eczema as it won’t further exacerbate these conditions. It is available from our website, www.queen-cosmetics.com or from Amazon or call John Bell & Croyden, London’s landmark pharmacy, on +44 (0)207 535 5620.

Moisture Soothe – great for rosacea, red sore skin and very dry skin

2010-10-27T12:07:00.001+01:00

Our lovely moisturiser cream which has been called KT Cream for the last five years (KT are the initials of the customer we developed it for) is now on general ‘release’ and has its very own name and proper label (oh, the heady heights!): Sensiderma Moisture Soothe.

KT has very dry, super-sensitive skin and came to us some years ago as she was at the end of her tether. The cream she had been able to use had been discontinued (a familiar tale) and she was desperate. After lengthy trials, we finally found a formulation to work for her and she has been using it ever since with great success. About 18 months ago, we started trialling the product among our other customers as we realised its soothing and cooling properties made it idea for rosacea prone skin or skin prone to redness or flushing. It is also ideal for those skins which do not respond well to very creamy moisturisers or lotions. It has an almost gel-like look and feel, meaning it is very easily absorbed and does not just sit on the surface of the skin.

Queen Sensiderma Moisture Soothe, 50g £14.95

We are also in the process of trying out a new mascara formulation as, while our Queen Mascara proves successful for many customers, there are some who still find they react to it. As we know how heartbreaking it can be to not be able to wear any make-up at all, we are always really keen to help try and find a solution. So, watch this space….

We have just had some lovely feedback about our Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream. A customer bought some for the first time last week and writes via email:

“…the rich hand cream has already proven to be a top product. Usually even sensitive hand creams make my skin red and sore and with patches where the skin splits and bleeds it stings and itches (attractive right!) but on my first few trials of the Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream I feel nothing but moisturised skin which is fantastic. It was also a pleasure to open the little tub and have no instant perfumed pong attack my nostrils – it smells of nothing, which I think is great. I am looking forward to rescuing my hands this winter!”

It is a great product and non-greasy which is essential. There is nothing worse than slathering on hand cream only to find you can’t do anything without casting oily fingerprints everywhere!

Well, that’s enough trumpet-blowing for one day. Today’s product of choice seems to be Sensiderma Rich Cleanser with one customer remarking while placing her order: “I do try other things from time to time (you know what we women are like) but I always come back to Queen.”

The Queen Team

Queen cream voted ‘Best for Sensitive Skin’

2010-10-15T13:02:00.001+01:00

It has been far too long since we last posted but, with our move out of the way and everything working smoothly (famous last words!) at our new factory and office, it is high time we got back on the blogging bandwagon.

We moved back in the summer to our new premises in Uckfield in East Sussex where we have a little bit more room to manufacture our products and some road frontage. While our previous location on a rural industrial estate was divine from an aesthetic point of view, it was a nightmare to get to last winter with the heavy snow which really did hamper operations. Also, it wasn’t great for local customers wishing to drop in and buy or try our range of skincare and make-up products for sensitive skin. Now, we are in much more accessible location with good customer parking and a communal foyer/reception area where we can display and sell the products.

Our new telephone number is 01825 768 845 and our address is: 60-64 Framfield Road, Uckfield, TN22 5AR. We share the building with a fabulous campervan rental company called CJs Campers (www.cjscampers.com). They not only rent out VW campervans for holidays and weekends but also make bespoke fittings for them and offer servicing too. Our favourite camper is currently Gilbert although Kevin is running a close second. If you are interested in renting a campervan and live in Sussex the south east or even London (they will pick you up from the station!), get in touch with clare@cjscampers.com.

Aside from the move, the big excitement has been our appearance in Good Housekeeping Magazine’s November issue (out now!) in which they did a review of 100 moisturisers. Their panel of testers voted Queen Sensiderma Renew & Refine cream best for sensitive skin with tester Karen saying: “Usually I have red patches around my nose and on my cheeks that I have to cover with foundation but since using this product I’ve been leaving home without foundation for the first time in years.”

Sensiderma Renew & Refine is our anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin and has become a real favourite among Queen customers since its launch 18 months ago. Read the review for yourself – the article has recommendations for all skin sorts and conditions so it is worth getting a copy of the issue. The Queen review is page 146!

With Theatrical Cleansing Cream and our Moisturiser proving to be flavour of the day today, it’s time for us to get the orders packed up and shipped out.

Oh, one more thing..Queen products are now available to buy via Amazon. All of our skincare features and our trial sizes too so it’s a great opportunity to stock up on sensitive skin creams and lotions while doing your other shopping too! Visit Amazon.co.uk.

Have a great weekend!

Spring care for sensitive skin

2010-04-28T11:36:00.001+01:00

With the harsh winter weather (hopefully) now a distant memory, it's very definitely time to turn our attention towards preparing sensitive skin for summer, helping it to fully recover from the onslaught it has suffered from wind and cold, central heating and heavy, rough winter clothes and shoes.

We have just launched our Spring offers with Queen Seaside Cream taking pride of place. If ever there was a product which everyone should own a jar of, it's Seaside Cream. Its thick, emollient formulation is deeply moisturising but also soothes and protects.

Catherine, one of our lovely customers said last week: "I just keep finding uses for it. Whenever I think I need something for a particular skin problem or issue, I try Seaside Cream and it does the job. It really is marvellous."

As the name would suggest, Seaside Cream was developed for use on skin which had been exposed to sun and wind, soothing that horrid dry, tight feeling and any sunburn and enabling skin to repair. Use before exposure to the sun, underneath sun protection, and it prevents skin ever feeling tight and dry. But there are many more uses: it serves as an intensive hand or foot cream, an intensive moisturiser, an eye cream, a lip balm, it stops itching caused by bites, can prevent chafing and blisters if you are a runner or sportsperson and can even be mixed with your make-up to provide a lipgloss or gentle sheen to cheeks. At just £10 for 50ml or £15.40 for 100g, it is great value and a little goes a very long way.

Why not take a look at it by clicking Seaside Cream - fabulous sensitive skin cream with a multitude of uses.

We are pleased to report that we have had a really positive response to our 'new' moisturiser. We day 'new' because it has actually been in production for four years but has been made for an individual client and has, to date, only been sold to her. Having had customers say they have very dry sensitive skin but that rich creams just don't sink in, we started to think about trialling this new cream more widely. It is very silky, has a very light almost gel-like look and feel but is deeply moisturising. We started sending out trial sizes in February and the cream is now in general production with many customers adopting it as their main moisturiser. "I love the fact it goes in really easily and feels very soothing," says one customer.

One small problem is it hasn't yet got a name so is going by the sobriquet 'Special Formulation Moisturiser' which doesn't do it justice at all. We are on the case brainstorming possibilities and hope to give it something fitting very soon. If you would like a sample or fancy suggesting a name, do let us know at info@queen-cosmetics.com.

With our recent little bits of press coverage and the fact we do seem to be moving up the rankings in terms of search engines, our fame is spreading slowly.

One new customer called to order this morning, having tried some samples last week: "I am so impressed with the range. The redness I have been suffering seems to be much better and my skin is just so much more comfortable. Thank you!".

Another longstanding customer who has recently returned from overseas has stated she is going to write to all the beauty press to tell them about Queen and that she is going to convert all her friends here in the UK. Her favourite story is one about a visit to a La Prairie consultant in Copenhagen. "They were offering free skin analysis and I had some time to kill so thought, why not?!," she says. "The consultant said my skin was excellent and that it was obvious I used La Prairie products. I was aghast and told her that no, I certainly did not and that I used a range which was made in the UK called Queen Cosmetics. She looked very shocked."

Time to get the orders out.

The Queen Team

France taking the lead in making sense of cosmetics claims

2010-02-04T11:38:00.001Z

It's been a busy and hectic start to the year at Queen Cosmetics especially given the snow which made actually getting to our rural HQ nearly impossible (thanks must go out to friends of Queen for the loan of a Jeep which saved the day and meant at least two of us could keep things moving!). The combination of more online orders because people were holed up at home and had time to surf and shop and the fact that the postal service was seriously disrupted meant some anxious days wondering if anything was getting through to our customers. Like the rest of the nation, we've seriously had enough of extreme winter weather!

The beginning of the year coincided with a nice write-up in Good Housekeeping Magazine's Beauty News pages where our Medicated Cleansing Lotion was tipped. "Gentle cleansers are best and one I always recommend to sensitive-skinned friends is Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion from little-known brand Queen Cosmetics". See below for the full spiel.

Here at HQ, we are working on developing a number of new products, including a night cream for dry sensitive skin, and on a general launch of a cream which we make for an individual client who has been using it for three years. We have trialled it over the last six months with other customers and it is proving excellent for those with very dry sensitive skin which doesn't respond well to rich, heavy creams. It's very light and easily absorbed but provides excellent moisturisation and protection. Do call us and ask about our Special Formulation Moisturiser on 01342 312 739 if you want to sample the cream.

Elsewhere in the cosmetics world, we were really interested to read in SPC Magazine (see it online at www.cosmeticsbusiness.com) about some new rules being brought in in France regarding the claims that cosmetics' manufacturers make for their products. The ARPP, a non-governmental body that enacts and enforces rule governing advertising professionals in France, has validated a set of rules which means that a product claiming to be natural will have to have no less than 95% natural or naturally derived ingredients and can only be called organic if 100% of ingredients are from organic farming.

Says SPC: "What's more it's going to put a stop to the infuriating free-from culture that has stigmatised so many cosmetic materials. Phrases like 'paraben-free' or 'without silicones' will be out and perhaps such ingredients may even be able to hold their heads up high again."

Whether or not other countries will follow suit is not yet known but let's hope so.

Late Winter offers will be launched soon so visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to keep up to date!

The Queen Team

Spreading the 'Queen Glow' to the local community

2009-10-16T17:27:00.001+01:00

It's been another busy Friday down here at Queen HQ in sunny West Sussex. Our fame is spreading due to a little local word of mouth and we are now getting a steady stream of visitors to our little factory. It's not always convenient as we might just have a batch of something on the go or it's filling time but it's always fun as people really do like to get stuck in and have a try of everything. We've now labelled up a load of samples as testers as we've learned that the one thing you think people won't ask to try (colourless foundation cream, for example) is the one thing they will.

We've never really focused on marketing the products locally before because we've always felt that women don't really choose their cosmetics on the basis of them being made locally - its seems to take away from the glamour and mystique perhaps. However, as people have started sourcing their food locally and have become aware of - and interested in reducing - their carbon footprint, we have definitely seen an increase in local interest. We love it and people seem to be really taken with our history and track record.

So, what else is new? We received a nice write-up in the salon magazine, a key trade publication for beauty therapists and hair salon. They featured our Sensitive Skin Oil which really is a fabulous product - suitable for massage, for moisturising, as an after-sun, as a body lotion etc etc. It's a blend of three very gentle oils perfect for sensitive skin. I am currently slathering it on my legs to prevent that horrid dry itchiness which can strike as the weather turns colder and we have to crank up the central heating (is anyone else suffering with dry lips in the middle of the night? My Queen Skin Cream is back in it's rightful place on my bedside table to stave off this scourge of winter).

the salon, October 2009

Other than that, it's just been a question of cracking on with the orders. Our Mascara for sensitive eyes is on offer currently and is proving really popular. It's ideal for even very sensitive eyes and for contact lens wearers and is just £6.50 at the moment. Try it here. It's fab!

Right well, it's time to put the stirrers to bed and to re-stock the shelves for next week. Don't forget to come and visit us at www.queen-cosmetics.com. We've got some great 'starter pack' offers for every skin type.

Have a great weekend

The Queen Team

Women's Fitness says revive and rehydrate skin with Queen Skin Cream

2009-09-09T16:47:00.001+01:00

Just a quickie to say that October's edition of Women's Fitness magazine features a lovely review of our Skin Cream.

Writes Rachael Gibson: 'No handbag is complete with a multi-tasking balm, and this soothing cream is one of the best. Perfect for sunburn, wind burn and chafed skin, you can also use it on bites, blisters, jogger's nipple - the list is endless!'

We've got to admit we are always going on about how fabulous this product is so it's nice to hear someone else back us up.

It's also an absolute life-saver for itchy skin conditions such as eczema or urticaria or for nappy rash, soothing the itch and helping skin to repair. I have managed to keep my feet in shape all summer with nightly use - no cracked heels or scaly bits at all. And, many of our clients use it as their staple moisturiser. As with all our products, it's formulated for even the most sensitive skins.

To read more about Skin Cream, clicke here. Just £14.95 for a 50g jar and £23.00 for 100g.

See you soon at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: queen cosmetics,queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,women's fitness magazine,review of skin cream,balm,soothing cream,cream for sensitive skin,cream for jogger's nipple,cream for blisters,cream for eczema,cream for urticaria

Sensitive Skin Oil and reviews for Queen Shampoo

2009-08-28T11:53:00.001+01:00

It's been a busy few weeks here at Queen Cosmetics which means blogging has rather taken a back seat. We've launched a lovely new product, Queen Sensitive Skin Oil (left), a blend of three oils which have fabulous moisturising properties and which are known to be gentle and non-irritating to sensitive skin. Sensitive Skin Oil has has a multitude of uses - as a body or face moisturiser, as a massage oil, as a hair oil or a bath oil or just to give skin a lovely light sheen for a night out. It's been a really popular product in the last few weeks and is on offer for just £12.00 until Monday 31st August so do give it a go at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

We had a great Summer Event evening at our major London stockist, London's landmark pharmacy John Bell & Croyden (JBC) in Wigmore Street, the week before last. The store was the busiest I have ever seen it and shoppers were in a relaxed mood - happy to stop, chat, sample and learn more about our range of skin care and make-up for sensitive skin. These evenings are well worth attending if you are a regular visitor to the West End. A short walk from Oxford Street Debenhams, John Bell & Croyden stocks an amazing array of products you won't find anywhere else from surgical instruments to beauty products to vitamins and with in-house osteopaths, nutritionists and a host of other experts. They hold two events a year, in Summer and at Christmas, when there is 20% off all products (excluding prescriptions and some baby products such as nappies) from 4-9pm.

The store has recently re-launched its website so do take at look at www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk if you have a moment.

Talking of JBC, after a very poor few months on the star/famous faces spotting front, my visit there yesterday turned up a bumper crop of homegrown talent. I say a bumper crop - I spotted three faces I recognised: newsreader David Suchet, Shadows frontman Hank Marvin and Matt Lucas of Little Britain and Shooting Stars (soon to be back on our screens) fame. I wasn't sure if it was Matt Lucas as he has lost so much weight. I last saw him sitting outside a pub in the West End with David Walliams and he was virtually unrecognisable from then. In baseball cap and with his new slimline look, I had to get confirmation from one of the John Bell sales assistants. 'Yes, definitely him. I had a chat with him and asked him how he'd lost so much weight,' she said. Sadly, no great secret was revealed. 'He'd been on a diet', she told me. Tell us more Matt....

We've also been busy making some improvements to the Queen website. The drop down menus were proving really hard to use so we've fixed that and we have also tried to streamline the ordering process. There's still work to do and this is ongoing so do drop us a line at info@queen-cosmetics.com if there's anything you want to see improved. We are also going to see our skincare range featured on the John Bell & Croyden website so we've been working with them on that with a view to bringing our fabulous products to the attention of an even wider audience!

Oh, lastly, we've had a nice review of our Shampoo which is great for sensitive scalps. Says online salon news site, Findasalon.co.uk, which publishes best-selling hair magazines Hair & Beauty, Perfect Hair and Hair Now: "We were excited to hear about Queen's new soothing Shampoo, £9.80. The mild formula contains no perfume, essential oils or fragrance whatsoever but still leaves locks squeaky clean." To read more click here.

Theirs is a sentiment echoed by our customers, one of whom emailed recently to says: "I tried the Shampoo sample this morning and found it delightful! Just the right amount of lather and left my hair feeling soft and clean. Seriously! Thank you. I will be buying some with my next order."

It's now time to replenish our packaging stocks as our summer offers have left the shelves looking rather bare. We're also low on labels and product stocks so the stirrers need to get going.

Have a great bank holiday weekend!

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: sensitive scalps,queen,queen cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,skincare for sensitive skin,make-up for sensitive skin,shampoo review,matt lucas,John Bell & Croyden,www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk,queen sensitive skin oil

Mascara for sensitive eyes? It was on my doorstep.

2009-08-05T10:51:00.001+01:00

Technorati Tags: sensitive eyes,Queen Mascara,mascara for sensitive eyes,Queen Eyelash Cream

We have just run out of stock of our black Mascara which has rather taken us by surprise as there were plenty on the shelves just last week.

A quick look at our Google analytics revealed that mascara for sensitive eyes has been a very popular search term for us in the past few weeks. I have no idea why. Perhaps the new mascaras on the market which can lengthen, curl, thicken and goodness knows what else are causing irritation to sensitive eyes. Or, perhaps it's just that people have been extra patient and have trawled through the search results on Google and found Queen and decided to give us a go (having tried all those other companies who come at the top of the Google rankings!).

Queen Mascara really does have a good success rate among our clients with sensitive eyes. Its very gentle formula means it does not irritate and it is easy to remove (particularly with Queen Eye Make-up Remover). For a long time, I have been a fan of super-thick, waterproof mascaras and so have not used Queen. Until just recently that is. At Christmas while buying a very expensive mascara as a gift (it had been requested!), I ended up buying one for myself. I was really fed up with the high street brand I was using as it kept clumping on application then flaking so, having been assured by the sales assistant that the same thing wouldn't happen with this one, I bought one. But, the same thing did happen. By lunchtime I would have lots of tiny dry flakes under my eyes and, by evening, would have the typical panda-eyed look. I persevered, using Queen Eyelash Cream at night as I thought it must be my eyelashes, but this made little difference and the mascara got steadily dryer and clumpier so that eventually I couldn't even get the lid of the very glamorous bottle to click closed properly.

A few months ago I decided to give the Queen mascara a go and have been amazed. I thought the fact it was for sensitive eyes (which I don't have despite wearing contact lenses) meant it wouldn't define my lashes enough as it would be too thin or would come off too easily. But it's fantastic - really dark, goes on easily, separates my lashes so they don't clump and comes off without ten minutes of rubbing at night time. I am a convert. Given it's half the price of the expensive brand I tried, I am better off too!

Queen Mascara - brown or black. Just £10.50 from www.queen-cosmetics.com

My favourite quote from one of our customers about our Mascara is:

"I've been delighted to be able to wear your mascara without any
problems and am looking forward to ordering other items. For the last 20 years I've had this eye sensitivity problem and unfortunately have the sort of eyes that need a little help with make-up. The best I've been able to find up to now was (a very expensive brand - we've removed the name!) but this caused a problem with redness and soreness after about an hour so I am very grateful to have found you! I'll probably be going round the village now with eyes far too dramatically enhanced for my rural lifestyle!" Mrs Rose, Dorset

How to get rid of those odd dry, sensitive skin patches which just won't go

2009-05-29T16:10:00.001+01:00

I've had this small, dry, scaly patch of skin on the outside of my left nostril just where it joins my face (or upper lip if that helps you visualise it!) now for a good six months. It's been one of those things that I do notice when scrutinising my face in the mirror (I don't do this often - it's not good for morale) but which I am mostly aware of through touch as I seem to have developed an annoying habit of checking it's still there every day. I am not sure when it appeared or why but it just wouldn't go. It hasn't been particularly itchy or sensitive but has been sore when I've had a cold.

I had resigned myself to living with my lizard-like skin when I thought I would try our very own Queen Skin Cream. There's nothing like first-hand experience and, guess what, it's done the job. I put it on every night for a couple of weeks and the patch has gone. I did get a bit complacent last week while on holiday (although still religiously massaging the Skin Cream into my heels) and noticed that it had started to come back but a couple more nights of application and it's gone again.

Now, I know this just sounds like bragging but it is backed up by the comments we repeatedly get from our customers about this product.

An email today from Mrs Golder in London, which prompted this self-congratulatory post, said:

"And by the way, I must just tell you how brilliant your Queen skin cream is! I had a sample for my toddler's face which worked miracles. Then I had a dry patch on my face for months. I tried everything including a hydrocortisone and was beginning to think it was skin cancer (you know the mind works!) when I suddenly thought about your cream and it's absolute magic! The mysterious patch has disappeared!".

Says Mrs Cliffe, also from London:

"Queen Skin Cream is just wonderful. I suffer from eczema and find it really soothing and it has got rid of dry, scaly patches that I have had for years. I use it on my face, on my feet, on my lips and in areas of eczema on my ankles and face. It's better than the stuff the doctor has given me. At night, if my legs or ankles start itching, I rub some Skin Cream in really well and it soothes it immediately. It's brilliant, I can't praise it enough."

This product, called Skin Food many years ago when it first came to market, is a miracle cream and every dressing table or bathroom cabinet should have some, whether you suffer from sensitive skin or not.

For sensitive and very dry skin it's great as a moisturiser but it's also brilliant for a whole host of other things, including:

dry heels and dry elbows
itchy skin caused by eczema, psoriasis etc
to repair dry lips (or to keep lips soft and moisturised)
taking the heat out of minor burns
it can be used to soothe and repair skin suffering from sun burn, chapped skin and wind burn, making it perfect for the beach, ski slopes or out at sea.
to soothe itchiness caused by bites or allergic reactions
to prevent or soothe chafing caused by clothing or shoes. Prevent blisters by rubbing it into areas which are likely to be affected or cover the blister (or even rub it into the leather of your shoes/boots to soften it!) with the cream to prevent further injury.

I could go on....but that's enough of the advertising spiel. It is fabulous though and great value too as it lasts for ages. Visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to find out more. You won't look back!

Have a good weekend.

Tamiflu mayhem at John Bell and sensitive skins praise Queen

2009-05-01T14:52:00.001+01:00

We were up at our main stockist, John Bell & Croyden, in London's Wigmore Street, yesterday and it was absolute mayhem.

John Bell is known to be the top pharmacy in the UK, serving the likes of Harley Street and all the private medical practices in the West End and beyond. There were long queues at the pharmacy counter as people took in their prescriptions for Tamiflu, the anti-viral swine flu drug. Needless to say stocks had run out some days ago and stocks of face masks were also running low, with staff members dashing around bringing up the remaining boxes from storerooms below. Quite how you get your hands on a prescription for Tamiflu, I don't know. I can only assume it's via one's private medical practice, should you have one. The chaos at John Bell just gives a taste of what we can expect if swine flu does take hold in the UK. Terrifying.

On a lighter note, it was a good day for meeting people, both existing users of Queen products and potential customers. One woman who had tried some samples a few weeks ago and had subsequently bought a jar of our Skin Cream told us she was delighted with the product. 'I've tried all sorts of brands and this is the best. It's perfect for my skin.'

That's not the only glowing report we've had. We have had some lovely emails this week.

Wrote a lady from Northamptonshire: "Hello there. I am delighted to say that of the Queen samples received I have found 3 products already that have not upset my sensitive skin and make it feel actually moisturised! Woohoo –I have not enjoyed comfortable skin for some considerable time so I am very grateful to have discovered you!"

She continued:

"I am 47 and in recent years my naturally rosy face has become more and more intolerant. I found a cream which was soothing but within minutes, especially in the winter, my face still felt as if it had been sandpapered and then stretched like a drum skin. I am sitting here now with my face smoother and soft to the touch and comfortable to boot. Since receiving the samples I have identified the ones that suit me and I am actually able to cleanse my face twice a day when before I used to dread even touching it. The Sensiderma Foundation Cream is also a real find as it is making my own foundation sit smoothly whereas before while it was not upsetting my skin it would almost immediately flake and dry out and close up looked horrible. Many, many thanks! Order to follow!"

And another received today said:

"Thank you for my order and thank you also for such immediate service. I'm delighted with my light night cream! That's what you call a free gift! It's amazing. Full size no less! I'm also impressed with the tinted foundation. A lovely creamy peachy tint and it stays put all day. That's no mean feat with my sensitive skin as the only other foundation to do that has been Kanebo which is very expensive and now only available in the U.K from Harrods!

"I'm trying to convert my daughter who is 29 & still very prone to acne. I bought the light moisturiser sample for her to try. She already likes the medicated cleanser which she regularly purloins from me!
Thank you once again."

The free Light Night Cream refers to a two-day offer we ran last week. So glad we did it now!

Hmm, was just reading this month's SPC (Soap, Perfumery & Cosmetics - www.cosmeticsbusiness.com) magazine reports that, in France, two thirds of cosmetic products marketed as 'bio' (French for organic) and described as being preservative-free contained traces of preservatives.

The findings come from an investigation carried out by two French agencies, the AFSSAPS which is responsible for health product safety and the DGCCRF, the agency responsible for competition, consumption and fraud focused on 28 bio-cosmetics, of which 22 carried the Ecocert or other natural accreditation.

Of the 28 products, 12 claimed to use no preservatives and 16 claimed that they did not use phenoxyethanol. However, 19 products were found to contain traces of preservatives. The investigators said that it was impossible to conclude whether there had been a deliberate intent to deceive.

Isn't this still rather worrying news though?! If products are certified by a body like Ecocert then surely they should be what they claim to be otherwise the reputation and existence of these bodies should be called into question. Green, natural or organic cosmetics are marketed as being whiter than white and purer than pure yet, in this instance, this is clearly not the case.

SCP reports that the AFSSAPS says that the traces of preservatives could result from the raw materials, especially those coming from a vegetable origin.

I don't know how people are supposed to navigate their way through all this stuff. We always advocate that consumers learn to read ingredients' labels but what's the point when this sort of thing is going on?

This post is already far too long and there's orders to despatch. Enjoy this weather and have a good weekend.

The Queen Team
www.queen-cosmetics.com

Technorati Tags: Sensiderma Foundation Cream,flaking foundation,Ecocert,SCP,phenoxyethanol,sensitive skin,Queen Skin Cream,light night cream,tinted foundation cream for sensitive skin,Queen Cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,medicated cleanser,light moisturiser,smoother skin,flake and dry out

Samples for sensitive skin available now!

2009-03-27T16:33:00.001Z

Technical issues and illness (poor us) have meant it's been a while since we last blogged. Actually, I did write a marvellous blog about how companies/individuals use ingredients' Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to scare the public into avoiding perfectly safe ingredients. Sadly, as I went to post it, my computer crashed (not poetic justice so don't even think it). As it took quite a lot of research (including finding MSDS's for the ingredients these people love to promote and showing that, taken out of context, even the most innocuous can sound horrific), it is going to take me a few days to rewrite it.

It would have been timely as I have just had a long telephone conversation with a customer who suffers from contact dermatitis on her hands and whose skin becomes sensitised to most cosmetic products instantly or within a few days or weeks of use, leaving her with dry, itchy patches on her skin.

'I have found that all the products which claim to be natural and fantastic for sensitive skin are the ones I have most problem with,' she said. I tried not to climb onto my soapbox but did have to have a quick rail against those writers/companies etc which claim that natural is best for sensitive skin. As I said to her, it means many people suffering from a sensitive skin condition are not finding products which work because they have been terrified into avoiding anything with demonised ingredients such as mineral oil and lanolin.

Colds and flu (oh, how we've suffered) aside, we've had quite a good few weeks. John Bell & Croyden, the pharmacy in Wigmore Street in London, has just taken on some more of our extensive range which is great news for us and, more importantly, our customers who enjoy their trips there but who have found it frustrating that they couldn't buy essentials such as their Queen Skin Cream for dry, sensitive skin or Shampoo for sore, itchy and sensitive scalps when buying their Theatrical Cleansing Cream (classic cleanser for sensitive skins) or Eye Make-up Remover for sensitive eyes. This week when we were promoting the products, there were so many people who came up to compliment us on them. 'I'm moving back to the States soon and am worried about what I'm going to do without my Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion and Moisturiser', said one American woman. We reassured her that she can order online at www.queen-cosmetics.com and that we WILL get her her products by hook or by crook (or airmail anyway).

Having been keen to find a way to offer free samples without getting inundated by people who have no real interest in the products, we have followed the advice of those nice people at www.inasoapnutshell.com and have levied a small charge to at least cover the cost of postage & packaging. By the way, do visit In a Soap Nutshell if you find washing detergents are a problem for your skin. Soapnuts are unscented and gentle (yet somehow manage to really clean your washing) and they're amazing value to0.

Anyway, if you do want a FREE sample of our product of the month for sensitive skin (this month it's our Moisturiser) do visit our News and Special offers page and find out how to get your hands on one.

Lastly, I am pleased to tell you of our most recent star spot (they've been a bit thin on the ground of late): Bruce Forsyth. Brucie was browsing around John Bell last week and I have to say he looks fantastic - not a day over 45. He was tanned, relaxed and had a very good wig on. An inspiration!

Have a good weekend.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,samples for sensitive skin,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Theatrical Cleansing Cream,contact dermatitis,Eye Make-up remover for sensitive eyes,classic cleanser for sensitive skin,dry,Skin Cream,Shampoo for sore,itchy sensitive scalps,sensitive eyes

Telegraph Beauty News recommends Queen

2009-03-04T16:38:00.001Z

We're very excited this week after Queen received a little mention in the Saturday Telegraph (Kate Shapland's Beauty News page).

We kept getting emails on Saturday from people saying 'I read about you in the Telegraph magazine' and assumed they must be referring to the Sunday Telegraph Stella magazine where we did do some advertising a few years ago (we still do get people writing in having seen these in doctors' waiting rooms or the like so it wasn't inconceivable!). The penny eventually dropped when we kept getting online orders for the same product, Light Moisturising Lotion, and we were delighted to see a little write up under the heading 'The Comeback'.

For the full thing, do rush out and find a copy (or turn to the relevant page - p17 - if you have one but STILL haven't read it) or you can find it here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/beauty/4903579/Beauty-news-new-hair-cuts-perfume-scents-and-more....html

Says Kate Shapland at the end of it: Queen Light Moisturising Lotion is perfect for delicate skins.

Hooray, we couldn't have put it better ourselves!

Well, as a result we've had lots of enquiries and interest in Queen and Light Moisturising Lotion is proving very popular. It's a really lovely cream - non-greasy, easily absorbed and ideal for sensitive skins which tend to be normal-oily or acne-prone or for young skins. It is also designed for face and body and is therefore very good value as it's two products in one. So, if you or anyone you know is searching for a moisturiser or body lotion for their sensitive skin, tell them all about Queen and point them in the direction of The Telegraph if they won't take our word for it!

Visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to buy (Light Moisturising Lotion is £14.55 for a 250ml bottle).

Back soon.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,Telegraph,Kate Shapland,Light Moisturising Lotion,www.queen-cosmetics.com,sensitive skin,normal-oily skin,young skin,Beauty News

Sensitive skins should avoid mineral oil?

2009-02-25T11:29:00.001Z

I was just reading through my Google alert daily bulletins which contain cosmetics industry news and point me in the direction of interesting articles or blogs about beauty products in general and about sensitive skin in particular.

Imagine my delight when I found one entitled 'When “Natural” Skin Care Products Can Be Bad For You' (see http://www.kelseypub.com/blog/healthfitness/beauty-healthfitness/2009-02-24/when-natural-skin-care-products-can-be-bad-for-you).

As you know, we advocate people being able to buy whatever products they feel suit them. There are some lovely natural and organic products out there and we are developing some ourselves here at Queen (our first trial moisturiser has had an excellent response and feedback). What we don't agree with is cosmetics' companies or journalists or bloggers pushing natural as the best alternative for sensitive skins. At Queen Cosmetics (www.queen-cosmetics.com), we have been making skin care and make-up products for sensitive skins for more than 80 years and we know which ingredients are the least sensitising. As a matter of fact, we don't just use mineral oil but a number of others too, including sweet almond and wheatgerm.

Anyway, my delight was due to the fact there I thought I had someone who was prepared to put forward a balanced view. In fact, this blog was very sensible and had some good advice. Until, that is, I noticed a line which said:

"...learn which ingredients to avoid in a skin care or beauty product. For your own protection, know why you should not use a face cream or body lotion that contains substances such as perfume or mineral oil. By arming yourself with this knowledge, you are better able to find natural beauty products you won’t have qualms using and recommending to others."

Perfume yes? But mineral oil???? Where on earth did the writer get this from? This is yet another myth. Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most non-irritating moisturising ingredients around (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46).

I don't want to get into the debate about how natural mineral oil is but it does come from a natural source. Yes, it's refined and treated but then so is every other oil. How would it be safe to use otherwise?

Mineral oil is an excellent emollient, it has no smell or colour (did you know that many oils have to be deodorised because they have an unpleasant smell?) and it doesn't go off or become rancid like many vegetable, plant or fruit oils do. It is ideal for sensitive skin.

If you have sensitive skin, don't be put off by these scaremongers and don't avoid trying products which contain mineral oil. You might find they are the answer you've been looking for!

Back soon.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: mineral oil,sensitive skin,queen cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,sensitive skin blogs,perfume

Multi-functional skincare products to help you beat the recession

2009-02-20T15:22:00.001Z

In these difficult times, I have been musing about multiple uses for some of our individual products.

What has prompted this musing is that today, as well as slathering my eyelashes with Queen Eyelash Cream (conditionning, protective, makes them glossy, etc etc and, of course, suitable for sensitive eyes), I have been using it on my lips which are really dry this winter (due, I'm sure, to non-stop in-car and central heating).

I usually use Queen Skin Cream but had my Eyelash Cream to immediate hand. Skin Cream is already super-multi-functional and should be a bathroom cupboard or dressing table staple. For £14.55, you can buy a 50g jar which will last you for ages, even if you do use it for all of the following on a daily or nightly basis:

Queen Skin Cream: The sensitive skin supercream

Soothes sore dry lips
Repairs cracked heals, dry feet, elbows
Soothes itchy skin
Soothes and gets rid of eczema patches
Banishes very dry skin on face and body
Works as an eye cream staving off wrinkles
Makes a great intensive moisturiser
Soothes minor burns
Soothes nappy rash and protects babies' bottoms
Soothes and repairs sore cracked nipples on nursing mums
Moisturises nail beds when massaged into finger nails
Protects against the elements - great when used before sailing, running, gardening

I could go on but that's enough for now. Eyelash Cream, for its part, is also great on eyebrows as it makes them look glossy and keeps them neat.

Enriched Moisturising Lotion is not only a great face and body moisturiser but also makes a super cleanser for dry skin. It's a marvellous after sun lotion and soothes sore legs and other body parts after hair removal. Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream is not only a make-up remover but is also used by some of our professional clients as a massage cream.

There's more but I haven't got time to detail them all today so do come back next week!

Just had a very nice email from a journalist who uses our products. "I will definitely recommend your products to anyone I know. I've sung your praises to my friends in any case because I love your stuff - my skin can't handle many products and yours seem to be the only one it likes at the moment. Congratulations on a really good brand."

Oooh, we do love it when Queen products get feedback like this.

No star spots this week at John Bell & Croyden, our stockist in London's West End. I think we must just choose the wrong day to go there as we used to see all sorts of stars of stage and screen. Still, sales are going well with lots of women I recognise from handing out samples coming back to buy. Fingers crossed it continues.

Hope to see you again soon.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,skincare for sensitive skin,Queen Skin Cream,Eyelash Cream,soothes ithcy skin,Enriched Moisturising Lotion,Queen Theatrical cleansing cream,recession,suitable for sensitive eyes

Sensitive skin product recommendations abound

2009-02-11T14:23:00.001Z

Queen's HQ has been battered this week variously by deep snow, ice, gales, driving rain and, today, just freezing temperatures and grey skies. The wind has been whistling through our draughty office and even my Gumbies boots (have you seen these - sort of Croc with a moc-Ugg attached - without which I would now have trench foot) have been tested to the max. Cup after cup of green tea is keeping me going though as have some lovely comments from Queen customers.

Says a longstanding customer: "Queen Skin Cream is just wonderful. I suffer from eczema and find it really soothing and it has got rid of dry, scaly patches that I have had for years. I use it on my face, on my feet, on my lips and in areas of eczema on my ankles and face. It's better than the stuff the doctor has given me. At night, if my legs or ankles start itching, I rub some Skin Cream in really well and it soothes it immediately. It's brilliant, I can't praise it enough."

Another called to order some Sensiderma Cold Cream and said how it was the only product she could use. "I think I could be your oldest customer," she said, meaning longstanding as opposed to most elderly. I asked her how long she had been using Queen products and she was disappointed to hear that her 30 years fell a good 20 years short of many of our other customers!

The results of our Sensiderma Renew & Refine, the new anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin, are beginning to show. Repeat orders are coming in and its users are getting compliments from their friends and families. A new customer ordered today based on seeing her friend (a longstanding Queen client but who has recently started using Renew & Refine) with a glowing complexion. "I said you look amazing, what do you use and she told me Queen," she recounted, before saying that she used Clinique but was ready for a change!

I have to balance all of these compliments by saying it's not all been sweetness and light over the last week or so. Parcels have gone astray (customers were kindly very patient) presumably because of the weather and there have been a few criticisms about our hand cream tottles (a cross between a bottle and a tube). We do need to look at finding some better ones but it's hard to find things - particularly from suppliers within the UK which we prefer to use - which are lightweight enough to go in the post, which preserve the cream well and which dispense the product quickly and easily.

Ah, can I just say a customer has just ordered a brown Mascara, declaring it "marvellous" for her sensitive eyes. Sorry, bragging over.

Time to get back to the orders.

The Team at Queen

Toxic cosmetics and natural oils which cause allergic reactions - sensitive skins take note!

2009-02-04T12:18:00.001Z

It is always interesting to read the latest research and articles about sensitive skin and about the beauty industry and beauty products in general and the marvellous Google alert system enables us to do this without having to spend ages trawling the internet.

A couple of things caught our eye this week. One was yet another article about how toxic your cosmetics are (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1132810/Is-make-killing-There-deadly-poisons-lurking-handbag.html) which again seemed to be prompted by the publication of a new book on the subject and which yet again talked about, amongst other things, parabens in underarm deodorants (which was based on discredited research carried out six years ago).

Just who is buying all these books? There's a new one every week. The authors - in this case someone called Dawn Mellowship - are just churning out the same old stuff and it really is time the cosmetics' industry stood up for itself. Millions is spent on research to make cosmetics safe and the fact that something is a 'chemical' doesn't make it dangerous. I know we're always using the quote (see below) from the Sense about Science report Making Sense of Chemical Stories, but it does underline that everything is chemcial in essence:

“If someone came into your house and offered you a cocktail of butanol, iso amyl alcohol, hexanol, phenyl ethanol, tannin, benzyl alcohol, caffeine, geraniol, quercetin, 3-galloyl epicatchin, 3-galloyl epigallocatchin and inorganic salts, would you take it? It sounds pretty ghastly. If instead you were offered a cup of tea, you would probably take it. Tea is a complex mixture containing the above chemicals in concentrations that vary depending on where it is grown.” Derek Lohmann, research chemist (Making Sense of Chemical Stories, Sense about Science).

The alternative that these books always offer is that people should use natural products (sometimes the authors have launched their own range. Hmmm!). The fact is, these are not always the best option. Sensitive skins should be careful in particular. And, many ranges are not as natural as they claim and are not rigorously tested. Quite apart from this, many are not even effective.

We were quite pleased that many of the 41 comments posted on the Daily Mail website were dismissive of the subject of the piece.

Anyway, we have ranted before about these articles so I take a deep breath and move on. The second interesting article was about some new research from the University of Gothenburg which shows that even natural aromatic oils may cause allergic reactions. This is not surprising to us because so many ranges loaded with essential oils claim to be fine for sensitive skins these days but we get calls or emails from many people who find the opposite to be true and are confused because the label on the bottle said 'for sensitive skin'.

On http://www.bio-medicine.org/ they report that the University research shows that hypersensitivity to perfumes is the most common contact allergy in adults. The University of Gothenburg has demonstrated, the article says, that even natural aromatic oils, which many deem harmless compared to synthetic perfumes, may cause allergic reactions.

Below I have copied extracts from the article and bolded the bits we found useful. The full thing can be read here http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-1/Even-natural-perfumes-may-cause-allergies-6922-1/.

"Roughly one in five adults in northern Europe is believed to suffer from contact allergy to one or more chemicals. The most common is nickel allergy, but many people also suffer from contact allergy to perfumes even perfume substances that at first glance appear to be harmless can cause allergic reactions. New eczema-provoking allergens are formed by reaction with acid in the ambient air (known as autoxidation) or with skin enzymes.

"Modern society commonly regards anything that comes from nature as being healthier and less dangerous. Where it concerns natural aromas, known as essential oils, many manufacturers believe that natural antioxidants in these oils offer protection against autoxidation thus making them safer and longer lasting than artificial perfumes. Research at the University of Gothenburg shows this is not the case.

"Lina Hagvall, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg's Department of Chemistry, has examined natural lavender oil in her thesis. Her results show that essential oils do not prevent the formation of allergenic substances through reactions with acid; something which had not previously been possible to confirm. Hagvall's thesis also examines geraniol, a common constituent of perfumes such as rose oil. The study shows geraniol by itself to be only slightly allergenic. However through autoxidation and reaction with skin enzymes, the substance is activated and becomes the closely related allergen geranial. This is the first time these activation pathways have been demonstrated for the substance."

Well, that's enough food for thought for one morning. There's shampoo to be made here and orders to process.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,toxic cosmetics,parabens,essential oils,allergic reaction,Queen,contact allergy to perfumes,nickel allergy

Give sensitive skin an extra boost to beat dryness this winter

2009-01-14T12:19:00.001Z

Are you struggling with super dry winter skin? Is your sensitive skin more sensitive than ever? Are you fed up of flaky, itchy skin? Well, read on for some emergency help!

In a bid to beat the winter blues, we are today launching our New Year special offers here at Queen.

If, like me, you are finding this extra cold weather (with a bit of fog thrown in today just to make things more exciting), really hard on your skin then you will be pleased to know that we are offering two of our bestsellers at special price to get your skin back on track and to give it some extra assistance. I cannot go to sleep without slathering myself in these two products (face, lips, heels, cuticles, elbow - you name the body part, I'm slapping cream on it) to help combat the effects of central heating (on constantly) and, when I'm not at home, the car heater blasting at me (the only way I can bear to stay in the car!). Fortunately, it's working wonders - no more dry, chapped lips, tight face on waking and general scaliness and itchiness (I know those aren't attractive words but they're the most accurate to describe the state of my skin!).

So, as from today, we are offering Queen Light Night Cream at just £10.00 for 50g (normal price £14.55) and Queen Skin Cream (used to be called Skin Food until trading standards of the 1940s had their way and it really does feed the skin) at £10.00 for 50g as well (normal price £14.55).

During the day, I am sticking with my Queen Moisturiser for all over and Queen Sensiderma Renew & Refine for expression lines and wrinkles. Oh, and I can't possibly get dressed until I have covered myself in Queen Enriched Moisturising Lotion.

There you have it: Queen's Emergency Winter Survival Pack.

These fabulous special offers are available at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

We will be back soon without the blatant advertising!

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,dry skin,help for sensitive skin,Queen Cosmetics,Queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Skin Cream,Enriched Moisturising Lotion,Light Night Cream,Sensiderma Renew & Refine,Queen Moisturiser

The Queen review of the year

2008-12-31T14:15:00.001Z

As the year comes to an end (not an original start or premise, I realise), we thought we would have a little muse on what's happened here at Queen Cosmetics during 2008.

This time last year we launched our online shop www.queen-cosmetics.com. Given Queen is 81 and as far from cutting edge as it's possible to get (we revel in this by the way - it's abacuses and quill pens all the way here) we did recognise that this was a move we needed to make. We still get ridiculously excited when emails ping up alerting us to the face that a customer has placed an order online but there have been teething problems and strange things do seem to keep happening. Yesterday, the aforementioned email alerts didn't ping up, meaning that some customers' orders were missed, much to our chagrin. One customer declared that she was 'desperate for some Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream' for herself (she was also buying extra to give as presents) and could we get it to her ASAP.

We look forward to improving the site over the coming year and to reaching more people who may benefit from the Queen range.

As if this giant step into the 21st Century wasn't enough, we also launched our first new product in very many years following increasing demand for an anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin. Sensiderma Renew & Refine, which contains a peptide which works to reduce the appearance of expression lines and wrinkles, is such a lovely cream and, so far, it is proving very popular and getting rave reviews. Actually, it is the bestseller online, followed by Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream and Queen stalwarts Moisturiser and Medicated Cleansing Cream (the best cleanser and moisturiser for any skin, not just sensitive skin, in our view!).

Prospects for the year ahead include increasing the range of Queen products available at our London stockist John Bell & Croyden and to finalising our small range of organic products. We recognise that the year ahead could be difficult but we will continue to give an excellent service (online blips aside) and can persuade our customers to stay with us by continuing to offer what we believe are top quality skin care and make-up products at a good price.

Well, as I wait for the latest batch of Queen Skin Cream (I cannot live without this at the moment - hourly applications are staving off dry lips a treat) to cool down, I would like to thank all our customers for their continued support and wish you all a festive New Year's Eve and a happy and healthy 2009 on behalf of Queen.

We hope to see you soon.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: Queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Queen Skin Cream,Queen Moisturiser,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin,Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Sensiderma Renew & Refine,Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream,sensitive skin,Queen range,Queen skincare,Queen make-up,peptide,top quality skin care

Singing Queen's praises (again!)

2008-12-17T14:05:00.001Z

Gosh, it's been rather busy here at Queen, so much so that we haven't had time for much other than manufacturing and dispatching orders. Not that we are complaining, you understand.

Our second batch of Sensiderma Renew & Refine, our anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin, has hit the shelves and customers are already re-ordering. Writes one by email:

"I am LOVING it particularly the fact that it makes my skin feel all soft and, dare I say it, plump."

And the praise has not been reserved for Renew & Refine alone. Oh no. One new customer called last week to place an order and told us that Sensiderma Rich Cleanser left her skin feeling: "all velvety, like baby skin, I can't think of any other way of describing it." Another said of Queen Skin Cream (that old stalwart!): "It is just gorgeous, what amazing stuff." She was also after some more Sensiderma Rich Cleanser and said she would be "working her way slowly through the Queen range after discovering it at John Bell & Croyden on a recent trip to London".

Sales have also been perky at John Bell & Croyden (lovely pharmacy on Wigmore Street in London). Medicated Cleansing Lotion and our Moisturiser have been the big favourites although they are almost out of Theatrical Cleansing Cream too. So are we for that matter so that's a priority over the Christmas break.

Sorry if we sound like we're bragging but if we don't tell the world, noone else will! May as well continue with the own trumpet blowing to say that one new customer has defected to Queen from the Ella Bache range. I was only writing the other day about how we may benefit from customers moving away from super-expensive ranges to products which are good value but just as good, if not better, in terms of their effectiveness (i.e. Queen!). Mind you, we are not complacent in thinking that customers won't look for cheaper alternatives to Queen. This is clearly a possibility, although of course there is no alternative in our minds, which is why we are determined to hold prices for as long as possible despite the cost of everything else increasing. We haven't actually increased our prices for two years.

Well, we just wanted to touch base to show that we are still very much alive and kicking. If we don't get a chance to post before the festive season starts, have a great one and see you in 2009.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: Queen,Sensiderma Renew & Refine,Sensiderma Rich Cleanser,Queen Skin Cream,Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Theatrical Cleansing Cream,John Bell & Croyden,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin

It's official: Queen Cosmetics products rival luxury cosmetic brands!

2008-11-26T15:29:00.001Z

Well, it's been a busy few weeks what with visits to sunny (no, it wasn't) Telford for an ingredients' suppliers exhibition and orders for Queen Sensiderma Renew & Refine, our super-duper new anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin (in case you didn't know!).

The exhibition was thankfully worthwhile as it was a fair old trek from Sussex and traipsing around exhibition halls is hell on the feet. We met a great supplier of organic and non-organic oils and hope to start experimenting with some of their organic fruit and seed blends soon to get our organic range up and running.

We met the manufacturer of the peptide for our anti-wrinkle cream there and had a good chat with him. His company is small but very hi-tech with a fantastic research arm and they are beginning to get some of their wonderful products out into the market, including sale of one of their peptides to a one of the premium brands. This company is marketing the cream which contains the peptide at 200 euros and the only active ingredient in the cream is the peptide. Our cream is a mere fraction of this at £35.25 (and it's currently on offer at £30.00!) so let's hope that, in this horrid economic climate we are all facing, people realise they can get a similar cream from Queen Cosmetics and save themselves a fortune. They won't go back to their old brand if they do!

In fact, we have just had a new customer on the telephone say as much:

"I am used to spending a lot of money on cosmetics," she said, "but I have found your Moisturiser rivals anything I have previously used and I can't believe what good value it is. I want to try the rest of the Queen range now!"

In fact, we have had quite a few new customers over the last couple of weeks which is great news, even if it's taken some of them a whole eight months to place an order after first having free samples! Either our samples are just too big or it is true what marketing experts say about people needing six or seven exposures (i.e. a letter, seeing advertising or an article, visiting a website, hearing about it from a friend etc etc) to something before taking the plunge of buying.

There's not really much to report his week. We are nearly completely out of Theatrical Cleansing Cream, our preservative-free cleanser for removing even stubborn (e.g theatre) make-up, and so that's on the manufacturing agenda for tomorrow. In fact, stocks of most products are looking quite low so we will hopefully have time over the quiet Christmas period to get the stirrers whirring.

See you soon

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin,peptides,Moisturiser,Theatrical Cleansing Cream,sensitive skin

A little look at these nano particles in cosmetics

2008-11-14T14:39:00.001Z

I've been reading lots of press coverage this week about the potential danger posed by nano particles in cosmetics. The renewed interest (the issue was first raised by the Royal Society back in 2004 and then again in 2006) has been sparked by a report issued last week by consumer watchdog Which?

The Which? report, entitled Small Wonder: Nanotechnology in Cosmetics said that 'nano materials are being used in a wide range of cosmetic products despite unresolved issues surrounding their safety' and raised concerns about the fact that most nano materials 'do not have to undergo an independent safety assessement'.

While the watchdog was clear that it wasn't saying the use of nanotechonology in cosmetics was a bad thing, it was concerned about safety testing and that so few companies came forward when asked for information about the nanotechnology used in their products.

As you know, Queen does not operate at the glamorous end of hi-tech cosmetics (although we have finally dipped our toe into the anti-wrinkle cream market - more of that later), preferring to continue to plow our lonely furrow of highly effective yet simple, high-quality, unperfumed products exclusively for sensitive skin. As such, nano-particles are not something we have looked at. Yet, the fact that so many companies are using them - some Which? says without even declaring that they are doing so - just underlines yet again how the industry is marketing driven, with companies desperate to be able to offer consumers the non-invasive (painful and costly) equivalents of Botox injections and other surgical procedure.

So, what exactly is nanotechnology and where is it used in the cosmetic industry? According to Which?, it's 'a revolutionary new way of manipulating materials on a tiny scale, giving them new properties and potentially beneficial capabilities'. There are nano emulsions which are used to preserve active ingredients such as vitamins and anti-oxidants and which enable creams such as sunscreen to be very light and transparent and also carbon fullerenes which are used in anti-ageing products.

We're not taking the moral high ground here (look how we've bowed to demand for an anti-wrinkle product!) but if, as I'm sure is the case, these nano-particles are so great and perfectly safe, the big cosmetic players should surely be prepared to be more open or the industry risks shooting itself in the foot. So far, there has been a government voluntary reporting scheme on the use and development of nano particles (to guide the development of regulations). This has had limited success so more stringent regulations are bound to be brought in, perhaps without input from the industry. Regulation is, of course, a good thing but wouldn't it be great if it was the cosmetic companies proactively saying ''we welcome regulation, this is what we're doing and here's all the safety assessments etc', thus building confidence in an industry which feels as if it is always being knocked by ingredient scare story after ingredient scare story. Not only does trust in the industry suffer but consumers may end up not benefiting from ingredients such as nano-particles which could be the best thing to happen to cosmetics.

If there was more trust in the industry or the industry was prepared to be more forthcoming and open, perhaps the whole parabens scare wouldn't have been so dramatic and had such far reaching consequences. In an article in November's SCP about preservatives, the article's author Chris Nichols writes: 'The story behind the parabens problem is not a new one...popular ingredient gets attacked by poorly thought out/poorly researched/poorly written science..story gets picked up by press/internet...industry bows to remove ingredient......What is different in the case of parabens is it is the first time that this level of damage has been sustained by such a widely used ingredient and one universally regarded as 'safe'.'

He goes on to say that as one permitted (on the EU Cosmetic Directive list Annex VI) preservative is knocked down so the next one in line is exposed and there are not an infinite number of them.

At the end of his article, called 'The Preservative Paradigm', Chris Nichols says: 'We use preservatives to comply with the cosmetic directive that "cosmetic products should not be harmful under normal or foreseeable conditions of use". It is getting harder to find preservatives that are acceptable to much of our target market. If we continue to lurch from crisis to crisis, we will eventually run out of options'.

Anyway, enough of all this serious stuff. We are pleased to say great feedback for our Sensiderma Renew & Refine (our anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin) is flooding in. 'Ooh, yes I can already see a difference,' says one customer upgrading to full-size bottle after trying her sample. 'It's lovely, light, feels really nice on my skin and I need some more.' Keep using it, we say!

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: nano-particles,nanotechnology in cosmetics,Sensiderma Renew & Refine,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin,Queen,parabens

Mother knows best when it comes to sensitive skin

2008-11-07T15:59:00.001Z

A young woman came down to our HQ this morning. She said 'my mum usually comes but she's broken her wrist'. 'What would she like', I asked. 'Oh, it's not for her actually, it's for me. I need an Eye Make-up Remover. I've been using it for years. I've got really sensitive eyes and can't use anything else without them becoming sore and itchy.'

I love this. She is only 26 and is already a devoted Queen customer. Mark my words she will be complimented on her amazingly youthful skin in thirty years or so! She was introduced to the products by her mum like so many of our customers. We've had quite a few mother/daughter orders this week. One such order came in on Wednesday. This particular daughter places an order once or twice a year for them both and they stock up on everything they are likely to need (and they also like to try any new products so Sensiderma Renew & Refine was obviously a must!).

It's interesting the different ways in which customers behave. One particular client orders a 50g jar of one of our moisturisers every two weeks. We have suggested that it would be cheaper to have a 100g jar every month but she prefers it her way. Others will place a bulk order every 6-9 months

One of the questions we ask on our online survey (see our homepage at www.queen-cosmetics.com to take part) is 'how long does a jar of cream or a bottle of cleanser last you?'. Almost 60% of respondees say a month or two but this doesn't seem to correlate to how most of our clients actually do order which is certainly less frequently. Do they go without for a few months/weeks or does time just fly so fast that they don't realise more than a month or two has gone by? I suspect it could be the latter.

Some more nice feedback this week. A new customer writes: 'I have been using your products since August and I am very pleased with the results. I have very sensitive skin but I have had no bad reactions to your products, just nice smooth skin.'

She adds: 'I recently bought a trial size of the anti wrinkle cream, Sensiderma Renew & Refine, which I also like very much and would be interested in trying your organic cream too.'

Excuse all this self-congratulatory stuff but if we don't tell people how fabulous our customers think Queen products are, who will?!

Elsewhere, Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream, currently on special off at just £6.00 (buy some, buy some at www.queen-cosmetics.com) is the order of the week. Fair flying off the shelves it is. Having suffered some criticism of our 'tottles' (sort of tube/bottles and not the prettiest receptacles, we do realise), this week they have been getting some positive reviews. Phew! We always find it hard to find packaging we can buy in small minimum quantities so I will perhaps hold off a bit before researching some replacements.

Right, time to get the orders ready for the postman.

Have a good weekend.

The Team at QC

Finding value cosmetics which actually work

2008-10-31T17:16:00.001Z

There's been quite a flurry of activity here today which is nice given the doom and gloom about the economy. Whether the cosmetics' market proves to be recession-proof remains to be seen, however, and we cannot be smug or complacent. Traditionally, people (or women!) have continued to buy their favourite skincare and make-up products in an economic downturn but the industry is in uncharted territory at the moment.

SPC, our industry mag, explains it well in this month's editorial:

"The idea is that if people can't afford a car or a designer dress, they can at least treat themselves to the designer's fragrance or a nice lipstick."

Editor Clare Henderson goes on to say: "But when things get as serious as they seem to be doing at the moment perhaps that traditional thinking now sounds a little too optimistic.

"For the moment, premiumisation continues to be a strong trend, with consumers determined to get their hands on products that work, while niche is still a great draw for those looking for something different."

She adds: "But in the current economic climate can this be sustained indefinitely? And, what of the superluxe sector? Is this customer pool likely to take a temporary dip?" And concludes: "We can at least be confident that people will always buy personal care products. For the time being though, it's a question of which ones."

Despite being 87 years old, Queen hasn't really been here before. Our marketplace was well-heeled, fashionable young women in the 1930s, 40s and 50s and this was our heyday. These customers seemed to have sensible heads on their shoulders. In an interview with Lady Dartmouth (better known as Countess Raine Spencer) in the Observer in the 1960s, she said she had always used Queen products as they were "terribly cheap and terribly pure"!

This says to me that there wasn't a need to spend or be seen to spend a fortune on products (or there weren't the highly expensive luxury brands around then that there are now) but that efficacy was the most important factor.

Hopefully, this will stand us in good stead as will the fact that we have a niche, namely sensitive skin. Our products are, we believe, excellent value and, most importantly, they do work. Maybe we will even benefit from people 'downgrading' and looking for quality cosmetics at reasonable prices. We will see.

Anyway, I thought I might just spend a few moments blowing our own trumpet.

Someone writes after trialling our organic formula moisturiser:

"I was wondering when you were planning on launching this as I love it. I have quite sensitive skin and this is just perfect, no irritation or redness, and it's lovely and rich, without being too heavy.

"I suffer terribly in winter from dry and reddened skin, and my normal day cream isn't sufficient. I've tried others and usually end up going back to Origins Never Say Dry, but it's really a bit too heavy."

Hurrah. We know it's good but it's always good to hear it!

Off to catch the post. Have a good weekend.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: Queen,sensitive skin,organic formula moisturiser,cosmetics

Lanolin is lovely. Really.

2008-10-28T22:18:00.001Z

We've just had the following email:

"I have just had some patch tests completed with my dermatologist and have been told I have reactions to perfume/essential oils, lanolin and sodium metabisulphite."

This is typical of the sort of inquiry we get and reinforces what we always say about perfume and essential oils being the main culprits in causing irritation to sensitive skin. Yet, I read the following on one internet beauty tip site recently:

"One good thing for sensitive skin is the skin care essential oils. Essential oils in most cases will not have a reaction to your skin, if it does then stop using the product right away. You can try essential oils such as Lavender, Rose, Sandalwood, Neroli, and Chamomile. So, if you have sensitive skin, than try out these essential oils to see if these will help your skin."

Ugh! It's no wonder people with sensitive skin end up not even trying to find anything which works for them if they've followed dangerous and stupid advice like this.

Anyway, what interested me about our email was the fact that I didn't know much about sodium metabisulphite - we don't use this ingredient - and so I thought I'd do a bit of research into it. And also, I was interested that this woman was sensitive to lanolin. Lanolin has long been accused of being a sensitive skin culprit and, while this woman clearly does have a problem with it, mostly it is an excellent ingredient with a very good track record. Like preservatives though, it is something that is seized upon by people as being a 'baddie'. We get lots of women calling in claiming they are sensitive to 'preservatives and lanolin'. Yet, when you ask if they have had patch tests, they say 'no' and further probing reveals they just think these are causing their problems because they've heard vague mention of them somewhere.

I have always liked the www.cosmeticscop.ca website which is run by a woman called Paula Begoun, an ex-make-up artist and now a writer and the owner of her own cosmetics line (and someone who seems eminently well informed and sensible), so I thought I'd see what her ingredients directory said about lanolin. It makes interesting reading:

Lanolin: Emollient, very thick substance derived from the sebaceous glands of sheep. Lanolin has long been burdened with a reputation for being an allergen or sensitizing agent, which has always been a disappointment to formulators because lanolin is such an effective moisturizing agent for skin. A study in the British Journal of Dermatology (July 2001, pages 28–31) may change all that. The study concluded “that lanolin sensitization has remained at a relatively low and constant rate even in a high-risk population (i.e., patients with recent or active eczema).” Based on a review of 24,449 patients who were tested with varying forms of lanolin, it turned out that “The mean annual rate of sensitivity to this allergen was 1.7%”—and it was lower than that for a 50% concentration of lanolin. It looks like it’s time to restore lanolin’s good reputation. That’s a very good thing for someone with dry skin, though it can be a problem for someone with oily skin, because lanolin closely resembles the oil from human oil glands (see here for more http://www.cosmeticscop.ca/dictionaryL).

As for sodium metabisulfite, this is something which is used in hair products.

Says Paula Begoun's ingredients dictionary: "Reducing agent that alters the structure of hair. It can also be used as a preservative in formulations, and can be a skin irritant. However, it can also be an antioxidant (Source: Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, September–October 1999, pages 252–259)."

I also found mention of its use in some skincare products, one of which is a range or brand called Obagi. At the end of some product information, this site says: "This product also contains sodium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause serious allergic type reactions (e.g., hives, itching, wheezing, anaphylaxis severe asthma attacks) in certain susceptible persons." Hmm.

I am pleased to say that, while we do use lanolin in a few products (excellent products too and used by clients with a wide range of sensitive skin conditions), we do have plenty of products which don't contain it so we can hopefully help the sender of our email. I'll keep you posted.

That's it for now.

Us at Queen

Technorati Tags: sodium metabisulfite,lanolin,allergy to lanolin,Paula Begoun,sensitive skin,Queen

Queen hand cream and Oldham Chronicle fame

2008-10-17T17:15:00.001+01:00

Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream, THE most amazing hand cream (I think I have said this before!), is the order of the day. It is currently on special offer at just £6.00 which is ridiculously good value and which explains why our customers are snapping it up. Buy some now!

Queen Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream is great for all skin types but is particularly beneficial for sensitive skin or skin suffering from eczema or other dry-skin conditions. Even the hardest working hands are restored. We know this because the local farmers all come to our door to buy it. I have just seen one struggling across the field with a lamb under her arm (the lamb was struggling too, I am pleased to report, and was deposited in another field) and a couple of others are digging a ditch. You'd never know they'd been engaged in such hard labour by the look of their hands.

Other news is that Queen anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin, Sensiderma Renew & Refine, is launched. To take the shine off, we have had a few delays in despatch due to some label problems. These are now resolved and we are working hard to catch up on the orders.

So, what's so good about this product? Well, it adheres to our philosophy of keeping our products as simple as possible so that they can be used by sensitive skin. We have stuck as closely as possible to our existing formulations but have added some new ingredients, including a new peptide, BoNT-L, which builds on the success of other peptides in the market but has a superior lasting effect when applied to the skin. We hope that Sensiderma Renew & Refine will be a longstanding and popular addition to the Queen range.

Otherwise, it's been business as usual here at our rural HQ. Queen Soap has been particularly popular this week with one customer buying 25 in one go. Maybe they're for Christmas presents. We are getting very low on stocks of most products, in fact, so next week is going to be a big manufacturing drive to get the shelves re-stocked.

We've had some nice emails in, including one from a woman who had requested some samples of Light Night Cream and Sensiderma Day Cream:

"Thank you very much for sending the above samples. At last, something I can use. I found both products very soothing and moisturising without being too heavy."

Another called in to ask what was in our Eye Make-up Remover. "Oh, that sounds ok," she said. "I've been using Simple but it's recently started to make my eyes itchy and sore and I've been shocked to see how many ingredients there are in the products." Quite!

We've also had a name check in the Oldham Evening Chronicle this week. Oh yes! To read how Queen came to be connected with a famous golden nugget found in Australia in 1852, read the article here. The piece came about because one of the journalists at the paper requested some Queen samples. Our managing director, David, mentioned that his family came from Oldham and that a road was named after a golden nugget his great grandfather had found and, a couple of months later, an email appeared asking if they could do a story. Fame at last!

Well, the week has flown by and there's still lots to do so better get on with it.

Have a good weekend.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: Queen Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream,Sensiderma Day Cream,Light Night Cream,Queen Eye Make-up Remover for sensitive eyes,itchy and sore eyes,Queen,Sensiderma Renew & Refine

A week of innovation: Anti-wrinkle cream and lipstick for sensitive skin

2008-10-03T14:33:00.001+01:00

The airless pumps (bottles which are very practical and glamorous too) have arrived and we are set to begin filling Sensiderma Renew & Refine, our anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin, next week. Hooray!

I have long been rather scathing about anti-wrinkle creams, convinced that just using a really good moisturiser is enough. However, the last few years have seen a huge increase in enquiries from our existing customers and a survey of all visitors to our website (i.e. of new and existing customers) revealed 75% of them would use an anti-wrinkle cream if they could find one for their sensitive skin. The remaining 25% are in the 20-30 age category so I assume it's only a matter of time before they would want one too!

The thing is, it's taken us a few years to find an ingredient we are happy is hypo-allergenic and one which could be incorporated as far as possible into an existing formulation. Well, we've finally done it. Trials of this new peptide cream have proved extremely positive and we just hope our clients are going to love it too. I'm not saying too much more at this stage. Just watch this space...

Our attention has also turned this week to our lipsticks. These are extremely popular among our most longstanding clientele and have an excellent track record for being suitable for even the most sensitive skins and lips. The colours do, by our own admission, need updating though. They are bright (this is an understatement if I'm honest) which is fine if you have the complexion to carry them off. For pale skins, however, they are just too much.

We have been meaning to work on mixing some new colours for ages but, as a small company, it can be hard to find the time for normal daily operations as well as devoting time to new product development (which is why our organic range of skincare for sensitive skin is now unlikely to hit the shelves until early next year. It is in train but we have not had the time to focus on packaging, labels and literature as yet).

Anyway, an enquiry this week from a customer prompted us to roll up our sleeves and get mixing and the results look quite promising. Using a formulation similar to our Skin Cream, it has been possible to develop some more subtle-hued, lipgloss-type products. Not sure which one I like most, at the moment; a soft pinky-brown one or a light reddy-bronze (not sure I'm doing them much justice with these descriptions!). We are hoping to work on a range of five or six so do keep in touch if you are interested in lip colours.

They can also be used as rouge. Is that an old-fashioned word? We used to do rouges so not sure why we no longer do. Perhaps they were superseded by powder blushers. These days, cheek tints or cream blushers seem to be back in fashion because they offer a sheer, gentle glow so Queen rouge could be making a come back.

Otherwise, it's been business as usual here at Queen HQ. Queen Moisturiser, Medicated Cleansing Lotion and eye pencils seem to be the products of choice at the moment although there has also been unusually high demand for Queen Sensiderma Cold Cream. I'm always saying what a lovely product this is so I shouldn't be surprised its fame is spreading.

This is a short post this week as we have some trade orders to get out - Medicated Cleansing Lotion again - so it's all hands to the pump.

Hope you have a good weekend and come back soon!

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin,organic products for sensitive skin,lipstick for sensitive skin,lipgloss for sensitive lips,Sensiderma Cold Cream,Medicated Cleansing Lotion,peptide cream,peptide cream for sensitive skin

Your cosmetics: free-from parabens etc... but do they actually work?

2008-09-29T16:53:00.001+01:00

I was just perusing this month's issue of our industry magazine SPC (Soap, Perfumery & Cosmetics should you be interested!), and was taken by editor Clare Henderson's editorial in which she makes the point that surely what is important is not what cosmetic products don't have in them but whether they work or not.

She asks "Are we a free-from culture?' and goes on to say that while 'free-from' used to be the preserve of products developed for sensitive skin, it's very much equated today with the naturals sector. She says that Mintel has been tracking fragrance-free and alcohol-free products for a number of years but recently began tracking paraben-free and found it is now way ahead of the other two.'

Says Henderson:'And now there's a whole slew of ingredients that are being given the free-from treatment.......In addition to parabens....sulfates, PEG products, mineral oil, petrolatum, silicones, DEA, TEA, glycols, phthalates, synthetic fragrance and synthetic colours are often on the free from list. It's not quite the same as a claim to efficacy."

She goes on: "Some products seem to be pretty much without everything which, as Mintel points out, begs the question: "What's left? What's in it?" In some cases the answer is that the product is basically made of essential oils."

Henderson concludes: "I suppose that's fine if that's what people want but, with all the advances in cosmetic science coupled with high consumer expectations I'm guessing that what most people want is products that are going to work, whatever they have or haven't got in them."

As Henderson says, free-from did use to be the preserve of sensitive skin products. The Queen range, for example, is free from perfume and other ingredients which are traditionally known to be irritants. In addition, we try to keep formulations as simple as possible while still producing products which do actually do what they say they do. We wouldn't still be going after more than 80 years if our creams and lotions didn't work.

Now that so many ingredients have been demonised (I won't bang on about this again - do read our previous post about parabens here) it is these that are associated with causing irritation to sensitive skin. I appreciate that all sensitive skin is different but our creams are no less suitable for sensitive skin now than they have been for the last eighty years i.e. for all the years before this nonsense about chemical ingredients and natural-being-better-for-you started.

If you do a search on Google or another search engine for a 'cream for sensitive skin', the sponsored links on the right-hand side are dominated by ranges which jump on the free-from/naturals bandwagon. 'Toxins in your skincare!' screams one, 'Natural Organic Skincare' clamours another. It's all a bit misleading for the consumer.

An email we've just received underlines this point:

'I wonder if you could send me some samples for my skin type,' writes a woman from Derbyshire. 'I have oily skin and have been diagnosed with acne rosacea. I have quite red skin and would like something that will not affect it, I have tried (she mentions here a whole host of brands) and most tea-tree products.'

The assumption she is making is that because tea tree is an essential oil and it has an antiseptic quality, it must be ok for her. As I am always saying, essential oils are some of the most irritant ingredients around.

I suppose I'm also a bit confused as to where this leaves Queen. If we say perfume-free or fragrance-free, we could be accused of jumping on the free-from bandwagon. And, given every other company is advertising that they are suitable for sensitive skin, we are not left with much else to differentiate ourselves. Apart from, of course, that our products do work and don't make ludicrous marketing claims! That's not very glamorous or compelling though as a marketing or advertising strap line. 'Buy Queen because our products work and we don't make ridiculous claims' doesn't really work.

I think we are perhaps always destined to be understated and a bit of an 'undiscovered secret'. This certainly seems to fit well with our existing clientele. A letter we received enclosed with an order today is typical of our customers:

"I would be most grateful if you could send me two more pots of your Queen Skin Cream as I have always found it most beneficial."

Most beneficial! How's that for a strapline? Queen - it's most beneficial. It says it all......no drama or free-from needed!

Have a good week.

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,paraben-free,mintel report on cosmetics,tea-tree products,perfume-free cosmetics,perfume-free products,fragrance-free products,parabens

Pregnancy and sensitive skin - go back to basics

2008-09-19T14:43:00.002+01:00

I wrote a while ago that we had had a number of emails about skin problems during and after pregnancy. Since then, we've had quite a few more.

Having had a baby fairly recently (well, two years ago but it seems like yesterday what with the ongoing and endless fatigue), I do remember that the skin changes do take you by surprise. I had thought everyone 'glowed' during pregnancy but my experience, and that of my friends, was that we actually found our skin was worse - spotty but very dry and ultra sensitive. As an aside, skin does glow - caused by an increased volume of blood to the cheeks, resulting in an attractive blush - but if you are suffering from acne at the same time, the visual effect isn't quite as pleasingly aesthetic!

That's quite apart from all the other afflictions that occur: a fine down on your cheeks and jawline that makes you feel like a small, furry creature (that does go thankfully) and brown spots and patches. And then there's stretch marks. I know it's hard to take on board but if you're going to get these - and not everyone does - no amount of slapping on moisturiser or body cream will help prevent them (they will, however, keep your skin moisturised) whatever all the advice or product marketing says to the contrary. Your best guide is to ask your mum what happened to her. If she didn't get them, there's a good chance you will avoid them too.

The brown patches, called chloasma and commonly called 'the mask of pregnancy', are areas of pigmentation which usually appear on the cheeks, forehead and neck. They are caused by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone stimulating the production of melanin. Annoyingly, they can't be prevented (not everyone gets them, I hasten to add) but can be minimised with the use of sunscreen and by staying out of the sun. They do fade but, in my experience, do not disappear completely.

Anyway, back to the spots, dryness and sensitivity....My experience seems to be shared by those who have emailed Queen.

"Now that I'm pregnant my skin is getting even worse with more red spots and dry spells. Do you have any advice on what sort of skin care I need that will actually improve my skin's condition," says one woman.

Another says: "My skin used to be oily, but during pregnancy and since having a baby it's been quite dry."

Someone else writes saying she has always had sensitive skin but that, during her current pregnancy, Nivea baby sun lotion has caused an outbreak of urticaria (an itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to anything from food to sunlight to prescription drugs). She is now finding it impossible to use anything on her skin without further irritating it and is desperate to find some skincare and make-up products she can use before she goes to a number of weddings later in the year.

Hormonal changes do increase skin sensitivity during pregnancy and some women do find they become irritated by products - both cosmetics and household detergents - that they have previously used without problem. Spots and acne, are caused by increased sebum production during pregnancy, another result of all those hormones surging around the body.

These extremes should stop once your baby is born so our advice is not to stress about your skin. The best thing you can do is to support it during pregnancy by going back to basics and keeping things as simple as possible (the Queen philosophy for all skin!). Drastic changes and trying out numerous different products will only make things worse.

So, here's the Queen guide to looking after skin during pregnancy:

Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day, preferably using a cream cleanser rather than a wash-off cleanser;

Avoid perfumed products and products containing essential oils;

Avoid harsh acne creams. Your skin will clear up once you've had the baby;

Don't overstimulate your skin with scrubs, masks and other products. If you do feel the need to use an exfoliant, use some oats moistened with a bit of water - messy but very gentle;

Fight the urge to attack spots or over-handle your skin as this can just make it worse:

Don't take long, hot baths as these will further dry your skin. Take short, just-warm showers and baths and moisturise well afterwards.

I must mention that the other great thing about Queen products is they can be used on your baby too. Our Medicated Cleansing Lotion is a fabulous alternative to wipes or as a supplement to wipes (you should never just use wipes on a baby's bottom but should always follow with lotion) and our Skin Cream is a great barrier cream. I've always used both of these, as have my friends, and our babies have NEVER suffered from nappy rash, not a claim many people can make, I think.

Right well, I am off to update our sensitive skin tips blog at http://skinsensitive.wordpress.com.

Have a good weekend.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin during pregnancy,pregnancy and sensitive skin,skin tips for sensitive skin,dry skin during pregnancy,acne during pregnancy,Queen Cosmetics,Queen guide to skin during pregnancy,Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Skin Cream,perfume-free,fragrance-free

Are you getting value from your cosmetics?

2008-09-05T14:53:00.001+01:00

We have just had a call from a lady who had samples of Queen products a few weeks ago at John Bell & Croyden:

"I just love them and can't believe I'd never heard of them before. I wanted to tell you because I am so pleased with them."

She went on to tell me about how she had tried all sorts of ranges, including one which cost six times as much as Queen (that's about £160 for a moisturiser then!) and that ours were as good, if not better.

It's so true that you don't need to spend a fortune to get decent products. I know some might consider Queen products are expensive but at less than £15 for a Queen Moisturiser, I do disagree. Yes, you can buy a £3 moisturiser from big high-street chains but quite apart from it not being as good, it will have been mass produced, most likely made and packaged abroad and has quite probably been sitting around for a long, long time before it hits the shelves.

Queen products are not mass produced (they are handmade and hand-filled), they are made in tiny batches so are always fresh, they use only the highest quality ingredients and they are made in the UK. So many companies have farmed out their production to Eastern Europe or Asia, buy their jars and labels from Asia and their labels from Eastern Europe. We buy everything from UK-based companies. It costs more but it's supporting British Industry - we know quality is good and a by-product is that surely it's better for the environment.

I am reminded as I write of a packaging company sales rep that came to see us last year. He looked stressed and angry as he'd just found out that a foreign supplier had let him down, thus putting him in a really difficult position with a client. He felt completely powerless as he was not able to see the supplier to talk to them face-to-face and he had been unable to physically check up on the manufacturing process (he'd been told weeks before that production had started but was then told it hadn't). Anyway, I am digressing. The point is we have control over our production and, if anything goes wrong, or a customer has a problem we can look into and solve it ourselves. Our customer service is fantastic.

In addition to the above, our products are tried and tested. There aren't many skincare ranges that have been around for 81 years and which have loyal and longstanding customers, some of whom are in their nineties! As for products that cost £160 a pop, do have a look on the back and see if the ingredients they use are any different from the mid-range products. You will probably be surprised to find they are not. The high prices are all a marketing ploy. If it's expensive, people assume it must be better.

So to my make-up lesson. I am quite excited by what I learnt even if I was told I have dark circles under my eyes (one thing I didn't think I suffered from). The therapist was lovely and it's not her fault that she has been misled to think/say that the products she use are entirely natural (it was a mineral make-up range). As it happens, the products were nice but I did feel really itchy and over made-up by the time I got home. In addition, I looked ridiculous because I had a day look on one side of my face and a night-time look on the other (even down to my lips).

I am sure most people would feel a lot of pressure to buy some of the products as the lesson (despite costing £40) was definitely geared towards demonstrating the benefits of this particular mineral range. I did try to make it clear from the beginning, however, that I was interested in general tips and tricks and that I did like my existing make-up mix (Queen with a few other brands thrown in!). I learnt how to shade my face, how and where to apply eyeshadow to minimise the black circles and to cover imperfections. I will be sharing these tips in my wordpress blog (http://skinsensitive.wordpress.com/)and on our site at www.queen-cosmetics.com in the coming weeks so stay in touch.

The other excitement down at Queen HQ this week is that The Tiny Box Company (I wrote about them in our 11 April blog), our neighbours down here at the farm, were on Dragon's Den on Monday night and secured £60,000 of investment from Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis in exchange for a 40% stake in the business! They hadn't said a word about it (although we did know they were going to be on TV in some form or another) as were under strict instruction not to. I am dying to find out what the next step is and whether Peter and Theo will be making a visit to East Grinstead. I am sure there will be a lot of rubber-neckers if so. We wish them all lots of luck.

Well, we are short-staffed here today due to various viruses striking down children and grand-children so I had better get stuck in with getting the orders out.

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,handmade,sensitive skin,Queen Moisturiser,Tiny Box Company,Dragon's Den,Peter Jones,Theo Paphitis,East Grinstead,mineral make-up

What's bismuth oxychloride then?

2008-08-29T13:57:00.002+01:00

Back in the blogging saddle after a busy week last week which meant I didn't even find the time to get online and vent my spleen about various issues. I am sure we were missed......Anyway, it was probably a good thing as the blood does cool with time, albeit not much. We had a run on lovely Queen Soap again and John Bell & Croyden placed a large order (due, we like to think, to our promotional efforts at their Summer evening event the week before last!).

I was becoming increasingly irritated with all the emails requesting samples which clearly weren't genuine. One woman (or it could have been a man from the email address) asked for about four different skin-care samples (which we dutifully sent -more fool us). Two weeks later, another email came asking for samples of all of our make-up products. I kindly - and I wasn't feeling kind - replied to say that we were limited to only a few samples per person and that, anyway, we don't have samples of our make-up. He/she was welcome to buy some make-up, however, and would receive a full refund if unhappy with anything. Sure enough, an email appeared with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line. Grrrrrr.

I really do not understand why people bother to request free samples of things they clearly have no real interest in. Is it just to have something for free or is it to get one over companies they see as faceless corporates trying to rip them off? Or are they just deeply sad? Anyone know the answer, I'd be pleased to hear it.

Anyway, this week I have conceded defeat and have now amended the Queen website to say that free samples are available but only by 'phone or by writing in. That should sort the wheat from the chaff.

The other thing bothering me last week was social/business networking sites. We have joined a few and have 'met' some really genuine (that word again) and helpful people but I am just astounded that there are so many loons out there. I keep receiving emails which make no sense at all. I would like to copy some examples here but that probably isn't the done thing. I feel that when the contact with and from lunatics begins to outweigh that from normal, sane individuals then that is the time to head for the hills. Perhaps you might say that no sane individual joins one of these networks in the first place but the founders do usually have integrity and a desire to help people make contacts and do business. Sadly, they can't screen for the bonkers contingent which means the site loses credibility.

Moving on, I have booked a make-up lesson at a local beauty salon. As you get older, it's good to update your look and highlight the good parts while hiding the not-so-good ones! I was given the lesson as a gift, I hasten to add. It's not something I would have initiated myself but I thought it would make good market research. I was told on the 'phone that a certain brand of 'very natural' mineral make-up was used and that 'i may like to buy some' to take home with me. While I am looking forward to it, I am concerned that the whole thing is going to be a promotional exercise for the products they use which is not what I want at all. I use a variety of different brands, including Queen of course (in particular our eye-liners, blushers and Tinted Foundation Cream) and don't want to change. And if I wanted a 'promotional' make-over, I would go to one of the large department stores where you get that part for free and just pay for the products. I will update you on what happened next week.

Anyway, the word 'natural' was like a red rag to a bull so I did a little research into the ingredients contained in the brand which will be used on me. There is lots of praise for mineral make-up and I am not getting into discussing its efficacy and I am certainly not looking to criticise it. I was just interested if the 'natural' claim held up and I discovered that the brand to be used on me (not ALL brands use this ingredient) contains something called bismuth oxychloride which doesn't sound very natural and which, I found, is used to impart the pearlescent effect the make-up has. A quick Google search revealed it is a by product of lead and copper ore processing. In as much as lead and copper are natural, it has natural origins but that's about it. It goes through a lengthy chemical processing and refinement to make the product which actually goes in the make-up.

My research revealed lots of scare stories written about bismuth oxychloride too but, like the rubbish written about parabens etc, these seem to be perpetuated by the companies which are not using it, enabling them to therefore claim that their products are better/safer/more trustworthy than those that do. I am not an expert on this ingredient so cannot comment but it just underlines that even in the world of mineral make-up, there is hypocrisy and one-upmanship! Some companies are claiming to be natural when they're not and others are claiming ingredients used by their competitors are dangerous when they are not (if they were, they wouldn't be allowed to be used).

I will be interested to hear if i get a long marketing spiel at my make-up lesson. I may have to casually ask if they use bismuth oxychloride and see if a) they actually know and b) what they say if I say it's not natural. I will report back next week.

I do seem to have got carried away with my 'issues' this week, so much so that I haven't told you that Queen Sensiderma Refine & Renew (I think this is the name of our new anti-wrinkle cream) will be on sale in October. We can't wait!

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: bismuth oxychloride,mineral make-up,Sensiderma anti-wrinkle cream,Queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,cosmetic ingredients,Queen Soap,Queen eyeliner,Queen Tinted Foundation Cream,Queen blusher,social networking sites,freebie sites

It takes all sorts

2008-08-15T15:55:00.001+01:00

I have to admit we are taking it a bit easy here today after a busy afternoon and evening at our stockist John Bell & Croyden in London's Wigmore Street promoting our skincare and make-up for sensitive skin.

The store was open until 9pm yesterday as part of a special Summer promotional evening and everything was discounted by 20% between 4pm-9pm. As John Bell sells everything from surgical instruments to gadgets for every kind of back, foot etc problem and from vitamins to cosmetics for every skin type, this was a fabulous shopping opportunity and, as you can imagine, people surged into the store to take advantage. I swear many shoppers were there for two hours, baskets bulging, although they were no doubt encouraged and fuelled by the free Pimm's and canapes and sandwiches on offer. I actually saw a woman with two children loading up a napkin with food and then giving them a sort of picnic tea in a corner. Feed your kids for free, what a bonus.

We had put together some nice goodie bags containing a rather too generous (in my opinion) sample of our Medicated Cleanser, Non-Alcoholic Toner, Moisturiser, Light Night Cream and Eye Make-up Remover. There was lots of interest and we sold a good few items as well as giving out the freebies. We have realised, however, that what really draws the crowds is doing mini-facials so, next year, or at the annual Christmas version of this event that John Bell holds, we are going to ask one of the many beauty therapists who use Queen to come and give practical demonstrations of the products and show how to best look after sensitive skin.

The event did attract the customary freeloaders and loons who lurked around the store for hours, buying nothing but enjoying the free food and booze. One rather assertive sales assistant told me that the previous Christmas event had brought in a load of teenagers demanding free samples of cosmetic products. She ended up calling security to eject them as they got more and more unruly. Thankfully, no rowdy teenagers pitched up last night.

John Bell always attracts lots of Arab ladies who are accompanied by burly minders. I have no idea how the latter manage to stay awake as their charges spend hours poring over products and trying out make-up but they do. They are also employed to ferry overflowing shopping baskets to the check-out. "They spend thousands of pounds and sometimes pay in cash," whispered a sales assistant to me, her eyes wide with awe.

We also had the (thankfully very few) women who refuse samples as though you are trying to indoctrinate them into some obscure cult. One woman, who looked absolutely ghastly with too much make-up and a dry, wrinkled complexion, looked up at me smugly when I asked her if she minded telling me what cosmetic brand she used and said: "Creme de la Mer" with a sort of half smirk. I wanted to implore her to look in the mirror. She certainly wasn't a good advert for that brand. And, I can only imagine the amount of money she's wasting (although I suppose these things are relative - without the cream, she could look ten times worse).

Legs-aching, we headed for the tube at the end of the evening, only to find the Victoria Line was closed for maintenance. Then ensued a frantic dash across London via the Central, Jubilee and Circle lines to get the train back to Sussex. Much as I love London, it's always a pleasure to leave.

Otherwise, it's been an uneventful week at Queen. The stream of freebie-hunting emails has finally become a trickle and it's quite easy now to distinguish the genuine from the freeloading (at least I think I can tell them).

We are very close to starting full-scale production of our anti-wrinkle cream so we are focused on finalising labels and some literature to accompany the product. We have had a lot of interest from our existing customers so are hoping this does actually translate into sales.

Well, we are going to despatch the orders and head home. It's quite a nice balmy afternoon here now although clouds are gathering in the distance.

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: medicated cleansing lotion,non-alcoholic toning lotion,eye make-up remover,moisturier,light night cream,john Bell & Croyden,sensitive skin,skincare for sensitive skin

Queen bored of parabens nonsense

2008-08-08T15:24:00.001+01:00

Another week, another 'attack' on parabens, the preservatives used in cosmetic (and many other) products.

I write attack in inverted commas because it's not really an attack when someone proves themselves unable to articulate a case against whatever it is they are supposed to be shooting down. The case is even less convincing when the person is promoting a book and, guess what, their own cosmetics' range.

I am referring to Kate Lock's book 'Confessions of an Eco-Shopper' which I do think sounds a great, and worthwhile, premise for a book and for life. It details her 'one-woman's mission to go green'. However, and this may not be her fault (but probably is given she wants to publicise her range of cosmetic products - can't wait to find what they're preserved with), the press have focused in on the old 'your cosmetics are toxic' rubbish rather than any of the rest of the book which presumably looks at every other aspect of our daily lives too.

This week, I read an extract from the book in the Daily Mail (the same Daily Mail which writes week-in week-out about miracle anti-ageing, anti-cellulite and anti-everything else creams which all contain parabens - but of course that can be overlooked if they really do work miracles) and then heard Kate Lock on LBC. Both times, the focus was cosmetics and parabens in particular. When asked what the problem with parabens was, she haltingly trotted out the discredited research that parabens were found in cancerous breast tissue.

This much-quoted research was carried out by Dr Philippa Darbre at Reading University in 2004. It found parabens in samples of cancerous breast tissue. The suggestion was that parabens could mimic the female hormone oestrogen which can drive the growth of tumours in human breast tissue. Darbre called for a review of the use of parabens in 'cosmetics applied to the breast area including deodorants'.

Quite apart from the fact that parabens have never been used in the majority of under-arm deodorants, the research was shown to be flawed because the researchers chose to ignore that they also found parabens in non-cancerous i.e. healthy 'control' samples of breast tissue.

I could bang on all day about this but may be accused of having a vested interest. So, why not read this, a good, neutral, scientific article:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/01/it_is_one_of_the.html.

In it the journalist, James Randerson, quotes Dr Darbre as saying:

"Just because they (parabens) get into the body doesn't say they are going to cause breast cancer," added Darbre. Making the breast cancer link from these experiments was "scientifically inappropriate", she said.

He goes on to say that Darbre refuses to use or endorse products containing so-called 'natural' alternatives because scientists know little about the effects of these on the body either. "It might be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire," she said.

To be honest, I am not particularly interested in standing up for parabens today. The cosmetics' industry knows they are the safest, most effective preservatives around and, until something else is found which betters them, they will continue to be used.

What irritates me is newpapers' laziness in trotting out this stuff week after week and the fact that every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks they can launch a 'green' or 'organic' range of cosmetics these days based upon nothing but their sanctimonious avoidance of parabens (oh, and other ingredients they've demonised). Now that it is more widely known that the breast cancer research is flawed, they use other arguments, including that parabens are a major allergen for sensitive skin. Nonsense. Perfume, essential oils and masking fragrances are the major culprits yet these abound in so-called natural cosmetics.

Most of the people making these new marvellous ranges have no experience (they are usually ex-beauty writers, aromatherapists or just mad hippies). They are using unproven preservative systems and are promoting other ingredients about which little is known. Our products have been around for 80 years and have been using parabens for at least 30 years. We constantly monitor what ingredients' suppliers have to offer and will only use those which are proven and have a track record. An unpreserved or inadequately-preserved product is far more dangerous than a preserved product. Bacteria from fingers, the air etc and transferred into eyes or broken skin can have horrid repercussions.

And it's not just me supporting parabens. Read Liz Earle's blog and FAQs. She is a well-respected beauty expert and owner of an extremely successful cosmetics' company. She has built her reputation not on scaring people into buying her products but on giving them good, effective products. She's not a multinational and she cares about her customers. This extends to wanting them to be able to make informed choices, not ones based on hysteria and fear.

Oh dear, this has turned into a rant. The fact is that this debate can only be good for the cosmetics' industry. Even though parabens are perfectly safe, it does prompt scientists and chemists to continue to test and trial other ingredients that might, one day, be proven to be even better. We are open to that possibility but we are not interested in all this hysteria.

So, what else is happening down here at Queen HQ? It's wet and windy and wood pigeons are gorging themselves on elderberries. Seaside Cream and Shampoo are the order of the day and we have run out of the latter so the stirrers are whirring into action. Time to get the orders out.

Have a good weekend!

The Queen Team

On our soap box

2008-08-01T16:37:00.001+01:00

There's been a run on soap here this week at Queen. John Bell & Croyden, our main London stockist, ordered a whole load followed by a pharmacy in Kensington. Why the sudden interest in soap, we wonder, not that there shouldn't be as it is very nice - unperfumed of course and very creamy. Still, it did cause us to suddenly worry about our stocks and we are busy counting how many bars we have left. I often snaffle them for myself and for use on my toddler as they are perfect for baby skin but if supplies are low, I may have to go short.

And, when I walked in this morning, what were the mail order customers buying but soap? It is very strange the way things go in waves. You may not sell much of a particular item for weeks when suddenly everyone wants them. The week before last it was green eye-pencils.

I have been asking ecademy (the online business networking site) members for advice on how best to deal with our freebie hunter issue. 'An occupational hazard for small and medium sized businesses', says one member. He's not kidding. Today, all the enquiries were coming from Ireland. A quick check of Google Analytics revealed that, yes, we were being listed by an Irish site called couponmaster.ie. The thing is that the enquiries all sound very genuine and people have taken the time to explain their sensitive skin issue:

"My skin is very dry, but very sensitive also. After showering, my skin is tight and sore, and stings when I use moisturiser. I was hoping you could recommend one of your products for my skin, and was also hoping you could send me a sample before I buy?"

Says another:

"My skin used to be oily, but since having a baby it's been quite dry. I use Tisserand foam cleanser and Sante day and night creams, but they still contain perfume (although I think it's essential oils) and I really find it difficult to find a correct cream."

This last message reminds me that we have had quite a few enquiries of late from women who are experiencing problems with their skin during and after pregnancy. Another woman writes saying she has always had sensitive skin but that, during her current pregnancy, Nivea baby sun lotion has caused an outbreak of urticaria (an itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to anything from food to sunlight to prescription drugs). She is now finding it impossible to use anything on her skin without further irritating it and is desperate to find some skincare and make-up products she can use before she goes to a number of weddings later in the year.

Having had a baby myself a couple of years ago, I can only say that Queen products are fabulous for both mother and baby. My lips were so dry during pregnancy and, even now, I can't go to sleep without slathering on Skin Cream (I have to have a pot by the bed and now always carry one around with me lest I forget to pack one when I go away for the night or on holiday. I can't stand waking in the night with dry lips which it is impossible not to lick thus making them even more dry). Enriched Moisturising Lotion was, and remains, a godsend for dry skin and to prevent or minimise stretch marks.

It was actually a client of ours that alerted me to the fact that our Medicated Cleansing Lotion makes an excellent baby lotion. Once we started using that instead of wipes or perfumed lotion, we had no more nappy rash and it's great, and so much more gentle, for cleaning a mucky face with than harsh, drying wipes.

Anyway, I do think that Queen for pregnant mums is definitely an angle we should pursue. There is clearly a need out there.

John Bell & Croyden was relatively busy this week when we went up to do our weekly promotion. Famous faces I didn't see (due to having gone to the toilet or nipped out for a sandwich) included Johnny Vaughn who was very chipper according to the staff. I did see Michael Portillo walking past the store wearing an extraordinary (and very scruffy) ensemble but that was about it.

A couple of women wafted past, saying 'Ah yes, Queen, I know it well. Lovely products, very good reputation.' We were unable to ascertain whether this meant they were Queen users or not. I like to think so.

Well, time is running out and there's things to do, like catch the last post.

Have a good weekend.

Genuinely sensitive skin? Do write in!

2008-07-25T16:55:00.001+01:00

As the temperature rises, we are still wading our way through the massive influx of emails which resulted from Queen being mentioned by a host of sites which list companies which offer free samples.

Having found ourselves unable to meet the demand and doubtful of the genuine nature of most of the requests, we have emailed as many people as we can asking them to give us more details about their skin so we can ensure they get the right samples.

As well as not wanting to ignore all the emails we received (whether or not they are freebie hunters, we also feel we should let people know what's going on and we do believe we generally have exceptional customer service!), this seemed a good way of identifying the truly genuine enquiries. It's good to know that there are some out there.

Writes one lady:

'Hi, I am still interested in your products and would love the chance to sample them to see if they would be ok with my skin.

'I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis that affects my face, around my ears and my scalp. I would be most grateful for any help you could offer.'

Another says:

'Dear Customer Service, I have sensitive skin which is combination in nature ( an oily T zone and dry everywhere else). I am allergic to AHA and all other related components but am fine with everything else as far as I know.'

and quite a few men have got back to us. Says one:

'Well I would say my skin is both oily and sensitive. I have found it hard to get something that's right for me as the wrong products do cause me to get spots or make me dry in certain areas.'

The skin conditions or issues mentioned in these three emails are fairly representative of the sorts of skin conditions Queen specialises in helping. Unfortunately, our profile is still so low that people are spending a lot of time and money buying products that don't work when Queen could have helped them all along! Hopefully, all that will change when we get a public relations programme up and running later this year.

We've just managed to get the late Friday orders packaged up. Every week, we get to 4pm and think we are in control. The post is all ready to go out, the pumps have been cleaned down and the stirrers turned off when a flurry of orders comes through. Fortunately, today's were mostly straightforward - our bestsellers such as Medicated Cleansing Lotion, Moisturiser, Sensiderma Day Cream and Enriched Moisturising Lotion. It's now 4.30pm so I am hoping that if we get any more orders they won't be needed before Tuesday.

I have to say that I am loving our new organic moisturiser. It's only at the trial stage but it really is amazing and I do have high hopes for it. It uses a combination of certified organic ingredients and ingredients which are approved for use by the Soil Association and Ecocert. We are working on an organic cleanser and a body lotion so that we will have a small, but perfectly-formed range. We would like to move towards a Soil Association accreditation for these products once we have finalised their formulations. There are not many ranges out there which offer organic products for sensitive skin. Most rely on essential oils and extracts making them far too highly perfumed for truly sensitive skin.

Not much else to report here really. A swarm of bees which appeared like a small, black cloud at the beginning of the week has finally gone. There are still a few bemused creatures flying around wondering where the rest have gone. Otherwise, the farm is looking beautiful - hanging baskets in full bloom, sheep, donkeys and horse grazing peacefully, a gently breeze rustling through the elderflower bushes. It's a shame that it's about 500 degrees up here in the office!

Oh, we've just put the Free Sample 'offer' back on the website so genuine enquiries please do apply.

Have a good weekend.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: Queen,organic products for sensitive skin,Sensiderma Day Cream,Enriched Moisturising Lotion,Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Moisturiser

Freebie freefall

2008-07-18T16:49:00.001+01:00

What a week. You may have noticed we hadn't posted last week. This was due to a complete collapse of our email system (and our nervous systems) as we were flooded with emails requesting free samples. Only used to a handful of these a day, the appearance in our inbox of hundreds and hundreds at a time was a huge shock. We were already having problems with our broadband service so normal business was proving difficult as it was.

I can't believe that the week before last I was bemoaning the fact that we get a small number of spurious-looking requests for free samples via the post. That was nothing compared to this onslaught. At first we were elated - something was driving all this marvellous traffic albeit not advertising or PR or any other marketing as we're not doing anything at the moment. The emails didn't look spurious, we mused. We were offering free samples via our website and have done so since the site was launched at the beginning of the year and these people had all clearly been to the site and followed the instructions as to how to get hold of a free sample of Light Night Cream or Sensiderma Day Cream.

We were scratching our heads about was how they had found us, nestling sleepily in the world wide web backwaters as we do. Thank goodness for good old Google Analytics. Once normal internet service had been restored, I immediately went to the referring site section and discovered to my horror that we'd been listed on a whole host of sites advertising companies which give away freebies. The main one was called magicfreebiesuk.co.uk. I have no idea how they came upon us. To their credit, they did say that genuine enquirors only should apply.

The thing is how do we tell which are genuine, by which I mean have sensitive skin. We literally cannot cope with this volume of demand. As a tiny three-man (well, one man, two women) band, we are barely able to keep up with normal demand. We don't hold lots of stock - we make all the products regularly and in small batches - and we don't hold lots of packaging (the mini jars we need, jiffy bags, foam wrap etc etc) as we don't have the space. In addition, the postal costs would bankrupt us. Yet, we do want to reach genuine customers.

Our current gameplan - such that it is - is to keep plodding through the requests and send out as many as we can without normal business grinding to a halt. I have, however, had to email many people saying we just can't send out samples at the moment. As a gesture of goodwill, we have offered a discount on any orders and we are happy to supply alternative products if someone can email us back with a little bit more information about their skin.

In the meantime, I have had to take down the free sample offers from the website until we can get things under control. It's a real shame as this has been a regular source of bona fide customers for us. If anyone has any ideas as to how we can resume this service without falling prey to freebie hunters, I would be grateful to hear them.

This aside, it's been a good couple of weeks. Sales at John Bell & Croyden have been great and we have had lots of new customers via our online store www.queen-cosmetics.com.

Oh, just had to take a break to answer a call from a chap who has a client who wants to buy the domain names www.queen-cosmetics.co.uk and www.queen-cosmetics.net and would we object. Well, we realise we can't stop someone buying up domain names but why would they want them, especially when we hold the trade marks for Queen and Queen Cosmetics? All very odd. He wouldn't reveal who she was and what her business was so it is all rather bemusing.

Are dark forces at work, we are beginning to wonder or are we just being paranoid?! I hate to think what it must be like if you're running a multi-national. It's hard enough keeping a small, family-run business free from attack!

I am off to lie down with a cold flannel over my head.

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: www.queen-cosmetics.com,www.queen-cosmetics.co.uk,Sensiderma Day Cream,Light Night Cream,sensitive skin

Organic products for sensitive skin coming soon

2008-07-04T16:44:00.001+01:00

Great drama here at our bucolic HQ this week. I arrived on Monday to find a fire engine, firemen and various employees of the businesses based here turfing cardboard boxes into the courtyard while smoke poured out of the roof of one of the units.

The farm owners were looking on with ashen (no pun intended) faces, clearly concerned that not only was one unit going to go up in flames but that the rest would follow.

Not wishing to get in the way but desperate to know what was happening (and to ascertain whether Queen was in any danger and I whether I should therefore stop gawping and start heading across the fields with vats of lipstick, moisturisers and cleansers), I asked as casually at possible what had happened.

"Boxes piled too high and caught fire from a light bulb," was the reply from the owner's son as he dashed past with a fire extinguisher.

Once the 'blaze' was under control and people started to gossip, we found out that it was The Tiny Box Company whose boxes (of boxes - are you with me?) had been set alight, packed as they were up to the ceiling in a far too tiny space. Fortunately, they didn't lose too much stock but the farm is now dotted with piles of boxes airing in the sunshine.

The rest of the week has been rather less dramatic. We have been busy perfecting formulations of our new organic range which we hope to launch in a few months. It's been quite difficult to make the products without relying on the essential oils, essences and perfumes that most ranges use. We want to stick to our philosophy of using as few ingredients as possible and for making the products perfume and fragrance free. We think we now have a really lovely product and hope that it will be the answer for sensitive skins who prefer to use natural ingredients. I want to call it OrganiQ with a little crown over the Q like our main Queen logo but I need to do some research as the name is bound to be taken.

Elsewhere, compliments on Queen products continue to come in as our reputation spreads (I want to say 'like wildfire' but that seems a bit tactless). Says one lady:

"For some years a small patch of skin on my face near the hairline has been flaky and very rough, but with using your day cream Moisturiser, it has now healed and I have great hopes it will not return."

She ends: "Long may Queen exist!" A sentiment echoed by all of us here!

A lovely woman who bought some samples a few weeks ago came in to buy full sizes of Moisturiser, Light Night Cream, Medicated Cleansing Lotion and Non-Alcoholic Toning Lotion. She was full of praise: "I just love the products and can't believe how good my skin feels."

She was holding a lovely red handbag which I admired and which she said was from a new shop opened locally by a friend of hers. Of course, I thrust some brochures in her hand exhorting her to tell her friend how marvellous Queen products were and that she should stock them in her shop. Well, in these difficult economic times, one must take every opportunity to spread the word...

At the other end of the spectrum are people who keep writing to us requesting samples with no intention of buying or just sending us mad, rambling letters. We are happy to send free samples. We make this clear on our website - current free samples for your information are: Sensiderma Day Moisturiser and Light Night Cream and, if people telephone us, we are always pleased to discuss what products might be right for them and to send them samples free of charge. A letter scribbled on half of an old envelope arrived today in a familiar hand:

"I would like to try again free samples of Queen anti-wrinkle cream, Non Alcholic-Toning Lotion, Sensiderma Rich Hand Cream, Sensiderma Cold Cream and Eyelash Cream. I would like to try it. Please, please send send it to me please!"

I suppose at least this person is honest and says 'try again' and maybe she thinks we will be flattered by her interest. Sadly, we can't afford to send out what would amount to more than £10 worth of samples on a regular basis!

Well, we have to get the orders up to the post office so had better get on. No time to tell you about this week's John Bell & Croyden visit. There were no celebrities yet again so you're not missing too much.

Come back soon.

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,sensitive skin,sensiderma,light night cream,non-alcoholic toning lotion,free samples

Soothe chicken pox with Queen Skin Cream!

2008-06-20T15:46:00.001+01:00

I am just mopping the sweat from my brow following the resolution of this Friday's drama. Mid-morning I found I was unable to access the website of the company which hosts Queen's online store and which provides the shopping cart system. This meant I couldn't update the site, process any online orders and, I subsequently discovered after a couple of irate emails, it also meant no-one else was able to access the site.

After a few moments of picturing the worst - the company (well-respected and with a fabulous service 99.9% of the time) had gone under, taking www.queen-cosmetics.com with it being one of my wilder imaginings - I managed to get my hyperventilation under control and phone them to discover it was a 'technical difficulty and engineers were working on it'. Fortunately, everything has just come back online so I am having a restorative cup of tea and writing this.

This aside, it has been a relatively quiet week which has not been unwelcome given I've just got back from a week's holiday which always disorientates me for a bit. I never knew you got mosquitos in Italy so we were all completely unprepared. I don't seem to be of interest to your average mosquito but everyone else was mauled, including or at least we thought, my two-year old son. Thinking he had been bitten, we were slathering him in citronella and spraying his room with foul-smelling insect repellent only to discover on our return that he's actually got chicken pox.

Fortunately, he doesn't seem to have been bothered by them at all and frequent applications of Queen Skin Cream have prevented or soothed itchiness which means he hopefully won't have any long-term scarring. We did feel a bit silly having assured everyone in the check-in queue that 'oh no, it's nothing nasty, just a few bites' when clearly they all knew it was a rampant case of the pox!

I have spent a bit of time this week perusing the results to date of our online sensitive skin survey, the aim of which is to tell us a bit more about who is visiting our site and what exactly they are looking for. The findings are not particularly radical, rather they confirm what we believe to be the characteristics of our customer base and what we know about our mail-order customers.

Some 61% of those who've taken the survey say they suffer from sensitivity to perfume or other common cosmetic ingredients while 17% have rosacea and 17% very dry skin. In terms of age, 60% are between 45-65, 24% between 30-45 and 16% between 20-30. As for which factors make them choose one brand over another, 76% say the products must be perfume-free or specifically for sensitive skin. Price is also important (48% ticked this box) as is the endorsement of friends and family (28%). Despite the millions that are spent by cosmetics companies on packaging, only 4% claimed this was important to them. That's a relief! Not that Queen doesn't care about packaging but we don't think it's right that a huge percentage of the retail price is due to unnecessarily fancy jars or bottles.

If you have 60 seconds (that's all it takes, I promise) to fill in our survey, please click here.

We haven't been up to John Bell & Croyden, Queen's main London stockist, for a week or so so I am unable to report on whether the great and good have been out shopping in the West End or whether stocks of Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream, Medicated Cleansing Lotion and Moisturiser have continued to be snapped up. I do hope so!

I reported the week before last that Light Night Cream was becoming increasingly popular and this has continued. It is my favourite (along with Enriched Moisturising Lotion) and I slap it on day and night. My skin can be very dry and tight when I wake up but gets gradually greasier throughout the day. Before using Queen, I used to smother my face in a thick cream first thing in the morning in order to get some relief from the dry tight feeling. This would mean my skin was horribly shiny and my make-up had mostly disappeared by lunchtime. Light Night Cream is amazing - it is light, as the name suggests, and isn't at all greasy. Yet, somehow it manages to leave my skin feeling moisturised while regulating the oiliness. As a customer whose husband has just started using the cream said: 'It's the first time in 20 years that he hasn't left his face on the pillow when he's woken up!' Not the most attractive image, I appreciate, but I think it says it all.

Another convert has just emailed having used up her sample of Light Night Cream, saying: 'Please can I order some Light Night Cream. I just love it.' Actually, this has prompted me to make it our free sample 'Product of the Month'. I am going to do it NOW so get emailing and your free sample night cream will wing its way to you in no time.

Have a good weekend and keep away from spotty children at airline check-ins!

Technorati Tags: Skin Cream,Queen Cosmetics,Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Theatrical Cleansing Cream,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Sensitive skin survey,free sample night cream,Light Night Cream,perfume-free

Queen plays the long game (and plugs our marvellous Massage Cream for sensitive skin)

2008-06-06T16:30:00.001+01:00

It's been a funny old week here at the (converted) pig farm. Online sales at www.queen-cosmetics.com have been very slow but we've had all sorts of new customers popping up, including one who had received a sample of one of our products back in November 2004. Talk about a slow burn....

'Do you still sell your Massage Cream' said the email from a London-based Osteopath. Among our products for therapists (be they beauty therapists, chiropodists, osteopaths etc) is a perfume-free massage cream. It really is the business for anyone doing any sort of massage as part of their job because it is solid until it touches the skin when it melts. No more oil on your carpet or over your clients' clothes. Because it has no perfume it doesn't irritate the skin -therapist's or client's - so is ideal for those with sensitive skin and, a superficial point maybe, it doesn't clash with any other scent or perfume your client may be wearing. Furthermore, (sorry about what is turning into an advert for Massage Cream) it disappears into the skin by the time the massage treatment is finished so no greasy, oily feeling for the rest of the day.

When the email arrived, I was on the blower to another osteopath, our friends the Forest Row Osteopathic Clinic, who order 'bucketloads' (their words) of Massage Cream. 'Tell him its the best stuff ever,' they said. So I did. And he ordered!

It makes you think though. It often seems as though a lot of one's marketing effort is for nothing. Letters, emails and samples go off into the ether and you hear nothing back. Then, suddenly you get an order or some great feedback. Today, a lady who had requested and received a brochure seven months ago placed her first order. Fantastic but why has it taken so long? Another woman emailed to say she loved one of our day creams. I had given up on her because, some weeks ago, she had said she wasn't interested because the cream didn't contain a sunscreen. Never surrender is going to be the new Queen motto. That and 'we'll get you in the end!'

I only hope we can build the sort of relationships we have with our longstanding customers with our new ones. A wonderful lady called today to order some face powder. 'I need more than usual because I am using it on my sister too,' she said. She revealed that she was 82 and had started using the products when she was between 25-30. 'I was a booker for the BBC and all my colleagues used Queen,' she told me. She went on to tell me about all the exotic places she had been to, including Honolulu and Australia where she had been three times. What a life! I mentioned that perhaps she should write down all her experiences, including life during the Blitz in Portsmouth and her various travels. 'I did write something a few years ago and asked my son to type it up so I could send it to the BBC archives for posterity. He lost it all and my eyes are too bad to do it again'. I can't bear it that all her wonderful memories are not being recorded. Who knows what the internet will look like in 50 years but let's hope all our blogs may be preserved somewhere for future generations (of our own families at least!) to read.

This is completely random but did you know that sheep 'kneel' on their front legs to graze? I never knew this until I came here and was just reminded on it a moment ago when I glanced out of the window.

Er, where was I?

Our local notoriety grows. I mentioned some months ago that a local businesswoman had started using Queen make-up. She then recommended us to her daughter then to one of her friends who lives in the road where we are based. Her friend recommended us to her husband who came in yesterday to buy his second lot of Light Night Cream. The friend (are you keeping up?) came in herself today with another friend, both of who left happily clutching mascaras, Moisturiser and Enriched Moisturising Lotion. And the original customer, the local businesswoman, ordered this morning. 'That's our first order before 7am', our MD said (she had caught him as he cycled to his local village shop for much-needed coffee supplies).

This behaviour just underlines the fact that third party endorsement is the most powerful marketing tool. If WE were to invite local people to come and see us and sample our products, no-one would come (people don't tend to buy cosmetics on the basis that they are local - it doesn't have the same appeal or cachet as local lamb or local wine) but if a friend tells you something is worth looking at, you do.

Right, well, we are off on our hols for a week so our next blog will be a bit late. I thought I would finish with another lovely comment we had this week via email:

'I have been waiting to write to you until I had properly tried the QUEEN samples you so kindly gave me. I am very, very impressed and thank you for introducing me to such beautiful products. No more Crowes Cremine for me! I can see myself becoming a devotee to your brand.'

More of the same please.....

Have a good week.

Technorati Tags: massage cream for sensitive skin,queen cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Light Night Cream,Moisturiser,Enriched Moisturising Lotion,third-party endorsement,Crowes Cremine

Snail serum for sensitive skin anyone?

2008-05-30T15:18:00.001+01:00

I was perusing the newspaper over lunch and saw an extraordinary article about the latest anti-ageing creams. They really are getting increasingly bizarre. The latest bonkers ingredients which are claimed to banish wrinkles and lines include: bee mucus extract and a gene found in nectar; placental proteins; cow's first milk or colostrum; extract of purified snail slime; and even crystals extracted from seminal fluid.

One of the products mentioned contains snake venom peptide. This is Syence Skin Care's Snake Venom Memory Cream. Syence has a stand next to Queen in John Bell & Croyden in Wigmore Street so we know the company well. Their cream costs a whopping £180 a pop. And yes, people do buy it. I can't say whether it works or not as I don't get close enough to the customers to be able to tell but presumably there are those who do believe it does.

Our creams and lotions are positively pedestrian in comparison. I don't know whether extract of snail or seminal fluid would irritate sensitive skin and I can't imagine we will ever find out. Even a product name change causes ructions among Queen customers so the introduction of Queen Boiled Pig's Trotter Eye Serum (we are based on a converted pig farm) will have to wait.

Pedestrian or not, Queen products are still finding new fans. This week, like last, has seen lots of new customers graduate to buying full-size products having tried free samples. And word is spreading. An Italian lady writes:

"A friend of mine was given a sample few weeks ago while shopping in John Bell & Croyden at Wigmore Street in London of both Queen Rich Cleanser and Sensiderma Moisturiser. Well, I have to admit she is full of excitement and admiration since she tried so much herself which did not work."

I do like the idea of people being full of admiration and excitement having used our products. Could that be a new strap line for us? Queen - fills you full of admiration and excitement. Hmm, it could work.

Sadly, not everyone has this joyful reaction. One lady, who had requested a free sample and then had, for reasons we don't understand, been charged £1.53 in excess postage and handling fees (despite the package being small enough to fit through the letterbox the postman had not seen fit to deliver it so the lady had to go to her nearest sorting office) was furious with us. She wrote: "Needless to say I am not at all happy about this and would appreciate a reimbursement. I hope this is not normal practice as it does not give a good initial impression of your firm." Ouch! We did, of course, offer her a reimbursement and, in the event she chooses to have anything to do with us again, a discount but I have not yet heard back from her.

This week's stint at John Bell & Croyden was good fun. There were lots of gaps on the Queen shelves which always puts me in a good mood (as long as there are some stocks to replenish supplies). Sir Terry Wogan had been in and there had been lots of good natured chat about the Eurovision Song Contest and what a load of rubbish it was. Of course, I missed him and there were no other celebrities on my shift. Typical!

I did meet a very nice woman who owns a perfumery (Perfumeria Sonia) in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. She seemed very interested in Queen and the idea of speciality beauty products for sensitive skin so perhaps she might become a stockist. Another lady who is setting up a cosmetics' website also listened while I wittered on about Queen and disabused her of the various silly scare stories perpetuated by some companies and journalists. A wonderful Marlene Dietrich impersonator also wandered by so I distracted her from the Vichy counter to have a chat. She is a part-time entertainer. I didn't get her name but gave her the details of the comic impresario I met a few months ago, Hils Jago, in a bid to demonstrate how well connected I am.

Good news for John Bell is that the Public Relations consultants Citigate Dewe Rogerson who represent John Bell's parent company Lloyds Pharmacy have been drafted in to do some public relations for the store. It really is a fabulous place - full of all sorts of products you won't find anywhere else - but it really doesn't have the profile it should have.

My final triumph of the day was to recommend to the horse-racing enthusiasts that they have a (small) each way bet on Dame Judi Dench's horse Smokey Oakey which was running that evening at Sandown. It won at 20/1 so my street cred should be very high when I go in next week. Perhaps the staff will be so pleased they will work extra hard to promote Queen.

Oh, before I forget, I have just added a survey on our website in order to find out more about the people who visit our site. If you have a spare 90 seconds (it won't take any longer, I promise), please do check it out here or visit our site at www.queen-cosmetics.com. You will receive a 10% discount on your next Queen order. What an incentive!

Time to dispatch the orders.

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,Queen Rich Cleanser,Sensiderma Moisturiser,John Bell & Croyden,Queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,beauty products for sensitive skin,beauty products

Free samples for sensitive skin

2008-05-23T15:15:00.001+01:00

Despite building works at our farm HQ which led to me ripping the front bumper off my car (I got lodged on a boulder as I tried to get out of the way of two huge lorries which were careening down the small private road where the farm is based), it has been an encouraging week at Queen with a higher-than-usual number of new customers joining our band of followers.

Due to the fact that, until recently, we had done little or no marketing or promotional activity, we have a loyal and longstanding customer base whom we know well, so well that many will 'phone up saying 'hello, it's X and I'd like my usual'. I confess this does sometimes leave us scrambling through our records to discover what the 'usual' might be but, for the most part, we do tend to have a good idea.

Just as with our promotional work at our stockists such as John Bell & Croyden, it has been sampling which has proved the best method for converting interest generated by our recent marketing programme into sales. It is hardly surprising that women with sensitive skin want to try new products before they buy so we do make free samples available. On our website www.queen-cosmetics.com, we have a 'Product of the Month' (currently our luxurious Sensiderma Rich Cleanser for very dry or mature skin should you be interested!) which is available to sample free of charge and we hand out samples of some of our best-selling products such as Queen Moisturiser & Medicated Cleansing Lotion every Thursday at John Bell (so do get yourself down there if you can!).

John Bell & Croyden was much busier this Thursday and, with many staff members off sick, promotional 'independents' such as myself were drawn into directing and advising customers which of course offered further opportunity to ply them with Queen samples and to bend their ears with my sales patter. I met a very nice lady called Caroline Pyecroft who runs an agency for make-up artists. She made some helpful comments and said she would look into getting some Queen samples to her clients who would then trial them in their TV, film and magazine work. As per usual, I extolled the virtues of our Theatrical Cleansing Cream which was designed for removing stage make-up. Another woman commented on our packaging and said that it had caught her eye whilst she was browsing (and that was before I had buttonholed her).

A delightful lady from Dublin introduced me to her daughter who said her name was Paula Keogh and that she was an actress who had appeared in Eastenders in a 'minor role'. I didn't confess that I never watch the programme and am now thinking perhaps I should change my ways and tune in.

Our Summer mail-out continues, somewhat stalled by the fact we have run out of brochure and our new ones have not yet arrived. We have asked our customers to let us know if they are interested in our anti-wrinkle cream which is currently undergoing trials and the answer seems to be a resounding 'yes'. One customer called to say that she has always got away with saying that she is 10 years younger than she really is but that someone had recently guessed her real age. 'It was quite a shock,' she said. 'I have decided that the skin around my eyes looks like a rhino's skin and I have to do something about it.' I promised that I would rush her a sample of our anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin as soon as we go into production.

Having just visited the hygienist at my dental surgery, I thought I ought to pass on what I had learned about keeping teeth in pristine condition. Apparently, the four culprits for staining teeth are smoking, coffee, tea and red wine. I am not guilty of indulging in the first two so it must be all the green tea I drink. Oh, and the red wine! Fortunately, with summer on the way (or here already?) I can start to cut down on the hot drinks, up my water intake and switch to refreshing white wine. I must also invest in an electric toothbrush so any advice on the best one is gratefully received.

Time marches on and we have orders to despatch. Have a good weekend and an enjoyable bank holiday.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,free samples,Medicated cleansing lotion,Theatrical Cleansing Lotion,Queen Cosmetics,Sensiderma Rich Cleanser,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin,www.queen-cosmetics.com

Never used a moisturiser? Lucky you!

2008-05-16T16:00:00.001+01:00

One of our longstanding and regular customers, a beauty therapist, has just called to place an order - a rather bigger one than usual which is obviously good news for us! Business must be good, I commented. 'Yes', she said, 'I've got quite a few new customers. Amazingly, a couple of them have never used a moisturiser before so I have, of course, recommended Queen.' She went on to say that both women were under 50 but had never had a skin care routine. 'And they couldn't understand why their skin was feeling dry.' I asked if they had great skin apart from a bit of dryness. 'Oh no, their skin was dull, lifeless and rough. Awful!'

I always find it astounding - but actually rather refreshing - that, despite being bombarded by beauty product advertising and endless column inches discussing the relative merits of everything from lip-plumping serums to skin lightening creams, there are people out there who know nothing about skin care. Good for them, I say. I suspect the reason is that they are just lucky. They've never suffered from the ills that plague most of us so have never had to take an interest. The thing is that they are so behind the curve when they do need to take action, that they don't know where to start. In the case of these two women, Queen Moisturiser will sort them out.

Another of our clients is also having a good week. Reanimator Management, a theatrical agency, is thrilled that six of its clients, all of whom are trained dancers, have won parts in the latest West End show 'Never Forget' at the Savoy Theatre in the Strand. Reanimator sends all of their clients a box of Queen goodies on their opening night so we will be dispatching six boxes (made from recycled card from our neighbours The Tiny Box Company) to arrive on Wednesday. The girls get a Theatrical Cleansing Cream, a Queen Soap and a Moisturiser and the boys a Shampoo, Medicated Cleansing Lotion, a soap and an assortment of minis. Because they are designed for sensitive skin and have no perfume, Queen products are ideal for performers who have to take off thick stage make-up, often a number of times a day. They are gentle enough for even the most sensitive or dry skin and won't stress or dehydrate.

Break a leg, as they say!

Yesterday's trip to John Bell & Croyden, Queen's major London stockist, started somewhat painfully. Due to bad traffic, the station car park was choc-a-bloc. Eventually locating the last space, I just about made the train but was faced with bus problems at Victoria which meant I was an hour late arriving at the store. Fortunately, this wasn't too much of an issue as customers were few and far between with gray skies and showers blamed for keeping people away.

Nevertheless, I did manage to buttonhole a good number of women. One was perusing the Ponds products when I thrust some Queen samples in to her hands. She gasped with surprise saying she had used the range many years ago. She promised to 'come back' the Queen once she had exhausted her current stocks of various other brands. I will be looking out for her! Another revealed she used to live in a village near Queen's East Grinstead HQ. She confessed to being a racing fan - a topic close to my heart - and to having spent quite a bit of time at school gazing out of the window at Lingfield racetrack. When I named the school, she looked quite shocked. I told her I wasn't psychic but that my daughter had gone to the same school although in her day you definitely couldn't see the racetrack.

No star spots again, unfortunately. Regular John Bell customer Roger Moore had been in the previous day but no such luck today.

Well, we must get on with our mail-out and with filling Moisturisers. Our 100g jars did eventually appear so it's all hands to the pump (literally).

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,theatrical cleansing cream,medicated cleansing lotion,stage make-up,Queen Soap,John Bell & Croyden,dry skin,beauty products for sensitive skin

A hot hive of activity

2008-05-09T17:11:00.001+01:00

Bank holidays usually mean we are deluged by a backlog of mail (we have a freepost address which goes to a PO Box) mid-way through the week which then sends us into panic. Sure enough, this proved to be the case following the May bank holiday. While Tuesday and Wednesday were relatively quiet, Thursday and today have brought a flurry of responses to our current mail-out. What with the heat and activity, it has been a rather sweaty day and I am only just able to sit down and write my weekly missive!

We mail our customers three times a year with news and special offers. I always find it interesting that the majority of customers do not take advantage of the special offers but that the letter they receive serves to prompt them to place their usual orders. It is as if the mail-out reminds them that oh yes, they need to replenish their stocks. Perhaps this is an accepted response/behaviour and direct mail experts would be nodding their heads sagely.

Today's panic has been further heightened by a lack of packaging. We were poised to fill some new batches of Moisturiser and Sensiderma Cold Cream this morning but have been scuppered by the fact that the 100g jars we expected to arrive yesterday or first thing today have gone AWOL. We've just had a call from a company on the other side of town saying they've received a box of lids labelled Queen. This doesn't bode well. The jars are nowhere to be found and the lids are languishing at a completely different company. We have been desperately hunting down stray empty 100g jars to get this afternoon's orders out.

This balmy summer weather (I do hope you took note of my tips last week to get skin ready for summer clothes) is just amazing and puts everyone in a good mood, from the chap who delivers our stationery to our customers who, it has to be said, are generally very good humoured. I have just put the 'phone down to a lady who called to place her usual order of two 100g Moisturisers (fingers crossed the jars arrive on Monday).

"I think there is something wrong with me,' she revealed. 'Every sunny morning this week, I can think of nothing else but getting washing on the line. I'm ripping clothes off my family's backs. Even the dog isn't safe."

When I said that I'd been listening to callers to radio station LBC extolling the virtues of ironing and surely that was rather more worrying she had to admit that she never let anyone else touch her ironing. "I like to do it my way." As the old adage goes, there's nowt so queer as folk.

Following a visit two weeks ago from a very nice lady who lives up the road from Queen's farm HQ, her husband came to see us today. "My wife has sent me down here to buy some cream. What do you recommend?" He told us he uses an anti-wrinkle cream and his skin did look amazing - very smooth and youthful. I cheekily asked him how old he was and was amazed at his response. Incredible! We have been trialling an anti-wrinkle cream for the last few months so we sent him off with a sample. I just hope it keeps him looking as good as he does at the moment.

It was a timely visit as we had just been reading about a well known actress who we know lives locally. There was a photo and a glowing report about her in Baz Bamigboye's column in the Daily Mail today. We have long wanted to get in touch with her to give her a sample of our Theatrical Cleansing Cream. I asked our visitor if he knew her. He said yes and that he would alert her to our existence and give her a brochure on our behalf. It would be great to meet her and see if she would be willing to try the products. She is due to appear in theatre this summer so Queen Theatrical would be ideal.

This week's John Bell & Croyden visit was enjoyable. I have given two of the girls who work there some samples and they have promised to try them, having complained that they can't find anything to suit them. I warned them that I would be able to tell and would be watching for them developing what I call the Queen glow. It would be good if they do get on with the products as I will be able to point to them as living examples of what you can look like when you use Queen.

Of the women I spoke to, at least 20 said they considered themselves to have sensitive skin. As usually happens, I was in the stockroom or grovelling in the warehouse whenever someone actually bought a product. I have come to the conclusion that not being on the shop floor is a sure fire way to ensure a Queen customer will come in.

I didn't do well on the celebrity spots. Jonathan Meades came in apparently but I couldn't see him. I do like his writing and television programmes and know he is a fan of Rodez in the Aveyron region of France where I have spent quite a lot of time. Someone said that Yoko Ono was in the store but I can't believe it was her. I must check the news to see if she has been in London this week....

Have a good weekend and enjoy the sunshine (sensitive skins take care though).

Time to face up to summer

2008-05-02T14:27:00.001+01:00

I know the weather forecasters gave us a few days notice last week that Saturday was going to be a nice day but I didn't really believe it until it dawned warm and bright. With friends arriving at lunchtime, I was faced with the dilemma of do i attempt a rush-job of hair removal, moisturising, self-tanning and toenail painting to enable me to wear something vaguely summery or do i remain concealed under trousers and shoes (with a t-shirt as a small concession to the heat). I am afraid to say I chose the latter.

This is naughty as last month Queen published a guide to getting sensitive skin ready for summer. It was a call to arms - start strimming, moisturising and buffing NOW and, when those first few nice days start to appear, you can smugly reveal that you are in perfect shape. Its a shame I didn't heed our own advice.

So, for those of you, like me, who haven't started facing up to the fact that summer may just be on its way, I am going to reiterate some of these tips in an effort to galvanize us into action.

Queen's Seven Summer Survival Tips for Sensitive Skin

1) Start NOW
Start the routine below now to give yourself a good eight week head-start before summer really arrives. Not only does poor winter skin need time to get over its weeks of neglect but also it is better that you find a routine which works for you now rather than suffering an adverse reaction when you assault your skin two days before your holiday or that lovely summer wedding.

2) Hair-removal - find a method that works for you NOW
Hair removal can cause problems for the hardiest of skins so if you have sensitive skin do make sure you know which method is least likely to send your skin into overdrive. Shaving may be the best option as it is not too stressful for skin - before shaving, work up a good foam from a soap or other product you know does not cause your skin to react.

3) Gentle buffing
Sensitive skin should not be subjected to harsh exfoliators but it is good to try and get rid of dead, dull skin. Even a soft flannel will do or, if you are feeling adventurous, a handful of oats (the type you get for porridge!). Moisten the oats and rub gently over your body. Yes, it is messy (you could wrap them in a muslin) but you can shower them off.

4) Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise
If you are not already doing so to keep winter dryness, flakiness and itching at bay, start moisturising NOW. After your morning shower, massage in as much lotion as you can, concentrating on dry, problem areas such as feet, elbows and shins. Let the lotion sink in before getting dressed.

5) Pay attention to your feet
Heels, ankles and even the tops of feet can look dry, scaly and generally rather unappealing after a winter of thick socks and boots. If your skin can tolerate a pumice stone, use it gently on those areas where skin is thick and dry. Afterwards, rub in a super-thick footcream or other cream for very dry skin. Let it sink in before dressing. Before you go to bed, massage in more cream so that it can work while you sleep. Ensure that you massage the cream into and around your nails to prepare them for nail varnish. Painting your toenails will give your feet an instant lift. Doing it ahead of time means you can take your time and make sure they look perfect. Choose a pale pink or neutral colour to avoid staining and to make removal or touch-ups easier.

6) Fake it
So, the sun is here and you are in the lucky position of being able to reveal your lovingly prepared limbs. If you are not able to use fake tans, add a bit of colour by mixing some of your favourite foundation with your moisturiser and smoothing it all over your skin. Or, keep skin pale but glossy with extra lashings of body lotion.

7) Take great care in the sun
If you skin can tolerate a sunscreen, use products which contain one or use a suntan lotion under your make-up. Try and keep out of direct sun and cover up if you must go out in the heat of the day.

This week's trip to John Bell & Croyden was a boost to morale as sales have continued to be good while other reps were complaining that sales of their products have been subdued. While I was there, two regular customers came in and headed straight for Queen and a lady who said she worked in the fashion industry made a beeline for me to tell me that she had tried the samples I gave her and thought the products were excellent. She is exhibiting at The Luxury Fair in Chelsea in mid-May and said she would do a little bit of promotion on Queen's behalf while she was there.

Again, there were no famous faces this week. Perhaps I should swap days at Thursdays have been very dry on this front for nearly a month now. One of the staff did mutter something about a member of Monty Python but I didn't recognise him and I like to think I know my stuff! There were instead lots of international customers who are always charming.

Back at the farm, I found a very nice email from a regular client. Last month she wrote to say that she didn't like the new handcream packaging (more about our packaging trials in future blogs) but this time the subject line of her email read 'lovely cream!'.

"Having complained about the new handcream some time ago, I feel I should also write and tell you how pleased I am with the rich Skin Cream. After a sudden flare up of eczema on my face (this is new!) I used the cream and it has been really helpful, calming both the redness and the itch. Also, the Eyelash Cream was so nice that I have got some for a friend as a present! Thank you again."

What a nice way to end the week.

Come back next week please!

Word of mouth does us the power of good

2008-04-25T14:59:00.001+01:00

del.icio.us Tags: sensitive skin

Before Queen Cosmetics dipped its toe (delicately) into the murky waters of marketing and advertising some 18 months ago, our traditional means of reaching new customers was via word of mouth. This does remain one of the the most powerful ways of gaining new clients. If a friend looks good, you want to know how they've done it. And if that friend has always had rather sensitive or problem skin, you want to know how they suddenly look so radiant!

We operate from a farm which is located on a private road with lots of large detached houses. There is no sign on the road to indicate the different businesses working from the farm 'estate' so it is not a surprise that inhabitants of the road don't know we're here. A recent new customer who lives in a nearby village has been spreading the word about Queen, however, and it seems she has worked her magic on our 'neighbours'. "I can't believe you're here. I've lived in this road for 21 years and had no idea," a lady telephoned in. "Can I come down and try some products. I'm desperate to find a range to suit me."

She spent an enjoyable half an hour hearing about the range and bought lots of samples, including for her daughter. "I can't wait to try them. My friend looks so wonderful, I just had to know what she's using. I will let all my other friends know about you." Fingers crossed she likes them as she would be a fabulous advert for the range - attractive, fun, bubbly and engaging.

Another friend of Queen, a local osteopath who uses our Theatrical Cleansing Cream as a massage cream (it does a great job and is fabulous for any kind of osteopathic or other therapy which involves deep tissue massage as it is solid until contact with the skin when it melts - this saves on wasted oil and on stains on clothes and flooring and, because it is perfume-free, it is suitable for use on all clients) is also proving a wonderful PR agent for us. This week alone, she has recommended the products to three of her clients. Being very discreet, she only mentions them if her patients bring up the subject of sensitive skin.

Yet another woman called this week because someone she met while walking her dog had recommended the products to her! Often, those people who have been recommended the products by friends don't even have sensitive skin but are looking for products which really do work.

So, it seems we need to find ways to encourage all of our clients to tell their friends. We have in the past suffered from a syndrome where some women don't want to tell their friends their 'secret' so perhaps we can incentivise them in some way.

We've had yet more emails this week from women who are really struggling to find skincare/make-up products for their sensitive skin.

Says a lady from Scotland:

" I am unable to find a skin care product I am not allergic to. I desperately need some moisturiser, especially around the eye area. I have now seen a dermatologist, who said I should try 'ointments' rather than creams as these tend to be 'cleaner' products, and there would be less chance of an allergic reaction. I am 44 and really want to look after my skin. The only thing I can put on my face is Weleda moisturiser, but this is very light and I don't really feel it is doing any good. I recently spent a small fortune on a range of Boots No' 7 products, but they agreed to give me a refund after a severe reaction to them."

From further correspondence with her, it seems she can use perfumed products with extracts and essential oils which is very unusual as these tend to be the key irritants for sensitive skin. I do hope we can find something to suit her.

And so to our weekly stint at John Bell & Croyden where Queen products are continuing to sell well and to gain new followers. Eye Make-up Remover, a lovely gentle product which removes even stubborn make-up and is suitable for the most sensitive eyes and contact-lens wearers, was the flavour of the day for some reason.

Many sales reps were complaining that it had been a quiet week. It was therefore even more pleasing that Queen products had been selling at a decent rate. I met a lovely actress called Georgina Hain who is apparently a regular John Bell customer. We had quite a long chat about the number of famous thespians she had worked with and about her work with a children's charity which necessitated a visit to Luxor in Egypt next week. Not one to miss an opportunity, I gave her some Queen samples and assured her that they would be very useful in all that heat.

Another interesting 'sampler' was a Mrs Macmyllan-Reid who now lives in Gstaad in Switzerland. She talked a lot about Oscar Wilde and the fact that she owns some of his old furniture. Perhaps she is related in some way to him! She said she would introduce the Queen range to what she considered suitable outlets in both London and Gstaad. We keep our fingers crossed.

At the end of the day, a lady came in looking for Crow's Cremine, a make-up remover which is no longer stocked in John Bell. We have gained many new customers due to the disappearance of Crow's as our Theatrical Cleansing Cream is an excellent substitute. The lady's name was Lyn Joesph who told me she runs a fashion PR company, the eponymous Lyn Joseph PR (www.lynjosephpr.com). She was very complimentary about the Queen packaging and the more I told her about the company, the more interested she became. Despite my best efforts, she didn't buy a Theatrical, preferring quite rightly to try her free samples first. I did encourage her to come back next week if she liked them. Again, my fingers are crossed. And perhaps she will tell all her friends (and beauty writers, journalists, fashionistas etc!). As US advertising guru William Bernbach said 'word of mouth is the best medium'.

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,theatrical cleansing cream,sensitive eyes,allergic reaction,eye make-up remover,queen cosmetics

Long live Queen!

2008-04-18T12:21:00.000+01:00

Our recent advertisements which have appeared in the national and trade press have led not only to new customers discovering Queen but to old customers coming back into the fold. The problem of having done little to no marketing for some 30 years is that clients who may have used the range many years ago – buying our beauty products for sensitive skin from small independent pharmacies which were subsequently swallowed up by the big chains – think we have gone out of business!

‘Are you the company which used to sell its products in a store in Wigmore Street in London?’ one lady asked yesterday. I told her that yes, we are and we still do sell our products in John Bell & Croyden. ‘I knew it,’ she said. ‘I used to work in the fashion business in London and a colleague of mine swore by your Suntan Lotion and used to make pilgrimages to John Bell & Croyden to buy bottles of it each summer.’ She was interested to try the products herself and was keen to pass on our details to a friend of hers who suffers with sensitive skin.

Another lady from Worksop in Nottinghamshire writes by email:

“I have just discovered (with pleasant surprise) that Queen cosmetics are still available. I won't bore you with a long story, but in 1947 I developed a very severe allergy to lipstick and was directed (by my doctor) to a chemist - Boutall's in Lambs Conduit St, London, where I became a sort of guinea pig. Eventually, Boutall's solved my problem by identifying the substance – Eosin – that I was allergic to. Unfortunately, the choice of lipstick colours available in those days, was very limited.

“Many years later, a few more cosmetic companies came on the scene, and I drifted from one to another and finally ended up with Almay. I am now finding it difficult to locate Almay, (I believe they have been acquired by an American company and I am, consequently 'lipstickless'). I am delighted to see your web page but do not find it easy to get a clear idea of the colours available. Would you be good enough to send me a colour chart so that I can place an order, which hopefully will answer my (desperate) need. Innoxa 22 was successful, but disappeared years ago. Boots No.7 range, Clinique and Dr.Hauschka do not work for me at all. I do have quite a problem.”

Far from being bored, we just love to hear these stories. Queen has an interesting history and it is great to hear from people who were part of this. The company was started in 1927 by three Harley Street dermatologists who, along with a pharmacist at Boutall’s (a pharmacy which had a branch in Southampton Row which overlooked Queen Square, hence the Queen name, and a branch in Lambs Conduit Street at the other end of Great Ormond Street) began to develop, and sell via the pharmacies, products for very sensitive skin. Boutall’s, in conjunction with the dermatologists, worked with clients to identify the substance(s) to which they were allergic and were able to recommend existing products or develop suitable new products. The forties and fifties were Queen’s heyday and the range had a large following among wealthy young women. Oh, that lady from Worksop has ordered her lipstick. We hope she doesn't stray again!

One of these young women was Raine Spencer, then the Countess of Devonshire (and who later on became Princess Diana’s stepmother). She has remained a loyal customer. In fact, she sent us a lovely note a few months ago, saying ‘I am such a fan of Queen. I have used it for over 30 years – the Foundation Cream, Skin Food and Eye Cream are essential. Thank you making creams really non-allergic.’ Skin Food was the old name for Skin Cream. It had to be changed when trading standards officials of the day said case people might think it really was a food!.

Back to the present day, it was time to visit John Bell to do our weekly promotional stint where we give out samples of products such as our Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion and Queen Moisturiser and tell unsuspecting shoppers about the range.

I was rather worried that the large consignment of products we sent up last week to fill the empty shelves might not have made its way onto the shop floor. I need not have worried. All the shelves were beautifully stocked and stacked. Despite having sold Queen Cosmetics skincare and make-up products through John Bell for 60 years, the range has for many years been bought by loyal, longstanding customers alone. With no advertising or PR to alert the uninitiated to the benefits of the range, new customers have come via word of mouth or luck. As a result, until two years ago the products didn’t really have their own shelf space but were kept in a special drawer. Now, however, all that has changed. With our recent promotional activities, sales are up by 50% on the year and now, not only do we have a decent amount of shelf space, but we have just been allocated a special cupboard for surplus stock! What can I say?! Previously, products would languish down in the cavernous warehouse where they were impossible to find. Irate customers would be told that the system showed stock was available but that no one could locate it. But not any more!

For the second week running, I was unable to spy any famous faces. What a shame. Still, with plenty of nice customers to chat to and Queen products selling well, I can’t complain.

Right, it is time to get the orders dispatched. We are frantically filling jars of Moisturiser and bottles of Medicated Cleansing Lotion as we have had a run on these and have had to make new batches.

Have a good weekend.

Selling like hotcakes

2008-04-11T11:46:00.000+01:00

We are in the midst of the usual end-of-week flurry of activity when everyone seems to want to order their Queen products, including one of our stockists John Bell & Croyden. We have had a number of John Bell customers calling the office this week to say/complain that the store - a large specialist pharmacy in London's Wigmore Street - was out of stock of sensitive skin essentials such as Medicated Cleansing Lotion, Theatrical Cleansing Cream and Queen Moisturiser. Finally, John Bell has ordered (delayed by a big stock taking or somesuch) and obviously they need the products yesterday. So much for Friday being a day for winding down.

The fact that we are in the middle of making new batches of Sensiderma Day Cream, Medicated Cleansing Lotion and our lovely gentle Shampoo (ideal for sore, itchy scalps and sufferers of seborrheic dermatitis etc) mean it's a bit hot and steamy down here at Bulrushes Farm, our Sussex headquarters.

Talking of the farm, there are some interesting businesses here. It's a mini 'industrial' estate except there's nothing very industrial about the horses, donkeys, foxes and pheasants that wander nonchalently around. In high summer, the farm is a profusion of hanging baskets which almost makes you think you are entering a UK-version of an agriturismo (those lovely Italian farms which double as or have been turned into hotels) when you drive up. The noise heralding the arrival of the sandwich van rather ruins this illusion at 11am. Some visitors this week thought it was an ice-cream van despite the sub-zero temperatures.

Just around the corner from us is a company called The Tiny Box Company www.tinyboxcompany.co.uk which sells all sorts of eco-friendly boxes/bags/packaging. All the cardboard and paper is re-cycled and we have started to buy all our gift boxes from them. They only opened in October but have clearly hit a nerve because they are run off their feet. I was talking to the founder, Rachel, the other day and discovered that she started the company because she was unable to find suitable boxes for the fairtrade jewellery she also sells. The company sells to the public as well as to other businesses and is well worth checking out if you are looking for ethical, stylish packaging.

Yesterday's weekly Thursday visit to John Bell was rather marred by the empty shelves although, yet again, I was able to use the gaps as proof that the products are selling like hotcakes! Sadly, there were no stars to be seen this week unless, of course, they were well disguised. Still, there were lots of interesting customers to talk to, including a lady who worked for gents' outfitters Brooks Brothers in Regent Street. I was telling her about one of our longstanding customers, the wife of the Chairman of Aquascutum, who looks about 35 and is a wonderful advert for Queen when the woman herself walked in (looking marvellous for her age and thus proving I do not exaggerate!). Annoyingly for her, the products she wanted were out of stock and I think, from talking to the girls on the cosmetics' counter, that it was her sister (another longstanding Queen customer) who had purloined the last of the items she wanted the previous day. Fortunately, they are both such devoted fans that they will make return trips once stocks are replenished.

We have had lots of nice comments about the range this week, including from John Bell customers who have had samples of the products or who buy Queen regularly from the store. One woman ordered two Theatrical Cleansing Creams saying 'your representative told me this was better than anything else I would try and he was right'. It just shows if you can get samples into people's hands you have a good chance of converting them.

Trials are still ongoing of our anti-wrinkle cream and our new cleanser made from safflower oil and we hope to be able to update you on these soon and to introduce them to the range in the not-too-distant future.

For now, it's back to the orders. For some reason, Sensiderma Gentle Toner is flavour of the day and our Kohl eye pencils for sensitive eyes are not far behind.

Until next week.

Buy your sensitive skin products online....or not

2008-04-04T15:24:00.000+01:00

It’s been a week of ups and downs at Queen Cosmetics. We were really pleased with our new ad which featured in magazines such as the Saturday Times Magazine at the weekend. The new artwork looks lovely and fresh (we think!) and the ad did stand out. The response too has been very pleasing with lots of women ‘phoning in or emailing for details, asking for advice and asking lots of questions about the range.

Many of the emails we have received are along the lines of this one from a lady in Lincolnshire: ‘I have very dry sensitive skin and the beauty products I have been buying have done no good whatsoever’. This does back up our belief that there really is a need for a good, tried and tested range of speciality products for sensitive skin and that there is room in the overcrowded cosmetics market for Queen. It is just a question of plugging away at getting the Queen name and our specialist beauty range for sensitive skin out there.

The next up came when we saw we had lots of orders via our online shop. The Sensiderma range – cleansers, toners, moisturisers for dry or mature sensitive skin – was very popular in addition to our make-up for sensitive skin. A down was soon to follow. As I excitedly clicked on each one to see what they had ordered, the message came up: ‘the customer quit the process before payment was made.' While this is not unusual once in a while, it did seem odd that none of the orders made it to the payment stage. I tried processing an order myself and quickly found the problem was the HSBC secure epayments site via which customers can pay for their products. The HSBC page just wouldn’t load.

I tried throughout the weekend with no luck. To have new customers visit the site, try to buy and find they can’t is the worst possible scenario and to have it coincide with the launch of our new ad campaign was devastating. I am sure that no one at work on Monday believed me and thought it was the Queen side of the site, for which I am responsible!

So, today I was mightily relieved when a letter arrived from the Group General Manager, Commercial Banking at HSBC saying: ‘The Secure ePayments gateway was unavailable to you from approximately 11.30 Friday 28 March until 07.30 Monday 31 March 2008……Please accept my profound apologies for this failure in our service and the impact on your business.’

Further consolation is that some of the ‘lost’ customers have re-visited and finalised their orders this week but some haven’t, perhaps put off by our seemingly hopeless system. We keep our fingers crossed they may give us a another chance!

We also ran an ad in trade publication ‘The Pharmacist’ magazine with a view to increasing the number of stockists of Queen products. The magazine appeared yesterday and the ad does, again, look very striking. We have a small number of wonderful stockists around the country, including beauty therapists and independent chemists, but it would be nice to add a few as we do appreciate that many women prefer a real shopping experience when it comes to buying cosmetics. Given that Allmay (who took their lead from Queen back in the 1920s might I say) is no longer to be sold through independent chemists in the UK (I don’t know if it will still be available in the bigger chains), pharmacists and buyers should be looking for a range for sensitive skin.

Our Managing Director, David Lees, made his weekly pilgrimage to John Bell & Croyden, our major stockists in London, on Thursday to tell people about the Queen range and to give out samples of our Medicated Cleansing Lotion and Moisturiser. In his weekly report, he writes:

“I am now operating Summer hours, starting a bit later so that I can finish later and perhaps catch those after-work shoppers. It was a joy to see so much stock had sold and to be told by staff that the profile of our buyers is broadening all the time. Traditionally, we have appealed to older ladies and, while we are delighted to have them as customers, many of our products are designed for/are suitable for young skins. Queen focuses on all types of sensitive skin – from oily to very dry and from teenage to very mature skin.

“The store was very busy with lots of interesting ladies to talk to, including an American actress called Anne Whittman and a lady calling herself ‘Gillie’ who said she was well known in the PR industry. She said she knew just the person who could work with us as a PR consultant so we will wait and see if she gets in touch.

“I was intrigued by the reaction of ladies to the somewhat diminished Queen stocks (huge gaps on the shelves!) and found it a useful PR tool. ‘Look, our products are so good, they are flying off the shelves.’ Two ladies were convinced by my sales banter and snapped up a number of products, leaving further gaping holes. Hopefully, a new consignment will arrive early next week to replenish supplies.”

Back to the factory floor, we are working on our ‘natural’ cleanser for sensitive skin and hope to get it ready to rest over the weekend. While we never tamper with the formulations of our existing products, we do think there is a gap in the market for products which adhere not only to the Queen philosophy - no fragrance, perfume or essential oils and only a few ingredients per product - but which also will be suitable those customers who have been led to believe (by certain companies marketing their own products) that they should be wary of a number of ingredients. We are interested to see the reaction to this cleanser and to gauge whether it is worth rolling out the concept to include moisturisers and body lotions.

Have a great weekend and come back soon.

Chocolate eggs and the amused moose

2008-03-28T13:54:00.000Z

The chocolate-fest that is Easter prompted us to muse upon the link between food and skin. Does eating chocolate lead to acne and does drinking gallons of water improve your skin?

Do a Google search and you will probably end up even more confused due to all the conflicting advice. Dermatologists and other skin experts seem convinced there is no link and that it is hormones, stress, genetics etc that are the main determining factors. Beauticians, nutritionists and other therapists will tell you eat healthily and drink lots of water and your skin will glow.

All of us know people who eat absolute rubbish and drink gallons of unhealthy, sugary drinks yet have lovely skin. Likewise, there are those of us who do all we can to avoid the 'bad' things but still have spots and blemishes. The truth is a healthy diet and keeping hydrated is certainly a good thing - it cannot but improve the way you feel and will give your skin, hair and nails the best chance. However, if you are prone to problem skin, food and water alone are not going to solve the issue. Happily, most skin problems do resolve themselves or, where they persist, skin specialists can advise on a suitable course of action.

What most skin experts - dermatologists or other therapists - will say is: be scrupulous in your skincare routine and your personal hygiene. Just as you should eat well to give your skin the best chance, so you should ensure your skin is kept clean and moisturised.

The good news is that you probably don't need to give yourself a hard time after all that weekend chocolate eating - in terms of your skin that is! The thing is not to make a habit of it. Everything, as they say, in moderation....

There was drama this week in East Grinstead, the West Sussex town where Queen Cosmetics is based. As I went to get on the train to London yesterday, I found the station booking office closed off by blue and white striped police tape and a crowd of fed-up commuters standing outside. Around 20 police officers were there so I thought it must be something serious. According to rumours in the crowd, a big, black man in a tracksuit had been arrested for menacing passengers with a gun and the police were searching the train and surrounding area for the weapon. Later, when we were finally allowed to get on the train, I heard a fellow passenger on her mobile telling someone about the incident. She had been sitting opposite the arrested man and the truth was a far cry from other reports I'd heard. According to her, he was a normal-sized, young, white man with no obvious weapon but who had been muttering about having ADHD. I look forward to reading the whole - and real - story when the local paper is published next week!

Continuing our infiltration of the theatre world, this week at my regular stint at John Bell & Croyden in London's Wigmore Street I met a very charming lady called Hils Jago. She is a comedy producer and owner of the Amused Moose comedy clubs in London. We had a very enjoyable chat about her business and, having listened very kindly to my spiel about Queen and our products (particularly our Theatrical Cleansing Cream which is fabulous for removing stage make-up), she said she would keep an eye out for someone famous who could promote our products! We keep our fingers crossed.

I also spent some time chatting to two beauty therapists, one of whom works in London and one in Nigeria. Both said they often had clients with very sensitive skin. They were very interested in trying the Queen range as they said they did struggle to find beauty and skin care products which were suitable for these women. As well as accepting our free samples, they also bought a few items which was very gratifying! All in all, it was a pretty busy day and sales of Queen products are continuing to grow following our sales efforts and sampling at the store.

Well, with Spring hopefully on the horizon (don't forget the clocks go forward this weekend), it's time to build up stocks of our fabulous Enriched Moisturising Lotion and of our trusty favourite Skin Cream. Both of these lovely, rich products will transform dry, sensitive skin to supple, healthy skin in time for the big summer reveal. Check our website http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/ for special discounts.

We hope you have a good weekend and come back soon.

Queen at the Old Vic?

2008-03-14T15:46:00.000Z

Our website http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/ has been a key focus this week. We really want to develop it into a place where people with sensitive skin can find everything they want and need to know about their 'condition'. We have included on the site a link to our new Sensitive Skin Tips factsheet (it can be viewed direct at http://sensitiveskintips.blogspot.com/) and we have added some information about the most common skin issues i.e. rosacea, acne and dermatitis. We are emailing the factsheet to all our existing clients and to those who have requested a free sample of our Sensiderma Day Cream for dry sensitive skin via the website.

Often, customers are using so many products/ranges at once that they cannot begin to isolate what is causing their skin irritation. Or, they continue to use perfume on their skin or perfumed shampoo even if they have changed their facial products. Hopefully, our tips will go some way to helping people care for their sensitive skin and help them choose the right beauty products (even if those products are not from Queen!).

From some of the emails we get, we know there is a lot of frustration about what is right for sensitive skin with so many ranges claiming they are hypoallergenic or 'suitable for sensitive skin' while being packed full of all sorts of extracts and essential oils or hi-tech anti-ageing ingredients. One woman writes:

"Right now I am trying very hard to find a face lotion that respects the skin -without perfume, chemicals, or dyes. Since moving here I have struggled for years to find a face lotion, night cream - lotion etc. that is natural without any of the ingredients that aren't good for your skin, but just preserves the product. I am truly tired of products that have all the hype without the means to provide what they say.

"Are you different? I hope so. I have sensitive skin, and I am fed up with being lied to about products. So tell me the truth about your products! I want my skin moisturised, not clogged up, p.h. balanced not greasier. I want my skin to look good and healthy,and for it to actually be that way."

It's a difficult one. We aren't natural (although we are carrying out research into if and how we can safely formulate as natural a range as possible for those that are scared by the silly stories that appear from time to time about 'dangerous chemicals' in cosmetics) but we only use tried, tested and completely safe ingredients, many of which are far superior to their natural counterparts (where these exist).

In addition, we only use as many ingredients as are necessary to make each product effective. We don't fill our skin care and make-up full of unnecessary stuff just for the sake of it or because certain ingredients are fashionable. An organic product is rarely going to be suitable for very sensitive skin. Why? Because organic products can't use synthetic preservatives and the only alternative given cosmetics have to be preserved is to use essential oils or perfume blends, often in conjunction with other extracts, which themselves have a preservative effect. These ingredients add to the total number of ingredients contained in the product.

In fact, this is what irks us about products which claim to be 80% organic or suchlike. Cosmetics ingredients are listed on the product in descending order of the percentage they are present at. By increasing the total number of organic ingredients in a product you can up the percentage that you can claim to be organic. Yet, most of those ingredients will be useless and only in there to up the tally or make the product sound pretty.

Anyway, I have certainly told this lady the truth about Queen products. Whether she feels she likes our truth is a different matter. I hope so and wait to hear back from her.

We had quite a busy day at John Bell & Croyden this Thursday despite the bad weather. JBC is a great place to shelter from the rain though, it has to be said. It stocks such a huge range of interesting things not found elsewhere that many people lose track of time, the result being they emerge with all sorts of things they hadn't gone in for.

A lovely lady who showed great interest in the range, particularly our Theatrical Cleansing Cream, told me she was the owner of the Old Vic Theatre. Having asked if she rubbed shoulders with Kevin Spacey, she said 'Of course, he's our artistic director'. 'You'd better have some more samples,' I replied, dashing off to the store room to scoop up all the samples I could find. I subsequently learn that her name is Sally Greene and she is a well-known threatre impresario as well as the Old Vic's Chief Executive. I also discover that she owns the famous jazz club Ronnie Scott's which has recently re-opened after a makeover. I do hope she likes our products. You never know, the cast of her current productions, which include Mamet's Speed-the-Plow starring Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey, could be Queen fans by the end of the week!

My only other spot was at Victoria Station where I spied Jeff Randall, business and financial journalist, sitting at a table poring over the racing form surrounded by betting slips, it being the Cheltenham festival this week . Being a racing fan myself, I was tempted to ask him if he had any good tips but thought better of it. He looked far too absorbed.

The weekend beckons and it's time to turn the stirrers off and let the latest batches of our Moisturiser and Medicated Cleansing Lotion rest.

Have a good one.

The Queen team

The Customer is Queen

2008-03-07T14:43:00.000Z

We are quite excited (steady now) here at Queen as we may soon be dipping our toe into the anti-wrinkle market. We have to date been very wary of adding such a product to our range because so many of the anti-wrinkle or anti-ageing ingredients cause irritation to sensitive skin. In order to remain truly hypo-allergenic, our philosophy is to use only the fewest ingredients possible per product while most anti-ageing or anti-wrinkle creams contain a cocktail of so-called active ingredients.

Still, we recognise that many of our customers do want a product which can smooth the appearance of fine lines and which will give their skin 'a lift' so we have for some time been researching a means of creating such a cream which can do this while adhering to the Queen philosophy. We are currently trialling a new cream which includes a peptide which has a botox-like effect. The peptide itself has been shown to cause no adverse effects on sensitive skin but we are, of course, carrying out our own testing. We look forward to posting our results here soon. We will then need a name. It's difficult to come up with something new as there are endless combinations of the likes of boost, age, defy, smooth, time, delay, lift, tighten, perfect out there already. If anyone can think of anything snappy (someone has suggested Shrinkle Cream but we feel that's a bit too frivolous or Quinkle Cream which is just silly) do let us know.

We've had rather a traumatic week with two customer orders and accompanying cheques getting lost or delayed in the post which resulted in irate 'phone calls. One lady called back the next day to apologise, saying she felt awful for the way she had spoken to us and that she had heard some bad news about a friend and had taken it out on us. How many companies can say that their customers apologise to them? That is entirely representative of how lovely our customers are and of the good relationship we have with them. We do maintain that, however unreasonable their issue or complaint may seem to us, the customer is always right and we will do everything in our power to solve any problems, accepting that the issue is our fault (even when it's the postal services's which it usually is).

When it's your own business, you do take things very personally though and, on the rare occasions we do get complaints about the products or our service, I do slope home feeling rather disconsolate. Why is it that a negative comment always has more of a dampening effect than a positive one does a lifting effect? One negative comment can undo 10 positive ones. Obviously, we are far too fragile here at Queen. Or too sensitive, should I say.

So, who was out and about in the West End this week? Well, when I arrived at John Bell & Croyden, I heard a stage-whispered 'Penelope Keith's over there'. Thinking she might like a sample of Queen Moisturiser I approached stealthily only to find Susan Hampshire browsing the surgical goods section. She was rather diminutive and wearing a man's tweed cap and jacket and glasses.

A lady called Patricia Bailey also came in. She is an author who has recently appeared in the press because she had an unpleasant experience with an expensive non-surgical cosmetic procedure called Isolagen which purported to be a 'do it yourself' facelift. Needless to say, she is now a devoted Queen customer. She gave me her latest book called 'A Dream Premonition in a Life Less Ordinary'. In return, I promised she can be the first to try our anti-ageing cream when it's ready.

Work aside, I am recovering from a bit of a scare when a driver-less car rolled into mine whilst parked in a local car park earlier this week. I had been grovelling around on the back seat trying to find my mobile phone when i was thrown forward. Given it was dark and I hadn't heard anything, I was completely stumped as to what had happened. When I emerged, a bit trembly, I found an estate car had smacked into mine. The driver, who had been doing Tai Chi in a building nearby, appeared (after a fellow motorist shouted through a few windows) saying 'well, it's been fine for an hour' as if I had somehow dislodged his vehicle on purpose. I think he needs a lesson from Queen in accepting responsibility.

Writing this reminds me when, many many years ago, I was awoken in the middle of the night by two police men who thought they had found a bomb under my car which was parked outside in the street. They had taken the registration, made enquiries and found it was registered to Queen Cosmetics which had led them to the conclusion that I was being targeted by anti-animal testing campaigners. I reassured them that Queen is one of the only 'old' (nowadays, of course, it is the norm) cosmetics companies which has never tested on animals, that being one of our differentiators until most firms thankfully ceased this horrible practice. The suitcase was dragged out and found to be...... just an old, empty suitcase.

On that random note, it's time to sign off.

Have a good weekend.

Caine I help you, Sir?

2008-02-29T14:37:00.000Z

Another amusing call yesterday from one of our Queen regular customers who signed off by saying 'I've been using Queen products since I was 18. I'm now 81 and I've only got one wrinkle.' She had gone when just a teenager to see a dermatologist with swollen lips (hers not the dermatologist's) after suffering an allergic reaction to lipstick. The dermatologist apparently said: 'Well you must use Queen Cosmetics of course' and she has stuck with us ever since. How's that for loyalty?! We didn't like to ask where the wrinkle was.

Another customer was rather less glowing in her praise. She was having trouble getting our luxuriously thick Sensiderma Rich Cleanser for very dry or mature sensitive skin out of the bottle. She did say it was because she was old and weak but it didn't stop her leaping up and down the stairs on her cordless telephone to examine which products she had in her bathroom so she could re-order them. We settled on a solution to this thorny problem which was to send her the cleanser in a big tub. I didn't dare to tell her that her favourite Sensiderma Day Cream moisturiser now came in a tottle (a cross between a tube and a bottle) as this might have sent her over the edge.

Up at our stockist in London stockist John Bell & Croyden this week, morale was boosted by a very smartly dressed lady who bought several Queen products while proclaiming loudly how much she liked them. I recognised her as someone I had given samples to a few weeks earlier. I am only there one day a week but it is always nice to see that sampling (at the moment I am giving away samples of Queen Moisturiser and Medicated Cleansing Lotion) does work, especially when you can be there to answer questions and really engage with people. So many people do have sensitive skin but find it hard to know what they can or should use with the myriad products on offer in most stores and pharmacies.

Even more exciting was my star spot. Again, it appears I must look like someone who knows what they are doing as a tall bespectacled man wearing a somewhat scruffy baseball cap made an immediate beeline for me asking if I could show him where the shampoos were. 'Of course, Sir Michael,' I grovelled as it was none other than Michael Caine. Seizing the opportunity, I asked if he would like some Queen samples for his wife. 'Sure, show me what you are flogging,' he replied. He very kindly listened to my spiel and took the samples saying: 'I will give them to her and am sure she'll be very interested.' What a nice man. I was thrilled to report back to base that I had been mixing with the rich and famous when a rep who had popped in for a cup of coffee took the wind out of my sales, saying breezily: 'Oh yes, we see him all the time in Sainsbury's in Leatherhead. Was he wearing a scruffy baseball cap?' Oh well.

Well, time to get on. We have been busy sending out 'First Night Boxes' this week. We have a fantastic client called Reanimator Management, a theatrical agency who likes to send its clients a box of Queen products rather than flowers when they open in a show. What makes Reanimator http://www.reanimator.co.uk/ different from most agencies is that every client is a trained dancer. Most of them are highly talented singers as well which is why the agency has clients in every West End show. The agency is run by Suzanne and Piers Gielgud (great nephew of Sir John!) who are themselves trained ballet dancers. Today, Suzanne also makes films and Piers is a wonderful choreographer. They are great fans of our Theatrical Cleansing Cream, having used it themselves when they were dancers, and it's lovely for us that they want to spread the word about Queen products.

The consistently human touch

2008-02-22T11:54:00.000Z

It's always good to get feedback from our customers and this week we have had some very nice emails and letters about our products for sensitive skin and our customer service. We are only a small company and, as such, we are not particularly sophisticated in many areas. We only have one telephone line, we do not have lots of fancy packaging material and we still use an abacus (that's a lie, we've just upgraded to a calculator). Until very recently, we had one of those old fashioned machines for manually processing credit card transactions. It took a visit from our new customer services manager at the bank (so young he'd never even seen one before) to force us to upgrade to a flashy electronic one which prints out nice professional-looking receipts.

It would appear, however, that most of our customers are - thankfully for us - not really concerned about things like this as long as they get the products they love and trust on time and without us having tinkered with the formulations. When you've got truly sensitive skin, the last thing you need is your chosen brand changing the ingredients or, for that matter, removing your favourite products from sale or replacing them.

One customer writes: 'Thank you so much for sending my products and for your helpful and prompt service. It is a great pleasure to deal with a firm where one actually speaks to real people (as opposed to pressing numerous buttons selecting options) who are pleasant and helpful.'

Another, writing by email to ask if she would be able to get Queen Seaside Cream (not currently available at our online shop because it currently comes in rather utilitarian packaging) in the future, says:

'I recently ordered a new Queen Seaside Cream but wanted to check because I always recommend it to friends. I think it's magic, in fact, and I may be giving it out as Christmas presents this year.

'I certainly hope that the product doesn't get the "full makeover" to include a new name. That would be terrible. I think SEASIDE CREAM says it all. It reminds me of holidays and those hot, sunny, breezy days on the beach, under a clear blue sky, then at night my skin is on fire. So, I reach for the Seaside Cream (in that distinctive, practical container that gets thrown about), rub it into the burnt area and the relief is almost instant. Ahhhhhhhh!'

What can we say?! Clearly, appearances are not everything and it is the quality and consistency of the product which is important. Which is not to say that we don't want the Queen range to look nice. We have repackaged most products over the last few years so they look clean and fresh. We haven't gone overboard, however, as this would not be in line with the Queen philosophy (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/our-philosophy-4-w.asp) and we believe our products do speak for themselves.

The point about consistency was underlined again when I visited John Bell & Croyden this week. An Italian lady came in to buy some Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream, saying she was glad to have discovered it because another brand she had been using had deteriorated in quality. We do sometimes feel we are rather unfashionable in our dogged adherence to our sensitive skin roots when the rest of the world seems to be obsessed with glamorous and hi-tech products such as anti-wrinkle creams and special eye serums. Yet, talking to and hearing from our lovely and loyal customers does always reassure us we are right in ploughing our lonely furrow!

Among the shoppers in the store this week were actress Sian Phillips and Hermione Norris again who you may remember I spotted a couple of weeks ago. I was also pleased to notice an Arab gentleman who I used to see at Ascot and Sandown Park in the days when I used to go racing regularly. He would always mingle with the rest of us punters, sharing information freely. He has certainly aged in the meantime but I was pleased to see he was still clutching a copy of the Racing Post so he obviously keeps his hand in.

Do come back and see us next week.

The team at Queen

Take time to stop the passage of time

2008-02-15T13:56:00.000Z

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding this or that latest new super-duper anti-ageing cream or eye serum or wrinkle filler but the best products are those that have endured for years (such as Queen's range of products for sensitive skin and problem skin!).

It’s a fact that most new products are launched to bring people into a brand in the hope they will then start using the tried and tested favourites or ‘hero’ products. Think of any big cosmetics department brand and it’s the hero products that will take up the most shelf space and the latest wonder-cream – advertised with free gifts, banners and general fanfare - will soon be phased out and replaced by the next miracle cream containing the newest buzz-word ingredient or essence.

The reason is that most of these new products do not live up to the hype. The cosmetics industry is notorious for its over-the-top claims and promises and yes, we all love the glamour and promise these products offer so we do buy them. However, we know those products we can trust and which suit us and most of us will either buy those as well or revert to them once the jar of the glamorous new product has finished.

Cold cream is one of those classic products that has a loyal band of followers and Queen’s Sensiderma Cold Cream is no different. We have just put it under the Sensiderma banner as it is an ideal product for very dry and/or mature skin. As with all our products, it is formulated exclusively for very sensitive skin. According to Wikipedia, the invention of cold cream is credited to a physician in Second century Greece, Galen.

Wikipedia says: Galen the celebrated physician of Pergamus, in Asia, but who distinguished himself at Athens, Alexandria, and Rome... was the inventor of that particular unguent, a mixture of grease and water, which is now distinguished as cold cream in perfumery, and as Ceratum Galeni in pharmacy.

Wikipedia quotes an 1814 poem credited to "Dr. Russell" which gives the following account of the benefits attributed to cold cream in that day:

WHEN a pot of cold cream to Eliza you send,
You with words to this purpose your present commend;
Whoe'er with this cream shall her countenance smear,
All redness and roughness will strait disappear,
And the skin to a wonder be charmingly clear;
If pimples arise, this will take them away;
If the small-pox should mark you, those marks will decay;
If wrinkled through age, or dawbing the face is,
'Twill be smooth in a trice, as the best Venice glass is;
All this and much more, could I spare time to write it,
(Or my pen go as fast, as your lips would endite it)
You affirm of your cream: and I would not abuse it,
But pray tell me one thing--Do you yourself use it?

Queen’s Sensiderma Cold Cream (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/sensiderma-range-23-c.asp), like all of our range, is formulated especially for sensitive skins and allergy-prone and problem skin so has none of the rose petals that the older version were said to have. One Queen customer tells me that it is due to her Sensiderma Cold Cream that, even at age 81, she receives glowing comments about her smooth, youthful complexion. Her secret, she reveals, is always to pat the cream into her skin. ‘Never pull or drag, only pat’, she says. She removes the cream with a similar patting motion, gently lifting the day’s grime and/or make-up. Her mother told her this when she was a girl and she has always adhered to it.

This must take forever. But that got me thinking that perhaps taking time is the answer. Instead of quick fixes such as anti-ageing serums or plumping creams, we should just spend more time looking after our skin and ensure we always treat it with reverence and respect. That, and keeping out of the sun, sound like a recipe for eternal youth.

Well, enough pontificating about cold cream. This week’s John Bell & Croyden trip was uneventful, the biting cold keeping many customers at home or in their offices. I met lots of nice women though - including ladies from Brazil, Italy and Japan, all of whom spoke impeccable English – and the showbiz spot of the day was Claire Sweeney. She was sporting blonde hair so I wasn’t sure it was her but the rest of the personality-spotting team confirmed it!

Have a good weekend.

Eyelashes and Dale Winton

2008-02-08T11:21:00.000Z

Eyelash Cream has become the new bestseller at Queen in the last week. This is a lovely and unique product which is one of our classics along with things like Theatrical Cleansing Cream, Cold Cream and the much loved Medicated Cleansing Cream (which, confusingly, isn't actually medicated - when it was created back in the 1920s by the dermatologists who founded Queen, the word denoted purity and that the product wouldn't provoke an allergic reaction. We dare not change the name for risk of causing a riot). We recently decided to talk about a different product each time we send out one of our newsletters and this time it was Eyelash Cream. As with all our products, this little wonder is especially formulated for sensitive skin and eyes.

I was prompted to talk about Eyelash Cream by a conversation with a charming journalist at Men's Vogue. He said that the reason men have better eyelashes than women is because they don't slap mascara on every day (or three times a day) and cause further trauma by removing it every night. It makes sense that this does make eyelashes dry and brittle although quite whether this affects length and thickness, I don't know! Anyway, it does highlight that eyelashes do get quite a raw deal and could do with a bit of TLC which is where Queen Eyelash Cream comes in. It is designed to re-condition lashes and/or to be a substitute for mascara. Some of our clients use it to keep eyebrows in check too. So, really a good all-rounder to have in your make-up bag. Try it (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/eyelash-cream---special-offer-until-end-february-22-p.asp). It's a tiny pot but it will last and last! It can be used by contact lens wearers and is an ideal product for sore, watery eyes which dislike mascara (although you should also try Queen Mascara if you fall into this category).

And so to this week's John Bell and Croyden visit. I approached with a degree of trepidation this week, having made an appointment to see one of our more irrascible customers. I knew she wanted to take me to task about JBC being out of stock (I am unfortunately not in control of what and when they order from us) of her two favourite products, Sensiderma Rich Cleanser and Sensiderma Night Cream. I had taken the precaution of taking these products up in my briefcase and as it turned out, I shouldn't have worried. It seems the previous days irritation with JBC staff had been largely due to a faulty hearing aid and too-loud musak in the store. Fortunately, she had put in the better of her two hearing aids and we were able to converse properly. She was absolutely charming and went away smiling and thanking everyone profusely.

I suppose it must be because I am getting on in life and because I wear a suit and a visitors' badge that many customers make a beeline for me assuming I running the store. There was one hair-raising incident when an elderly lady approached me at great speed waving papers under my nose and shrieking that she needed my signature on her driving licence application because her father had worked at John Bell 50 years' ago. Fortunately, a member of staff intercepted her and she was led away to see 'Dr so-and-so'. Whether this a regular occurence or Dr so-and-so could actually sign her licence, I don't know!

Once again, I met lots of delightful people and it was a day when they were all interested in the products with no refusals to take a brochure and/or sample. No matter how hardened one becomes to it, it is always disheartening when someone waves you away and barks 'not interested' without even knowing what it is you are offering. But then, the converse is those people who are kind enought to stop and chat and show interest in the range. Last week I met a lovely young woman called Alexia Somerville. She is the fashion stylist at the exclusive fashion bible Luxure Magazine. She took the time to drop me a line this week to say she thought the samples she had tried were 'spectacular'. It is always fantastic to hear feedback like that. We can only hope she will spread the word!

Showbiz personalities were a bit thin on the ground this week. There were a couple of familiar faces but noone was able to put names to them. Fortunately, I was saved by none other than Dale Winton who was sitting outside a cafe in Marylebone High Street enjoying a coffee. He looked his usual hale and hearty self although whether this was due to the cold weather or make-up, I'm not sure....

The stirrers are on for a new batch of Moisturiser so better go and check all is going smoothly.

Please come back soon.

The ingredients of good sense

2008-02-01T12:29:00.000Z

While we do have a very high success rate in terms of the number of people with even very sensitive skin who can use Queen (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/), we do occasionally come across customers who really do suffer and cannot tolerate some of our products. For this reason, we offer a bespoke service where we work with the client to formulate something that their sensitive or problem skin can tolerate. We are able to do this because we are a small company which can make small quantities of a product without too much disruption to our day to day schedule.

Where customers know they are allergic to a particular ingredient because they have had skin patch tests, this makes the job relatively easy. Sometimes, however, a client will have been able to use a particular brand for years when suddenly the product is either withdrawn, leaving them in the lurch, or the formulation has been changed and their skin reacts. In this case, they will ask if we can make something similar to the original. Assuming they have kept the ingredients' listing or the box, we are usually able to help.

We are in the process of working with one new client who has had great success with most of our products but can't use our cleansers. It has been very interesting to chat to her and to share her experiences. She has done a lot of research into cosmetic ingredients and talked about the great confusion caused by natural/organic ranges which claim that they are suitable for sensitive skin but which use all sorts of extracts, essential oils and perfumes which can create havoc for many allergy-prone skin types.

This week's trip to John Bell & Croyden, our central London stockist, underlined that the so-called experts who go into stores to promote and sell these, and other, ranges are not qualified to help consumers through the confusion. As part of the Queen philosophy of educating people about the cosmetics industry, I try to assist the cosmetics' department staff at JBC to understand cosmetic labelling and the function of the various ingredients contained in products. It enables them to answer customer questions with hard facts rather than a load of senseless waffle. When I arrived at the store, there was a 'training session' being held by the sales consultants of a range of £50+ a pot skin creams for a number of the girls from the JBC cosmetics' counter. I was delighted to hear on of the JBC girls ask some questions about the ingredients used in the products, including what preservative did they use. Unfortunately, the product 'consultant' was completely unable to answer! For the public it is certainly a case of caveat emptor.

To more interesting matters....Having spotted Hermione Norris last week, this Thursday it was the turn of the star of Kingdom himself, Stephen Fry. He spent about an hour strolling around, largely unrecognised by both staff and public.

Time for some lunch here at Queen!

Have a good weekend.

Star spotting and ex-spouses

2008-01-25T15:45:00.000Z

While we always try very hard to ensure that we only send our marketing material about our Queen range of skincare and make-up for sensitive skin to people who have contacted us directly to request details, it seems that we (and the recipient of our lovely brochure) have been the victims of foul play!

Today, a very distressed woman called to ask if we could remove her from our mailing list, saying that, while she was sure our products were lovely, she didn't have a need for them. She told us that she had been inundated with unwanted mail since splitting with her partner and had subsequently discovered he had been deliberately providing her contact details to hundreds of third parties. She had had to spend days on the telephone and internet cancelling subscriptions and having her name removed from mailing lists. I am not sure a Queen brochure is a particularly effective form of revenge.....

Thursday is always John Bell & Croyden day. This fabulous pharmacy in the West End of London (http://www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk/) has been a stockist of the Queen range for 60 years and I go there to promote sales of the Queen range.

JBC is not only a pharmacy but a specialist health product and services provider and it serves many of the Harley Street specialists, hospitals and clinics. It's a great place with products you won't find elsewhere and, because it is away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street and the staff are very discreet, it is regularly patronised by famous people and by politicians, foreign diplomats and their families and business personalities who can browse in relative peace.

Yesterday, I spotted the TV actress Hermione Norris (Spooks, Kingdom etc) and I am sure the US film-maker Michael Moore was in there although none of the staff were able to give a positive ID! If it wasn't him, it was a dead ringer. Hermione Norris looked great in the flesh - tiny and very fit and tanned.

In addition to star spotting, I talk to customers about the Queen range, explaining our philosophy and history of caring for sensitive skin and giving out free samples which encourages many of them to become customers. Invariably, I also end up helping the staff in a variety of tasks from loading shelves, directing customers and giving advice to customers who come in waving sheets of results of cosmetics patch tests. Some of their questions are quite technical and the staff are often relieved to be able to enlist my help. Yesterday, a delightful couple from the USA spent two hours in the store and I was able to steer her in the direction of suitable products, including of course, some of my own Queen range. She went away looking very happy and I hope she will become a long-term Queen customer.

Have a great weekend.

That skincare mantra again

2008-01-16T15:45:00.003Z

Happy new year from Queen!

It’s good to be back after the excesses of the festive season even if we have had to wade through the flooded Sussex countryside to get to our farm HQ lately.

Fortunately, the wet weather doesn’t stop the stirrers from whirring and new batches of Theatrical Cleansing Cream, Enriched Moisturising Lotion and Sensiderma Day and Night creams are being created as I write, the perfect antidotes to the ravages of winter weather.

It seems that January represents a new start for skin as well as mind and body if our mail bag is anything to go by. Medicated Cleansing Lotion, Skin Freshener and our Sensiderma creams are flying off the shelves – the mantra of cleanse, tone and moisturise being followed to the letter it seems. One new customer reported this morning that after just a week of using our Sensiderma Day Cream, her previously sore and dry skin is feeling much better. So much so, in fact, that she has had to order another tube because her daughter has been pinching it!

We have had quite a few enquiries recently about treating acne rosacea. This is such a difficult area. The condition – and other types of rosacea – cause misery for sufferers but there is very little that cosmetic products can offer by way of a cure. Many companies or ranges may claim to cure the condition but they are in fact misleading people into spending a lot of money on products that are unlikely to work and which may end up making the problem worse, particularly where they contain perfume, many essential oils and plant and flower extracts.

Queen products, and our customers do back this up, can certainly help control acne rosacea and related conditions and improve the feel and quality of skin. The simple formulations mean it is possible to cleanse and moisturise skin without exacerbating the condition and make-up products such as our very gentle Mascara will not irritate sore eyes (another common symptom of the condition). The products do not offer a cure, however, and we would never claim this. See our site www.queen-cosmetics.com to see our range and full product ingredient lists.

My own research shows that there are therapies available, from anti-biotic type treatments to more hi-tech solutions. A very helpful independent, impartial site discussing the various treatments available and providing first-hand comments from those that have tried them is http://www.rosacea.co.uk/. Obviously, any treatment should not be undertaken lightly and it is imperative for each individual to do their own, thorough research.

That's it from us today. We hope you will join us and our customers in taking the vow to cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day, every day this year. Dull, it may be, but the results speak for themselves!

The Queen Team

Online at last!

2007-12-19T14:06:00.000Z

Hooray! www.queen-cosmetics.com up and running

Well, Queen has finally launched itself and its range of skincare and make-up exclusively for sensitive skin into the 21st Century by opening our online shop at www.queen-cosmetics.com! A little tardy, perhaps, but not bad for an eighty year old. The quill pens and gas lamps will surely have to go now.

We are thrilled with the response to the site so far and the kind comments of new customers. Erica from Berkshire says:

"I can honestly say it is the easiest site to negotiate that I have used in all my 2007 Christmas shopping days!"

We hope other experiences are as favourable! If anyone has any comments to the contrary (did I just ask for criticism?), do let us know. You can email us at info@queen-cosmetics.com.

The process has been a little fraught not least because we accidently deleted a host of products a few hours after launching the site when we were still titivating things a little (take note, titivating can be dangerous). And then the electricity went which meant we had no heat or light, or, more importantly, broadband access so our best-sellers Moisturiser, Light Night Cream and Skin Cream were consigned to the ether. They are back now thankfully.

Launch aside, down here on our converted pig farm (the pigs are long gone you may be pleased to hear) in deepest West Sussex, we are concocting a new batch of our best-selling cleanser, Medicated Cleansing Lotion, so it will be all ready for the new year when everyone will be keen to undo all the damage they have done to their skin during the Christmas festivities. This is one of the most wonderful cleansers and we hope that new customers won't be put off by the name (a throwback to the 20s when 'medicated' was used to imply purity and simplicity). We have changed the names of a few of our products over the years and it tends to cause a furore among our longstanding and most loyal clients so we are sticking with this one!

Well, we must get back to sending out all the Christmas orders. We are keeping everything crossed that they arrive in time and are doing our best to get orders out the same day we receive them.

We will be back soon so hope you will join us.

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