We meet co-founders of By Sarah London, Lauren & Sarah

If you’re a fan of beauty products, get out your purse because you’ll definitely want to get your hands on these skincare gems!

Let me introduce you to Lauren and Sarah, the double-trouble sister duo who founded By Sarah London, the sustainable, organic, plant-based, award-winning skincare brand. That may sounds like a lot of adjectives, but I assure you they’re all warranted. When I got the chance to speak to the dynamic duo myself, this was definitely something I was excited about after hearing so many rave reviews from friends (especially the Organic Facial Oil), and once you speak to Sarah and Lauren, this brands heartwarming story just makes you love it even more.

What made you both decide to launch By Sarah London?

Lauren: My sister, Sarah, originally formulated organic, plant based blends to help my sensitive skin when I was recovering from leukaemia. I loved her blends and as Sarah shared her formulations more widely, we reached a point in 2017 where the stars aligned, we quit our corporate jobs and launched the business together and haven’t looked back since.

How would you describe By Sarah London? (elevator pitch time!)

Sarah: We detail every ingredient in full on the front label and are bringing radical transparency to skincare. Our ​Organic Facial Oil​ was awarded the Best Facial Oil (for the third year in a row) at the 2020 Beauty Shortlist Awards and we were named Next British Beauty Brand 2019 Finalist by British Beauty Council. We love making natural skincare accessible, enjoyable and sustainable.

Were you already working in a similar industry when you started the business? Did you think it would become as big as it has?

Sarah: I worked in the beauty industry for L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Unilever for 10 years before launching By Sarah. We have big dreams for the business and a real pinch me moment was winning our first award for the Organic Facial Oil just 4 months after we launched. There’s so much more we have to share and can’t wait to see the business grow, reaching more of our customers all around the world.

How did you develop the By Sarah London products? Was there a long testing process?

Sarah: The full collection are my own formulations and took many late nights after working full time, weekends, travel and research to refine over time. Lauren’s skin was my starting point - her skin was so sensitive, dry and irritated. Formulating with the highest quality organic, cold pressed plant oils, without any essential oils or fragrance, or anything artificial or synthetic became my mission - and has laid the foundation for our minimal, yet highly efficacious approach to skincare.

How has it been starting a business as sisters? Has it brought you closer together?

Lauren: Absolutely! We were super close growing up together and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses really well, so we can lift each other up and keep going - running a startup is challenging!

What has the feedback from your customers been like since you launched?

Lauren: It’s been fantastic. We have the best community of kind and loyal customers at By Sarah, and we have won the Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award two years in a row now. We love to read each DM, comment, email and review and see how Sarah’s blends are transforming the skin, mental health and lives of so many people. Hearing about the transformational benefits of our skincare really is such a joy.

As young female entrepreneurs, how has your experience been with starting your own company?

Sarah: Persistence is key. When you’re starting out, no-one has heard about your brand or your products, so it takes time and showing up every day to spread the word and grow the business.

What have been the biggest challenges that you’ve faced so far?

Lauren: Every day there is a new question to answer or problem to solve which is challenging and rewarding in equal measure. When we see one of our campaigns all come together, it’s such a great feeling. If it’s not challenging enough, then you might not be taking things as far as you can go. It’s on the limits of what you think you can do that you find the magic.

With so many competitors in the beauty and skincare space, has it sometimes been challenging to cut through the noise?

Sarah: Competition is great because it means there is a market and lots of people looking for a certain product. We take each day as it comes, putting one foot in front of the other, sharing our story, what we care about and how we can help others. Being true to ourselves and our mission resonates with many others, and that’s the greatest gift, and helps to cut through the noise.

Transparency is really important to By Sarah London as a brand, do you feel that there is a lack of transparency in the beauty industry?

Sarah: We lead with radical transparency with a full ingredient list on the front label across our collection - this is new in UK skincare. Every ingredient we choose is there on purpose to support the health of your skin. Not all beauty companies can say that. It should not be hard or complicated to understand what you’re putting on your skin.

What’s your favourite By Sarah London product?

Lauren: That’s a tough question! It has to be the Organic Facial Oil - the original blend Sarah first created to help my sensitive skin. Free from fragrance and essential oils, I love using the plant oil blend at the start and end of each day.

What does self-care mean to you?

Sarah: Slowing down. Finding moments to be creative, connecting with my inner creative spirit.

Lauren: Being in nature, feeling the wind on my skin and the sun on my face.

Have you got any advice for other women looking to start their own business?

Lauren: Yes, just start! There’s so much you won’t know, and things you don’t know you don’t know, but you’ll learn as you go. Ask for help when you need it. And use your voice to share what you believe to help others.

What other women inspire you?

Sarah: My first holiday job at 16 was in Jo Malone’s flagship store. I learned so much from that experience and later met Jo in person. She is every bit as inspirational as you’d think she’d be. And the late Anita Roddick - what a trailblazer and pioneer in natural beauty.

How has COVID-19 affected your business in a positive or negative way?

Lauren: It’s been positive for us in that our By Sarah community has become even closer and we found so many coming to really savour their moments of self-care with their By Sarah skincare every day to keep grounded and provide a sense of calm.

What do you have in store for the rest of 2020 and beyond? Anything we should be putting on our Christmas lists?

Sarah: This year we launched a Limited Edition Organic Facial Oil with a festive design to add some extra sparkle at this time of the year. We’ve also gone zero waste and plastic free with our Christmas gift sets launching our Festive Beauty Bags which are 100% organic GOTS cotton and certified Fairtrade. We have so much planned for next year and can’t wait to share it with our By Sarah community. Sign up to our ​newsletter​ to be the first to know and follow our journey on social @bysarahlondon​.

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Even better, By Sarah London are offering C Word readers an exclusive 20% discount with the code GIFTFORYOU20 (valid between 23/11/20 - 30/11/20).