“ilody means garden of the gods from sanskrit – perfect for a brand that was inspired by nature and indian culture” – Founder, Deepika Patel
Deepika infuses her passion and knowledge into her exquisite brand. Ilody is enriched with Deepika’s Indian heritage, understanding the art of Ayurvedic plant based ingredients and herbs entwined with the brands decadent packaging, inspired by Deepika’s own sari collection.
Ilody focuses on a holistic approach with conscious touches of luxury.
The formulations encourage the skin to repair, rebuild and renew. Fermented ingredients and adaptogens which have long been used throughout Asian cultures, have been chosen to compliment our skins health.
The first two serums that have launched have won prestigious awards and continue to be nominated for their innovative contributions to the natural health and beauty industry.
Ilody really captured my attention as a skincare brand. I decided to explore further the uniqueness and share my discoveries with you....
Tell me a little bit about yourself and what inspired you on your path to creating Ilody skincare...... I started my career in the late 90’s in the fashion industry after art college and for the last 20 years have been working in the fashion industry as a producer of fashion shows, events and photographic shoots. The development of ilody has definitely been influenced by both my cultural background and my career in fashion.
My heritage is Indian, although I was born here, my culture has always been a huge part of my life and I’ve always looked for ways to merge my cultural roots into my creative expression. This started with art work at art college and what it means to be 2nd generation Indian in Britain, but also continued throughout my life in various elements of my life, food and health becoming more important in my working life and after having children.
When I first thought of creating something in skincare it seemed to me a culmination of things that had been part of my life and way to express creatively what I was interested in and hoped I could connect that with consumers and a grow a community.
Who is Ilody Skincare for? ilody is for women who have busy lives through work or parenting, enjoy good design in all areas of their lives and are looking for a simpler way to care for their skin which is also sophisticated, effective and a luxurious experience.
“A slower approach to beauty that doesn’t compromise.”
Our community is made up of women who may already have knowledge of natural products and cleaner choices and others who are new to this concept.
Your two serums Seres and Luxmi have beautifully exquisite names can you translate what they mean for the consumer and what key concerns each address?
Luxmi is taken from the goddess of prosperity in the material but also spiritually, she often symbolises good luck.
The Luxmi serum was designed to be a multi-functional staple in your regime, focusing on hydration and skin tone. The serum features tremella mushroom a glutinous mushroom used for centuries in China most notably by Yang Guifei said to be one of the greatest beauties in China. Tremella has natural polysaccharides and is rich in vitamin D. It is able to hold up to 500 times its weight in water, blended with hyaluronic acid this gives skin a plumped feeling and helps to smooth out lines, essential as we age, as the amount of natural HA produced within our bodies decreases.
Alongside these ingredients Kombucha and Persian Silk Tree help the skin tone and texture, while Uva Ursi (containing natural arbutin) and licorice (anti-inflammatory and adaptogen) work to brighten the complexion. I also added a slight element of pigment to give a very subtle natural glow which you can use without make up or with it. It gives a beautiful gentle glow that feels natural.
Seres comes from the land of Serica, named by the ancient Greeks for the area in China where silk was produced. Seres are the people of Serica. It came from a book I was reading about the history of The Spice Route.
Seres is focused on ingredients that work to reduce fine lines, smooth skin, and improve elasticity. Bakuchiol a natural form of retinol which has been clinically tested is a wonderful ingredient and an alternative for those looking for the benefits of retinol without the side effects. The formula combines both bakuchiol with centella asiatica (also known as gotu kola), both of which stimulate collagens type I and III, bakuchiol also improving type IV. Centella has been used for centuries in Ayurveda for street, insomnia and anti-inflammatory conditions in the skin.
From our research it has ability to work on repairing damaged skin from uv radiation. We have combined these with wakame to increase moisture levels and moringa which holds a wealth of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
What is your brand ethos and philosophy? How do they reflect the importance of environmental issues within the society we live in today? Our ethos has always been to design and formulate natural products, which means not using ingredients traditionally used to fill, create texture and have been often used as a cheap alternative.
“We strive to create luxurious products that are cleanly formulated and also incorporate the same ethos in our packaging.”
The first products are housed in glass bottles with glass dip tubes. The boxes are recyclable along with the foil print specifically chosen for this purpose and of course the colours of the foil are beautiful!
As we grow I will look into various ways of using sustainable materials, refillable bottles and continue to increase our understanding of the impact we have as a brand on the environment.
I find product formulations fascinating. How did you decide which botanical ingredients to include in your serums to create skincare to address specific concerns? My products often start with a desire for something functional or required in your routine. Other times I’ve been inspired by the ingredients themselves that led to looking at how fully you can address a specific concern.
“I love formulating and working out ingredients that might work together to address a series of concerns and then looking at the textures, colour and viscosity created.”
Both of these products took 2 years to develop before testing, working not only the ingredients, but percentages of the actives used (I’m always striving to put the full amount in, to get the most out of each product!) and the textures I created.
Some of the ingredients I was familiar with from my own background, others I found from researching Ayurvedic botanicals.
How did it feel to be awarded Best Facial Day Serum for your Seres Boosted Collagen Serum in the Attracta Beauty Awards 2019? It’s very exciting and a great honour to be recognised when your new to the field of beauty.
Attracta’s commitment to discovering new brands and her approach to wellbeing is inspiring and so great to be judged by established make-up artists. We’ve since been shortlisted for a natural health beauty award for both the serums this year, so that is really wonderful news!
Your decadent, modern but luxurious packaging and branding reflect your heritage - can you share your story regarding the inspiration behind the design and the acknowledgement to your heritage? The box design and colours all started with my collection of saris, I’ve always been completely in love with Indian textile, from the colours to amazing embroideries, sari’s are a passion of mine.
I worked with portobello design agency StudioThomson (who have worked with Preen, Richard James) on the development of the boxes and branding. It was always important to bring my heritage to the packaging in a modern and luxury way.
“On each of the boxes is an embossed pattern, all inspired by the borders of my sari collection.”
The paper stock is a silk weave which gives the product elegance and a wonderful fine woven texture. We worked with foil for the wonderful colours of the text.
Skincare is becoming an intrinsic part of creating self care and rituals for ourselves in our own environments. How do you express self care and wellbeing in your own lifestyle? Wellbeing for me has always been a part of my life, mostly it’s taken the shape of healthy eating. My mother was a GP and she cooked from scratch, so spices and their benefits was something I grew up with. Since becoming a parent, I’ve looked to push these further. I make a tonic for colds and coughs for my kids which they call ’special drink’ with ajwain seeds known for the analgesic benefits, fresh ginger, clove, cassia bark, tea leaves and honey. The honey is from our allotment where we also grow our own vegetables and fruit in the centre of London and my husband is a beekeeper.
“I find gardening and time at the allotment my space for mindfulness. There is such a calming effect from being with the soil and the plants.”
I also just find the time spent on my skincare routine or a simple massage in the evening really comforting and relaxing. Sometimes I will add a sleep yoga sequence before bed, I love yoga with Adrienne.
What is next for Ilody Skincare.....?
I would love to grow the brand slowly and organically. I’m working on new formulations and an oil I’ve just recently finished filled with plant extracts in a base of rosehip and apricot.
I am working on a mist too, I like to take time to work on the products and try not to rush them.
To discover even more about ilody and their unique ingredients visit their website here
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