Tell us a bit about yourself

Naturally Ewe was born in the summer of 2024 by myself, Annabelle.

I live with my partner Joe on his farm in the South Downs in Hampshire where Joe breeds cows and sheep. As well as having lots of pets including 3 dogs, a cat, a pig, ducks and chickens. I have always loved animals and couldn’t live without them!

My professional background is in beauty and holistics which also includes 14 years of aromatherapy which means I have lots of experience with essential oils as well as skincare - which goes hand in hand with creating the perfect blend of fragranced soap each having multiple physical and holistic benefits to the body.

So how did you start making soap?

In early 2023 I converted a van into a mobile beauty salon. It was going incredibly well and I loved being self employed and travelling to my clients to give them luxury treatments and encouraging self care and wellbeing. Unfortunately, in the summer of 2024 I was involved in a serious road accident in my van which resulted in my business being completely destroyed as well as sustaining some pretty nasty injuries. I had to be cut out of the van by the fire service and air lifted to hospital with the help of over 40 emergency service crew. I ended up in Intensive Care at Southampton Hospital Trauma Unit and spent a couple of months recovering and healing at my parents. Due to my injuries and loss of business I was unable to work for a few months. During that time of recovering physically and mentally I tried to keep busy with various creative hobbies including making soap using the excess milk supply from the ewes on the farm. Joe did the first batch of milking as I was still in my wheelchair at the time but when I need some more I’ll hopefully be able to do it myself (with help from him as I’ve not done it before!) I love experimenting with fragrances and colours and I find the whole process really relaxing and therapeutic.

I truly believe that soap making helped heal me and had a huge positive impact on my mental recovery after the accident and I’m so grateful that I found it. It gave me something to focus on and took my mind off everything negative that I went through. I never would have started doing it if it wasn’t for the accident so it really was one positive that came from an awful situation.

Before long this hobby turned into a new business venture! After a successful first launch of the soap I then expanded my product line into refillable beeswax candles and nourishing lotion bars and I have lots of plans for more products as well! I hope to bring as much joy to everyone that uses my products as I get from making them.

Describe your creations:

Our aim is to produce high quality, natural and sustainable products for people who want to support local business and support the very important farming industry. For those that would like to reduce single use plastic and unnecessary packaging within the cosmetics industry. We source our ingredients from reputable suppliers and pride ourselves on working with nature and leaving the smallest footprint possible.

All ingredients within Naturally Ewe products are:

Cruelty free
100% Natural
Toxin, paraben and chemical free
Palm oil free
Environmentally friendly
Handmade with love

All packaging is also eco-friendly and either recyclable or plantable - all labels are made from plantable paper. This eco-friendly paper contains seeds embedded within its fibers, allowing it to be planted in soil after use. As the paper decomposes, the seeds germinate and grow into plants, resulting in a beautiful and environmentally friendly way to repurpose waste materials.

What is sheep milk soap?

All soap has a 'fat' ingredient which is essential to the saponification reaction that takes place during soap making. So, in Naturally Ewe soap, the fat element is Sheep Milk!

Why use sheep milk?

Traditional soap can be incredibly drying for the skin because of the high PH level and harsh cleansing ingredients. Traditional soaps are often alkaline, which can break down the skin's natural oil layer that helps retain moisture and can also irritate the skin. However, as milk-based soap has a closer ph level to our skin, it is much more beneficial.

The higher the fat content in the milk, the more moisturising it will be. Sheep milk has a higher fat content and milk proteins than cow or goat milk, it also contains up to double the vitamins and minerals than cow and goat's milk.

What are the benefits of sheep milk soap?

Sheep milk soap is gentle and hypoallergenic, making it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
Sheep milk soap's soothing and anti-inflammatory properties can help with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis.
Sheep milk soap's essential fatty acids help strengthen the skin's natural moisture barrier.
Sheep milk soap is rich in vitamin E and B-complexes, which nourish the skin and help prevent skin aging.
Milk soap's pH is closer to the body's pH than regular soaps, which can dry out the skin.