Naturally: simple skincare, made in Dublin’s Chocolate Factory

On the ground floor of the Chocolate Factory, the 110-year-old Williams & Woods building on King’s Inn Street, Dublin, hipsters down designer coffees and beef po’ boys, while artists, designers and various makers-of-things work away in the studios on the floors above.

Among them is Zile, a self-described woman “from everywhere” who has turned her studio space in the former sweet factory into “a kitchen/laboratory”, where she handcrafts certified organic skin and haircare products.

Zile’s interest in skincare evolved from an interest in food. She realised that if she cared about what she was putting in her body, she should care about what she was putting on it too.

She sought out “greener” products, but quickly became fed up with companies claiming to be “all natural” while their long, nearly indecipherable lists of ingredients suggested otherwise. She decided the only way to know what was going into her skincare products was to make them herself.

Buoyed by positive feedback from family and friends, her willing guinea pigs, Zile turned her at-home creations into a business with the help of her partner. Zile Organics (zileorganics.com) is just getting off the ground.

“Whatever we do, we’re going to make sure we can sleep at night,” says Zile, explaining that when she set out to build the business with her partner, they agreed all decisions would be made with a good night’s sleep in mind.

Zile has thought of everything, from the carefully sourced ingredients she pours into her moulds, to how the finished concoctions are bottled and packaged. Soap bars come wrapped in reclaimed red and white striped fabric and ribbon; powders and salts in small compostable clear bags; and liquids in violet glass bottles, which prevent light rays from reducing the shelf life and potency of their contents. Products are delivered in a compostable cardboard box on a bed of popcorn, Zile’s chosen eco-friendly packing material. Everything is vegan, bar the 100 per cent organic beeswax candles.

Even after her extensive research, Zile says drawing a clean line between what is good and bad for your skin is no easy task. While one woman raves about coconut oil, another swears never again. “I think everyone at this stage is pretty confused,” she says, referring to the stream of hot-this-season hero products and ingredients we hear and read about. So her motto is “KISS: keep it short and simple”. Her ingredients are few and pure, some of the key ones being organic extra virgin olive, raw coconut oil, and argan, rapeseed, jojoba, rosehip and avocado oils.

The range is still growing, but so far I love the Chocolate Hair Mask (€35-€45), a conditioning hair cleanser that comes as a powder you mix with water – it's a bit messy, but it smells as yummy as you'd hope. My hair felt heavy after applying the mask, but instead of weighing it down, it added great body and texture to my usually thin, limp locks. It's probably not for a polished look, but I enjoyed beachy waves for a good four days after one application, even after subsequent shampoos. I've just ordered more. I also like the Exfoliating Facial Soap (€20-25), a rustic bar that works into a creamy lather and leaves the skin feeling fresh, clean and smooth.

This style of skin and haircare isn’t for everyone. These are concentrated products, for use just once or twice a week. The essential oils many of them contain, such as lavender, peppermint and citrus ingredients, may prove problematic for some, so it’s important to read the full list of ingredients to check for any known allergens and to be alert to any skin irritation.

They do not contain preservatives, so you need to keep an eye on the expiration date marked on the bottle, but you shouldn’t have any trouble using them up in time.

They’re also pricey and devoid of key skin-plumping, line-reducing ingredients many women don’t mind forking out good money for.

What you’re paying for here are quality ingredients, purity and peace of mind. This is simple skincare for those who want to use fewer products and less often – no bells and whistles, no sleepless nights.

kharris@irishtimes.com