Nature's Ancient Secrets

Easy to grow and with outstanding culinary, medical and cosmetic uses, herbs are undergoing a revival today.

The Victorian Garden Organic Skin Care Company owes its existence and is dedicated to Lady Frances Jane Glover-Anderson  - my own great grandmother - an aristocratic and lovely Victorian woman. In 1972 my maternal English grandmother died, and my mother inherited two enormous gold edged diaries passed down through the generations in her family and dating back to the 1800's.  Leather bound and still in good condition, these meticulously kept diaries in flowing copperplate record a period of ten years in the lives of the Glover family and offer a fascinating description of daily life during the Victorian era when Queen Victoria was on the throne of England. My great grandmother Frances, daughter of Edmund Glover, married Stephen, a partner in the British East Indian Shipping Company. My grandmother would relate to us how her mother Frances would remain in Scotland on the family estate as his work meant he had to spend long periods trading in India and away from home. It seems that with time on her hands and blessed with many servants to help her, Frances planted formal herb gardens for culinary and cosmetic use at her father's stately home in Scotland during the mid 1800's.  Nature has many ancient secrets!  Old archives tell us that during Victorian times (and indeed during previous centuries), herbs and flowers were always planted by moonlight as the moon has more pull on garden plants than we may imagine, which of course we now know to be now a proven fact. Picking herbs for fresh tea and plants to distill oils from was done under a waxing moon only. Fruit too,  was always picked during the waxing moon for maximum juiciness and sweetness.  Reading of the lives of my ancestors recorded in the diaries was of great fascination to me and it has been an amazing experience travelling back via the diaries to a time when life was so entirely different to our lives in the 21st century.   As an English Aromatherapist and Herbalist running my own Organic Skincare Salon in South Africa, I began to try my hand at making Victorian products using the same old fashioned methods and pure unadulterated ingredients.   The demand for these Victorian products exploded very quickly and now, more than a century on, The Victorian Garden continues to handcraft delectable Victorian moisturizers, body lotions and bath oils. We have also introduced two other product collections -  African Indigenous products and 16 th century Tudor  products,  based on favourite recipes made for the Tudor Queens of England, which are now exported around the world.

The Victorian Garden Collection,  The African Indigenous Collection, The Royal Tudor Collection and The Victorian Garden Baby Collection are formulated, handcrafted and hand bottled in our own laboratory under the guidance of our experienced Cosmetic Chemist and Herbalist/Aromatherapist registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of SA, member of the Aroma Forum of SA, the International Guild of Professional Practitioners (UK) and the CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrances Association of South Africa).   Beauty Without Cruelty International (White List approved member).

More than a century on, the Victorian Garden began recreating traditional Victorian skincare recipes.  Many delightful herbal creams, lotions and bath oils were used by aristocratic Victorian ladies, as well as by the Ladies in Waiting at the courts of Queen Victoria.  During the Victorian era, the making of beauty products entailed firstly the daily gathering and preparation of fresh herbs and flowers and oils distilled from plants and fruits were combined with the by products of the beehive - Honey, Beeswax and Propolis – waxes being melted over a double boiler before the adding of other ingredients. After intensive research and experimentation into Victorian recipes using the old fashioned methods, we are proud to offer over 140 unusual and effective skin,  body and bath products  using Certified Organic, non Certified Organic and Natural ingredients. To compliment this extensive collection, we have introduced some exceptional 21 st century complementary health products.

AUCHENEK HOUSE  AS IT IS TODAY

Our products are made with love and care by our team of experienced bio chemists well versed in the art of creating Natural and Organic skincare products to international standards.   We are registered with the *CTFA of South Africa (Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association and The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa, Our products are approved by Beauty Without Cruelty.
*Note: The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa is the industry's voice committed to maintaining the high quality and safety of cosmetic products. The CTFA guides members on the Self-regulatory Codes of Practice & Standards to ensure that the South African cosmetic industry flourishes.

Meander Through The Victorian Garden | History – The Victorian Era | The Victorian Garden Collection – Product List/Prices| The African Indigenous Collection – Product List/Prices | The Royal Tudor Collection – Product List/Prices | Full Ingredients Listing on All Products | Natural and Organic | “Going Organic? “- Essential Organic Information | Interesting Links | Outlets stocking our products | Holistic Health Topics | e-mail us