Bright outlook as Irish Rain set to shine in skincare

Lifestyle –  Judy Murphy meets the duo behind new Galway company producing a range of natural skincare and beauty products

Food scares in recent times, most notably this year’s horsemeat scandal, have created concern among people about the products we buy and put into our bodies.

Alongside this is a growing awareness, especially among women, of the creams and cosmetics that we use on our skin, and the chemicals that many of these contain.

As a result, there has been a steady growth in demand for natural, often organic products, with companies such as Dr Haushka and Trilogy leading the field.

Now a young Galway company has entered the market with a range of natural skincare products, using mainly organic ingredients, which can hold their own with these international brands, given their quality ingredients and packaging.

Irish Rain Natural Skin Care is the brainchild of Loughrea man John Collins and Derry woman Cathy Kirk, and the products are made in Loughrea where John runs Sunrise Health Shop. These include a range of face creams and oils, as well as a serum and cleanser and two types of body oil. More products are currently being researched and will be available next year.

The two first met when Dublin based Cathy attended a Tai Chi course being given by John, and while she isn’t as diligent a practitioner of this Chinese art as he is, they became firm friends.

Both shared an interest in health issues – Cathy now works in the fashion industry, but her background is in massage and aromatherapy.

They first developed the concept of an Irish-made skincare range a couple of years ago. John had been involved in distributing natural skincare products from a South African company here but they realised, with Cathy’s aromatherapy background, they could do better themselves.

“People are becoming as aware of what they put on their bodies as into their bodies,” says Cathy, who points out that the skin is the biggest organ in the body.

Parabens, which are used as preservatives in cosmetic products, have been found in some studies to act like the hormone, oestrogen in the body while research has also demonstrated the presence of parabens in some breast cancer tumours, although the studies did not demonstrate that the parabens actually caused tumours.

Many shampoos, make-up, shower gels, face creams and body lotions contain these ingredients and while no definite links have been established with cancer, more people are opting for products that don’t have them.

“It’s one of those industries that’s going to mushroom,” they say about natural skincare.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.