The iconic Dorset countryside has been named as an inspiration for many.

For medical herbalist and formulator Jemma Ricketts, the landscape provides not only ideas, but also the ingredients for her locally-based company, Enchanted Plants.

After completing her degree and working at renowned skincare company Neal’s Yard, Jemma started Enchanted Plants Ltd in 2002, opening her first shop in 2007 in Shaftesbury before moving to a new high street location, also in Shaftesbury, in 2013.

Jemma makes all her skincare by hand, in small batches, using her knowledge of plants to create unique, beautiful and beneficial blends. As a medical herbalist she is passionate about creating skincare for naturally healthy skin and supporting overall well-being.

Her specialist plant-based ingredients are blended into formulas for their natural benefits to the skin and body and support our overall well-being, with Jemma taking great care in sourcing the highest quality, vibrant plant ingredients and making sure the ingredients are truly certified organic and from a responsible source, in terms of fair trade and sustainability.

In 2017 Enchanted Plants Organic was granted Cosmos status by the Soil Association which means that, where labelled with the special stamp, the products meet the very high organic and natural standards of the Soil Association certification process.

Her Blossom Hydrating Facial Mist won a Finalist award in the 2018 Beauty shortlist awards while her On a Rope Shower Soap seasonal soap bars - designed to reduce the use of single-use plastic - are made by hand to Jemma's unique, old fashion recipe and hand stamped.

Taking up to ten weeks to cure to make sure the soap is extra mild and long lasting, each soap is full of ingredients that give the skin what it needs as the season changes. The autumn soap includes certified organic Cornish seaweed, vitamin rich spinach and invigorating rosemary and lavandin essential oils.

Each recipe is independently assessed to comply to the highest standard of the 2013 European Union Cosmetic Safety Regulations and manufacturing good practice.

Jemma never uses artificial colours or fragrances in our products, and no ingredients have been tested on animals. No palm oil is ever used and the products are preserved naturally with a non- Soya derived vitamin E and other plant derived ingredients.

Jemma's latest addition to the skincare range is her Dorset Flower Botanical Facial Oil.

Made with 13 potent plant extracts that are all grown, gathered and foraged by hand within a few miles of Jemma’s home, the oil is a new natural, nurturing, vibrant and complete plant remedy.

Available online and from Jemma’s shop Enchanted Plants in Shaftesbury, for every Dorset Flowers Botanical Facial Oil purchased £2 will be donated to the charity Plantlife that Jemma has supported for more than ten years.

So, as well as benefitting from the nourishing and regenerating blend of carefully selected plants, every bottle will help to support and protect British wild plants and their habitats.

“By growing our own ingredients and supporting two small scale local farmers, we’ve tried to reduce the environmental impact and sustainability pressures in plant based natural skincare," says Jemma.

"The handpicked plants in our new Dorset Flowers Botanical Facial Oil are carefully dried and then infused in a single variety of locally made rapeseed oil that is bursting with bio active ingredients, vitamin E, K and nourishing omega fatty acids.

“The infusion process extracts the active constituents of the herbs into the base oil gradually over five weeks and the small infusion batches and freshly pressed batches means your skin experiences the most vibrant and fresh ingredients that have been exposed to travel, lengthy storage or treatments, or degraded over time since harvesting.”

All the plants in the Dorset Flowers Botanical Facial Oil have been carefully selected with Jemma’s herbal medicine knowledge for their expertise in optimising skin health.

Each drop has been created to deliver nourishing essential fatty acids, active botanical compounds and vitamins deep into the layers of the skin. The active ingredients help to protect the skin against environmental "stressors", improve elasticity and skin condition and provides some antioxidant protection against premature ageing.

“Plant ingredients are amazing in skincare and especially in the right combinations," explains Jemma.

"Their synergistic, natural chemical constituents work together like magic supporting the skin structure and nourishing the mantle to be healthy and resilient to the elements, and many have antioxidant properties that help to reduce the effect of free radicals.”

Facial oils are a concentrated source of active ingredients and because of their intrinsic rich natural composition help to feed the skin with nutrients. As such a little goes a long way. Apply a tiny amount of the oil onto damp skin gently massaging the precious ingredients in to create naturally healthy and conditioned skin.

The Dorset Flowers Botanical Facial Oil is £48 for 30ml.

Enchanted Planets, The Commons, Shaftesbury

T: 01747 851008

W: enchantedplants.co.uk