Beauty from the Farm, the Field

The successful British company, Neals Yard Remedies, or NYR Organic, is now available to direct sellers in the U.S. with its headquarters at Concord Farm on Virginia Road.

Sales and Operations Executive Dolores Granato works with her daughter, Danielle, to market the creams, lotions, scented body washes and other products to men and women that want to distribute the goods through home parties and other outlets.

Granato said she used to work for the Body Shop selling the same type of natural beauty recipes, but with the sudden death of Anita Roddick, the company's founder, the Body Shop was sold to L'Oreal and hasn't maintained its cache, Granato said.

Granato was attracted to NYR Organic because it takes "natural" one step further, and gathers the herbs and plants it uses for its face creams, tonics and washes from a vast farm in England where Peter Kindersley, the NYR Organic founder, set up a laboratory and distributorship.

Granato opened the U.S. market in September, 2009 in the red barn on Virginia Road. She has 30 years of experience in direct selling as a recruiter, trainer and marketer.

In the idyllic UK setting, Granato said she toured the farm and saw the flowers and herbs crushed into various pure, healing and aromatic serums.

Granato said Neals Yard Remedies was the first organic product company in the UK, "before natural products were even understood."

According to company literature, "Our formulations must benefit mind, body and well-being, use potent herbs, oils and extracts, and meet our own incredibly high efficacy standards."

"From the ground to the bottle, so you know what is in the bottle," said Granato, sitting at a table surrounded by NYR Organic displays.

One of the more popular items is a face cream made with frankincense. There are other products in the catalog using white tea, shea nut, rosehip, starflower and chamomile, and many more.

Direct sellers sign up and buy starter kits and obtain the necessary training to have a business for a relatively small price. Sellers can hold home parties or sell through their workplaces, or take orders wherever they can.

Granato said there is much freedom from corporate restrictions with NYR Organic.

She has toured the 2,000 acre Kindersley farm and "eco-center factory," where the plants and fruits and turned into beauty formulations. Granato said while NYR Organic has now spread to the U.S., it is only available in Japan and Dubai so far.

"Thirty to 40 percent of the buyers are therapists, and people who want something healthy in their life," said Granato. She said in 10 months, the company has branched into 44 states in the U.S. with 800 direct sales distributors.

"We are growing the brand," she said. "We recognized that this country is ready to put healthier products on their skin."

The products come in recycled glass and plastic that is made in the UK to reduce its carbon footprint.

"Everything we do is with a conscience," said Granato.

There is no animal testing, no parabens, no silicones, no phthalates, no EDTA, no DEA, no mineral oils, and no synthetic fragrances or colors among a list that comes under the heading: We believe in saying 'NO.'

She said the lemon coriander deodorant can be used by cancer survivors because it does not contain antiperspirant ingredients that may be harmful.

The frankincense is from Somalia where it is called, "the jewel of the desert," and is made from a sustainable material in the tree.