“We can’t wait to meet our UK customers”: Elizabeth Grant Skincare's 'homecoming' launch into the UK

13-Jun-2024 - Last updated on 13-Jun-2024 at 15:24 GMT

The brand launched after founder Elizabeth Grant suffered skin damage from a WWII bomb blast

The brand, which was originally founded in London in 1948 as solution to treat WWII wounds and has since launched into multiple markets (excluding the UK), is finally coming back to its birthplace and launching into the UK beauty market.

Elizabeth Grant Skincare is an original makeup artist brand that ‘s been around for 76 years and is now sold in 10 international markets, explained the VP Margot Grant-Witz.

Despite the fact that the brand started up in London in 1948, where Elizabeth Grant worked as a makeup artist on famous faces such as Vivien Leigh, Sean Connery and Noel Coward, it’s only now launching into the UK market.

As with many beauty businesses, the business started up in a bid to solve a problem that its founder was experiencing.

During the Second World War, Grant was injured in a bomb blast and suffered severe damage to her face. To help restore her confidence, she began to research ways to heal her skin and discovered a natural substance that comes from algae pods and was being used to treat war wounds.

Grant commissioned the creation of a serum made with this proprietary compound, Torricelumn, with added vitamins, botanicals and antioxidants and used it to treat her damaged skin. Within eight months her skin had dramatically improved and she decided to bottle and sell the product to help others with skin issues.

Over the years, the formulation has been updated and improved to also tackle other skin issues, such as wrinkles, firmness, hyperpigmentation, dryness and dullness. And the brand has launched many other products.

Grant-Witz shared that the brand, which is manufactured in Toronto Canada, has now decided to launch into the UK market as “The time just felt right to ‘come back home’.

“During her (Elizabeth Grant’s) 100th birthday she just said how much she wanted to see it happen, so as a team we said you know what? You’re right! Let’s go back home,” she explained.

Family-run: with three generations of women

The products are set to be sold via ecommerce retailers Debenhams and Amazon, as well as via the brand’s own D2C website, and via QVC UK.

“Currently with Debenhams and Amazon online it allows us to always be on the go with our customers, available at their fingertips,” explained Grant-Witz.

“QVC UK supports our global footprint of our nine international markets and allows the customer to get to know us as a family brand for 76 years. And of course, our website which includes our history and culture. We love being able to really bring that family touch of three generations of women to be able to talk and connect to our community,” she shared.

Sea kelp from a northern icy ocean

Grant-Witz explained that the brand makes, manufactures, and formulates every single product in-house and shared more on its proprietary ingredient Torricelumn.

“We harvest it twice a year from a particular type of sea kelp from a northern icy ocean, seal it in a vat with its own environmental protection, and rush it back to our laboratories in Toronto Canada,” she explained.

“Once it has arrived, we mix it and marinate it with vitamins, nutrients, amino acids and minerals that address and improve the skin’s health and function in terms of how it is ageing. We place it in almost every single one of our products, except for our perfumes.

Elizabeth Grant herself is now 101, Grant-Witz’s mother Marion is 71 and she herself is 39.

“We appreciate that ageing is a blessing and want to help change the narrative around how people, especially women feel about the ageing process,” she explained.

“We never want someone to feel like they disappear because they are over the age of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80,90 +. We all appreciate how our skin changes and can fluctuate through the day, the week, the seasons the years – and we are right by your side experiencing it ourselves.”

The brand’s target market is older Millennials, Gen x and Baby Boomers. “And we are unique in the fact that we can target all those markets because we are those demographics ourselves,” she explained.

“Everyone, when they ask us what product is right for their skin type, always tells us their age and we say we are in the business of helping your skin, so let’s talk about your skin type and skin concerns, as that tells us more than your age,” she continued.

What’s next for the brand?

The brand is set to continue its expansion and will be opening new doors in 2025, although Grant-Witz wasn't in a position to reveal where yet, until "the ink is dry."

In terms of NPD, it plans to add to and expand its Wonder Effect range – a base of glycolic acid and retinol, as well as its vitamin C range with 24k gold.

“We have our full collagen collection that I love calling ‘the push-up bra for your face’ ready to go for our community,” she continued.

“And of course, the gamechanger Supreme Essence of Torricelumn™ which is our number one selling award-winning product for 76 years and counting.”

“We are proud to be able to help women, men and anyone who wants to look in the mirror and love what they see,” she concluded. “We can’t wait to meet our UK customers and welcome them into our family.”