I have always been someone that has preferred to use natural skincare and haircare products. I actively avoid products made by company’s that test on animals and I try to opt for products that are free from sulphates, preservatives, and unnecessary chemicals. My skin is incredibly temperamental, and I must be extremely careful what I use on it, lest it break out into an oily, dry, spotty, blotchy mess. Moving to Tirana played havoc with my skin- the cold temperatures and city air resulted in a facial disaster that sent me into hiding so I would not have to inflict the horrors of my face on unsuspecting members of the public. It was then, that through a friend, I stumbled on the wonders of Helen’s Bio Line. A 23-year-old, Albanian Medical Laboratory graduate, she crafts by hand a full range of products for hair and skin from only the best natural and organic ingredients.
Serums, soap, face creams, hair masks, hair serum, scrubs, face masks and more- all of Helen’s ingredients are made to order and tailored to your exact specifications. I totally adore her products and I love the passion with which she creates her range, and for that reason, as well as her being rather talented in this field, I wanted to interview her for The Balkanista.
Helen, can you tell me a little about yourself?
I was born in Korca, a beautiful city in the south of Albania where I lived with my policeman father and economist mother until I came to Tirana to study at the university. I have recently finished my MSC in Medical Laboratory Technician Studies at the University of Medicine and my younger sister is studying Pharmacology, so she is able to help me out from time to time.
Through the course of my studies, I began getting interested in various compounds and ingredients and the effects that they have on the skin. This interest in visual care increased and as I heard people complaining about their skin and the products that they were using, I began to wonder why so many put trust in chemicals when it comes to making their skin look natural and healthy. I began to research more into skincare and from there I made my first products and gave them to friends and family to try out. The feedback I received was excellent and knowing and seeing that my proucts were working, I began to research more. I discovered more about different kinds of ingredients that could be used, as well as the benefits that they would have on the skin, and this combined with the great feedback I was getting motivated me to create more and more products.
How do you continue to develop your expertise and expand your range?
At first, I started off with simple and easy recipes but as I am gaining more experience and learning about many other natural products and their properties, I am beginning to be able to create more and more complex, but still natural products. I read and research constantly and try to go deeper into understanding why problems with skin and hair occur, and what is the best way to combat them.
Where do you source your natural ingredients? What are your favourite ones to work with?
I source most of my ingredients from the Middle East as I find that the quality is incredible and most importantly, they are not produced in an industrial way. I find them more effective than ingredients sources in Europe and to me, they are truly amazing in their standards. But I make sure that I speak to each client individually to ascertain their needs, as there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach and whilst one ingredient may work for one person, it will not for another.
One of my favourite ingredients to use is Aloe Vera gel- to me it represents the secret of natural beauty and sure enough, the products that I create that contain it are amongst my best sellers. I try to keep everything as natural as possible, even when it comes to preservatives I try to use Vitamin E or other essential oils instead of potentially harmful chemicals.
Tell me about your clients? And what makes them come to you instead of choosing an “off-the-shelf-product”?
My customers are anything from 16 years old to 65 years old as the desire for beautiful skin and hair has no age limit. When it comes to location, around 90% are in Albania but I also have regular customers in Kosovo, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands and more!
They come to me because I can offer something different. My products are not produced in an industrial way and they use only the finest natural ingredients and do not contain artificial or unidentifiable ingredients that you find in off-the-shelf creams, serums, or scrubs.
Each product is also customised to the individual needs of the customer- there is nothing generic in my range and I make sure to fully understand the needs of each person, before I make the product. Lastly, my products are fresh and made to order as I make them the day before they are given to the client. Shop bought products are pumped full of preservatives and can sit in warehouses and on shelves for months and even years at a time, which of course further decreases their effectiveness.
What are the biggest challenges with your work? What is in store for Helen’s Bio Line in the future?
Making handmade products from scratch is a challenge it itself. As the orders come in, I must plan my time efficiently and ensure that I have all the ingredients that are required. I often work late into the night, so I can give the clients their order as soon as possible. I deliver everything to customers the day after it has been made so I can be sure that they are getting the freshest and best product possible.
In terms of the future, I want to continue to learn and to expand my range. It is hard to scale handmade products as there is only so much I can do at once, but I am trying to use tools to simplify things like packaging, so I have more time to focus on creating the perfect product each time.
You can find Helen’s Facebook page here, and her Instagram here. From my own personal experience, I am completely addicted to her strawberry facial scrub (but a word of advice, it doesn’t taste as nice as it smells) and her night serum which makes my skin as soft as a baby fairy, is well worth a try!
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