Pure Lakes

What Pure Lakes does

Pure Lakes is a privately held UK natural skincare company founded in 2006 by Sandra and Iain Blackburn and acquired in 2016 by Claire and Gareth McKeever, who now run it as a family business from a purpose-built workshop in Far Sawrey in the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage National Park. The company manufactures handmade, small-batch skincare, bath and body, men's grooming, therapeutic, and home fragrance products using pure plant oils, butters, and essential oils, free from parabens, SLS, and synthetic ingredients, with cruelty-free and vegan-friendly credentials. Core technology centres on formulation expertise and sustainability infrastructure, including sugarcane biopolymer bottles, recyclable refill pouches with 60% less plastic, an award-winning refill service launched in 2019 with a 30% discount for returned packaging, and on-site solar generation.

The product portfolio spans six core collections (Skincare, Bath & Body, Active & Therapeutic, Men's, Home, and Gift Sets) and two sub-brands: the BEATRIX range tied to the heritage connection with Beatrix Potter, and the exclusive Pure Alchemy hospitality line developed for Brimstone Spa at Langdale Estate. Pure Lakes generates revenue through direct-to-consumer e-commerce at purelakes.co.uk, workshop direct sales, hospitality partnerships (notably Brimstone Spa), trade accounts for resellers, an in-person refill service with partner drop-off points (Rinaldo's, Kendal), and paid masterclasses (£55 per person) for soap and candle making. Multiple certifications — Good Business Charter, Made in Britain, World Land Trust — and the 2025 Cumbria Tourism Makers and Producers Award underpin a premium, provenance-led positioning, with a £604,000 grant from the Made Smarter North West programme (part of a £1.9M digital investment cohort) earmarked to scale manufacturing through automation and robotics.

Name

Pure Lakes

Legal name

Pure Lakes

Website

https://purelakes.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pure Lakes is a UK family-owned skincare company that handmakes natural, plant-based skincare, bath and body, men's, and home fragrance products in small batches from its Lake District workshop, selling direct-to-consumer online, through its workshop, and via hospitality and trade partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Skincare

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand & Foot Care (CRABAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC), Hand Soap & Hand Wash (CRABAEAC), Men’s Facial Skincare (Cleansers, Moisturizers, Anti-aging) (CRABAGAD), Hand Sanitizers & Cleansing Sprays (CRABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Natural skincare
• Handmade cosmetics
• Refill service
• Workshop experiences
• Men's grooming

Headquarters

HQ city

Ambleside

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of natural skincare products through e-commerce website and workshop direct purchases. Revenue from bath & body, skincare, therapeutic, men's, home, and gift products.
2. Workshop Experiences: Soap and candle making masterclasses at £55 per person, including materials, refreshments, and 15% discount on products purchased.
3. Refill Service: Refill service offering 30% discount on refills, encouraging repeat purchases and customer loyalty while reducing environmental impact.
4. Trade/B2B Sales: Sales to trade accounts and hospitality partners such as Brimstone Spa, offering wholesale pricing for business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pure Lakes handmakes natural skincare products across categories including bath & body, facial skincare, therapeutic, men's grooming, home fragrance and gift collections, produced at its solar-powered Lake District workshop in the UK. In addition to packaged products sold direct and through trade partners, it offers candle- and soap-making masterclasses and a refill service for re-using original containers.

Product overview

Pure Lakes is a handcrafted natural skincare company manufacturing products in small batches at their Lake District workshop. Their portfolio comprises six product lines: Bath & Body (hand washes, shower gels, lotions, massage oils in five signature blends: Grapefruit & Lemongrass, Sweet Basil & Orange, Lavender & Chamomile, Rose & Geranium, Orange & Neroli), Active & Therapeutic (muscle/joint balms, foot care, after sun), Skincare (facial moisturizers, cleansers, toners, oils), Men's Skincare, Home Collection (candles, diffusers), and the licensed BEATRIX sub-brand inspired by Beatrix Potter. The company also offers experiences (soap and candle making masterclasses) and a Refill Service with 30% discount to promote circular economy. A premium partnership line, Pure Alchemy at Brimstone Spa, provides exclusive luxury products for the Langdale Hotel & Brimstone Spa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pure Alchemy: A luxury product range developed in partnership with Brimstone Spa, part of the Langdale Estate, exclusive to Brimstone Spa. Inspired by the natural beauty and elements found in the Lake District.
• BEATRIX

Products and services

• Bath & Body natural skincare range Handmade bath and body products (soaps, bath and body care) produced in the Lake District workshop, sold to consumers seeking natural, small-batch personal care.
• Facial skincare range Natural facial skincare products hand-produced in Pure Lakes' Lake District workshop, intended for consumers looking for natural ingredient-based facial care.
• Therapeutic natural skincare range Therapeutic skincare products made from natural ingredients, targeted at consumers seeking targeted, natural skincare support alongside the core ranges.
• Men's grooming range Handmade natural men's grooming products produced at the Lake District workshop for male consumers seeking natural-ingredient alternatives to mainstream men's toiletries.
• Home fragrance range (candles) Hand-poured home fragrance candles produced in the Pure Lakes workshop, sold to consumers looking for natural, small-batch candles for the home.
• Gift collections Curated gift collections bundling Pure Lakes' natural bath, body, skincare and candle products, targeted at gift-givers looking for natural, handmade present options.
• Container refill service Refill service that lets existing customers refill their original Pure Lakes product containers at the workshop, reducing single-use packaging waste and supporting repeat purchase of natural skincare.
• Candle- and soap-making masterclasses Paid in-person masterclasses at the Lake District workshop in which attendees learn to make their own candles and soaps using Pure Lakes' natural ingredients and processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% discount offered on refills
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rinaldo's (Rin's Kendal)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRinaldo's coffee shop in Kendal serves as a drop-off location for Pure Lakes refill bottles and click & collect point. Customers can drop off empty containers for refilling or collect online orders. Lead time is approximately 7 working days. This partnership extends Pure Lakes' physical presence without requiring additional retail space.
• Brimstone Spa (Langdale Estate)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPure Lakes has developed an exclusive luxury product line called Pure Alchemy for Brimstone Spa at the Langdale Estate. The partnership includes custom products exclusively available at the spa. Langdale & Brimstone guests receive 20% off their first Pure Lakes order with code LD20, and 5% of qualifying sales are donated to Back On Our Map charity.
• Back On Our MapminorOthersCharitable partnership where 5% of qualifying sales to Langdale & Brimstone guests is donated to Back On Our Map, a project working with young people from deprived communities to reintroduce native wildlife to Cumbria.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aromatherapy Associates: Aromatherapy Associates is a UK essential-oil-led bath, body and spa brand with strong hotel and spa distribution. Comparable to Pure Lakes on essential-oil-led formulations, premium positioning, and the spa/hospitality channel (e.g., equivalent to Pure Lakes's Brimstone Spa partnership).
• Liz Earle Beauty: Liz Earle Beauty is a UK-based botanical skincare brand known for its cleanse-and-polish routines and naturally derived formulations. It is closely comparable to Pure Lakes on UK heritage, botanical skincare positioning, and D2C-led model.
• Tisserand Aromatherapy: Tisserand Aromatherapy is a UK essential-oil-led personal care brand covering bath, body and aromatherapy products. Directly comparable to Pure Lakes on essential-oil blend-led bath and body, cruelty-free and natural positioning, and UK D2C/wholesale channels.
• Dr. Hauschka: Dr. Hauschka is a natural and organic skincare brand with a strong range of body care, bath products and facial treatments. Directly comparable to Pure Lakes on natural plant-based formulation philosophy, ethical credentials, and premium positioning in independent and spa channels.
• Lush: Lush is a UK-based handmade cosmetics and skincare brand with a strong ethical/sustainable positioning and global retail footprint. It is the closest direct comparable to Pure Lakes on handmade natural bath, body and skincare, cruelty-free credentials, and refillable packaging initiatives.
• Neal's Yard Remedies: Neal's Yard Remedies is a UK natural and organic skincare, body care and essential oils brand with own retail and DTC channels. Highly comparable to Pure Lakes on organic positioning, essential-oil-led formulations, ethical certifications, and UK D2C + wholesale go-to-market.

Emerging players

• REN Clean Skincare: REN Clean Skincare is a UK-origin clean beauty brand focused on bio-active, sustainable skincare and body care. It overlaps with Pure Lakes on plant-based, ethical positioning and on refill/recyclable packaging initiatives, but skews more toward facial skincare.
• Evolve Organic Beauty: Evolve Organic Beauty is a UK-based natural and organic skincare brand focused on small-batch, handcrafted formulations. It is comparable to Pure Lakes on small-batch natural skincare, eco credentials, and DTC-led go-to-market, though it is more skincare than bath/body focused.

Broad incumbents

• Weleda: Weleda is a large European natural cosmetics brand offering body care, skincare and bath products formulated with plant-based ingredients. It overlaps with Pure Lakes on natural, plant-based, ethical positioning but operates globally with a much wider portfolio.
• The Body Shop: The Body Shop is a globally established ethical beauty retailer with broad bath, body and skincare ranges and a refill program. It overlaps Pure Lakes on natural/ethical positioning and refill but operates at much larger scale across multiple categories and geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PureLakes
• Facebookfacebook.com/purelakesskincare
• Instagraminstagram.com/purelakes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pure-lakes-skincare

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pure Lakes