About

Beneficent philosophy

My vision for Beneficent is a range of products which are made with natural ingredients, smell gorgeous, and have targeted healing properties. My recipes draw on long traditions of traditional medicine, herbalism, and holistic healing. While natural healing knowledge and practices were largely stamped out by the witch hunts in the 15th to 18th centuries, our country has a rich heritage of turning to nature and the land to harness its healing properties. In my products, I aim to channel these traditional healing practices into products which fit seamlessly into a modern lifestyle.

Rather than seeing traditional medicine as standing in opposition to modern Western medicine, I believe it can be a companion, with the two working together in harmony. The natural world holds so much healing potential which most of us do not take advantage of, and this form of medicine tends to be much gentler and with fewer side effects than modern medicine. None of my products are designed to be used as a replacement for proper medical treatment and prescriptions.

I believe that natural healing should be accessible to everyone, so I am very transparent about what ingredients I use in my products, and why I choose them. For this reason I have an extensive glossary detailing the benefits and uses of all the ingredients I use, to allow you to see why I have chosen specific ingredients for each product, and also to allow you to choose a product which suits you. If this is something you are interested in there is huge amounts of material on the internet to start learning about herbal healing!

Why Beneficent?

Prior to the European witch hunts, it was widely accepted that there were two types of magic: maleficent (harmful) magic and beneficent (healing) magic.

Beneficent magic was practiced by many healers, who lived in the communities which they served and drew on a long tradition of healing knowledge to help their patients for a low fee. Using nature and plants for their healing purposes was an integral element of beneficent (healing) magic, and belies healers’ deep connection with the earth as well as the fact that their healing practices were both sustainable and widely available. Their extensive knowledge of herbal healing and natural medicine was orally transmitted, passed down from generation to generation.

As the witch hunts ravaged communities from the 15th to the 18th Century, all magic, including herbal healing, was branded as evil and something to be feared and hated. While many of those killed as witches were simply ordinary women, many herbal healers were also targeted, and many stopped their healing practices for fear of persecution.

I chose the name Beneficent as a nod to the long tradition of herbal healing which has come before us, and in respect for those persecuted simply for helping others.

Production process

I handmake all of my products in my home in the Surrey countryside, making everything in small batches with a keen attention to detail. This means that each batch and each item will be slightly different. All of the ingredients that I use are completely natural, and some dried botanicals I use are harvested from my garden and the surrounding countryside.

I make my soaps using a cold process method; I then leave the soap to set overnight, cut it into bars, and leave it to cure for several months. The energy balms and bath soaps are hand mixed and packaged.

For further information about my production process and any questions, including regarding ingredients and cross-contamination, please feel free to email me at jasmineadelaidekh@gmail.com

Packaging

All of my packaging is made from sustainable, recyclable materials.

The soaps are packaged in natural, undyed calico cotton and tied with string; the bath salts come packaged in glass jars; the energy balms are in metal tins. My labels are made from recyclable card and tied onto products with string.

About me

Hi, I’m Jasmine! I’m 22 years old and live in Brockham in the Surrey Countryside. I have just graduated from university, having studied English & Politics; my third year dissertation was a research project about witches and associated healing traditions.

I have wanted to create a natural cosmetics business for a long time and this inspired me to incorporate specific botanical ingredients into my recipes to create targeted healing products, continuing a long tradition of herbal healing. I am a nature-loving gal and feel at my most peaceful when I’m in nature or in my creative process, and for me Beneficent really combines these two things.

Order information

If you live locally, I am able to deliver orders to you (£20 order minimum) or you are welcome to collect them from me (no order minimum). Alternatively, if you would like your order posted to you, please place your order via my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/JasmineAdelaideArt?ref=search_shop_redirect.

For more information please click here, and please email me with any further questions.

Custom requests

I would love to make a custom scent blend for you, and can make this into any form you would like (soap, bath salts, energy balm, wax melts, face masks, etc.).

If you have a specific healing benefit in mind, then I will work with you to choose botanicals and ingredients to create a targeted healing product. Please get in touch with me to discuss ideas and requests and we can collaborate to create something tailored seamlessly to your needs.

There will be a minimum order amount as I will have to make a full batch of products – prices can be discussed on request.

Contact me

Please send me an email at jasmineadelaidekh@gmail.com .

I am more than happy to answer any questions, requests, or suggestions you have about Beneficent. I’d love to hear from you!