Yorkshire entrepreneur's £17 alcohol-free organic handwash sees huge rise in sales due to coronavirus

A Yorkshire businesswoman has rushed through production of a naturally antiviral handwash following huge demand.
Bulk containers of Annwyn handwashBulk containers of Annwyn handwash
Bulk containers of Annwyn handwash

Alice Lavin only launched her natural beauty range Annwyn Botanicals from her home in Farndale, near Kirkbymoorside in the North York Moors, in December but has taken large numbers of orders for a £17 handwash from customers anxious about coronavirus.

The product contains tea tree oil and lemon thyme and has natural antiviral properties - but is alcohol-free and suitable for those with sensitive skin.

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Alice has already secured two major corporate clients and has had interest from several more, including a FTSE-100 listed company keen to place bulk orders to protect their staff.

"We've been building the business up for about four years, but the website only went live in December. We've had to rush through production of the handwash and it hasn't even been released yet - we're punching above our weight," said Alice, who previously ran a telecommunications business.

"It's not a hand sanitiser - there is no alcohol as alcohol is only effective against bacteria, not viruses."

The product is part of a larger selection of botanical handwashes which include ingredients such as wild mint, nettle and camomile, but the tea tree oil version is the only one effective in preventing coronavirus infection.

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"We've had so many customers requests and a lot of orders already. The first orders will be ready this weekend and hopefully we'll be producing it for a long time to come. We're also selling complementary diffusers for office receptions - they also have antiviral benefits as they keep the tea tree oil within range. The handwash isn't 100 per cent effective but is it close."

Alice believes she and her business partners will be able to keep up with demand, as they have already stocked up on raw materials, although items such as dispensers have been in short supply since the coronavirus outbreak. The product is packaged in non-plastic bottles made from recycled sugar cane.

"We have lots of other products and they're all suitable for people with sensitive skin - there are no artificial fragrances, they are 100 per cent pure and natural."

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