Llewelyn Thomas is the founder of Own Label Skincare and The Alchemy of Skincare. He has worked within beauty, skincare, holistic therapies and wellness for more than 20 years, with a professional background spanning VTCT-trained therapy, aromatherapy, Reiki Master Teacher training, acupuncture, salon ownership, and cosmetics manufacturing.

Llewelyn's route into skincare did not begin behind a lab bench. It began with years spent working directly with clients — first as a salon owner and holistic therapist, later as the founder of a skincare brand, and eventually as a manufacturer developing products for other businesses across the UK beauty trade.

Current Businesses

Llewelyn's Story

Before skincare, Llewelyn spent time working as cabin crew — a role that gave him an early education in customer care, composure under pressure, and working across cultures. It was this grounding in people-facing work that eventually drew him toward holistic therapy, beauty and wellness.

He trained formally through VTCT as a therapist, and went on to qualify as an aromatherapist, a Reiki Master Teacher, and an acupuncturist — a combination that gave him a practical, hands-on understanding of how skincare and touch-based therapies affect real clients, not just theoretical formulation principles.

That training led naturally into salon ownership, where Llewelyn ran his own business and worked directly with clients day to day. It was here that his interest in aromatherapy, ethical skincare and ingredient quality sharpened into something he wanted to build a brand around.

That brand became Buddha Beauty, which Llewelyn founded and developed as a retail skincare range. Over time, as the brand's positioning and formulations matured, Buddha Beauty was renamed The Alchemy of Skincare in January 2026 — the same founder, ingredient philosophy and ethical standards, carried forward under a more modern identity.

Running a retail skincare brand from the ground up gave Llewelyn direct experience of manufacturing, compliance and product development — experience that led him to found Own Label Skincare, so other salons, spas and entrepreneurs could access the same professional manufacturing capability without building it themselves from scratch.

Today, Llewelyn splits his time between developing The Alchemy of Skincare's own range and helping other business owners — salons, spas, and independent entrepreneurs — bring their own skincare brands to market through Own Label Skincare.

More Than Two Decades in Beauty & Wellness

Llewelyn's knowledge comes from doing the work, not just studying it: working directly with clients as a therapist, running a salon day to day, practising aromatherapy and holistic therapies, developing a skincare range from concept to shelf, and later working inside cosmetics manufacturing to produce skincare for other businesses. That combination — practitioner, brand founder, and manufacturer — is what shapes how he advises the businesses Own Label Skincare works with today.

Philosophy

Llewelyn's approach rests on a straightforward idea: skincare works best when science and nature are treated as partners rather than opposites. That means ethical formulation, vegan and cruelty-free ingredients, and products developed to a professional performance standard — not just a pleasant one.

It also means making that standard accessible. A large part of Llewelyn's current work through Own Label Skincare is removing the barrier between a good product idea and a business's ability to actually bring it to market, so independent salons, spas and entrepreneurs can launch their own skincare brand without needing to become manufacturers themselves.

Media, Interviews & Recognition

• A Calming Influence: An Interview with Llewelyn Thomas of Buddha Beauty — Cosy Home Blog, 6 May 2014.
• Self-Care Secrets from Casa Mencarelli, Friendly Soap, Azadi and Buddha Beauty — The Green Parent, 3 July 2024. The feature identifies Llewelyn Thomas as founder of Buddha Beauty.
• LUXlife Health, Beauty & Wellness Awards 2018 — Best Vegan Skincare Products Retailer, North West England, awarded to The Buddha Beauty Company. The feature identifies Llewelyn Thomas as founder.
• LUXlife Health, Beauty & Wellness Awards 2024 — Best Vegan Skincare Brand 2024, North West England, awarded to The Buddha Beauty Company.

Additional press coverage, interviews, podcast appearances and awards will be added here as they are confirmed.

Founder Timeline

1. Early careerProfessional chef and later cabin crew, including extensive international travel.
2. Beauty & holistic trainingProfessional training across beauty and holistic therapies.
3. Approximately 2012–2013Llewelyn left the airline industry to develop Buddha Beauty as a full-time business.
4. 2014Featured by Cosy Home Blog discussing Buddha Beauty, ethical skincare and his professional background.
5. 2018The Buddha Beauty Company received the LUXlife Best Vegan Skincare Products Retailer – North West England award.
6. 2024Featured by The Green Parent as founder of Buddha Beauty.
7. 2024The Buddha Beauty Company received the LUXlife Best Vegan Skincare Brand 2024 – North West England award.
8. January 2026Buddha Beauty was renamed The Alchemy of Skincare, reflecting a more modern brand identity while continuing under the same founder and formulation philosophy.
9. CurrentFounder of Own Label Skincare and The Alchemy of Skincare.

Insights from Llewelyn

This section will hold articles written by Llewelyn on topics including skincare formulation, private label and white label skincare, starting a skincare brand, cosmetic manufacturing, vegan skincare, beauty industry trends, salon retail, and product development.

[Populate with links to articles as they are published]

Media & Partnership Enquiries

For media enquiries, industry collaborations, speaking opportunities, podcast interviews or professional partnerships, please get in touch via the Own Label Skincare contact page.