There are few items in a gentleman’s grooming cabinet that can boast that they have made it there as a result of medical research in bio-innovation, United Nations sponsorship and the support of rural African communities. But Dr Simon Jackson’s serums, creams and oils come with quite a back story, one that spans several continents and 20 years of research.  It was as a medical student at King’s College London that Jackson became intrigued by pharmacognosy, the study of plants and natural products for their medical value. "As an undergraduate I worked in a small island community in Indonesia," Jackson says. "I became fascinated that this culture had survived without any Western medicine, and had been doing so for centuries. Ninety per cent of the world uses natural products instead of Western medicine, and it got me thinking about the possibilities within that." He did a PhD at King’s, then a post-doctorate at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, went to work as the chief scientific officer for a bio-innovation NGO in Africa and spearheaded a UN-sponsored project into indigenous plants.  After years of development – with Jackson travelling around the world researching the benefits of indigenous plants and passing his knowledge on via teaching at universities in the UK and Africa – that thinking found its way into a Dr Jackson’s beauty products range. "I set up the business in 2008 with my own savings and the help of family, friends and crowdsourcing, and didn’t start trading until 2012 because we wanted to get it just right," Jackson says.  Focusing on plants from sub-Saharan Africa, he homed in on the benefits of the kigelia plant. "In tribal communities it is used to treat sun-damaged skin, to deal with blemishes and skin irritations. We found that a compound in it promotes fibroblasts [cells that are responsible for the repair and maintenance of healthy skin]. Extracts stimulate fibroblast proliferation, so the skin increases in collagen levels, which in turn increases the elasticity levels."  Jackson also harnessed the benefits of the baobab tree, which has long been used in Madagascar to heal dry skin, as well as elements from mango seed extract and marula tree extract from sub-Saharan Africa, and calendula from Egypt. "We work closely with rural communities following the FairWild standard, which means the products are not farmed intensively but harvested from the wild. Everything is organic so no pesticides are used," Jackson says. "We want to benefit the local communities as much as possible so we pay for the harvest of crops and do the extractions in the country of origin, so we doubly benefit the local community." Extracts are then sent to the UK and formulated and produced here. Jackson uses preservatives "to make sure we don’t introduce pathogens or bacteria into the eye area. As far as we can we use a natural preservative system."  It was important to Jackson that a portion of the profits go to the African communities that grow the plants. "This isn’t about making me wealthy," he says. "I’ve spent years in Africa working with communities, and the business runs a foundation and a farming project. The potential for growth in this sector is huge." Based on the number of households in sub-Saharan Africa employed in harvesting kigelia – currently 441,000 – Jackson sees incredible opportunities should the world catch on to kigelia’s benefits.  "If this could become an ingredient like tea tree oil, for example, that figure could feasibly be in the region of 1.5 billion households within 10 years, depending on sales of our brand and other similar brands." It could also double the annual wage in the process, Jackson says, from $250 to $500. So whether it is dabbing on the soothing skin cream made with natural extract of kigelia, baobab, shea butter and marula oil, or cooling dry skin with the face oil made from marula oil, baobab, calendula and arnica, you can do so in the knowledge that it’s not just your skin that is benefiting. Dr Jackson, available from Mr Porter.
Pioneering science, natural super ingredients and charity in one bottle of skin cream? Introducing Dr Jackson's visionary range of products