Many of us take care with what we use on our skin and bodies, perhaps seeking out natural, organic ranges from holistically-focused brands. With an increasing awareness of our impact on the environment, we’ve also begun to choose more wisely, seeking out brands which are kind to the planet. Extending this thought process to products for the home and laundry, eco-friendly KINN is leading the way with its plant-based and affordable products.
Founded by mother and daughter duo Marie Lavabre and Sophie Lavabre-Barrow, the family-run brand KINN was launched in 2017 and is based on the premise that we should care just as much about what we use to clean our homes as we do our bodies.
Together, Marie and Sophie have created a covetable range of award-winning cleaning products that are all plant-based and affordable. To cement the innovative nature of KINN, last year Sophie was also named a Forbes ‘30 under 30‘ in Europe, for retail and e-commerce. The entrepreneurs listed were selected for reinventing the way we shop online and off and, as a consequence, Sophie has been recognised, alongside other names, such as fashion brands such as Rixo, sportswear company GymShark and women’s fashion and accessories brand, SkinnyDip.
Using recipes passed on from Marie’s California-based uncle, a pioneer in formulating aromatherapy blends, KINN offers a design-led urban organic range for today’s clean-living values. “If you are looking after what you put on your skin, and what you are eating, then it seems a little counterintuitive to spray our homes down with bleach,” says Sophie. “It’s important for both our immediate environment and wellbeing and the wider environment that we make sustainable swaps where we can. With cleaning and laundry, these are easily made.”
As well as kitchen and bathroom cleaners, floor washes and washing-up liquid, there is a gorgeous laundry collection, which I have been trialling. You probably don’t think much about what chemicals are in these everyday products but being faced with the list of what the KINN products DON’T contain is an eye-opener: they are free from SLS/SLES, Parabens, Phthalates, Musks, Toluene, Phosphates, PEG’s (polyethylene glycols), Enzymes, Chlorine Bleach, Optical Brighteners, and Formaldehyde. KINN also doesn’t use synthetic dyes, doesn’t test on animals and does not use any animal by-products.
“When you switch to using a natural laundry product that doesn’t use any of the above ingredients, you’re improving the quality of your home environment,” continues Sophie. “By not breathing in toxic chemicals, you’re also stopping these harsher ingredients from washing down our drains and into our waters.” Giving them even more ticks is the fact that all KINN’s ingredients are also sourced responsibly and are vegan and cruelty-free.
The KINN Neroli Delicate Laundry Wash (£8.55, ocado.com) uses chicory root and neroli essential oil to create a beautifully scented blend that’s kind to the skin and your clothes. It’s safe for sensitive skins as well as for delicate items, including silk and wool – and is made from 93% natural products. It can be used for hand washing and in washing machines, and leaves items smelling gently perfumed.
I love the design of the bottles, which are modern, clean and aesthetically pleasing.
The KINN Neroli Eco Fabric Conditioner (£6.55, ocado.com) is equally safe to the skin and environment and is the finishing touch to keeps clothes and linens luxuriously soft. Reducing fabric creasing, it means that your clothes are easy to iron after this – a big ‘yes’ in my book. The scent is fabulous and wafts out of clothes as you move. There’s nothing like sinking into bed at the end of the day into clean, fresh-smelling sheets. There’s nothing like it and using the KINN combo elevates this sensation to another level! It’s laundry, but not as you know it.
*This review is based on press samples
