PHB expands into Europe, Southeast Asia

British beauty brand PHB Ethical Beauty has recently expanded by opening franchise stores in The Netherlands and Brunei, making founder and CEO Rose Brown the youngest franchiser ever.

The 22-year-old entrepreneur, daughter of UB40 drummer James Brown, launched the beauty and skincare brand in 2012 to provide a natural and ethical alternative to mainstream beauty products. Claiming to offer the largest range of natural, Halal and vegan beauty products, the brand is sold in dedicated PHB stores – the first of which was opened in Rose’s home city of Birmingham – as well as through other retailers

“Traceability, responsibility and efficacy are issues that you can’t always be certain of in the beauty industry today so people appreciate the fact that PHB offers all of these things … with full peace of mind that these products don’t conflict with your personal beliefs or requirements,” says Rose.

Further franchise openings, including stores in Malaysia and Canada, are set for 2014.

The company’s second UK store in Cheltenham was recently nominated by the public for the Best Newcomer award in Gloucestershire Echo’s Love to Shop Retail Awards.

“The positivity we’ve received since releasing our product collection has been truly overwhelming. Our affordable pricing combined with our focus on providing natural and organic yet highly effective skincare and cosmetics has meant that our range is proving very popular, particularly as people are becoming more discerning about what they use on their skin,” says Rose.

PHB offers over 200 products which are handmade in the UK using fair trade and organic ingredients. They are registered cruelty-free, halal and vegan, and presented in eco-friendly packaging.