BC Business
Watch Leigh Joseph of Sk?wa?lwen Botanicals enter the den on November 11.
A few Saturdays ago, I tagged along with a friend and drove across the city to a local makers market. Once we got in, I was happy to peruse the wares—candles, cookies, ceramics—but she walked straight to the Sk?wa?lwen Botanicals booth, picked up a Kw’enikwáy Wild Poplar salve and was ready to go. We were probably there for 10 minutes. She knew what she wanted.
I hope the business moguls on Dragons’ Den have the same reaction. This coming week, an episode of the show featuring S?wálwen founder Leigh Joseph premieres. Joseph is an ethnobotanist from the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) nation, and she founded her skincare company four years ago.
Sk?wa?lwen is all about Indigenous plant science and self care, and combining modern beauty techniques with ancestral traditions. The company‘s face oil, toner, masks and salves are all made using organic, sustainably harvested ingredients. It has gained a cult following (evidenced by its nearly 40,000 Instagram fans) and growing media attention for its mindfully made skincare.
We‘ll be rooting for Joseph on Thursday, November 11, at 8 p.m. on CBC. And we‘ll be stocking up on her company‘s skincare products in the meantime—we have a feeling they‘re about to sell out.
READ MORE: 11 B.C.-based brands making clean beauty products