Ametrine Skin is aromatherapy skincare for your whole self. Born from burnout and a deep dive into skin science, it’s the brainchild of a former creative Rianna Gayle – who knows how it feels to be stretched thin. For her, each product is a ‘pause’ moment, with scents that shift your mood and rituals that help you feel like you again.

Tell us about Ametrine Skin in your own words.

Ametrine Skin is about making skincare feel like an intentional present moment in a busy day, or when you want to come back to yourself. Everything we create is designed to be practical and effective while nourishing your skin with ingredients that actually do something, rituals and essential oils that can scientifically help shift how you feel.

You say that Ametrine was born from burnout: what’s the story behind the business?

Before Ametrine Skin, I spent over a decade working as a photographer, videographer and, for a few years, as a makeup artist too. What I loved most wasn’t the makeup itself: it was the skin prep. The calm, intentional ritual before everything else. I’ve always been fuelled by creativity and I loved what I did, but I was stuck on a hamster wheel of mostly executing other people’s ideas, working long hours and waiting months to get invoices paid by massive organisations. 

When the pandemic hit and my work paused, I finally had the space to pour my creativity into something I’d always dreamed about: building a business of my own. For a while it was going to be a food business as I loved cooking – I even started working in a dark kitchen for experience.

Then, I obsessively started researching skincare, formulation science, ingredients, skin barrier health and essential oils for my own personal use. The more I learned, the more it lit something up in me.

I began creating products from scratch, testing every batch on my own sensitive, often reactive skin that recently developed adult acne, rosacea and eczema. I became obsessed with making formulas that not only worked but felt good to use.

The excited feeling I had was the same when I started my photography career and I knew this was the business I needed to start and I followed that feeling.

Over time, and especially since becoming a mum, Ametrine Skin has evolved into a brand built around intentional rituals, gentle yet effective ingredients, and aromatherapy-led multipurpose self-care.

How does Ametrine Skin enhance our wellbeing?

Ametrine Skin enhances wellbeing by inviting you into small, sensory rituals that help you pause and reconnect with yourself. 

For me, wellbeing isn’t just about skincare or surface-level routines. It’s about how you show up for yourself in the middle of everything else. In the quiet gaps between tasks, or at the end of a long day when you need to feel like yourself again. Our products are designed to support that.

Wellbeing can be messy, imperfect, and deeply personal but these daily rituals create moments that anchor you.

What’s the meaning behind your four aromatherapy skincare blends?

Each blend was created around a different kind of energy or emotional need. I wanted them to feel like different versions of support.

• Calming is for when you’re overwhelmed or overstimulated. It’s soft, floral, soothing, and helps you breathe a little deeper.
• Uplifting is really bright and citrusy. It’s perfect for mornings or low-energy days where you need a zing to help you feel alive again.
• Balancing is about re-centring yourself. It’s really gentle but refreshing while being the perfect scent any time of the day.
• Grounding is for those moments you need to feel anchored. It’s earthy and resinous.

What’s your research and experimentation process when it comes to formulating products for particular skin or wellbeing needs?

My process isn’t always the same. Sometimes it starts with a personal need, sometimes with a blend I’ve been working on, and other times it’s about adding something that’s missing from a ritual to make it feel more complete.

From that point, I look at ingredients that are effective for the skin but also complement the mood or skin effect I’m trying to support. Then, it’s a mix of deep research, coming up with the first formula, testing and tweaking until I get it as close to the brief I’ve created. I test everything on myself first, then with a small group of real people, and refine it until it feels like something that genuinely works.

What are some key ingredients you use in your products, and how are they effective?

We take a really purposeful approach to ingredients. Everything we use has a clear role and is backed by research or long-standing use.

Some of our key ingredients include ceramides and prebiotics, which help strengthen and balance the skin barrier, especially for sensitive or easily-irritated skin. Oat extract is a favourite for its soothing properties, and we often use calendula-infused oils to support repair. Niacinamide features in several of our formulas for its ability to even tone, reduce redness, and boost skin resilience.

In our powder mask, we use Qasil, a traditional Somali botanical known for its gentle clarifying and brightening benefits.

Who are your main customers and what’s been the reception like from them so far?

Most of my customers are women looking for products that feel good to use, that actually work, and that don’t add more stress to their day.

I’ve had people tell me their skin feels better than it has in years, or that using one of my sprays or butters has become the best part of their day – and honestly, that’s the best kind of feedback I could ask for.

Which products are bestsellers?

Our body butters and soaps have been customer favourites for years. They’re the kind of everyday products people come back for.

Our Qasil & Matcha Mask has also built a loyal following for its gentle but effective results when used frequently or just as a self-care treat.

More recently, our new room sprays and foaming bath salts sample pouches have taken off as they’re great for gifts. 

What’s been your biggest success and your biggest challenge?

My biggest success has been my customers’ feedback. Recently, I’ve had people come up to my monthly market stall to tell me how much they’re enjoying using a body butter or that they love the feeling of their skin after using a soap.

I’ve had people buy multiple of the same thing and beg me not to change it because they love it so much. Nothing beats those comments after spending weeks, months or even longer working on a product idea. 

My biggest challenge is keeping the business going while working full time, having a family, a very energetic two year old, and ADHD at the same time. I’m constantly faced with things I have to juggle and work against but my love and commitment is what keeps me going.

What’s coming next for Ametrine Skin?

Right now, I still feel like I’m in the foundation stage of Ametrine Skin so I’m building things really slowly. I’m focused on strengthening the product range, refining what’s already working, and developing a few new things that support the brand’s core rituals.

I’m also putting more energy into wholesale and trying to get stocked in more independent shops and boutiques, so the brand shows up more on the high street and in real-life spaces where people can experience the products in person.

–

Get up to 20% off Ametrine Skin – find out more