Launching a business days before a national lockdown is not anyone’s ideal scenario. On 11 March 2020, Roshanne Dorsett pressed go on The Glowcery. Within a week, the country was shutting down.
“I could have cried,” she admits. “I’d spent so much time, effort and money getting the brand ready, and then we went into a global pandemic.”
Yet the timing turned out to be a strange advantage. “People were at home, reassessing routines and looking for products that felt honest and good for them,” she says. “It was unusual, but it suited a brand with purpose.”
From the courtroom to the kitchen table
Before beauty, Roshanne worked in criminal and human rights law. “I enjoyed it, but it was extremely stressful. Uni doesn’t teach you how to manage the emotional toll,” she says.
Roshanne Dorsett, founder of The Glowcery
Seeking a path that matched her values, she retrained for two years as a natural skincare formulator, building knowledge in nutrition science and skin health.
Her motivation was clear: “I’ve always been driven by integrity and justice. In law, you see the impact of systems on people. In beauty, I saw a different kind of unfairness. We were being sold ultra-processed ingredients with zero nutritional benefit. I wanted skincare that behaves like good food for the skin.”
The Glowcery began at her kitchen table. “It was like Breaking Bad but with fruit oils,” she laughs.
Early batches were handmade, and she learned which essentials to prioritise formulas, names and brand identity.
Scaling up and staying resilient
Moving from kitchen-table production to a professional setup took time and resourcefulness. “Cash flow is always in the back of your mind,” Roshanne says. “You keep one eye on development timelines, one eye on production and another on everyday costs.”
Bootstrapping was the starting point, supported by grants from Glossier’s Black Beauty programme and local business support. “Getting backed by Glossier was huge,” she says. “We learned from their senior team and received an equity-free grant. It was validating to know a big brand saw potential in The Glowcery.”
Today, production runs in an artisan lab, and two new products are in development for 2026. “One extends our Clean Greens family, and another explores a new category,” she says. “We’re also looking at angel investment to scale.”
Marketing lessons learned
Roshanne’s approach to marketing has been shaped by experience. “Most of our growth has come from PR and word of mouth,” she says.
“Early coverage in Vogue and a segment on ITV’s This Morning led to a complete sell-out. Organic visibility matters.”
Paid ads proved challenging. “Meta spend gets costly fast,” she says. “When you’re bootstrapped, you make careful choices.” TikTok remains a discovery channel, but price point limits conversion. Instead, she leans into founder-led storytelling and community events.
Pop-ups have played a role too. “They’re as much about awareness as sales on the day,” she explains. “Measure the newsletter sign-ups, the conversations and the follow-on orders. That’s where momentum builds.”
Marketing lessons learned
Behind the scenes, the demands are constant. “Time, costs and the pace of retail conversations all require patience,” Roshanne says. “You can be in talks for months and nothing is final until a purchase order arrives.”
Compliance is non-negotiable. “We keep everything aligned with regulations and follow changes closely because global shifts can affect small brands quickly,” she adds.
Joining GS1 UK
As The Glowcery’s range and reach grew, Roshanne realised she needed trusted barcodes. “Founder friends recommended GS1 UK,” she says. “I’d seen horror stories of codes bought elsewhere being linked to other products. We wanted to protect our brand and make sure our identifiers were accurate and unique.”
Membership has delivered peace of mind and practical support. “It’s great being able to connect with other founders and keep up with regulations through the GS1 UK newsletter,” she says.
Advice to fellow founders
“If you wake up and go to bed thinking about it, go for it,” Roshanne says.
“A good website. Professional photography. Barcodes and labelling that align with regulations. These are non-negotiable. Get specific about your founder story. Great products are table stakes now. Your point of difference needs to be obvious and consistent.”
She also encourages a realistic view of marketing.
“Pop-ups can be as much about awareness as sales on the day. Measure the newsletter sign-ups, the conversations and the follow-on orders. That’s where momentum builds.”
Above all, she stresses resilience. “The hard work is non-negotiable, but if you stick to it, you’ll be in for a great ride.”
What’s next
The Glowcery’s 2026 plan is focused: new product launches, retail partnerships and angel investment. Community remains central, with ideas like a seasonal supper club to bring the skin-food concept to life.
“I’m excited to spread nutrient-dense skincare further,” Roshanne says. “Beauty and wellbeing continue to converge. People think about health from the inside out. Skincare has a role to play there, and we want to lead that conversation.”