Tiktok is buzzing as local beekeeper Emma Thompson shares her passion for making honey infused skincare

Starting off in her kitchen, creating skincare solutions for her own acne, Emma's business really took off when she grabbed the attention of the Tiktok community.

From humble beginnings, with no intention of creating a business, Emma, who is originally from Moneyreagh, now has over 75,000 followers from across the globe on Tiktok, has established a thriving online business, opened a shop in her Ballygowan hometown, has given up her job, and is even now employing her daughter Brooke.

A few years ago Emma didn't even dare to dream of what Bee Haven Bodycare would become. But thanks to her passion as a beekeeper, her experience in the beauty industry, and the drive and determination to succeed, Emma's business is not just surviving, it is thriving, even in these difficult economic times.

"I was on a mission to heal my life-long acne and I heard raw honey was beneficial,” explained Emma. “I started googling how honey was made and I became obsessed with bees and how intelligent they are.”

Emma quickly developed her passion, taking a beekeeping course and soon, together with her father, she installed her own hives with native Irish Black bees.

"The first couple of years of beekeeping were incredibly stressful because I didn’t know what I was doing,” admitted Emma. “Every day I’m still learning.

"Maybe three or four years into beekeeping I still had acne. I knew how incredible honey was so I put together honey, beeswax, and essential oils and put it on my skin, I had never formulated a product before."

But soon friends and family noticed the benefits of Emma’s first product and wanted to buy some for themselves. From those small beginnings just five years ago Bee Haven Bodycare was born.

Emma started sharing her products on Facebook and set up a website, and now, five years later she has a thriving businesses with 130 products that are always in demand.

"If I had thought for one second that in four years I would be doing this in a shop and with a website, I would have stopped immediately,” Emma continued.

Thankfully the business grew in stages and Emma continued to create more skincare products with her own honey and besswax. Meanwhile she was still working in sales and marketing and only gave up her job in December. And now the company also employs Emma’s daughter Brooke, who handles all of the admin and extensive paperwork that goes along with getting approval for new products.

During lockdown with more people shopping online, but also wanting to support local businesses, Emma saw her website and social media accounts flourish.

"I expanded my range and did doorstop deliveries,” explained Emma. “Everybody was really focused on shopping local and everyone was sharing everyone else’s businesses on social media. That is when it really took off.

"I was making everything in my utility room and it became unmanageable so I moved into a unit in Carryduff to do my packing. Then when the second lockdown came it mushroomed.”

That was when Emma began her Tiktok account, @MissBeehaven123, and her followers fell in love with her videos of day to day life as a beekeeper and creator of natural skincare products.

"I decided I would show people how I make bath bombs,” Emma continued. “I didn’t really know what my niche was, my content was probably rubbish at the start!

"It took me a while to get to 1000 followers, then I hit 10,000 and I thought it was incredible. You have to have something really different to capture people’s imagination. I shared the whole story of beekeeping, making products and a bit about mental health.”

Emma is delighted with the impact that Tiktok and social media has had on growing her business but there have also been downsides and Emma, like most content creators, has faced her fair share of trolling.

"I had a bad episode with trolls, people making death videos of my daughter,” explained Emma, who said it had made her think twice about videos she was posting online.

However the good has certainly outweighed the bad, with Tiktok helping to define Bee Haven Bodycare and shape it into the successful business it is today in the Old Post Office in Ballygowan.

"Tiktok pushed people towards the shop,” Emma continued. “They wanted to come in and see the products. Without Tiktok I don’t think I would have a business, it trebled the business within a few weeks. I also have a massive customer base away from Northern Ireland. Tikok set the brand up UK-wide.”

Now that Bee Haven Bodycare has made a name for itself, Emma is also keen to support other local small businesses and has begun stocking some items in the shop that are made close to home, including wax melts and, most recently, a range of cleaning products from @cleaningmaideasyNI which are made in Comber.

"If there is someone local that we can promote then its a win win,” said Emma. “If it is locally made and people are passionate about their product then we want to help them.”

If you would like to find out more about Emma and Bee Haven Bodycare, you can find her on Tiktok @MissBeehaven123, as well as on Facebook and Instagram. Or visit www.beehavenbodycare.co.uk.

Who do you follow on Tiktok from Northern Ireland that you would like us to feature? Email [email protected] and let us know.