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From Turkish Village to Modern Skincare: The köy Journey
In a world filled with skincare products promising miracles from bottles of mostly water, we chose a different path. Our journey began not in a laboratory, but in the memories of a Turkish village where nature provided everything the skin needed to thrive—a testament to God's perfect design and the abundant gifts He has provided for our wellbeing.
Returning to Our Roots
When we became parents, everything changed. Suddenly, we found ourselves scrutinising labels, questioning ingredients, and wondering why we were putting synthetic compounds on our children's delicate skin. It was during one of these moments that memories from childhood resurfaced—memories of a simpler approach to skincare.
Growing up in the köy—a Turkish village—nature's pharmacy was just outside the door. My mother would collect olives from our garden trees, pressing them into rich, golden oil that she would use to cleanse and nourish our young skin. Seeds and fruit pulp became healing balms rather than waste. These weren't sophisticated formulations with marketing claims; they were time-tested traditions passed down through generations.
One evening, as these memories washed over me, a question formed: What if we could bring this village wisdom to modern skincare? What if we could strip away the unnecessary and return to what truly works?
From Family Kitchen to Formulation
Our first experiments were humble—soaps and shampoo bars created in our kitchen, tested only on ourselves and refined through trial and error. We researched the healing properties of organic plant oils, discovering that these natural substances contained everything skin needs to repair, protect, and flourish.
Unlike commercial creams that typically contain 70% water and only 10-15% active oils (with the remainder being synthetic preservatives, emulsifiers, and fragrances), we chose to create products with 100% natural and organic oils. Nothing to dilute their power, nothing synthetic to be absorbed into our bodies.
This wasn't about profit margins or shelf stability—it was about creating something we felt completely confident using on our children's skin. Something health-driven rather than market-driven.
Embracing the Unexpected
Our journey led us to some surprising places, including the discovery of an ingredient we initially approached with skepticism: tallow. The idea of using beef fat in skincare admittedly made us wrinkle our noses at first. But as we delved into traditional skincare methods, we couldn't ignore the historical evidence and scientific backing.
Tallow isn't just any fat—it's remarkably similar to human skin cells in composition, packed with vitamins A, D, E, and K, along with essential fatty acids that deeply nourish the skin. After multiple rendering processes to remove any scent, we combined it with other organic oils to create our Tallow Balm—now a daily staple in our family's routine.
This willingness to question our own preconceptions has become central to our approach. We follow the evidence, not the trends, even when it leads us to unexpected ingredients.
The Meaning of köy
We named our brand "köy"—the Turkish word for garden village—as a tribute to those childhood memories and traditional wisdom. It represents our return to simpler, more effective skincare methods that have sustained generations before commercial beauty products existed.
This philosophy extends to our aesthetic choices as well. Our packaging features neutral, muted color schemes and clean, simple design that reflects the purity of what's inside. We believe skincare products should be effective and beautiful—items you're proud to display on your bathroom shelf rather than hide away in a drawer.
In creating köy, we've come full circle—bringing village wisdom to modern life, and creating products that honor both tradition and the body's natural processes. Our skincare isn't about masking problems or creating dependency; it's about providing your skin with exactly what it needs to heal and thrive on its own.
This is skincare as nature intended: simple, effective, and truly nourishing. This is köy—our humble acknowledgment that our God the Creator has already provided everything our skin needs in the natural world around us.
