Clare Anderson, founder of Shared Beauty Secrets, has been named Great British Entrepreneur of the Year in the South East in recognition for her contributions to the beauty and wellness industry.

Shared Beauty Secrets has gone on to train over 10,000 therapists since its founding in 2009, and Clare herself has amassed a list of personal achievements, including launching Lava Shells, massaging Little Mix and supercharging Richard Branson’s spa.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the beauty industry suffered due to the lockdowns. Clare decided to bring forward the launch of two new products she created by a year, introducing her self-heating scented eye and face masks through her brand, Sensory retreats. Salons and spas bought boxes of the self-heating masks, retailing them to clients to provide an at-home spa experience throughout the lockdowns.

“With the first lockdown, the professional spa and salon industry essentially closed for a total of nine months. Overnight I lost my income. I had no choice but to bring forward the launch of my Sensory Retreats self-heating masks by a year.

“It was a scary time as we had to move very quickly, but it proved to be absolutely the right decision,” says Clare. “Our brands have wellness at their heart. All our products are designed to relax, balance, rejuvenate or de-stress whether in the spa or at home.”

“It feels fantastic to have been recognised at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and to have collected my award alongside a number of other amazing people running all kinds of different businesses.”

Founder of Dr Paw Paw’s personal care product range, Johnny Paterson, who judged the awards, comments: “Clare has had so much deserved success over a period of time and I’ve been impressed with how she has grown the business in the face of adversity.”

The annual Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 saw over 5,000 entrants, with 1,400 entrepreneurs and colleagues gathering to celebrate their successes.

Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, comments: “Celebrating Britain’s ambitious, driven and inspirational entrepreneurs for a decade has been an honour, and we’ve learnt so much from hearing all of their unique stories and perspectives.

“The extraordinary circumstances of the last few years have tested the resilience of our business communities, and the challenges were enough to give many entrepreneurs an excuse to give up. Instead, our award winners did the opposite and, through ingenuity, innovation and the ability to adapt, they thrived. We’d like to congratulate all of our 2022 winners for all of their hard work and achievements – we look forward to following your lead into 2023 and beyond!”