A MOTHER-and-son-run men’s skincare and underwear firm hopes a national award victory will put it on the map.

Ava-J, run by Tracey Denison and her son Joe Goddard, 30, has won the best face wash (men’s grooming) prize at the 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards. The firm won the prize for its Carbo Carbonis Charcoal Facewash.

The firm started in 2014 after Mrs Denison spotted a gap in the market for boutique-style men’s beauty products when looking for gifts for her sons, and the pair work from their home in Gomersal.

More than 600 brands entered for this year’s awards and judging took place over a six-month period, from early September through to February.

Mrs Denison, owner and director of the company, said: “It’s a lovely feeling to win.

“This award gives us a bit of kudos. It is not our first award, we won one for rising stars in a family business last year.

“Business is okay at the moment. We did better in October than we did in December last year and the start of the year has been slow.

“Men are more into skincare these days than women are.

“I found that you buy whatever you wanted for beautifully gift-wrapped women’s underwear in shops like La Senza, but you couldn’t buy underwear like that for men. There is still nothing like that on the High Street for men.

“It would be nice to get in the High Street, but more in boutiques than supermarkets.”

She added that her son, marketing manager Joe, 30, is behind the design side of the company’s product. Its range includes seven types of men’s underwear, 13 skincare products and five types of nightwear items.

Mrs Denison added: “My son has studied design and textiles for a couple of years so he set about creating and designing a range of quality underwear.

“We used local pattern cutters and have the garments made in Leicester. The range now includes nightwear.

“All our underwear bought from our online store is gift-boxed in the distinct black and purple Ava-J box, wrapped in tissue and sprinkled with black scented petals.

“We wanted to offer a luxury skincare range and worked for some time with a local cosmetics company in Bingley to produce a high-quality skincare range and have some unique products.

“We are passionate about our products being made in Britain, historically we were one of the major manufacturers in the world and we have allowed it to disappear over the past 50 years.”