We chat to four award winning brands to find out about their ideal day and get them to reveal their self-care secrets
Jo Holden Crain lives in Lancs with her beekeeper husband, David and their wire-haired vizsla puppy, Maya. She is the founder of Valley Mist and it was with their own beeswax that Jo first made the company’s lip balms back in 2014
“Valley Mist was born from absolute frustration at seeing only petroleum based skincare products in plastic containers on the shelves in the shops, all made by companies from overseas. I knew I could make far superior alternatives from completely natural ingredients. My passion grew to create more products that would be natural and super effective, long lasting and most importantly, not in plastic packaging!
Our products are all like children to me... seriously, I have poured more love into these products than is rational! If I had to pick just one then probably the baby balm as it helped me so much when I developed stress eczema in 2020, while the world went crazy, and I lost my Mum to cancer.
An ideal day
I have a strong belief that you need 5 things for happiness, health and wellbeing, it's something I discuss with my customers in our beautiful little shop, so the perfect day would have to include all five of these: Waking up after a good night's sleep and enjoying adult time with my husband. Then a yummy breakfast of porridge (healthy food) with pomegranate and a cardamom coffee. Take Maya for a walk (exercise) in the woods and later meet friends and laugh (community) my head off then go out dancing.
3 self-care secrets
- Pranayama - yogic breathing exercises. Different breathing exercises create different results: Calming or energising or cleansing.
- Vigorous exercise - so many benefits apart from the obvious of getting the heart going and clearing negative and stagnant energy, but basically ME TIME is something that many parents just don't have enough of and try and make time for.
- Bathing - Water or steam is restorative and healing and should be a treat to look forward to.
Kitty Auguste lives in South West London, with her husband and two daughters, aged 11 and 8. She is the founder of The Natural Play Make-Up Company
“My inspiration was driven by the fact that there wasn’t any clean play makeup available in the UK. I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t an option for it when I started looking for my then five year old. There was play makeup available in almost every children’s high street store but was all full of ingredients that I wouldn’t be happy with putting on my skin, let alone my daughters! I was so shocked that it hadn’t been done here that I instantly knew I had to create it.
My favourite products are the eyeshadows, and blusher! They are the reason I started the company and my original product. I worked so hard with our cosmetics chemist to create formulas that were simple without extra added fillers and binders that are completely unnecessary in children’s makeup. We really stripped them back to basics so they are super gentle on little one’s delicate skin.
An ideal day
Having set up a company from scratch, and it sometimes feeling like its 24/7, my ideal day would be to not be constantly rushing around! Between running the business and looking after the children it would be nice to somehow magic some time so we could relax more as a family as they are growing up so quickly!
3 self-care secrets
1. Cold plunging: I feel amazing afterwards and me in a fantastic mood!
2. Even though I lead a busy life I always find the time to exercise daily and helps me focus and keeps my head clear.
3. I’ve recently been reading up on the benefits of hydrogenated water so have invested in a hydrogen water bottle which I drink daily. Its early days but the health benefits are supposed to be amazing!
Avi lives in East London with his wife. He is the founder of Gudyu
"As a dentist, I was constantly asked by patients to recommend a good toothpaste. Around the same time, I became aware of the massive environmental impact of plastic waste, particularly from toothpaste tubes. It struck me that there had to be an eco-friendlier solution, and that’s how Gudyu was born. I wanted to create something that was good for people and the planet.
My favourite product from Gudyu has to be our original mint toothpaste tablets. Not only are they incredibly effective, but they also completely eliminate the need for plastic tubes. It’s a small change that makes a big difference, and I’m proud every time I use them.
An ideal day
My ideal day would start with a game of football in the morning, followed by a hearty breakfast. Then, maybe some tennis in the afternoon, a quick swim, and spending quality time with family. To top it all off, a relaxing evening at home, perhaps with a good book or a movie. It’s the perfect balance of activity and relaxation.
3 self-care secrets?
1. First, curating a good soundtrack for my morning routine really sets the tone for the day. Music can be incredibly motivating.
2. Staying active is crucial – whether it's going to the gym, playing tennis, or any other sport. I aim for some form of exercise at least five times a week to stay grounded and focused.
3. Brushing with Gudyu tablets and my electric toothbrush – it's a small but essential part of my routine that keeps my oral health in check and reminds me why I started this journey."
Sophie Oliver lives in West London with her partner and 2 sons, age 12 and seven. She is the founder of Baie Botanique
“I’ve had a real love of all things beauty since I was young. My father used to work as the international sales director for several large-scale cosmetic brands and I used to go along to shows and exhibitions. I so loved to play shops with the products. This probably had a large influence on my training as a beauty therapist, and later training as a makeup artist.
My passion has always been to make people look their best with the most minimal makeup possible to achieve that fresh clean and glowing skin. In 2000, I became increasingly interested in health, vitality and wellness, looking at the food we eat and the products we use and living as close to nature as possible. In founding Baie Botanique, I wanted to create beautifully textured products to rival those classic and luxury brands that are full of synthetic ingredients, but instead use powerful natural plant-based and mostly organic ingredients to get the same great results.
Our Face & Body sunscreen is currently my favourite product since I searched for years for a clean and natural chemical UV filter-free sunscreen that feels nice to apply and doesn’t leave a white cast and I’ve never been able to find one that ticked all the boxes until now.
An ideal day
My ideal day would be to wake after a good night’s sleep and spend time with family and friends outdoors in nice weather, and eat healthy and delicious clean food. To do some exercise, have a little me time in nature and maybe a treatment or go for a steam.
3 self-care secrets
1. After a stressful day, when you get into bed, take several long breaths in and out and then scrunch your shoulders up to your ears and then exhale as you release your shoulders swiftly down with the breath out. I find that really helps me destress quickly release tension and get ready for sleep.
2. Take a mini loofah pad into the steam room and exfoliate your skin, especially those areas that get drier like the front of the bottom of calves, then use a nourishing cream afterwards.
3. Don’t use a cleanser to wash your face in the morning. Just splash with water or wipe over with a cotton pad and a hydrosol and you are good to go. Let your skins natural oils help keep your skin healthy and protected.
MORE INSPIRATION
READ About all the winners of this year's Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards in the Beauty Bible, available with issue 120 of The Green Parent, which will be published next week. Click here to get your copy before everyone else.
DISCOVER For our next self-care instalment from beauty brand founders, check back on Thursday 11th to read about why you need to challenge yourself!