Slow Down, Appreciate Beauty and Other Self-Care Secrets

As part of the Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards 2024, we asked 4 beauty brands to share their top wellbeing secrets

Gemma Sonley is the founder of Gem’s Natural Skincare. She lives on the river Dart in Devon with her partner, their three year old daughter and trusty Tibetan terrier

I originally started making Gem’s Dry Skin Balm about fifteen years ago, inspired by my new love of the healing aspects of aromatherapy, all natural products and anything good for our bodies. Making this little balm to treat my mother’s eczema, word began to spread which led to me starting the business. I closed the business a couple of years ago to raise my little family but was taken aback by just how many old customers missed the balm so restarted again this year and am loving making it for everyone again.

We use Gem’s Dry Skin Balm everyday for anything on every part of the body, we find it so versatile - helping with cuts, bites, dry knees, eyelids, hands and heels, I even use it for a monthly scalp and hair overnight treatment. It’s just a handy balm to have around the house. 

An ideal day

My ideal day involves being able to start early with restorative quiet time, followed by quality snuggles, then embarking on either a coastal walk, Dartmoor hike or a peaceful kayak on the Dart with the family and of course involving a lovely picnic and sunshine! If I can squeeze toasting a few marshmallows over a fire in the evening then that would be perfect!

4 self-care secrets 

1. Nature - I have a huge love for nature, getting outside daily rain or shine. I’m very lucky to live in such a peaceful setting as I get to immerse myself in green and blue spaces. 
2. Rhythm - it’s not always easy maintaining a rhythm as my partner works away for long periods, but I definitely find a greater sense of peace and balance within the household if we can keep a rhythm. As my daughter sleeps in until 7:30 (don’t be fooled, she’s up late!) I can usually be up following a routine of self-care involving yoga, a face ice bath and my current favourite tea - a homemade stinging nettle infusion whilst listening to the bird song - it’s a quiet, gentle start to my day.
3. Creativity - having a toddler can be all consuming, so any time for creativity is valuable to me, whether it’s with my daughter or without but I find the most mentally restorative time is alone. Whether it’s music, making new balm recipes, veg patch, art, the outcome is not always a success but I find it allows me to channel a meditative energy that brings calm and a sense of resilience back into the reality of toddlerhood.
4. Also, I’m sneaking in with a fourth - laughter - I’ve always thought of laughter like a cat purring to heal, I love how it releases tension in my body, it’s such a great healer! 

Kirtida Mistry is the founder of Eizun Eco Skin. She lives in London with her 6 year old daughter 

I’ve always sought high quality skincare that would meet my needs of being first and foremost cruelty free and 100% plant based, without any added chemicals or too many preservatives. For me it was important that I use organic as much as is possible, the whole concept of Eizun Eco Skin resonates with how I endeavour as much as is possible to live my life. Being in balance and harmony with nature is at the core of everything I do. Simply speaking this is my ‘happy’ so it made sense that I develop a skincare brand that encompasses this ideal. Eizun meaning ‘balance’ was chosen as the name, as all the products are energetically balanced to bring a sense of harmony when used. 

My favourite product is the Define Eye Balm, as it is formulated with amazing ingredients such as coriander which is my absolute favourite, this eye balm is so nourishing that it soothes the whole area and irons out wrinkles and it works perfectly to protect from environmental damage. Once gently applied you just know that it is nourishing the whole area of skin around the eyes.

An ideal day

My ideal day is once all my daily chores are done, I truly enjoy formulating my products, ready to go out, knowing that they will be enjoyed and the positive feedback I receive makes my day.

But most importantly it’s about making memories and enjoying quality time with my daughter, we often go to the stunning parks nearby and enjoy being immersed in the beautiful woods and nature. 

3 self-care secrets

1. First thing in the morning, I always have hot water with lemon, ginger, cayenne pepper, followed by a handful of Brazil, walnuts, dates, apricots and raisins.
2. I always do dry skin brushing at least once a week to help keep my skin healthy and it’s great for circulation.
3. I also do weekly foot baths as it’s a great ritual for that all important ‘Me Time’. Not only is it a fabulous way to relax and de-stress, but it’s also brilliant to detox and rebalance your energy. I usually do this at the end of the day on Sundays, my favourite is our Triple Rose bath soak, guaranteed I always have a deep sleep and wake up ready for the week on Monday morning.

Anne Fortin is originally from Paris and now lives in South London with her husband Paul and 2 sons, Isaac 11 and Ruben 8. She is the founder of Anne Fortin Organic Skincare

I started Anne Fortin skincare line after struggling with my own skin condition and with the desire to offer really effective skincare. I’ve suffered with eczema most of my life, especially on my hands. I could never find truly moisturising products on the market. During Covid with all the extra handwashing, my skin condition worsened so I started researching alternative solutions. This is when I discovered the benefits of natural botanical ingredients. After only a month of making my first balm with organic oils, butters and essential oils, my skin condition improved drastically.

It was like a lightbulb moment; “I need to share the benefits of those amazing natural ingredients”. This is how I decided to start my own line of natural gentle skincare, it had to be suitable for the whole family, and made with organic, ethically sourced ingredients and be sustainably packaged.   

My favourite product is my Regenerating Botanical Serum which won the Green Parent Gold Award 2023 in the serum category. This serum is a multipurpose, multi benefits serum. It can be used on the face, neck and eye contour. It’s beautifully regenerating, nourishing and soothing. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, promotes collagen production, even out the skin tone, antioxidant and astringent. It also has a wonderful silky feel on the skin with a beautiful spa like smell made from a blend of frankincense, lavender & geranium. It’s so well balanced that I don’t use anything else and my skin feels and looks really healthy. I love using it in the morning after a hot shower and at night with a little face massage.

An ideal day 

My ideal day is an adventure day shared with my family. We like travelling so we would start the morning with a visit to an historical monument and immerse ourselves into the local history and art, followed by a tasty lunch to discover the local cuisine. I’m quite the foodie! In the afternoon we’d go for a walk in the mountains overlooking a lake, we like observing the plants and fauna and look over the horizon. We’d finish the day with a picnic dinner while watching the sunset with snuggles. 

3 self-care secrets

1. I have a walk every morning. I think it’s really important to be exposed to sunlight and wake up the body gently after sleeping. It lifts my mood and gets me ready for the day ahead. It doesn’t have to be long but it has to be daily even if it rains, maybe not pour though!
2. I try to go to Yoga classes at least once a week. It helps keep my body stay balanced, strong and flexible and my head clear.
3. I like having a hot bath, followed by massaging some of my handmade whipped body butter. I scent it with a blend of neroli & jasmine essential oils, which I find so calming, a real sensorial delight.

Anna Mitsios is the founder of Edible Beauty. She lives with her partner, son and puppy, Lucy

I was inspired to start Edible Beauty over ten years ago whilst I was working at a natural fertility clinic. I was recommending that in addition to changes to their food and lifestyle routines, my patients make changes to their personal care products. I was shocked to find that there were very few options available for skincare products that were "edible" and that were luxurious and therapeutic. As a result, I embarked on creating my own range of skincare products. I was literally whipping shea butter, cocoa butter and rose water in my mother’s cake mixer and started sharing my creations with friends and family. After much research, courses, cosmetic chemist meetings, Edible Beauty Australia skincare range was born.

My favourite product is one of our essentials, our No.1 Belle Frais Cleansing Milk. Ten years on and I still love the uplifting scent (citrus) this provides each morning along with the beautiful silky cleansing action and soft supple skin it leaves behind every time. What I love about this product is that it cleanses and purifies the skin so effectively but doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry or irritated which can happen frequently when using a cleansing gel. On the flip side it leaves skin feeling hydrated but not greasy like many cleansing oils. More and more we are discovering how important it is that we preserve our acid mantle (by using gentle, oil based and non-foaming formulas) and this is the prefect product to keep our skin barrier intact.

An ideal day

My ideal day involves waking up and either meditating or exercising for at least a half hour. I love starting the day setting intentions for how I want the day to unfold, and making a strong intention for how I want to show up! I will then get the family ready for the day ahead. The more unstructured the day, the better it is for me. I love the buzz of working on different parts of the business, and connecting with people who are as passionate about business as I am. In a typical day, it will be very fulfilling for me to be bouncing between brand strategy, new product development, tiktok content creation and retail distribution. I love interacting with my team and customers and setting new goals and milestones for where I want to be. In the evening, I love spending time with my young boy -he loves art so we are always experimenting with new art techniques, playing with our puppy or going for a run in the park together! I love cooking so this also features heavily in my ideal day. I always love winding up the day reflecting on what has gone well or what maybe has not gone as well as planned and reflecting and visualising how I can improve on this the next day. 

3 self-care secrets

Self-care doesn’t come so easily to me, so I do make a very deliberate effort to take time out to provide myself with some self-love.

1. Firstly, taking the time for me in the mornings is so important. The 30 minutes of exercise and self reflection is my ultimate self care routine and really gets me started on the right foot each morning.
2. Secondly, self-care for me is ensuring I am taking the time out to breathe enjoy a green tea in the afternoon. It can be all too easy to get caught up in the adrenaline rush of the day – without a reminder or cue to slow down I tend to hold a bit of tension unconsciously.
3. Thirdly, self care is all about enjoying simple yet beautiful moments in every day and taking the time out to recognise how special they are. I have made an effort to enjoy things like a rainbow, the moon shining, a beautiful sunset or even a special moment with my boy, I mentally store and treasure this moment.

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 Monday 29th to read about why walking barefoot reduces stress.