Here at Beauty Expert, we’re celebrating the month of April with our #BENATURAL campaign. In light of Earth Day on the 22nd April, we want to celebrate all of our favourite natural and organic beauty brands. To help kick start the month, we wanted to hear from a brand who are true leaders when it comes to natural skincare. Pushing the boundaries of natural skincare, and based on a philosophy that “beauty works naturally”, Balance Me is hugely passionate about using the very finest natural ingredients and gorgeous essential oil blends.
We recently caught up with founders of the brand Clare and Rebecca, to find out their vision behind the brand, their number one beauty tip, and of course, their number one ingredient of female empowerment. Here’s what they had to say…
Q. What was your vision when starting the brand?
The quest for natural, pro-age skincare started when we left behind careers in corporate beauty and management consultancy to retrain in reflexology and yoga, in search of a better work-life balance. We spotted a gap in the market for a brand that focused on wellbeing, as well as results, and this inspired us to create Balance Me. We wanted to create products that we would be happy to use on our own skin, and also the skin of our own young families that gave fantastic results and skin benefits. I studied aromatherapy and the power of essential oils whilst at university, where I developed a natural flare and passion for mixing ingredients and creating beautiful, aromatherapy inspired products that give benefits to both the body and mind. - Clare
Q. Talk us through your beauty routine…
I believe in the mantra ‘less is more’ and I think that my best discovery has been achieving a simple routine that I can maintain everyday alongside looking after my children and running Balance Me! I use our Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm, Radiance Face Oil and Collagen Boost Face Cream every day as these fuss-free, 3 wonder products keep my skin radiant and youthful! - Rebecca
Q. What is your number one beauty secret?
Favourite beauty trend - Sleep inducing and stress relieving products. We are currently working on our own Balance Me collection to launch later this year, taking inspiration from one of our very first Balance Me heroines from 10 years ago….. - Rebecca
My top beauty tip is to dry body brush before your morning shower. As both my children are very young, I have mastered the art of an efficient morning! So to save time, I use a body brush in each hand, starting at my ankles I will move these up my body in circular motions, in the direction of my heart. Spending just 5 minutes a day doing this encourages good circulation and boosts lymphatic drainage to detox the body, resulting in smooth, cellulite-free skin. I always follow with our Super Toning Body Oil post-shower to give skin an extra hit of detoxing power. - Clare
Q. What do you think is the key ingredient of female empowerment?
Without a doubt I would say it is our ability to multi-task! In just one day in the office I could be interviewing new staff, meeting with the beauty director of a magazine, talking to our manufactures about a new ingredient and planning in Christmas 2016 with our retailers! Like many mothers I juggle all of this with the school run, playdates, preparing meals etc. I sometimes get to Friday afternoon and don’t know how I managed it all! -Rebecca
Q. Who is your inspiration or role model?
Our inspiration when setting up the brand was making products for women like us. When we started the brand we focussed more on products that would keep skin hydrated or would help prevent stretch marks (as I was pregnant with my first child). Now that we are a bit older we are looking at skincare to minimise premature ageing and keep our skin radiant and youthful. It is fair to say that the products have grown up as we have. Clare and I play very different roles within the company and don’t always think in the same way so it is great to bounce ideas off each other as well. - Rebecca
Q. What is your favourite way to unwind?
I find that running inspires me to think more clearly. I enjoy running 5k in the morning, with no music. I will run really fast and just enjoy using the time to think about my day ahead and process my thoughts logically. I find the fresh air very soothing and it helps me to de-stress when I am particularly busy. - Rebecca
I rely on yoga and meditation to balance my mind and body so that I can unwind after a busy day. I used to teach yoga before I had my children, but now I practise by myself at home, and find that the 45 minutes of relaxing ‘me-time’ really helps to clear my thoughts plus undo any muscle aches and pains that can come with office work. I especially love taking my yoga mat on holiday and stretching with the sun rise, or with views of the sea for an extra calming experience!- Clare
Q. If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Play to your strengths; challenge yourself that your business will make you money (if not it’s a hobby) - Clare
Network to make useful connections to help your business grow - Rebecca
