Next week it will be 2 years since I launched Clémence Organics. 2 years! Where has that time gone? This past week I’ve been thinking, if I knew then what I know now, would I have done it? The answer, without a doubt, is yes! My passion for organic skincare, and everything that goes with it, has only increased. I am more obsessive about my work now than I ever was.
But skincare hasn’t always been a passion of mine. When I was in my last year of high school I was actually planning on studying law. I had read Nelson Mandela’s ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ and I wanted to make a difference in the world. It was only when I put my university plans on hold to spread my wings and explore, eventually landing work as a legal secretary in London, that I realised there was no way I was going to be a lawyer. The long hours and cutthroat nature of the firms I worked in, did not suit me. My grandfather (who was sooo keen on me studying law) was crushed when I told him the news (sorry Grandpa!)
So after several years in London and a heap of travel, I fell into a naturopathy degree. It felt easy and a natural progression of my interest in health and natural medicine. I loved it. It felt so good to help others with what seemed second nature to me. And natural skincare was always a part of that. Whilst I had dabbled in making products to soothe keloid scars I had suffered since childhood, more significant experience came when my father was diagnosed with throat cancer in my last year of university.
I remember visiting the oncologist to hear all about his intended treatment and to ensure I could prescribe complementary medicines alongside his conventional treatment. This was all fine. The only thing I wasn’t happy with was the barrier cream they gave him to ‘help’ his radiation burn. The petroleum based tube of cream went straight in the bin and instead I made him a natural cream based on calendula and vitamin E. Not far into his treatment, the oncology nurses were commenting on his radiation burn, and how much less it was compared to other patients. In fact he had very little redness at all which minimised his pain. I was so happy. I was also caught on the fact that sometimes it’s the little things you do for someone (like swap one cream for another) that can make a big difference. This was a bit of an ‘aha’ moment for me.
This lesson was further imprinted on me years later when I went into private practice and started making skincare formulations for clients. I treated everything from acne to psoriasis, and the feedback I got from patients inspired me to do more.
I know this sounds a bit silly, and whilst I’m not changing the world anywhere near the scale of Nelson Mandela, I get to make little differences in people’s lives and I love it. Whether it’s a child with painful eczema or a woman with facial rosacea, sometimes all it takes is swapping one cream for another to make a life-changing difference. I do what I do because I want to make a difference in the world. Not only do I want to make people’s lives a little bit easier, but I want to make them healthier. That’s what Clémence Organics is all about.
So as challenging as the past 2 years have been (honestly I’ve wanted to throw in the towel at least once), I’ve loved the ride and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve got so much planned for the next few years, making Clémence Organics much more than a skincare brand, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
As a naturopath, I’m always thinking about dietary and lifestyle recommendations to complement my organic skin care range. Drinking herbal teas has got to one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to further benefit skin. Not only do they taste great but the actives in herbs are absorbed and taken-up quicker than supplements.
Spring is the perfect time to take stock of your skincare products, reboot your beauty routine and get yourself set up for the sun to come.
Here's how: Step 1 - ‘Spring clean’ your skincare
Go through your beauty cabinet and get rid of anything you haven’t used for the last 12 months or anything that isn’t pulling its weight.
As a Naturopath I have treated many skin conditions over the years but some of them you see more than others. Eczema and dermatitis are most definitely my number one. And as the weather is cooling, now is the time when flare ups most commonly occur.
Although it can be caused by a multitude of factors, there are lots of ways to reduce eczema occurrence, and sometime eradicate it for good. Here is what I know about eczema and what you can do about it.
