LIFE HAPPENS
SKIN RESCUE
ALLERGEN AND NUT-FREE SKIN REPAIR
Life Happens Skin Rescue – a strange name but born out of my twin life as a
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, lecturer and author, where my face to the
world is Life Happens Mindfulness. The skincare brand developed out of the
desire to have everyday products and skincare that were safe for old and
young, as the more research I did on the ingredients in our everyday items,
the more concerned I became regarding their negative impact on our health.
I have always believed in the importance of seeing people as mind and body,
not mind or body. We are integrated beings that are constantly influenced by
our biology and genetics, our psychology and internal world, and our familial,
social and environmental settings. These factors are dynamic and are in a
never-ending cycle of interaction with each other. Everything affects us, in
one way or another, whether it be the genes with which we are born, the food
we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the atmosphere at home and
in society, and, importantly, social and political decisions.
With this in mind, I set out to research and make products that were a lot
more in line with my approach to life than most of the products on shop
shelves, and which would not harm me or others. The house soon turned into
an apothecary of days gone by, and any willing, or even unwilling, person
became a human dummy for testing. “Give me your arm, “Which feels
nicer?”, “Would you be willing to try this out and give me feedback?” became
the norm. The image of me with a pointy hat, clutching a large, gnarled stick,
stirring a cauldron was constantly being mentioned, and my lotions and
potions took on a life of their own. As I moved increasingly towards allergen-
free ideas, the stream of muscle balms, herb-infused oils and tinctures began
to dwindle, and the house was soon filled with botanical oils, butters from
near and far, and a variety of containers and products of different levels of
success and failure.
I had now settled on the idea of waterless and allergen-free, though its
implementation was considerably more difficult than the idea, which I’ll
comment on later. This expanded into the challenge of formulating products
seed oils held a lot of appeal, both for their wonders on the skin and that it
prevented waste. For me, seeds are the powerhouse of life, without which we
wouldn’t survive, so they hold the key to life and contain life-enhancing
properties.
Sourcing ingredients of the highest quality and that were ethically
manufactured was possible, albeit expensive. Knowing that it would be
unrealistic and impossible to create a whole range of household products,
my focus homed in on skincare. Anyone who has very sensitive skin will know
how difficult it is to find clothing, laundry detergents and face and body
products, amongst many other things, that don’t cause a reaction, whether
it’s itchy skin, rashes, or the need to rewash a set of clothes or rush outside to
get away from the sensory overload of fragrances.
that would be ecologically friendly
and address the important issue of
sustainability. The idea of upcycled
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