Question Thyme: Claire Vero, Aurelia
Spring is in the air, bringing with it the warm winds of change; for women, the first months of 2018 have been particularly significant. Powerful, influential female voices are being heard everywhere, and the collaboration between Thyme’s founder Caryn Hibbert and Aurelia Probiotic Skincare’s Claire Vero has particular resonance against this backdrop.
Both women have a scientific background and share a love of botanics; together they have made a commitment to the use of natural ingredients, to the healing power of mindfulness and the very real need in this modern age to walk a path to wellness, for both men and women. We love Aurelia’s products, evidence-based, ethical and natural; but above all they feel extraordinary on the skin. Our relationship will truly blossom when The Spa at Thyme opens later this year and catching up with Claire to talk about her life and her business is an absolute pleasure ...
The first question is one that you must be asked all the time … as a busy mum, an entrepreneur with a rapidly expanding business, how do you look after yourself? After all, that premise is at the heart of Aurelia.
I don’t have as much time as I used to for my beauty routine but I always make sure to use at least the basics of my skincare routine morning and evening. This involves a deep cleanse with the Miracle Cleanser, a few drops of Revitalise & Glow Serum followed by our moisturiser or facial oil depending on the time of day. It doesn’t take long, but it really helps me take some time out for myself and enjoy the essential oils found in each product. I love to take baths and, once the children are in bed, I like to luxuriate in a long soak. I always add at least three cups of Epsom salts to the water as the magnesium helps with fatigue and reenergising. I need to start integrating exercise back in to my day - six months after having my second child it’s time to get back into it. I’ll start swimming again which I love, and will add cardio workouts and kettle bell training this summer. I absolutely love to go for facials and massages to keep my skin glowing and to release stress.
If you could travel back in time five years and give yourself some sage advice about launching Aurelia, and coping with the personal challenges it brought, what would it be?
I would tell myself to expect a variety of challenges that no amount of planning can prepare you for, and to roll with them, as so much can be learned from each and every problem that may occur. I would also tell myself that it’s all worth it! The difference between working for a corporate giant and working for yourself is huge, and has had such a positive impact on my life. Since having children, challenges are put into perspective and I’m not kept up all night worrying about small things so much!
Today, ethical practice in business is coming under particular scrutiny, the beauty industry presents a complex landscape, how do you navigate this?
At Aurelia we have a strong mission and philosophy which makes up our values. We are 'BioOrganic', a term that encompasses the ethically sourced natural, organic and wild harvested plant and flower botanicals used throughout the range. The way we source our natural ingredients is important as we partner with not-for-profit organisations like Phytotrade Africa to ensure sustainability, fair trade and tangible benefits to the communities and villages harvesting these ingredients. We are also a cruelty-free brand with accreditation from Cruelty Free International and we never retail in places like China due to their legislation on animal testing.
As a nation we are becoming more aware of probiotics, at Thyme we talk about gut health in the cookery school, serve kefir to breakfast guests, but on your skin?
It’s so wonderful to see that probiotics are becoming more and more well-known and talked about. I have always advocated taking courses of probiotics as they can help with so much both internally and externally. However, the way we use probiotics in Aurelia is quite different to bacteria-balancing strains as we’re working at a cellular level rather than on the skin’s surface. Our probiotic ingredients work to continuously protect, restore and balance the skin from within. They calm the natural immune triggers in your skin which can be overstimulated by pollution and stress and they reduce the damage these immune triggers cause to collagen, elastin and healthy cells. Aurelia’s Probiotic Ingredients activate the skin’s natural ability to repair itself and boost the natural process of restoring collagen, elastin and healthy cells. This is turn means that your skin will be glowing, plump and luminous, but also that breakouts will be calmed, redness reduced and sensitivity managed.
The ‘time-poor’ nature of modern life means that many busy women simply don’t have time to think about complicated skincare routines. What is the most important thing to do each day?
At Aurelia we believe the minimum anyone should do is our 3-Step Probiotic Routine which involves starting with step one, the Miracle Cleanser, treating with step two the Revitalise & Glow Serum and moisturising with one of the Cell Revitalise Moisturisers as step three. It can take as little as three minutes to complete the routine and you will start to see a difference in as little as one week. If I have to choose just one step to complete, I would say cleansing. This is because you need to free your skin of any daily impurities, makeup and pollution which can cause damage within the skin and dullness on the surface. If you use something like the Miracle Cleanser, you’ll find that the creamy texture makes your skin feel beautifully supple and even hydrated.
Wellness is a multi-faceted thing, we’ve talked about skincare, about the importance of mindfulness, and at Thyme food is at the heart of what we do. So we hoped you might share a recipe for something that you love that helps your wellbeing.
Mindfulness is such a strong part of our brand and is integral to our philosophy. We use natural essential oils to deliver relaxing and grounding benefits which help to break up the day and give you space to breathe. Mindfulness and wellness are intrinsically linked and I was introduced to the following juice recipe by my wonderful Doula, who helped me deliver both of my boys Henry and Atticus. She is a font of wellbeing knowledge and shared so many brilliant recipes with me to keep us on the right (healthy!) track. This daily energiser juice is great for boosting energy, and the natural vitamins and antioxidants found in all of the ingredients will be helping you achieve a healthy glow from the inside.
