Celebrating 15 Years: A Candid Q&A with Our Founders, Gail and Gareth

15 years. Countless memories. One incredible journey.

To celebrate the School of Natural Skincare’s 15th anniversary, we’re sitting down with our founders, Gail and Gareth, for a candid Q&A. From their proudest moments to the biggest challenges, their favorite skincare products to how they unwind, they’re sharing it all—plus a few surprises!

Join us as we look back, reflect, and celebrate 15 years of passion, nature, and creativity.

Plus, we’ll share some of Gail and Gareth’s favorite natural skincare formulas with you. 

Ready? Let’s dive in!

1. What is your favorite skincare ingredient?

Gail: So many to choose from! I love versatile ingredients that are quick and easy to use. Tetra-C (INCI Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate) is one of my favorites – it is a very stable oil-soluble Vitamin C derivative that is easy to work with and provides excellent results. It can be easily mixed with carrier oils for an antioxidant facial oil and also used in emulsions. Vitamin C is most known for its antioxidant and collagen synthesis-stimulating properties and is therefore considered a potent anti-aging ingredient. We’ve included a lovely Vitamin C Antioxidant Serum featuring Tetra C in our Quick Guide to Formulaing with Vitamin C, which you can download here.

Gareth: I have too many! Historically, I would say rosehip seed oil, coconut oil and shea butter are my best friends and form the base of many of my favorite products. These ingredients have helped me so much since I was a teenager, and they are still my go-to ingredients today. But I think things like sea buckthorn CO2 Extract (rich in essential fatty acids and bioactive compounds), phyto-retinol, and co-enzyme Q10 (strong antioxidants with anti-aging properties that both help to reduce photo-aging) are the ones that I like the most in my products today. They pack that little bit of extra punch.

2. Which of the School’s skincare products do you use every day?

Gail: Lots! One favorite is our Orange Lip Balm, which I’ve made for over 15 years! It is by far the best lip balm I have ever used (much better than anything I have ever bought). The cocoa butter leaves lips so smooth, and beeswax creates a lovely protective barrier. Our children love making and using this product too. So simple and so effective. Give it a go!

I use many of the solid skincare and haircare products featured in our Diploma in Zero Waste Skincare and Haircare Formulation, including a shampoo, conditioner, and facial cleansing bar. I get very dry hands, so the Coconut and Shea Hand and Foot Cream from our Natural Skincare Recipe Book is always on my nightstand.

Gareth: I also have LOADS to choose from. Firstly, the Coconut and Ylang Ylang Whipped Shea Body Butter from our Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products. I enjoyed teaching people to make this in our live in-person workshops, and I still love it today!

I love using many formulas from our Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, including the Soothing After-Shave Gel-Cream from our Formulaing Men’s Skincare class, which is light in texture and very soothing.

We also use lots of the household cleaning products at home, such as the Eucalyptus Dishwashing Liquid from our Formulating Natural Household Cleaning Products class, plus lots of zero waste cleaning products from our soon-to-be-released Formulating Zero Waste Household Cleaning Products class.

3. What’s your favorite essential oil?

Gail: It really depends on what I’m using it for and what time of day it is. If it’s for a facial product or in the bath in the evening, then I love frankincense essential oil, which has excellent skin benefits and such a calming aroma. For a general, all-around helpful oil, I love lavender, of course. Gareth always has a bottle of lavender essential oil in his bag; we never go anywhere without it!

Gareth: Well, as Gail said, I always have lavender essential oil with me wherever I go. Lavender is a bit old hat and old-fashioned, isn’t it? But, I don’t care. I just love it, and the fragrance is so diverse depending on which one you get. The oil pretty much does everything, and the fragrance is simply divine. Lavender Stoechas is my favorite. Besides lavender, I especially like ylang ylang extra (this one in particular), bergamot, neroli and rose.

4. What is your favorite formula?

Gail: As I’m approaching my mid-40s, I love our Frankincense Face Cream For Mature Skin With Coenzyme Q10 from our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. It’s a rich moisturizer that nourishes the skin, alleviates dryness, and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. It features some of my favourite ingredients: rosehip oil, shea butter, aloe vera, panthenol and frankincense essential oil. The hero ingredient in this formula is coenzyme Q10 for its strong antioxidant properties, and for the ability to lower wrinkle depth and reduce signs of photoaging.

Gareth: I would have to agree with Gail here. I’ve used this formula for nearly 10+ years now, but I tweak it a little to make it more suited to my skin, which tends to be more oily. I merely take out shea butter and wheatgerm oil and increase the amount of rosehip and it is perfect for me. As much as I LOVE shea butter, it’s a bit too thick for use on my face.

5. What is your proudest achievement?

Gail: I can’t narrow it down to just one! I’ll choose three. Firstly, our family. Secondly, establishing and growing the School of Natural Skincare into the fabulous school it is today. Expanding our courses to include skincare, haircare, soap, and makeup, and setting up our Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. Thirdly, living and working in China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in my late teens and twenties. It was quite the adventure!

Gareth: Well, does Gail count as an achievement?? It might be…But again, as Gail has said, our family and growing the School of Natural Skincare whilst raising and homeschooling our three lovely children. Speaking several different languages, travelling, and living abroad for a few years.

6. What is a personal highlight of yours from the last 15 years?

Gail: Family holidays are always a highlight! I love exploring new places and spending time together as a family. In 2023, we had an amazing holiday in Slovenia, where we spent time in beautiful nature (lakes, rivers, mountains) and did some very adventurous activities, including zip lining and white water rafting. We also visited Tina (our awesome Cosmetic Scientist and tutor) at her home.  Our boys got on so well and had fun making a tree house together!

Gareth: I think travelling around the US, Australia and New Zealand for a year in 2014-2015 with our then-baby daughter whilst growing the School of Natural Skincare. It is perhaps the most amazing thing I have ever done. A real sense of adventure, freedom and possibility. We visited some incredible places, met some amazing people, went on some fabulous hikes, and one day I would like to go and do it all again. 

7. What is a professional highlight of yours from the last 15 years?

Gail: Publishing the A-Z of Natural Cosmetic Formulation was a highlight! Holding a physical book that you’ve poured hours and hours of care and intention into is quite an incredible feeling. Setting up our beautiful office and cosmetic lab was also a great achievement. It’s in a beautiful converted barn and is a joyful place to work.

Gareth: There have been many, but perhaps the highlight has been the launch and growth of our Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. We’ve put so many hours of research and development into our Membership, covered an enormous amount of exciting topics, and produced some simply incredible learning resources from it all. I am not sure there is anything else like it, to be honest, and the ideas for future research and learning materials continue to pour out of us! It’s an inspiring project to work on and be part of.

8. What’s been your biggest challenge of the last 15 years?

Gail: Getting up each morning whilst completely sleep-deprived when our twins were born back in 2015 was a challenge! And the sleep deprivation continued for about 5 years. It’s incredible how your body adapts and continues to function on so little sleep! Coffee was most definitely my friend. Thank goodness all the children are good sleepers now. 

Also, the year I turned 40, I learnt that I have an autoimmune disease. For about a year, I felt really unwell. Fortunately, now, I have found ways to keep the symptoms at bay, and I feel better than ever. 

Gareth: I think juggling everything we have to do to not only to run and grow/evolve the School of Natural Skincare but to manage it around raising our kids, homeschooling them and running a household with all the extra-curricular activities we all do is a challenge but also perhaps what I am most proud about. Somehow, we do it all and at times, as Gail has said, with pretty much zero sleep!

9. Tell us something that followers won’t know about you.

Gail: I recently qualified as an Advanced Flower Essence Practitioner and Producer at Chalice Well in Glastonbury. I simply adore flowers, trees, and tuning into the energy of the natural world. My most used essences are Elm from the Bach range for when I’m feeling overwhelmed (juggling a business and family life is busy!) and Apple Blossom from the Chalice Well range for nourishment, replenishment and support – essentially it’s self-care in a bottle! 

Gareth: I used to play national league and international hockey (field hockey to our American friends). It pretty much was my life until I was about 28, and now I have returned to it as our children have started to play. I am now running the youth hockey at our local club and playing a bit for the men’s teams.

10. How do you relax?

Gail: I love listening to audiobooks, walking in nature, and swimming in the sea! In the winter, I love taking a bath with aromatherapy bath salts (homemade, of course!) and a face mask. Also, snuggling on the sofa with the children and watching an uplifting movie. 

Gareth: Yoga. I have practised yoga for a little over 20 years now. My practice keeps me sane, emotionally balanced, and physically fit, supple, and strong. It helps to keep me grounded and spiritually connected. Also lying with my legs up the wall at the end of the day. I like cold plunges, swimming in rivers and the sea, bodyboarding, walking, and hiking. I think my two favorite things to help me relax and unwind are being in nature and yoga.

11. How do you connect with and enjoy nature?

Gail: In lots of ways! Through the skincare I make and use that is rich in botanical extracts, plant oils and essential oils. Through my work with flower essences. And of course, being out in nature. Walking amongst the trees, admiring flowers. Being immersed in the energy of the elements – feeling the warmth of the sun, the wind in my hair, and wild swimming in rivers and the sea. Also bodyboarding! We as a family love bodyboarding in the Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Cornwall.

Gareth: I love walking in nature, taking the same paths through the seasons to observe the shifting landscape — trees budding in spring, flowers in bloom, the golden hues of autumn. I have favorite trees to sit with, places where I pause to soak in the warmth of the sun or notice the changing light from winter’s retreat to summer’s glow. Sometimes, I pick a distant hill or landmark and walk there, trusting I’ll find my way. Nature isn’t just something I admire — it’s something I want to be immersed in. I embrace natural health, from herbs and homeopathy to essential oils and skincare. And while I prefer being in nature rather than just looking at it, sometimes, you do have to stop and admire the view!

12. In what ways has the School changed over the last 15 years?

Gail: In the very beginning, the School was run solely by Gareth and me. It was a creative and inspiring time as we built it from an idea into a global school. Now we are supported by an excellent team, and our professional cosmetic scientists, Tina and Nicole, share their expertise and experience with our students and members.

Gareth: The School has changed a lot over the last 15 years. In the early days, we just offered skincare classes. Since then, we’ve expanded that to teach skincare, haircare, makeup, and color cosmetics, soap and zero waste, and branched out into subjects like household cleaning products and oral care. I love how we’ve challenged ourselves to keep on innovating, and of course, that has all been made possible by our fantastic team, especially our Cosmetic Scientists Tina and Nicole.

13. What is a personal goal of yours for the next 15 years?

Gail: Gareth and I really want to walk the South West Coast Path! It is England’s longest waymarked long-distance footpath and is 630 miles (1,014 km) long! It follows the coastline of the southwest peninsula, through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. We need to wait until the children are older, as none of them enjoys hiking!

Gareth: Yes, I agree with Gail. I think walking the South West Coast Path is the big one. As I am from Wales and the land is really dear to me, I would also love to walk the Wales Coast Path. And something that Gail doesn’t know about yet is travelling the world to visit some of the most amazingly beautiful and divinely inspired buildings like Mont Saint-Michel, Hagia Sofia, St Mark’s Basilica, Saint Basil’s Cathedral and La Sagrada Familia – just to name a few!

14. What is a professional goal of yours for the next 15 years?

Gail: Continuing to build a strong community of natural skincare formulators and empowering them with the skills to formulate beautiful products through our courses. Continually adding new and exciting classes to our Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club so our members are at the cutting edge of natural and organic beauty.

Also, as our daughter is now entering her tween and teen years, I am particularly interested in educating this age group about how to look after their skin naturally and empowering them to formulate skincare products that are so much better for them than the synthetically laden products promoted to this age group.

Gareth: I think it has got to be about inspiring and empowering the next generation to embrace a natural and organic lifestyle — teaching them to create amazing cosmetic products, launch their own brands, and enjoy the journey along the way. 

I am really excited about all the work we have planned for our Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, which is the place where all of our experiments, research, development and innovation go. We’d love to dive deeper into topics like natural household cleaning, zero waste, and oral care, while also exploring new areas like flower essences, crystals in cosmetics, homeopathic beauty, and natural perfumery. Exciting times ahead!

15. What is one piece of advice you have for people wanting to learn skincare formulation?

Gail: Beware of what you read and watch online! There is a shocking amount of incorrect and unsafe information on social media, YouTube, blogs, and AI. It is something we are working really hard to educate people about. Most people start making natural skincare because they want to use gentle and safe products, so ensure you learn from reliable sources. 

Gareth: Thank you and welcome! It’s an amazing hobby that many have taken further. It’s a creative thing to do, huge amounts of fun, and you get to use excellent products yourself out of your hobby/business…it’s a great way of empowering yourself to look after yourself in a meaningful way that aligns with your values. There’s so much potential, we hope you’ll join us. We do this because we absolutely 100% love it, live it, and believe in it. Come and join the fun.