Discovering the World of Natural Beauty

“I could formulate a cake, but not a lotion or a cream!”

Baking a cake and making natural cosmetics are not as different as you might think! They both need a recipe, a selection of ingredients, scales to weigh them, utensils to combine them, care and dedication, and a whole lot of joy!

Arcenia Roberts was confident at making cakes, but she had no prior experience in natural cosmetics formulation, and it was a conversation with her mother that sparked her curiosity in the potential of natural cosmetics.

“I was talking to my mom, asking her how she was and she was saying, “I’ve got some pain on my feet.” And I said, “Do you have any creams to apply?” And she said, “No, I just apply aloe vera, the plant.” And I was like, “Oh, I didn’t know that!” So that started my curiosity. It was like, “I like this!.” So I looked for a school that could give me a course, give me more information, and something more structured.”

This sparked a desire to further explore natural cosmetics, revealing exciting possibilities and igniting a newfound interest and passion within her.

Choosing the School and Finding Structure in Learning New Skills

So Arcenia started Googling courses, and stumbled upon the School of Natural Skincare. She was thrilled to find a free five day challenge that the School was running. She signed up and found it so fun and engaging, instilling confidence in the quality of the school’s content.

Impressed by her initial experience, Arcenia delved deeper into the course offerings and decided to pursue the Diploma in Natural Haircare Formulation, a choice influenced by the program’s tailored approach to African hair. The flexibility of online learning and the ability to study at her own pace further convinced Arcenia that this was the ideal platform for her educational journey.

Step-by-Step Learning Process: Unveiling the World of Ingredients

As Arcenia delved into the online learning materials, she made a conscious decision to first grasp the fundamentals, and then to get her hands stuck into the formulation! One of the things she loved the most was the structured approach to learning, a discovery that proved incredibly valuable as she transitioned from theory to hands-on practice, and realizing that formulation is much more than just mixing ingredients together. 

“It was nice to understand that things have structure and that you go from this point to the next point and you understand what you are doing. It’s not just adding ingredients and then trying and say, “Oh, that’s nice,” but is it safe? Is it stable? Can I still use it in six months?”

The course prompted Arcenia to question not just how a product feels or looks initially but its safety, stability, and usability over time. This discernment, enabled by the structured modules, enhanced her formulations beyond experimentation to a careful and informed process.

As she progressed through the course, the importance of understanding the “why” behind each step became increasingly clear. 

Therapeutic Transformation: Crafting Products for Healing

Arcenia’s new found confidence saw her trying her hand at everything – and having a ton of fun along the way!

“Now I can make a shampoo for dry hair, oily hair, African hair. I can now distinguish which ingredients I can add to make one for a specific hair type. I can make conditioners, too! I’ve been concentrating on trying to make a co-wash for example, which has been recommended for my hair type. I would have never thought that I would know how to make a conditioner!” 

Expanding Horizons: Venturing into Skincare Formulation

After discovering just how much fun and satisfaction could be gained from formulating haircare, Arcenia’s thirst for learning led her to enroll in the Diploma in Formulating Natural Skincare. 

“After I finished the haircare diploma course, I decided to do the skin one because I thought that if I managed to do shampoos and conditioners, shall I try it a little bit more?”

From hand creams to foot lotions and facial moisturizers, Arcenia soon found herself immersed in a whole new world of natural cosmetics possibilities! And how rewarding this would prove to be – what an achievement for one person to go from no prior knowledge at all, to crafting her own handmade hair AND skincare products! 

Community Connection: Support, Collaboration and Belonging

One of the features that sets the School of Natural Skincare apart from other school’s is our exceptionally talented and knowledgeable in-house cosmetic scientists, and this didn’t go unnoticed by Arcenia. 

“I love that you can ask questions and the tutor explains the answer to us. I’d say, “Oh, I have done this and it didn’t quite come out as I expected,” and you have someone to explain to you why it happened. As a student, you have the confidence that you can ask someone, that’s very important.”

The Private Student & Graduate Community Facebook Group is also a vibrant hub of support and inspiration, and many students continue to participate in this group long after graduation, not only to share questions and gain valuable insight, but also because this group provides a sense of belonging, a space where you can connect and collaborate with like minded people, sharing a growth mindset as you bloom and grow. 

Empowered Creation: The Joy of Crafting Personalized Product

The joy that formulating natural cosmetics brings cannot be underestimated. We hear time and time again from students who find that they’ve found their true purpose in life, who take pride and immense satisfaction from their creations – and of course, this passion and joy emanates out to their customers.

Arcenia told us:

“It’s amazing because you look at the product and you say, “I created this product because I wanted to eliminate the dry skin that I had and I was capable of formulating it all by myself!” I think it’s quite something. It’s really amazing that you can make your own products, you know that you can adjust your products for your needs or for whoever you are making for. You have that power!”

Knowing that you can design and formulate your own products, know exactly what is in them and therefore exactly what is going onto your skin, what ingredients you use, where you source those ingredients, what type of packaging you use – knowledge really is power!

Advice for Aspiring Formulators: Where to Begin

Arcenia encourages readers to embark on their own exploration of natural skincare formulation, to take that leap of faith! Often it is that first step that is the hardest to take.

Draw inspiration from Arcenia’s journey by feeling into your true passion – what do you love the most? Taking care of your skin? Or perhaps formulating unique hair products for your particular needs, or another niche you’ve figured out, like menopausal skincare, cosmetics for teenagers, mature skin, babies – the choices are endless! 

A Journey of Knowledge and Self-Discovery

Arcenia Roberts’ journey from curious student to confident formulator is a testament to dedication and perseverance. Her success is not just professional; it signifies a personal transformation. 

As she continues to create natural cosmetics, her passion flourishes into a lifelong love of learning and innovation.

This journey serves as an inspiration to other aspiring natural cosmetics formulators, encouraging them to embrace challenges and pursue their dreams with dedication and joy.

As Arcenia shapes her future, you are invited to reflect upon your own aspirations, to dream, to take risks, to be brave, to work towards creating the future you want, and to recognize the transformative power of passion and self-discovery in carving a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Could you follow in Arcenia’s footsteps and learn to create your own professionally formulated natural & organic skincare and haircare products?

With our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation and Diploma in Natural Haircare Formulation, you can turn that desire and dream into a reality. You could also take a free trial and download the course prospectuses for each course by visiting the course pages on our website (Skincare Diploma here, Haircare Diploma here). If you have any questions about enrolling with us, please email us using hello@schoolofnaturalskincare.com