One thing many of us have learned from this pandemic that has swept the world is never to take our health for granted.
For Juliana Ferrarini, that realisation came a few years ago, on Christmas Eve in 2014 when she learned that she suffered from chronic kidney disease.
From that moment she knew she would have to make changes in her life, and start making healthier choices.
She started paying a lot more attention to the food she was eating, and focusing on the ingredients.
She started reading labels. something that up to that point she admits she’d never really cared much for. But she found it confusing, and she wasn’t entirely sure what exactly was potentially harmful, or what she should be avoiding.
It was a process of constant watching. Unfortunately, there is not much clarity when it comes to chronic kidney disease.
Faced with this uncertainty, Juliana decided the only thing to do was to keep things simple. Less sugar, less salt, less fat.
She hoped that would be enough to protect her health.
But then she had a sudden moment of realisation.
Although she had made changes to her diet, she was still putting chemicals on her skin. And she was concerned that these could be absorbed into her body, causing further problems and putting pressure on her kidneys.
She started to be more mindful about the ingredients in her skincare products as well, but she came up against the same issue.
When she tried to check what exactly was in the products she was thinking about buying, she found she just couldn’t make head or tails of most of the ingredients listed on the label. She still didn’t know what she was putting on her skin.
Juliana then also started to become a lot more conscious about the amount of plastic waste she was generating by using products like shower gel and hand wash.
Everything started to connect for her when last Christmas her cousin gave her a gift of some natural soaps, facial oil and deodorant.
It was exactly what Juliana had been looking for. She ditched shower gel and hand wash and went back to using a simple bar of soap.
She also stopped using synthetic deodorant and face cream.
Then the pandemic sweeping across the globe arrived on the shores of the UK, where she lives, and the country went into lockdown.
With her chronic kidney disease, Juliana was considered to be in the high risk category and was required to self-isolate immediately, muhc sooner than most of her friends and workmates.
Normal life was put on hold, and she found herself confined to her flat, with no end date in sight.
But Juliana didn’t want to simply sit on the couch and watch TV for months on end.
Because, for many years, she’d had a dream. A dream of running her own business one day. And while she was in quarantine, this dream connected with her new-found interest in natural skincare.
She believed that quarantine could in fact be a unique opportunity to learn, and to put a new plan into action.
She took some time to do research on the internet and came across the School Of Natural Skincare. She tried a few free recipes, and then downloaded the free Natural Beauty Recipe Book.
It gave me the taste of learning more, so I decided to enrol on the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare. course.
Fully supported by her fiancé, she enrolled. And within a week, she had completed it.
The course was full of information and being able to make my own facial oil, body butter, lip balms was a satisfaction that no words can explain.
She’s now planning to take the next step by enrolling on the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation course, but in the meantime, she and her fiancé have created their own brand – “Soapatural Natural Skincare” and have started making their first products – soaps, lip balms, body balms and facial oils.
They’re also working on their website, registering the business and hope to be up and running soon.
Starting a new business is always an exciting moment, but to do it while in isolation is a real triumph of optimism – and we could all use some of that.
“The lockdown was full of sadness and worries,” says Juliana. “But it also brought me hope.”
We had a chance to chat to Juliana and ask her a few questions.
Q: What has been your best experience about making your own products?
The adventure of trying different ingredients and finding wonderful results. Learning about different ingredients and their properties and finding out how to use carrier oils, essential oils and butters to create a nice natural product.
I also like learning about the INCI names and why it is important to have them on a product as it is the ingredient’s international names and are not there just to confuse us. I always used to find labels confusing, so that has been a real help.
Q: Out of all the products you’ve made, which one is your favorite?
Whipped body butter. I absolutely love the feeling on my skin, it is so soft and smooth.
Q: Have you got any tips for aspiring natural cosmetic formulators about starting to make their own products?
If anyone is looking to start making their own natural skincare products, I recommend they enrol themselves in a course to learn about ingredients and how to use them instead of following online recipes.
There’s so much wrong information out there that is clarified and properly covered in the course. I’ve completed the Certificate in Making Natural Skincare and it gave me loads of understanding. And the School Of Natural Skincare also gave extra free information and complementary courses which I’m very grateful for.
It’s definitely been a very satisfying experience!
Q: Why did you decide to study with us?
When I decided to learn how to create my own natural skincare I started to search for a reliable course. I then found the School of Natural Skincare and they were offering a free book “Natural Beauty Recipe Book”. So downloaded it, read it and absolutely loved it! I thought that it was the best platform to learn as the course is online and being on lockdown it suited my needs.
Q: What is important for you in terms of the products you make and use?
Keep it simple! Sourcing for the best natural and cruelty free ingredients, keeping the packaging environmentally friendly and of course the results on skin. I believe in the power of nature and all the benefits we can get from it. Be natural always!
Click the image below to download your
Free Natural Beauty Recipe Book!
Learn to make your own natural skincare products with luxurious natural ingredients.
Download this fabulous book and discover recipes for:
- Frankincense Anti-Aging Facial Serum with Coenzyme Q10
- Lavender and Geranium Rejuvenating Facial Serum
- Protective Winter Time Hand Cream
- Orange and Ylang Ylang Facial Moisturizer for Dry Skin
- Grapefruit and Orange Stretch Mark Body Butter
- Soothing and Moisturizing Facial Mist
And much more!
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