Mass produced is so 2019. It gives me a rash, literally. My skin has been deteriorating and I thought it was just age and never really questioned the products I have been using or my slap dash approach to skincare lately.

Christmas is approaching and because this year feels more special then other years (for a few different reasons) I wanted to really pour myself into the giving side of things. So I’m making my own presents.

I’m trained in aromatherapy but have always struggled to work out what I’m going to do with said training. Interestingly I found a parallel in a story written in a book called Tiny Habits. But more on that later.

I love dabbling with natural beauty, household and cleaning products. Last month I made beeswax wraps, candles and soaps and enjoyed it – the end results were gorgeous.

Five days ago I made a balm with the purest beeswax, added pure golden jojoba oil, pure essential oils and a few other things and it’s just divine. I’ve been slathering it into my skin a week (got to test these things after all) and my skin looks and feels ridiculously good.

So that’s how it started. And now I’m covered in test products and ingredients and I smell amazing. I’m making soaps, candles, after sun sprays, balms, moisturises, lotions, lip scrubs, feet scrubs, beard oils, eye gels, shaving cream, leather cream, room sprays, toilet bombs, bath bombs, shower bombs, bath salts, beeswax wraps, exfoliating soaps, dish soaps, sun cream …and a lot of other things that are on the list but I can’t remember just now. The beauty of all of this is that I can make a base batch and then tailor the products with essential oils for each person as I bottle and package them.

It is personalisation on a grand scale and the opposite of the mass market.

It’s not the frugal option, mainly because I won’t compromise on purity and quality. And it is time consuming but it is making my soul very, very happy.

And then there is all the packaging etc but what price personal, thoughtful, loving? What price bespoke, tailored and handmade? What price quality? What price all this fun and creativity I’m having in the gift making and giving.

What’s more, I have decided what I’m doing with my aromatherapy qualifications so that in itself is priceless.

Okay, so this was just a quick update – I’ll do a post when I’m finished so you can see what it all looks like.