If you are guilty of overdosing on skincare products, maybe it’s time to detox and take a more natural route.
Enter Skin & Bones. This brand prides itself on being safe and free of toxic ingredients, made without artificial colours, fragrances, or chemicals. No detergents, sulphates, parabens, animal fats or boosters; just a pure, natural elixir for the skin .
The brand’s story begins with Heidi Jenkins – co-founder of Skin & Bones – meeting two people that would change her life forever. Heidi used to have skin that misbehaved to the point of frustration: simultaneously dry and oily with random breakouts and a greasy sheen. She then met Ruby and Ray, during what she explains as a ‘very weird’ time in her life. This pair turned her around in a positive direction with the power of essential oils, and Heidi soon learnt the ins and outs of these natural skin savers which have dozens of physically and emotionally healing properties. Essential oils are like people – they all have their unique qualities that another cannot replicate.
Taking Ruby’s lead, Heidi started mixing her own oils. After endless research, countless recipes and numerous blends, she found the perfect potion with the perfect scent. Her husband started using it, and her friends soon followed suit. After some encouragement from family and friends, she began bottling and selling it, and Skin & Bones was born. The name itself was chosen as a nod to the essential oils’ ability to work intuitively to heal on all levels.
So just what is Skin & Bones? It is a single, unisex product for all your skin care and body needs.
You can use it to:
- Moisturize the face, neck, hands, and feet
- Reduce wrinkles
- Balance oil to give a glow while still getting the dry areas
- Heal cuticles
- Energize scalps and hair follicles
- Tame split ends
- Condition hair
- Conquer stretch marks and melt cellulite
It can be used practically everywhere on the body, anytime, and by anyone. A natural burst of goodness that replenishes and heals. As Heidi says, “If a moisturizer was alive and would lovingly do whatever you told it to do – this would be it”
Read on as we talk with Heidi about all things business and pleasure.
Thara: What was it like starting off with Skin & Bones? What difficulties did you encounter?
Heidi: Surreal and scary as hell, really. But the pattern of events that led up to it and I had created a product I loved made me realize I would kick myself later if I didn’t go for it. I had pretty much done what I was told my whole life because in the past I had no clue what I wanted to do. So, this was difficult. For the first time, I knew what I really wanted which I think is way scarier than drifting.
One of my biggest difficulties was shipping. It’s one thing to do the hard work alone and create something but to put myself out there for rejection was hair raising. I would ship to my (product whore) friends that I knew would tear me apart if they didn’t like it and go cry. I would ship, freak out, ship, freak out. It’s funny the hardest part wasn’t anything that happened in reality – it was all of the stuff I would imagine that might happen. Now I love shipping because I know that all feedback will help be improve.
Thara: As well as being an Oils mixologist, Mum, wife, and roller skater, among other things, you are also a Life Coach. How did that come about?
Heidi: What is really amazing is it happened parallel to my Skin & Bones experience. I am a Psych major and I have always read self help books for fun – and then Martha Beck’s book “Steering By Starlight” jumped off the shelf when I decided that I had to dig deep and figure out my own shit and no one was going to do it for me. The weirdest thing is I had been saving her articles in magazines for like 8 years and while I was reading her book I kept asking myself what does she do exactly? I looked her up and she was offering training – she doesn’t market her training she just knows we will show up. Everything clicked. I hate the term Life Coach – I do intuitive work so there isn’t a lot of vocabulary for that (yet) – and then I help clear out the junk so people can get to the place they were before they were brainwashed by school, parents, priests, and crummy jobs, or monkeys or whatever – all of those lessons are great but there comes a time when you have to get your own answers for yourself. I help people figure that out without giving advice.
Thara: Your press release says that you hope to one day “have a design studio with a potion room, a studio for people to create, and to build a company that allows people to create their own jobs, schedules, and have their own products and designs within Skin & Bones. It’s all about growing personally while paying the bills”. Do you think having a family as well as being a business woman has given you more of an understanding on work-life balance?
Heidi: Yes. I’ve been chained to a desk and had jobs that were “practical” and I was either apologizing to my kids, my husband, or my boss for not being somewhere on time. I wanted to jump out of a window. So, I swore that when I hired people I would never keep them from having balance in their life. Life is not about working a job that a robot or a computer can do – I also think the traditional 8-5 work day is from the dinosaur age. Yes, it worked when we had to share a fax and a copier and our phones were still plugged in to the wall. I just believe people, if given the chance, can accomplish more and live a more fulfilling life by inspired action instead of oppression. If I’m wrong, we can all go back to the florescent lights – but I really believe this.
Thara: As well as being a husband and father of two, Eric has also been a two time INC 500 recipient, Entrepreneurial Excellence award recipient, three time UTAH 100 recipient, 12 year member and leader of the Entrepreneurs Organization. It seems like you two are a power duo to be reckoned with. How do you balance the stress of work, business and family?
Heidi: That’s what a psychic told us, really, that’s another story though. We have learned over the years that the more open we are the better we adapt to the changes that come our way. We really had to throw the marriage roles out the window and draw on each other’s strengths rather than what society thinks men and women are supposed to do in a marriage. We work the stress out by making work fun and flexible. I think rigid schedules don’t allow life to happen – and if life ain’t happenin’ why are we working so hard?
Thara: Is achieving beauty a holistic experience for you? Are there factors other than products that feature in your own beauty regime?
Heidi: Sleep is a biggie – without it I look and act ugly. I use essential oils to meditate – just a small ritual I do everyday where I take an essential oil that has an emotional healing property that I need – this is usually intuitive – I just grab one that feels right. I then dab it on my forehead, over my heart, and on my stomach and wrist. I then cup my hands over my nose and mouth and inhale 3 times – big. And I am very mindful of my intentions and what I am asking for help with. Meditation got me off of pharmaceuticals – I feel normal for the first time since puberty. Also, the essential oils have an amazing scent so I smell good all day. Also, if my attitude and lack of gratitude is ugly than so am I – and it is horrible for wrinkles.
Thara: What are your top 3 beauty tips that you incorporate in your own life?
Heidi: A good moisturizer, water, and the least amount of make-up as possible. No lotion – ever. If I must use sunscreen I put Skin & Bones on under to protect my pores and chemicals from entering my bloodstream.
Thara: Lastly, did you really hike “20 miles in one day in Yellowstone National Park through wild Bison, rivers, a bikini top, one bottle of water and only a peanut butter & jelly sandwich”? What was it like? Is this a similar drive/motivation you carry through your work?
Heidi: Yes, I did. My roommate told me it was only going to be 14 miles so I was kind of tricked into it. And this is a similar drive/motivation I carry through my work – I just jump in to things and figure it out as I go. And because of this I get to have crazy stories to tell. And of course, it all happens for a reason
Try Skin & Bones for yourself:
Luxurious Face + Body Liquid Cleanser
An organic, unisex, multi-use face + body cleanser. Made with saponified coconut, olive, jojoba, natural botanicals and Skin & Bones proprietary essential oil blend for an amazing scent. Black jojoba beads will exfoliate but not lacerate while hydrating. This cleanser leaves your skin feeling clean and moisturized.
$38.75 AUD
200ml
Luxurious face+body+hair moisturizer
Contains 100% pure organic jojoba oil and nine therapeutic grade essential oils including; Frankincense, Myrrh, Ylang Ylang, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Cedarwood, Lemon, Rosewood and Sandalwood.
Moisturizer available in three sizes:
50 ML for $29.00 AUD (Travel Size-TSA Approved)
100 ML for $49.00 AUD
200 ML for $87.00 AUD
Images courtesy of Skin & Bones
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