Yvette Racines, a dedicated mother and former yoga studio owner, found herself at a crossroads when the pandemic caused her yoga studio to close. Her interest in Ayurveda, a holistic approach to health and wellness, coupled with the necessity of self-care during uncertain times, sparked an idea: merging Ayurvedic principles with natural skincare. This paved the way for her journey into the world of skincare formulation.
“In my yoga training, I was introduced to Ayurveda. It really deals with how to have a healthy, strong, vibrant life in this body. And so that training was very profound for me. It was right away. It was something that I felt like I needed to have in my life.”
Necessity Breeds Innovation. Yvette’s Pivot to Merging Ayurveda with Natural Skincare
When Covid forced Yvette’s yoga studio to close, she was prompted to find another way to bring her community together with Ayurvedic principles; “I was thinking, how can I bring in the Ayurveda part and encourage people to take better care of themselves so that they can be healthier and more vibrant and more resilient?”
“I had the vision that I wanted to create products that I can share with my yoga clients so that they could take care of themselves, not only through yoga, but just their daily lifestyle. And also understanding the principles of Ayurveda.”
With a passion for clean, Ayurveda-inspired self-care products, Yvette embarked on a journey to create her own formulations. Her quest was born out of a need for products that aligned with her principles of using natural ingredients;
“I’m very much into using products that have clean ingredients. If there’s ingredients on there that I look up and I see that it’s from a synthetic source or petroleum base, I’m like, ‘No, I don’t want to put that on my body. I don’t really want to support that.’”
The closure of her studio prompted Yvette to explore online education. The School of Natural Skincare stood out as a beacon.
“I really wanted to shift my focus, but bring everything together, yoga and Ayurveda. And I was looking online for schools that taught formulation and specifically schools that emphasized natural and organic formulation. And I found the School of Natural Skincare.”
The Decision to Enroll at the School of Natural Skincare and Finding a Unique Niche
However, Yvette’s nerves took hold; “It was a big time commitment, but I was home so I knew that I had the time”. The addition of so many successful brands on the market added to Yvette’s concerns, “There’s so many beautiful natural brands out there doing so many wonderful things.”
And while initially hesitant, Yvette’s determination and self-belief prevailed. There was a gap in the market, a niche that needed attention.
“I knew that I didn’t want to just make another face oil because there were so many already out there, but I didn’t see a lot of things that were tailored toward the specific Ayurvedic constitutions.”
The Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation offered by the School specializing in natural skincare formulation appealed to her, particularly its self-paced structure, accommodating her busy life as a mother.
“I read everything that was involved, and I just knew that it was the right program for me. And I loved that I could do it at my own pace because I’m a mom and I’m busy!”
The experience at the School of Natural Skincare was transformative. Yvette found the curriculum well-structured, and the course content enabled her to seamlessly infuse Ayurvedic concepts into her formulations.
“I started the program and I was hooked right away, and I was really diligent. A part of me was nervous because it was distance learning and on my own that I would not have the discipline to sit there and go through all of the courses, but I was totally addicted and really intrigued and loved how simple everything was.”
The clarity of instruction, combined with a dedicated forum for queries, provided a supportive environment, “[The professional formulators] were always really quick to answer my questions and very thorough. And I really love that. I was thinking about making something and I had a question, and I didn’t want to have to wait a week to get an answer!”
Yvette emphasized the accessibility of the program, allowing her to conduct all her experiments and learning within the comfort of her own kitchen, dispelling the myth that one needs an elaborate lab setup.
“You think to yourself, oh my gosh, I would never be able to do this. I have to hire a scientist or a dermatologist, or I have to be in a lab wearing this coat, and I have to have all of the space and all of these supplies in order to do that. And that simply was not the case. I literally did everything in my own kitchen!”
Her organizational skills were matched by her vision for her products;
“One of the things that I really benefited from was the organization that was taught, even when you’re developing your product before you even break out the ingredients. Having a very clear, concise idea of who you’re making the product for. Every product that we made, it was like, who are you making this for? What is the purpose of this product? What’s going in it? Why are you using these ingredients? That was one thing that I really loved, and it was consistent.”
Specific ingredient groups are covered in detail in the Diploma – something you don’t get from DIY YouTube videos of unprofessional websites. One such group is essential oils. “That was very eye-opening to me,” Yvette states. “You think of anything that is natural to be safe, and that is just simply not the case. There’s a lot of dangers with essential oils, and you have to just be very mindful”.
So, was the Diploma for Natural Skincare Formulation as intimidating as Yvette first thought?
“I think a lot of people, they’re afraid of the chemistry part of it or the ‘sciencey’ part of it. And during the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation at the School of Natural Skincare, I didn’t feel intimidated because I felt like the instructions were so clear and everything was explained about how these particular ingredients work with others.”
Yvette’s Endorsement of the School and Its Impact on Confidence
Recommending the School of Natural Skincare is something Yvette wouldn’t hesitate to do. Not only does the School give you all the professional knowledge, scientific understanding and general confidence to start your own business, if you so wish, it also gives you a sense of wellbeing that no matter what, you have this deep-rooted skill.
“This particular training is not only amazing for someone who wants to turn this into a business, but if, let’s just say, I ended my business tomorrow, I have the skill and the knowledge to make products for myself, my family. In fact, I use all of my products. I give them to my kids!”
Yvette’s newfound knowledge and skills were instrumental in shaping her brand, Vital Living Wellness, named after her yoga studio. Her brand philosophy is underscored by a commitment to sustainability and simplicity. Conscious of environmental impact, her choice of recyclable glass bottles and a focus on minimal, easily identifiable ingredients reflects her dedication to sustainable, clean beauty.
“What I learned was that the majority of the packaging is not compostable, it’s not recyclable, and it just gets thrown away. Oftentimes, we don’t see the effects of that where we live, but it is happening. And so, I knew that I wanted my bottles to be recyclable. So wherever possible, I don’t use plastic.”
Moreover, her attention to aesthetics and the personalized touch – such as handwritten notes accompanying every order – emphasizes her commitment to nurturing a sense of care and connection with her clientele.
“Every time I send out a product, I do a handwritten note every single time to that particular person and just write them a personal message so that they know that they’re loved and that I’m thinking about them.”
Yvette’s Holistic Vision: Crafting Sustainable, Clean, and Connected Skincare
The heart of Vital Living Wellness lies not merely in skincare but in fostering a culture of self-love and self-care, “I know how hard it is, how difficult it is to be able to take the time and make the time to take care of yourself. And also, not just to take care of yourself, but to be excited about taking care of yourself.”
Yvette’s products are an embodiment of Ayurvedic principles, aiming to offer an experience that encourages a deeper connection with oneself, deeply rooted in the Ayurvedic doshas, “Ayurveda understands that there are some very basic elements that everybody has, and some of us have more than others.”
Tailoring her formulations to specific constitutions – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha – Yvette’s passion for crafting products has gone beyond mere skincare. She sought to offer a holistic experience, catering not only to the skin but also to the emotional and mental well-being of the individual using the product.
“Vata is in relation to the element of air and space. Oftentimes they’ll notice things like super dry skin and not just physical, but mental, emotional, perhaps a lot of anxiety, feeling ungrounded.” So, Yvette has a Vata face oil that has rich thick oils that are very nourishing, to restore balance.
“Pitta is associated with fire. So, their skin might be more sensitive. They might get red very easily, get rashes and breakouts very easily. They might notice that their tendency is aggravation, frustration, lack of patience when they’re out of balance.” So, Yvette has made a soothing oil that uses essential oils to give mind and body a sense of ease.
“Kapha is associated with the element of earth and water. Kapha skin might be congested skin, skin that’s really cold all the time, which is very interesting, cold and maybe even oily, excessively oily. And emotionally, what you might see with a Kapha person is someone who tends to go into depression.” Yvette has created an oil that balances out excessively oily skin and a sense of joy to the user.
Yvette’s Plans for Growing her Product Line and Reaching a Wider Audience
Her vision for the future encompasses expanding her product line to incorporate more Ayurvedic practices, such as creating oil blends for practices like oil pulling, specifically tailored to the doshas. Additionally, her aim is to reach a wider audience, enabling more individuals to experience the joy and benefits of conscious self-care.
Yvette’s journey, from embracing Ayurveda to crafting her brand, is a testament to her unwavering commitment to holistic well-being and her dedication to sharing the profound benefits of natural skincare with the world.
“My nature is to want to help people feel well. This journey has been everything. It’s been amazing. In fact, it’s really changed the trajectory of my life because this has really turned into my passion of creating these products and sharing them with the world. So, it really has changed my life.”
Are you ready to tap into your niche?
Learning to formulate natural skincare products has been a transformative experience for Yvette Racines; one that has brought her great personal joy and a new adventure. She not only has a new hobby and passion but she also has a new career that has great personal meaning and expression.
Her story is simply incredible but it’s not always the case that students have a burning vision of what the future might hold like Yvette did. Often students come to study with us because of a drive to create something for themselves, to make their own products, develop a new hobby, do something creative, solve some skin issues or contribute to a broader healing process.
Many do have the dream that one day they might be able to launch their own brand and sell their products, but the finer details, ultimate mission or vision are not always (in fact very seldom) known at the start. This is often something that comes to people during the creative formulation process.
So, whether you have the vision right now of what your brand might be or you just want to develop a more professional way of creating standout and high quality natural skincare products, the School of Natural Skincare is here to help.
Enroll onto our accredited online Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation to learn the practice, art and science of natural skincare formulation and set yourself up to either create professional quality natural skincare products that are a cut above the rest, or to sell and form the basis of your own natural beauty brand.
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