I caught up with Nicola Elliott, founder and director of Neom, to find out how they started and learn more about the importance of organic ingredients.
What inspired you to create Neom?
My sister Katie had a lot to do with it. She is the environmentalist in the family! One Christmas, I was searching for a gift that was really beautiful but also had green credentials – it proved tricky. So I decided to do it myself – to offer luxurious and gorgeous products yet which were made with only organic ingredients too.
Why is the use of organic ingredients so important?
I always think to myself that skin is our biggest organ and it absorbs 60% of what you put onto it, so I’d like for that to have some goodness in it. In the early days, I read that we’re putting 200 chemicals onto our skin every day which was quite shocking to me, so I wanted to create a collection of products which offered an alternative for those looking for something which wasn’t full of nasties like SLS and petrochemicals – just a few ingredients in many beauty products which can irritate and damage skin.
What are the benefits of using essential oils in your products?
The only way to scent a product without synthetic scents is using essential oils – so I decided to go to night school while I was working full-time at Glamour magazine to learn all about aromatherapy and how it works. Trialling out new blends and oils is a part of my job I just love.
When we launched Neom, we realised that how we create scent for our products meant that they also offer aromatherapeutic benefits too. Aromatherapy works in a way that your mood chooses the scent, not your nose. For example if you want to relax, you’d be drawn to lavender but if you wanted to feel energised then you would go for a product with lemon or bergamot.
There is such a great choice of scents available; I’m not sure which one to choose first…
It all depends on what mood you’re in and what smells you like, so it really is down to personal preference. If you like floral notes try our Complete Bliss or Real Luxury scents, but if you enjoy a woodier, spicier scent then try our Inspiration or Sensuous scents.
You seem to have a cult celebrity following, including some of Team GB’s Olympic gold medallists from London 2012
We’re so thrilled that some amazing Olympic athletes choose to use Neom. Victoria Pendleton is a huge fan of our Tranquility Candle. Helen Glover and Heather Stanning also told us that our products are an essential in their race preparation.
Thanks Nicola.
You can now get your hands on some limited edition Neom Gift Sets for Christmas, including my favourite the Scent with Love Travel Candle Set and the ever popular Christmas Wish Candle.
