Junior meets Jayne Russell, founder of Nom Nom skincare
The woman behind the award-winning organic skincare range for mums and babies tells us about her inspirations
What you put inside your body is just as important as what you put on your skin, a philosophy which is at the heart of organic skincare brand Nom Nom Skincare.
The lady behind it, Jayne Russell, creates natural and certified organic products for pregnancy, baby and beyond, with an ethos known as Without Within - meaning what they leave out is as important as what they include.
We caught up with Jayne to find out more...
Hello Jayne. Tell us a bit more about you and your family.
I live in Crystal Palace in London with my husband Mike and our teenage daughter Harper. Our son Franklin started at university last autumn and we’re still getting used to him not being around. I sometimes miss them being small but it’s rewarding to see them develop into fine young people with their own opinions and view on the world.
Tell us about Nom Nom and how you came to create your brand.
Nom Nom is a handmade, award winning, Soil Association certified organic skincare care range for pregnancy, baby and beyond. It developed out of my 20 years as a pre-and postnatal massage and nutritional therapist. These two disciplines have always gone hand-in-hand because my treatments provide care both inside and out. What we use on our skin is an important part of that.
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I became aware that so many skincare products contain potentially irritating and harmful chemicals and also that there was confusion over which products were truly natural and organic. These are especially important considerations for expectant mums and delicate baby skin so I wanted to make things clearer.
I resolved to develop an organic range that parents could really trust. Nom Nom is the result; gentle, effective, natural skincare supported by my practitioner knowledge.
What inspired you to launch this collection?
My pregnancy and baby massage clients were my inspiration. I worked with feedback from hundreds of new and expectant mums to create the range. I wanted to extend the benefits of my treatments beyond the therapy room and spread the word about massage, nutrition and skin care and wellbeing issues for mums and babies to encourage a healthy beginning to life.
My other inspiration is to play my small part in promoting a healthier planet through sustainability to as wide an audience as I can reach.
With so much choice on the beauty shelves, what sets Nom Nom apart from the rest?
I think of Nom Nom as a wellbeing rather than a beauty range and I’d say my specialist background, expertise and the ethos of care from both inside and out give it a point of difference. What’s left out is as important as the nourishing plant ingredients that go in.
The range is formulated without the synthetic chemicals many wish to avoid and the baby range is fragrance free and made without potentially irritating natural ingredients such as peanut, sesame and olive oil. Because healthy skin is about more than what goes on it I also share my advice on massage, nutrition and skincare to enhance the benefits and give extra support to new parents and babies.
What’s your best wellbeing tip for new mum and babies?
Use plant oils on your skin and in your diet. They are fabulous for nourishing the skin from without and within. Used topically they are the best way to avoid synthetic chemicals and preservatives and give the skin a lovely glow. Oils have very different profiles so it is important to select those that are suitable for skin type and what you want them to do.
Nutrition wise, fats and oils in the diet have long been demonised, so it’s encouraging to see their health benefits being celebrated again. A higher fat intake is strongly associated with increased skin elasticity (important during pregnancy) and supports healthy skin for babies. Select from healthy sources such as avocado, ground nuts and seeds, egg yolk and oily fish.
