Emma Webber
AN INTERVIEW
Who doesn’t love indulging in a facial? Over the years we have both had many, but whilst chatting about them recently, Kim and I found one facial in particular had left us both falling in love with the products used, Natural Spa Factory.
We did some homework and were even more excited to discover that this brand is as luxurious as it is ethical. Emma Webber and her husband Jeremy Smith co-founded Natural Spa Factory, and we were delighted when Emma agreed to talk to us. “We started in our basement in Bath shortly after the birth of our wonderful daughters nearly 10 years ago” Emma told us, “and now we are a proudly independent, International brand working with over 500 spas around the globe”.
Emma’s passion for her brand and love for her family run business reflects in her warm energy and their lovely team of 17, who are based near the beautiful city of Bath. Not only are Natural Spa Factory’s creations Paraben-free, ethically sourced, and botanical, Emma also clearly cares who is using them. Recently they launched a refreshing campaign called I am Woman, raising awareness and blending safe, hormone balancing ingredients to develop three different ranges for women going through different stages of their lives. From the difficult ebbs and flows of menstruation, to pregnancy and the menopause.
Emma completely believes in Gender-Neutral credentials but recognizes that with a strong female movement arising, Natural Spa Factory has all the ingredients to help women too. “I believe in the empowerment of women”, Emma told us, and this includes the therapists using her products. “We don’t tell them what to do, we trust that they know their job; after all, you wouldn’t take a cake’s ingredients to a chef and tell them how to make it!”. “I also believe women should be themselves” and we couldn’t agree more! Having said that, when you use any of Natural Spa Factory’s products you really can feel a princess. We put Emma on the spot and asked her what her favourite product was and after understandably agonizing for a while, told us she did love the creams. If you haven’t visited their website, you will see how unfair that question was, as we want to order everything!
We asked Emma our 5 questions and here’s her answers.
1. What’s the best thing about getting older?
Seeing my daughters grow in to amazing young women. We have two teenage daughters, and it’s true that the world isn’t getting easier to grow up in; it’s not harder, but the pressures are drastically different. Choice has never been so great, and peer pressure seems to be more intense than ever before, with social media targeting teenagers 24/7. Character shines through, and watching them navigate teen-dom is great to see.
2. Who is your female inspiration and why?
Crikey. I have many. I work with a team of incredible females – business women – who are passionate, share a hardworking, can-do, great attitude that seems to have managed to beat the curse of the millennial snowflake. Our industry is predominantly female, so it is inspiring to watch it continue to flourish. The wellness trend is very much driven by females, and being at the centre of it lets us work with some driven and in-spa-rational female owners and operators. On a ‘celebrity’ level – the wonderfully filter-free Dame Helen Mirren won us over when confessing that her moisturiser probably does ‘fuck all, but it makes me feel good’ – from a brand ambassador, this level of honesty is rare in our world of bloggers and influencers. What’s not to love about her?
3. What’s your top tip for growing old gracefully, perhaps one beauty tip?
Embrace it! Stop caring. My ethos, and the one that has run over in to the Natural Spa Factory world, is the concept of Healthy Ageing. This means flow with the inevitable. Support skin, body and mind – and don’t try to reverse it, embrace it.
4. What would your younger self say to you now?
Be brave, and be bold.
5. What are your dreams for your future?
Escape! The world is huge – and my family and I have enjoyed some of our best moments on beaches, on boats or in camper vans crawling around rural parts of Europe. Lots more of this is on the cards!