MEET THE FOUNDER

I grew up in a rambling old vicarage in West Sussex, it was the 70's, we spent our days outside, rain or shine - running wild in the garden, playing made up games under a huge copper beech. Long walks over the downs with lettuce and marmite sandwiches for lunch (you should try it!). Mum grew all our veg, runner beans on bamboo frames, beets and leeks, potatoes and onions, lettuces and tomatoes in an old wooden glass house and cold frame - we inherited an asparagus bed -  our predecessors, two women, were experienced and incredible gardeners.

And so it started, my deep connection with nature - we had moved from London - our country friends decided we needed animals - first cats, rabbits, lots of rabbits and then came chickens and ducks followed by Rudolph and Margo the sheep and finally Charlie the goat - it was wonderful madness. 

I feel like nature wove through me during all those days spent outside, like ivy vines winding deep through my veins, I became part of it, and it became part of me. 

Since childhood, my go to place for both happy times and for comfort is always the woods, preferably ancient oak woodland.

I find such a comfort, flow and connection -  a reminder from nature that all will be well.

Fast forward to 1997 - I founded a natural health centre in the heart of Oxford. My dream, to create an environment to cocoon the local community to support their health - mind, body and spirit. We were a multidisciplinary team of therapists, practitioners, teachers and facilitators, we had a flotation tank too. On entering the building at the front of house I created a shop. 

This is where my love of natural, organic plant based products was ignited - I started to research products and their ingredients  - looking for products created from natural ingredients, organic and ethically sourced - made by good folk.  We made a small line of in house products, Organic Shea Butter made by a womens co-op, ethically sourced Organic Argan oil and more. Simplicity in single ingredients products with each one delivering a spectrum of benefits.

We stocked beautiful brands, ethical, thoughtful, effective, independent brands  - skincare, make up, perfume, soap - and so my journey into natural skincare began.

My first formulation -  our NOMO Glow Skin Balm - a balm to use in my Bodywork Treatments,  I blended botanicals, oils and butters to nourish and support skin health, I included essential oils to help soothe and settle the nervous system.  It took me 2 years to get the formula just right. Today it is one of our best loved products, with the fragrance drawing so many folks in.

To help the formulation process, I started to create a kind of encyclopaedia of plants under the expertise research of Dr Liz Spencer - benefits of each plant as applied to skincare, manufacturing process, ethics of growing and production - we wanted a directory to refer from - one that we felt confident to rely on. What could plants offer, purely plants, no chemicals, no synthetic products, no fillers or stabilisers - just pure plant formulas.

This informed our next product, I formulated our NOMO Bright Cleansing Balm  for myself really - I couldn't find a facial cleansing balm without chemicals - there were some wonderful looking products out there but when I focused in on the ingredients I found things I didn't want to use on my skin. Healthy skin barrier function is fundamental to skin health, this is what underpinned my formula - how to cleanse without stripping the skin, rather how to cleanse whilst nourishing and feeding the skin. I have been using our Bright Cleansing Balm for 3 years and my skin has changed, I no longer struggle with dehydrated and dry skin, my skin feels more resilient and the texture has changed.

And so NOMO came to life, to share my love of plant based, chemical free, potent plant based skincare. 

The next part of the NOMO story will be growing, my wish to explore what I can create from my own little plot of land - indigenous plants - in flow with the seasons.

There is more to come - the plot is wild and already there are wild rose hips and plenty of mugwort  . . . . let's see.