oh-hello ladies!: Natalie Kessell of Pink Hibiscus

I hope you are loving the oh-hello ladies! blog series as much as I am!

I love hearing about how women started out in business and what inspires them -  so each week I have been chatting to inspiring women who run and operate small businesses, and whose products feature in our oh-hello ladies! gift bundles. 

This week we talk to Natalie of Pink Hibiscus. Pink Hibiscus is an eco-aware skincare range designed to nurture your skin and soul. All products are handmade by Natalie in Sydney, Australia with all ingredients sourced from Australian businesses. Ethically minded, all products are free of nasties, vegan, cruelty-free and packaged in primarily recyclable material.

What inspired you to start your business, and what was the first thing you did to begin the process?

I was inspired to start Pink Hibiscus back in 2004 after I completed a natural skincare making course that peaked my interest and unlocked a knack for intuitively blending essential oils. I went on to study aromatherapy further and began formulating a range of skincare products for personal use and for friends and family with outstanding results. 

I'd suffered from cystic acne on my cheeks throughout my teenage years and into my early 20s and was put on all sorts of medication and treatments to clear them, but nothing worked - my skin just got worse and I was really concerned about what the pills were doing to my system. 

It wasn’t until I started making my own natural skincare that my skin cleared, my scarring cleared and I was able to feel confident enough to not have to wear make up every day. 

I was able to see firsthand how well my products worked and the orders from my friends and family steadily increased as well, which was further proof I was onto something! 

Initially, I'd visit clients with my box of essential oils (the same box I use to store my oils in to this day!) to analyse their skin, assess their concerns and formulate bespoke products just for them, but this wasn’t sustainable long term. It was then that I decided to formulate the entire Pink Hibiscus range! 

As I saw gaps in the market, I created products to fill those gaps. The perfect example was my Body Smoother. I was offering a spray tanning service at the time as well and I had a roster of celebrity clients who wanted to be tanned weekly but they weren’t able to remove their tan effectively enough for me during that time without damaging their skin. If their tan looked bad, then it was my reputation on the line and with salt and sugar scrubs so harsh and drying to the skin (but the products that seemed to be saturating the market at the time), I needed a solution… cue our Body Smoother! 

Another example is our Eyelights Make Up Remover…

The list goes on and I still, to this day, create products based on needs I have for beauty products I just can’t find in the marketplace to suit or service my needs. If I can’t find them, then surely there are others who can’t as well after all! 

What inspires you?

So much inspires me…

What is the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t compare yourself to other people or your business to another and definitely don’t take everything shared on social media as gospel.

What are your favourite things to do to take a break?

Grab a book (and some sunscreen of course) and head to the beach! If I can’t get to the beach, then curling up with a book and a cup of tea is my go-to!

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We stock a range of 10ml Pink Hibiscus products, the perfect sample size luxury gift which can be added to any oh-hello! gift bundle.

Check out the rest of Natalie's amazing products on the Pink Hibiscus website or on Instagram.