Meet Helen from Nourishing Mana
This week we’re meeting the founder of Nourishing Mana, a wellness brand created from a desire to slow down, reconnect, and care for ourselves more intentionally. After leaving a demanding corporate career, Helen followed her passion for natural wellness and created a range of botanical products designed to nourish both body and mind.
Tell me about your business — what do you create and what inspired you to start?
Nourishing Mana is my little piece of calm in a busy world. I handcraft spa inspired botanical body care for women experiencing dry or changing skin and the overwhelm that so many of us carry.
As women, we’re often so busy looking after everyone else that we forget ourselves. I wanted to create products that make it easy to bring a little spa experience home, whether that’s massaging in a body oil after a shower or applying a foot balm before bed.
Ironically, Nourishing Mana was born from a season where I had lost my own sense of calm. I had spent many years in corporate and while I enjoyed the work, the culture eventually left me exhausted and close to burnout. One day I decided enough was enough and resigned without really knowing what was next.
As a woman with a Greek background, food, wellness and caring for others have always been woven into who I am. I’ve always been the person reading ingredient labels and making choices with intention. I’ve always loved health and wellness long before it became trendy. I saw space for beautiful botanical products made with thoughtfully chosen ingredients, free from synthetic fragrance and aligned with my low PUFA philosophy.
But perhaps my greatest motivation was my children. I wanted them to see that it’s never too late to start again. I changed careers at fifty and if there’s one thing I hope they remember, it’s that you’re never too old to follow something that lights you up.
Was there a moment when you realised this could become a business?
When I resigned, I honestly had no idea what my next chapter would look like. I began studying formulation and immersed myself in learning because I knew that education was essential if I wanted to do this properly.
For the first year, I simply made products for myself and family. There was plenty of trial and error, but I loved every minute of it. I also completed a professional certificate in Food and Nutrition Coaching because holistic health has always fascinated me. Initially, I thought I would combine coaching with products, but the more I formulated, the more I realised that Nourishing Mana wasn’t just a hobby, it was becoming a brand and a business with its own identity and purpose.
What do you love most about the creative process? Honestly, I love everything about it. I’m one of those people who gets an idea and then can’t stop thinking about it. My husband probably laughs because I’ll be lying in bed talking about ingredients or naming ideas! I love the research, the testing and even the failures because they all teach me something. Sometimes what I imagine in my head doesn’t quite work the first time, but I enjoy the process of tweaking and refining until it feels right. Creating is therapeutic for me. It’s my happy place. But nothing compares to hearing from a customer who says, “I used your body oil after my shower and it felt like a little ritual,” or “My heels finally feel soft again.” Knowing something I made has become part of someone’s self care routine fills my heart.
When you get a new idea, what is your step-by-step process from idea to finished product? I joke that once I get an idea, I disappear down the rabbit hole! I become completely immersed in researching ingredients because I’m very particular about what goes into a Nourishing Mana product. Staying true to my low PUFA philosophy and avoiding synthetic fragrance are non negotiables for me, so I spend a lot of time sourcing ingredients that align with those values.
From there, I create a basic formula and start testing. Rarely is it perfect the first time, so I tweak, refine and sometimes start again until it feels right. I’m a firm believer that good things take time and I never rush the process. Once I’m happy with a formula, I send it to someone I trust who has over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry. Their feedback is invaluable and I take it very seriously.
After that, I involve the women who matter most, my Nourishing Mana community. I send samples to a group of women and invite honest feedback because ultimately they’re the ones using the products. I listen carefully, make adjustments where needed and only when everyone is happy do I consider a product ready. For me, it’s never about launching something quickly. It’s about creating something beautiful, thoughtful and worthy of becoming part of someone’s self-care ritual.
What do you want people to feel or experience when they use your products I want women to exhale. We’re all carrying so much. Work, families, ageing parents, mental loads, endless to do lists. I know what that feels like because I’ve lived it myself. I don’t expect women to spend three hours at a day spa. Most of us don’t have that kind of time, but I do believe five minutes can make a difference. If a woman finishes her shower, massages in a body oil and thinks, “Ahhh, that feels nice,” then I’ve done my job. I want Nourishing Mana to feel like permission to slow down. Not perfect self care. Just simple moments that remind us that we matter too.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in running your business? Running a business teaches you very quickly that you wear every hat. From product development and marketing to accounts and social media, you’re constantly learning.
For me, the biggest challenge has been finding balance. In the early days, I found it difficult to switch off. I would answer emails late at night and constantly think about work. Eventually I realised that if I wanted to build a sustainable business, I needed to protect my own wellbeing too. Setting boundaries and honouring them has been one of the most important lessons I’ve learnt.
What does a good creative day look like for you? No two days are ever the same, which is something I love. One day might involve creating content and planning social media, another day might be spent formulating and testing new ideas, and another might simply be making products and packing orders. For me, a good creative day is one where I’ve had space to create, make progress and finish the day feeling inspired rather than rushed.
Is there something new you’d love to create in the future? Oh goodness, I have enough ideas to keep me busy for the next ten years! I’m forever writing things down and dreaming up new products. My challenge isn’t coming up with ideas, it’s slowing myself down and making sure everything I release is intentional. I don’t believe in creating products just for the sake of it. Every product needs to earn its place and align with the vision of Nourishing Mana.
My dream is to continue building a beautiful wellness-inspired body care brand that helps women slow down, reconnect with themselves and create simple rituals that support them through the different seasons of life.
Which one of your products are you using and loving at the moment? At the moment, my favourite is probably the Perfectly Peppermint Foot Balm. Although it was created for feet, I also use it on my hands during winter whenever they feel dry. It leaves them beautifully nourished and soft.
I also love pairing my body oil with the body gua sha a few times a week. It’s like giving myself a mini spa treatment at home. I especially love using the body gua sha on my shoulders and arms because, like so many women, I seem to carry the weight of the world there. Those few quiet minutes feel like a mini spa treatment at home that’s where I tend to hold tension after spending long hours at the computer. Those few quiet minutes have become one of my favourite rituals.
What does “Mana” mean?
People often ask me where the name Nourishing Mana came from.
“Mana” has different meanings across cultures, but for me it represents inner strength, spirit and the essence of who we are. I wanted a name that went beyond skin deep because self care isn’t just about how we look, it’s about how we feel. Nourishing Mana is really about nourishing the whole woman. Her body, her mind and those small moments of peace that help her reconnect with herself. Because I believe self care doesn’t have to be complicated or extravagant. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking five quiet minutes and remembering that you deserve care too.
Editors notes: I have had the privilege of trying a few of Helens products in the past. Being a lover of Patchouli the Lemon Patchouli Morning Body Oil was a firm favourite. I used this in the evening as a wind down to a busy day. The scent of Patchouli is a warming and grounding hug and the light oil sank into my skin quickly. I recommend the lightweight body oil as a way to take care of your body and mood. Please see the website for the Nourishing Mana Shop.
