Happy Listening!
Watching the commemorations of the events of 20 years ago, when the Berlin Wall came down and the Velvet Revolution took place - I was a student in my first year at University studying biochemistry then – has made me think about where my love for skincare comes from. I was born in Tabor, a small town in southern Bohemia. Skin biology and plants in skincare always fascinated me and, like any girl at that age, I wanted to look beautiful. The Czechs have quite a strong tradition of herbal remedies as well as spa therapy – not many people know that the famous London facialist, Eve Lom, as well as the “10 Years Younger” Channel 4 celebrity surgeon, Jan Stanek, are also Czech.”
In my second year of University, the government opened a new route to professional qualification for people who had A-levels, so I qualified as a beauty therapist. I loved it and had about 20 clients on my books till I graduated in 1994. My MSc. is in self-tanning of the skin. During my studies, I was fortunate enough to work for Shiseido in Japan and later for La Prairie in Switzerland. I found travelling the world amazing! These cultures place a great emphasis on skincare – my stay in Japan in particular was truly inspirational. I went on to do a PhD in Transdermal Absorptions (research into plant compounds – phytoestrogens – passing through the skin with a therapeutic effect) in Finland and moved to the UK in 1998 to work in the wound-healing industry (Smith and Nephew) in roles ranging from skincare science to strategic marketing.
People’s faces interest me – they convey so much about our feelings and life experiences! Recently, I went back to the Eastern therapies by qualifying as a facial reflexologist as I believe they offer huge benefits that can offset the ever-so-busy British lifestyle. Facial yoga and anti-ageing massage should not be a luxury but a part of our everyday life as much as a good book or a nice cup of coffee!
