From sisters to co-founders, how Clare and Rebecca Hopkins struck the perfect balance with their natural skincare brand

We chatted to sisters Clare and Rebecca Hopkins, founders of natural skincare brand Balance Me - whose Super Firming Body Oil is featured in the Female Founders Edit – about their beauty and business values…

 

What is the story behind Balance Me?

Balance Me is a high-performance, natural skincare brand that solves skin concerns without creating others. We, as sisters, founded the brand as long-term stresses and fast-paced living had taken a toll on our skin. We were experiencing everything from sensitive skin reactions to hormonal breakouts and we were eager to turn to natural skincare to balance our skin.

What three words would you use to describe your brand?

Natural, high-performance and balancing.

What inspired the concept of the Balance Me Super Firming Body Oil?

This was one of the first products I created. I made it originally when I was 18 to help with skin tone, circulation and cellulite and I’ve been using it ever since. It is award-winning and one of our bestsellers still to this day. We love to use it after dry body brushing or massaging it in after a bath or shower to boost circulation.

Why did you choose this particular product to go into the box?

We chose Super Firming Body Oil as it was our first launch and still a very popular product. It smells amazing – like a spa – and is packed with essential oils with amazing properties for balancing, water retention, skin tone and circulation. A real self-care treat!

What top tip would you give to your younger self?

However busy life becomes, always make sure you carve some time out each day for yourself. Our absolute favourite things to do are cold water swimming and yoga as they help to balance our minds and control stress levels. Since starting cold water swimming we haven’t suffered from any SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder) in the darker months.

Will you be celebrating International Women’s Day this year? 

Absolutely, we’re looking to celebrate with a whole host of amazing women in our community plunging into an ice bath! We get to go in a sauna afterwards and will also be doing an uplifting session of breathing.

Why was it important to you to be included in The Female Founders Edit? 

We are two sister founders and it is our passion to unite with other female founders who share the same values and determination as us.  We love everything that The Female Founders Edit stands for, as well as all of the other incredible products within the box.

Who is your female role model?

Jo Whiley. We love how down to earth, real and honest she is, and she’s so cool – we love her style.

Why is it important to you to use natural ingredients where possible?

Our products are effective, however they don't aggravate the skin. We balance your skin. We’re proud that our ingredients are 99.98% naturally occurring, derived from nature or nature identical – and all of our products are made in Britain. We work with an incredible perfumer in Somerset, who created the scent for the Super Firming Body Oil, and our fragrances are 100% natural. We are B-Corp certified and the oil comes in a fully-recyclable glass bottle. 

What advice would you give for someone thinking about starting their own business?

Go for it, be brave and always listen to your gut. Don’t be afraid to take chances, and listen to advice from fellow business owners.

Find the Balance Me Super Firming Body Oil – plus nine other brilliant products, worth over £270 in total – in the Female Founders Edit for £60.

Want to read more about the Balance Me Super Firming Body Oil? Click here to see the full reveal >