Wellness Influencer Interview: Keely Watson

NAME: Keely Watson
OCCUPATION: Facialist & Aromatologist

Please tell us a little about your business, yourself and how you got to where you are now in the wellness industry…

I specialise in skin health & wellness - dividing my time between hands-on treatments and formulating products. I’ll soon be celebrating 7 years in business and it really has evolved organically into something quite special over the years.I first became interested in skin health after having skin cancer in my early twenties. My fascination with all things ‘skin’ evolved into an interest towards the anatomy and physiology of the entire body, which naturally led me to a career change into this industry. I’ve always taken a holistic approach to skin health, guiding clients on all aspects of their lifestyle, nutrition, and environment which can impact the health of their skin. Over more recent years I also started observing how emotional wellbeing plays a crucial role too, and so to build on this I studied aroma science. This now complements my work perfectly as I can bring Aromatology into my treatments, and create bespoke products for clients to use at home.

Another aspect to my business is the retail side. I’ve worked over the years to carefully select natural products from brands all over the world. Clients can shop confidently knowing that I’ve hand picked only the best quality products for them to choose from, plus they have me here for skin care advice along the way.

What does ‘living naturally’ mean to you?

Living intuitively and in rhythm with the cycles of nature.

What does a typical day in the wellness world look like for you?

No day is typical, which is what I love about being self employed. I don’t like to use an alarm, so most days I just get up whenever I wake up. The first thing I do is have a glass of water or a warm honey, lemon & ginger drink, then it’s coffee (or decaf) with my husband at the beach. I do yoga most mornings, and then by around 10am it’s onto work - doing all that behind-the-scenes stuff necessary for a business to operate & grow like social media, replying to emails, and processing product orders. Then it’s either hands-on with clients or creating products through until around 6pm. I work six days a week and although I aim to have Sundays completely off work, that sometimes doesn’t always go to plan. I have a variety of wellness rituals that I incorporate daily depending on what I feel like which include: dry body brushing, warm oil massage, FIR sauna, meditation (vipassana), yoga, walking (barefoot on the beach), aroma inhalations, and breathing exercises.

What are your top 3 tips for staying fit and healthy?

1. Make your health a top priority. Block out time and commit to it just as you would if you had a meeting with someone.
2. Listen to your body and find an exercise you actually enjoy doing. If you feel like running, run. If you feel like walking, then walk.
3. Focus on mental health not only physical health. You can’t have one without the other.

In a nutshell, what’s your food philosophy?

I eat intuitively, according to the season, and am very interested in the Ayurvedic approach to health through nutrition. I prefer wholefoods over anything processed, and fruit and veggies are organic & spray free. I consume a lot of plant oils (which are excellent for skin health) either neat or in a food source. Ultimately I just listen to what my body needs.

What do you do to ‘reset’ the balance button when life gets a bit hectic?

There’s an old Zen adage that goes “you should sit in meditation for 20 minutes every day - unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” When life gets too hectic, I just stop everything and unplug. I work best once I’ve created white space around me.

We’re all about balance around here…What’s your biggest indulgence?

A visit to Little & Friday always brings a smile to my face. They do an amazing chocolate, beet, & salted caramel cake!

What healthy snacks might we find on your desk or in your handbag?

The days I’m working with clients, I serve up cold-pressed organic juices with a side of almonds or walnuts, so that’s my go-to healthy snack. Pana chocolate is a new favourite, and I love Little Bird Organics crackers with homemade guacamole.

Can you share with us your top two pieces of advice for people wanting to start a career in the wellness industry?

1. Be authentically you - that way you’ll only ever attract the right people.
2. You MUST invest time in yourself. In the wellness industry you’ll be giving a lot, so you must fill your own bucket first before you think of giving energy to anyone else.

Do you have a favourite affirmation or quote you remind yourself of when
life throws you a few challenges?

“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know” ~ Pema Chodron. This quote really helped me through a very difficult time a couple of years ago. As soon as I accepted it, everything started falling into place instantly.

What are your goals for the coming year?

I’m currently working on a range of skin health & wellness products which I’m super excited about! I hope to finally see it come to fruition later this year.

Thank you so much Keely! I love all that you stand for and cannot wait to try your new range of skin health and wellness products later this year! Renée x