How does living on the Isles of Scilly and your surroundings inspire you? 

You can’t live on the Isles of Scilly and not love the sea, it’s practically mandatory.  For me, sea swimming has been a way to find some time for myself as a busy mother of two, to reconnect with nature, to create some headspace and come home to my heart.  It’s where Phoenix and Providence began, the business was designed during these inspiring, soul-enriching sea dips.

Why did you decide to base your products on kelp? What are the benefits of it? 

I love the skin tingling feel you have after a swim in the sea, my skin always looks brighter and clearer. It got me thinking about the properties of nutrient rich seaweed and exploring how it benefits our skin. Seaweed is deeply hydrating and detoxifying, as well as being high in Vitamin C and amino acids which help improve skin tone and texture.

What products do you personally use the most?

I genuinely use all of my products on a very regular basis! My goal was to create a capsule collection of natural, organic skincare products to be used to wash, bathe, moisturise and deeply hydrate.

My holistic approach to skincare also means using P & P products is a good reminder for me to practice what I preach and take a mindful moment to connect with myself! Each product has a ‘ritual for use’ breathing exercise you can follow. I truly believe that a few minutes focused on your breath can make a big difference to how you feel in your day.

What would a ‘typical’ day look like at P&P?

My days are very much dictated by the tide. At low tide I go down to St. Martin’s flats to harvest the seaweed, filling up my trusty wheelbarrow. Once harvested the seaweed is laid on my purpose-built racks to dry. The next process involves either grinding the seaweed to be added to my aromatic bath salt mixture, or infusing the seaweed in organic cold pressed oils. This process takes a month, everything takes a little longer on island time!

Have you got any new plans for Phoenix & Providence in the New Year?

After much tweaking and testing I very excited to be getting ready to launch two new facial skincare products in the next month, the star ingredient of course being soothing and moisturising seaweed! I will be adding an organic facial oil and seaweed and clay face mask to the P & P range. Both products will be suitable for all skin types and ages, completely natural and free from fragrance.

Describe to us your perfect day on Scilly?

A perfect day on Scilly would involve packing up a picnic and swim stuff, heading out with my family for a day on the water in our boat, choosing one of the many uninhabited islands to explore, losing all track of time.

For more about Phoenix & Providence, check out Ella's Instagram feed @phoenixandprovidence_skincare or go online at phoenixandprovidence.co.uk