Well… this Easter holiday has not quite gone to plan.
This week has been a bit of a write-off. The sun is shining, the lambs’ tails are wagging, the blossom is blooming… and yet, my kids and I have been stuck indoors with one very spotty, very itchy little boy. Chicken pox has landed. The poor love is covered head to toe in angry blisters, and while he’s been braving it like a true little soldier, I found myself turning once again to Mother Nature and her natural remedies for chicken pox in children.
And, as always, she came to the rescue.
Oat flour in the bath has been our saving grace, calming, gentle, and soothing those furious little blisters in the kindest of ways. It reminded me of all the times over the years I’ve instinctively turned to natural skincare ingredients. From the cold cabbage leaves I tucked down my bra while breastfeeding (glamorous, I know), to my beloved 25-year-old aloe vera plant that is still used every single Sunday when I inevitably burn myself on the hot roast potato tray. Without fail.
But it’s in those silly, slightly chaotic, very human moments that I find comfort and a reminder that nature really does know best.
These little rituals are Mother Nature’s skincare, and I wouldn’t be without them. Whether it's oats, leaves, or a chunky houseplant perched on the windowsill, there’s always something quietly powerful about the remedies passed down through time, tucked into kitchens and whispered from mother to daughter.
It’s these moments, when I reach for the fridge or the garden before the medicine cabinet, that remind me why I created Olive & Joyce in the first place. There’s something deeply grounding about turning to what’s pure, kind and familiar. It’s why every single product I make is crafted with 100% natural, handmade skincare ingredients. No fuss, no fillers, no dyes or synthetics, just natural skincare that works.
One of the most beautiful moments this week came at 2am. My son woke me, eyes wide with fear and frustration, convinced the itching would never end.
He looked up at me and said, “Mum, do you have any creams from your shop that can help me?”
I could have cried partly from frustration why on earth hadn’t I reached for my own products sooner? I’d been slathering him in calamine lotion, just like I was when I had chicken pox at his age, and partly from pride. He believes in what I do. And in that sleepy, scratchy moment, I realised how much that matters.
I reached for The Sleepy Joyce Foot Cream. Though it’s made for tired feet, I knew like the oat flour and the cabbage leaves, it would adapt. Lavender to calm and fight infection, chamomile to soothe and heal, non-nano zinc oxide to ease the itch and dry the spots. It’s basically the Swiss army knife of natural skincare.
I gently massaged it into his skin, and within seconds, I heard that little sigh of relief. The itch had gone. Even better, the blend of lavender, chamomile and ylang ylang worked its sleepy magic, and we both drifted off, curled up in bed like two soothed babies.
I was amazed by how quickly The Sleepy Joyce brought him relief and the itching stopped almost instantly. It made me realise something so simple, yet so easy to miss: when the skin stays hydrated, it doesn’t itch half as much. The real discomfort often starts when the blisters begin to dry out, leaving the skin tight, sore, and impossible not to scratch. That’s when the risk of scarring creeps in. But when the skin is kept nourished and soothed, those little blisters can still heal beautifully – just without the dryness that causes all the misery. Hydrated skin is calm skin. And far less likely to be left with those stubborn little red marks we all dread afterwards. Realising just how effective it was at hydrating irritated skin made me think – this could be just as comforting for eczema and other dry, sensitive skin conditions too.
There was something so quietly beautiful about that moment my son, looking up at me and asking if I had anything from my skincare shop that could help him. It was such a tender reminder that even when we forget to believe in ourselves, someone close to us still does. Sometimes, we just need to pause long enough to hear them.
If you’re in the thick of it, juggling school holidays, work, or just life. I hope this note gives you a little pause, a little breath, and a gentle nudge to keep going. Hold on to your dreams, no matter how small or slow they feel.
Mine began in my kitchen. I was a single parent to two little ones, with a book full of knowledge, a cupboard full of ingredients, a heart full of love, and a head full of big dreams.
And if, like my son, you believe in what I do, thank you.
Whether you share our story with a friend, treat yourself or someone you love, follow us on social media or leave a kind review, your support reminds me just how far this little dream has come.
Thank you, as always, for being here with me.
With all my love,
Emily xxx
Founder, big dreamer, natural skincare believer