How I Celebrate My Mum and Yours

I welcome my nickname as the “fairy godmother of skin” because it captures the magic and passion I am striving for with all of Roccoco Botanicals 's products. The Roccoco brand was born for women who live with #skinchallenges like acute acne, dermatitis, rosacea, and eczema.I know these women because I am one of them.

At 13, I started developing problems with my skin and it got much worse at the age of 14. My mum was the one who taught me the importance of doing a basic routine and a skin care system. She learnt that from her mother because my great-grandmother had a very simple skin care routine and she again – like, my grandmother did not look her age at all. It’s in my maternal line to care about skin – although I took it one step further and became skin-obesssed.

To celebrate my mum Valda Elson, 75, this #mothersday, I set aside time from my super-hectic schedule to tailor make a cream I know she loves. But you won’t find it on the Roccoco Botanicals’ product list anytime soon – it’s for my mum Valda’s hands only. I make her a rose hand cream that’s never been released and she absolutely loves it! It’s a labour of love for me because I make the time to make mum this hand cream knowing how much it means to her.

It's been a dizzying year in which I have won a number of global #awardsforexcellence for my work as a #cosmeticchemist and Roccoco Botanicals products, namely our Ruby Crystal Cleanser. And it all began with my mum. I credit her for teaching me the golden tips for a solid #skincareroutine which ultimately set me on a path to success.?

I learnt from Mum that consistency is key with #skincare .?My mother used her #skincareproducts regularly and it was part of her beauty routine.?Even when money was tight, Mum always bought her skincare.?It was her one luxury.?It’s something that always stuck with me.?Even as a single mother, I still ensured I bought skincare that was high quality.?It was a value that was taught to me by my mother.

Now, at 52 years young, I am a mum to 4 children although my son James sadly died over two decades ago from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. I am also grandma to 11-month-old Adelaide, who was born to my daughter Corinne who works with me at Roccoco Botanicals.?

This #mothersday2023 will be our first with Adelaide who is nearly 1 year old. Obviously, it's also a day for me to reflect on the son I miss and contemplate the abundant gratitude I feel for his life and the lessons I learned from his passing.?

After James died, everything changed. I started going for things that I would not normally have done. I decided I wanted to be a business owner, and consequently, I was led in the direction of starting Roccoco. As hard as it was losing him, I wouldn’t change any of it because it’s made me who I am.

I always say that I make Roccoco Botanicals products for women like me. And I have been forced to pass down all my #skincaretips to my children due to sheer necessity as they have inherited my skin challenges.?My daughter was using skincare from when she was about 10, and my sons have been the same. Even though most boys don’t use skincare, mine have had to because of the skin conditions they’ve inherited from me. My older son has used skincare products since he was five because he needed to maintain his skin’s barrier function due to eczema.

My kids have been raised on skincare as a normal part of their everyday life. They cleanse their skin twice a day, they look after their skin and it’s going to pay off for them because it’s preventing so many other issues happening, especially #acnescarring. If the skin is managed and maintained, then inflammation can be kept at a low level.

And for anyone in the market for a transforming gift for mum this Mother’s Day and beyond, I have just the offer.

We’ve got this amazing promotion coming out with our frangipani and lychee body cream, which we’ve dubbed ‘the original #tummytuck in a jar’. This product is absolutely transforming mothers’ bodies. After #pregnancy , many women find their skin has stretched to the point where they have been left with stretch marks because the elasticity has reached maximum strength and it has caused a tear in the skin. While we all embrace motherhood, some women want to feel like we felt before we had a baby and comfortable in our own skin. This product is snapping it back to almost pre-baby status within about 30-60 days.

With this offer, we include one of our beautiful body shimmer oils, which is perfect to highlight for an evening night out. It’s the perfect sun-kissed glow and it’s very hydrating and nourishing on the skin.

I hope all the Mums reading this had a meaningful Mother's Day. While it's a day which can elicit so many emotions, both happy and sad, it's a day I cherish because it's a day to celebrate #family.