Oh! Guide: Ageless beauty, relaxation and simple routines with Homespa Beauty

Elaine is the founder of Homespa Beauty. She is a beauty indsutry leader in Scotland. Her Youtube Channel has over 75K subscribers that provide content about professional beauty therapy, massage and holistic treatments. 

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I have always been interested in the beauty and health/wellness industries. Growing up in the 80s, I was influenced by the exercise trends of the time (Jane Fonda in leotard and leg warmers!), the glamour of the hair, makeup and fashion of the time and the belief of the decade that you could be anything you wanted to be.

It really rubbed off on me and I started in the industry twenty years ago and haven't looked back. My preference is to work freelance and I have two Higher National Diplomas (Makeup Artistry and Beauty Therapy) and a BA in Further Education Teaching, which eventually lead me from teaching in colleges to Youtube! 

Your working life should be an adventure and if you get the chance to do something that makes you nervous - go ahead and do it anyway!

What are 5 of the most common misconceptions about the beauty sector?

1. It's a vanity lead industry.
2. It's competitive (not in my experience).
3. People are always trying to sell to you.
4. Everyone wants to look younger than their age.
5. The more expensive, the better the product or treatment.

How do you think conversations in beauty and skincare are changing?

It's split down the middle for me.  I get frustrated that it's becoming second nature for people of twenty plus to inject their faces to look a certain way as my worry is we still don't know how these treatments will sit within the skin decades down the line.

It's your choice what you do, but if you can embrace your natural beauty and learn to accept that our faces will change as we age, then the stress of keeping up with the crowd won't be relevant.

I'm happy to see that diversity is becoming more visible in this industry as there are lots of minorities that are often overlooked to cater for the masses and the beauty industry. Specifically, salons and therapists have always been a strong area of female empowerment, which is also welcoming to anyone who thinks they'd like to join the industry. There's something for everyone! 

What have some of the most popular episodes been, and why do you reckon this resonated with your audience?

Spotify told me last year that my most popular was aromatherapy and that did surprise me! I suppose it's because we don't lose interest in the power of botanicals and the reassurance that a plant or herb has the power to heal, revive and balance us.

I've also found that anything to do with relaxation and stress relief is well received as we are frequently in need of reassurance that we're all in this together and we can cope with what life throws at us.

Name the top 3 most memorable facts/experiences from your show!

1. That's a tough one! If I'm including my Youtube channel, then I can tell you that it was very surreal watching morning television one day and as they were discussing the topic of the day (holistic therapies), a clip of my reflexology video came on. I nearly choked on my tea! 
2. The time when I was contacted by The Dr Oz Show to ask if they could use a clip from one of my videos. 
3. I'm always thrilled and surprised when anyone leaves me a comment telling me that I've helped them or that they are a teacher and use my content with their students. I never take that for granted and it always means so much to hear someone taking the time to share a lovely story with me. 

Recent podcasts have been about positivity, gratitude, mindfulness and relaxation. Why have these topics been important to you and how does it overlap with beauty?

It's been a natural evolution for me as I've found that there's a split in the industry between health and wellness and the more vanity-lead area of the industry (there is nothing wrong with it, but I'm not so interested in the high maintenance side).

I trained in the tan, eyelash extensions, nail wraps, etc. when they launched, but nothing gives me more joy than seeing a client visibly change from feeling tired and down to uplifted and content – all through the power of a good massage or relaxation treatment.

The podcasts focused on these topics to enhance what we can often forget in our fast paced lives and reminds us that we have everything we need within us and just have to remind ourselves when we become overwhelmed at times. 

Where do you enjoy learning about beauty, skincare and makeup, and who is inspiring your interests?

• I was very much inspired by my mum and the glamour of applying makeup as a child. In the 90s, when we got cable television, I become hooked on QVC as their resident beauty expert, Alison Young, was so knowledgeable and easy to watch. She's still there and even more of an industry influencer now. I watch every live she does on social media and the lady knows her stuff! 
• I love to watch makeup tutorials by Lisa Eldridge as she's so talented and relaxing to watch.
• Sam and Nic Chapman are of my age group and they are great makeup artists who are also extremely relatable when they do their IG lives.

How do other aspects of health/wellness overlap with skin health?

Just about everything reflects in your skin at some level. Hormonal outbreaks in specific areas of the skin are a very common issue. Dry, dull, flakey and also oily, blemished skin can all indicate that something is out of balance inside. Remember that your skin is the largest organ of the body and you should pay attention to what it is trying to tell you - and look after it!

Share a bit about your personal skincare routine.

I keep it very simple as I learned a long time ago that less is more and products being touted by influencers everywhere very rarely live up to the hype. I will always try new products that sound like they'll suit my skin and quite often mix my routine up.

I'll try new cleansing washes each time I need a new one. I quite like French pharmacy moisturisers as they tend to deliver without a lot of fragrance (my skin doesn't like highly perfumed products). I'll always use eye cream, masks and serums during the week and switch it to suit what I'm needing that day. Your skin will let you know what it does and doesn't like if you take the time to get to know it. 

Anything else you want to add?

It's an exciting industry to be a part of and I'm very happy to have found that you're making your mark in it too!

To find out more about Elaine, check out her Youtube Channel, follower her on Twitter (@homespa_beauty), Facebook or her website (https://elaineburns.com/).