In Conversation With Elizabeth, Co-Founder
In honour of Mother's Day & International Women's Day, we talk balancing business, motherhood and health with our co-founder, Elizabeth.
By elenzia / March 08th 2024 / Conversations
From building a brand alongside her mother, elénzia’s co-founder Elizabeth found her passion in holistic wellness, specifically looking at health from a 360-degree perspective. In admiration of all powerful women, we catch a glimpse inside her life while balancing business, motherhood and health.
Your journey into skincare and wellness started with the loving care from your mother. Can you share a cherished memory or lesson about self-care that your mom passed down to you?
Growing up, and still to this day, my Mum has looked immaculate every single day. I can’t remember a day when I was younger when she didn’t spend the time to look after herself in the morning, even with 4 children! This has been my key lesson from her, to take the time to take care of yourself and do what makes you feel good. She also has amazing skin and spends a good half an hour each night on her skincare routine.
Reflecting on your journey with a melanoma diagnosis at a young age, what has shaped the approach you take towards healthy living?
Being a mum and prioritising what matters to me. You never know what is going to happen in life and finding out I had a cancerous mole at the age of 24, despite never having been on a sunbed in my life, proves that. Therefore, you can’t live your life from the point of view of “what could happen to my health in the future”, but you must determine what is important in life for you and your family, and understand what health and wellness changes you might need to make. For example, for me at this moment, immunity is a top priority. Not only am I pregnant, but I have a two-year-old son, so this winter I made sure to prioritise all my family’s immune health to protect each other and make sure our daily routines aren’t impacted by illness.
As a woman in your 30s, expecting a new addition to your family, has your perspective on nutrition and skincare evolved, and what practices do you find most essential for your wellbeing during this time?
I think it’s evolved to finding what fits in with my daily routine, as opposed to having to change my daily routine to fit around a health or wellness goal. Skincare has remained an important element within my day-to-day and something that I value as part of my overall wellness. However, it can easily be one of the first things to fall by the wayside when you just want to take your make-up off and crawl into bed at the end of a long day. So, I try to keep my skincare routine as minimal but impactful as possible, as that’s what works for me. I combine key ingredients that I know work for my skin concerns and will make a difference – I’m currently using Endor Technologies® Pure Cleansing Milk, P-Biotic Toner, Eye Cream and Anti-Aging Cream, combined with The Ordinary’s Niacinamide and Zinc Serum (and of course an SPF for the day!).
Short and long-term cognitive health is also something that is important. My Granny had Alzheimer’s for quite a while in her later life, therefore I know that it is something that could be genetic, so being aware of my long-term brain health and performance is something I’m conscious of… From a daily perspective, it’s not easy being a working mum – especially when functioning on 3 hours of sleep – that’s why I need to try and be as focused and productive as possible during the working day. The combination of these elements for cognitive health is actually the key reason elénzia ENHANCE™ was born!
How has your experience shaped the values and mission of elénzia, catering to the needs of women with similar challenges?
Being a full-time working mum has definitely shaped the vision of elénzia. Ultimately, it’s about products that work. No one wants to waste their time and money on trying a multitude of different skincare and nutrition products when they have a health need today that needs solving. That’s why we make sure that we spend that time ensuring that clinical trial data for our products and ingredients is truly going to maximise efficacy for our customers.
We make sure that we put the thought, care and time into creating our products so that they are tailored to our customers’ everyday needs and long-term goals. It’s from both my own and my family’s experiences, that we have focused on the importance of health longevity and vitality with our brand and products. Having the multi-generational element to elénzia allows us to empathise with our customers and provide products that we know will make a real impact on their lives.
Juggling motherhood and business can often lead to stress. Have you found a way to navigate stress and ensure that it doesn’t cast a shadow over your work and home life?
It’s probably best to ask my husband this question… unfortunately, there are always going to be ebbs and flows within life that make certain times very difficult and lead to stress. During these periods I try to talk about how I’m feeling with my family and friends so that it doesn’t impact me mentally. In the past, I tended to bottle things up, so taking this approach has helped me during those challenging times.
To fellow women, juggling various roles, what advice can you offer for integrating a holistic approach to health and wellness into their routines?
Understand your health and wellness priorities. Find solutions that you can work into your existing routines so that you can stay on top of them.
This Mother’s Day, what three affirmations can you leave for women who may be seeking that delicate balance between caring for their families, running a business, and nurturing themselves?
1- Have confidence in yourself.
2- Seek help when you need it.
3- Take time to look after yourself.
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[Disclaimer: All opinions expressed by In Conversation With… participants are solely their current opinions based upon information they consider reliable, but neither elénzia nor its affiliates, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and is for informational purposes only.]