Creative Chat with Ella Mclachlan, Founder of Award-Winning Skincare Brand Phoenix & Providence

We have had some wonderful creative businesses enrol on our Online Course and come along to our Pinterest Workshops. We have so enjoyed connecting with them online and in person and thought it would be great to share our Creative Chats with you here on our blog!

We have reached out to these artists, designers, makers and small business owners to share their business story with us. Details of their creative process, where they find inspiration and the highs and lows of running their own business. Out latest Creative Chat takes us to the beautiful island of St. Martin’s, Isles of Scilly.

Our 10th Creative Chat is with Ella Mclachlan, founder of Phoenix & Providence, award-winning organic seaweed skincare handmade on the Isles of Scilly.

Tell us about your wonderful skincare brand and what is the story behind it? Where does the name come from?

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.  

Both my mind and skin always feel so much brighter and clearer after a swim in the sea, and I began to wonder if I could bottle that feeling! I also had a growing interest in natural living and using fewer chemicals in our home. In between toddler naps and nursery runs I studied for a diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation and from there started to formulate my own products.

I had been reading more and more about the benefits of seaweed for skin, and I knew I wanted to use this wonderful ingredient as the centre of my skincare range. I live 100m from a beautiful beach where seaweed grows plentifully in the crystal-clear waters, so I knew I would have an abundant source. 

My dad found some old archaeological information about the history and kelp-burning heritage of the Isles of Scilly. Kelp was burned on the islands from around 1680 to the last recorded kelp burning in 1835, the ash from this was then used in glass and soap making. You can still find the kelp pits on the islands today. 

Phoenix and Providence were the name of two shipwrecks sunk on the Isles of Scilly – Phoenix in 1680 when the kelp burning began and Providence in 1833 as the kelp burning ended. 

“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.” – Ella Mclachlan

What is your favourite thing about your brand and what are you most proud of?

My favourite thing about P & P is the products. I love making them, I get completely in a state of flow. I like to set aside one or two days a week for formulating as I like to do this without distraction. I have a lovely lady called Hannah who works with me on these days and we do everything by hand. I am proud of the ingredients we use as they are the highest quality and organic. 

Can I be cheeky and add an extra thing I love about Phoenix & Providence?! Which is the community and connections I have made since starting out. This wasn’t something I had anticipated adding such an extra element of joy. I get so many lovely emails and messages, and the reviews the products get left are so heartfelt. I have the nicest customers! I also love getting to work with other independent business owners, from Raymond in Cornwall who prints by boxes on sustainably sourced card, to my lovely designer Olivia who has been working for me while travelling Australia, and of course you Dörte! In an increasingly digital world, I really value these connections and relationships made with real people.

What is your background?

I have always loved skincare and used to spend my pocket money on Body Soap squidgy soaps or Natural Collection bath pearls! I remember my mum being annoyed that the bath plug was blocked with mashed banana as I attempted to make a hair mask! I loved art at school and my dad used to say I’d end up living on the Isles of Scilly (as we had been on family holidays here) doing something creative. But of course, my sights were set on the bright lights of London. I graduated with a law degree from Exeter University and took some time out travelling before working out what career path I wanted to follow.

However, I ended up working for a few months on the tiny island of St. Martins and never left as I met my now husband! Before starting my own business, I worked as an office manager at the local flower farm, Scilly Flowers, who send out over 100,000 boxes of scented flowers a year. I worked at Fay Page, a jeweller who has grown to employ 9 local people in the 20 years they have been making beautiful jewellery inspired by island life. Both jobs gave me a good insight into how to build a brand and grow a business on the islands- the logistics can certainly be challenging!

Tell us more about the beautiful island of St. Martin’s. How long have you lived there?

I have lived on St. Martins for over 15 years now. The Isles of Scilly are made up of five inhabited islands and lots of uninhabited islands. We are on one of the ‘off-islands’, St. Martins has a permanent population of 140 residents. The islands as a whole have about 2,000 people living here. 

Scilly is a place of extremes. The winters can be wild and there are very few tourists on the islands. It’s a time to hunker down, catch up with friends and batten down the hatches. The summers are vibrant and full of activity. Most islanders, such as my husband who runs The Island Bakery, rely on this time of year to make that majority of their income. It’s a time of working hard and playing hard! The busyness is all relative though, it’s a very laid-back place, days are dictated by the weather and tide. You can never predict what might happen. From a walrus arriving to spend a summer holiday here, to giving birth on a helicopter (yes my firstborn knew how to make an entrance!). There’s never a dull moment.

What do you enjoy about running your own business? Which parts come most easily to you?

The thing that I love the most about running a business is really embodying the ethos I try to promote through P & P. By that I mean personally replying to all the emails I receive from customers, building those relationships with suppliers and other creatives I work with. I want anyone who encounters P & P to feel that personal touch. From going on the website, to receiving the order, to, most importantly, using the products, I want customers to enjoy the experience and feel valued. And of course, for their skin to feel amazing too! I’d like to think this customer service side of things comes easily to me. I so appreciate every single order I receive, it’s incredibly humbling when people spend money on something you have made.

What don’t you enjoy, what do you find difficult, and what are the challenges?

I found this quite a hard question to answer as every day when you run a business you are faced with different challenges. But the thing I think is the biggest challenge is keeping the belief in what you are doing, not being swayed by trends, and sticking with your gut feeling. Experience and time has definitely helped with this. I now don’t spiral into a panic if there is a quiet week with orders but rather trust that there are the right customers out there!

In terms of what I don’t enjoy, it’s probably the tech side of the business. I think social media is a great tool for connecting with customers but it isn’t the biggest generator of income given the amount of time it takes. This is why I was so keen to try Pinterest with you, Dörte. It is online marketing but at a gentler and more evergreen pace.

Who is your perfect/ideal customer and what do they value from you? 

I genuinely have such lovely customers. I think they firstly value the products and how effective they are. I now have over 300 five-star reviews which is just amazing and a credit to my generous customer base for taking the time to write them. As well as a testament to the products themselves! 

I also want my customers to value the permission slip using our skincare for creating a few moments of peace and calm in your day. Taking time to look after yourself and your skin, perhaps checking in with yourself. Whether it’s washing your face with our Balance Cleansing Oil after a long day, ready to settle into the evening, or taking 10 minutes to enjoy our Innis Seaweed and Clay Face Mask with the guided relaxation we have on our website. It’s often these small moments of taking care of ourselves that can encourage us to look after ourselves in other areas of our life. 

“Each day is different, and I tend to divide my week into a day for different tasks. I set Mondays for admin, Tuesday for business development, Wednesday for making products, Thursday for content creation and Fridays for heading to the beach to get seaweed and finish off any product labelling.” – Ella Mclachlan

What’s in your creation toolbox? And what does a typical day look like?

The main thing in my creation toolbox is walking. After I’ve dropped my kids at school, I always walk our dog, Lyla. I used to feel guilty that this was eating into my work time, but now I know this time is so important for my business. It’s when I have new ideas, unknit problems and have my lightbulb moments.

After I’ve walked Lyla, it’s time for a coffee and to crack on with checking my emails and packing orders. Each day is different, and I tend to divide my week into a day for different tasks. I set Mondays for admin, Tuesday for business development, Wednesday for making products, Thursday for content creation and Fridays for heading to the beach to get seaweed and finish off any product labelling. Inevitably my week doesn’t often look like this- perhaps one of my children is ill, a storm is heading in, so I need to get seaweed early, or I have a large retail order I need to make up! But it’s all part of the fun and I find embracing the challenges is the best way forward. 

Where does your inspiration for your products come from?

When formulating products my starting point is always thinking about what I want the product to achieve. For example, a product for hands would require heavier plant butters, whereas for a face product you are looking for lighter, non- comedogenic oils, meaning they are absorbed quickly into the skin.

When it comes to choosing scents, I am always inspired by the scents I find in nature and how they make me feel. There is a big eucalyptus tree that I pass on my way for a swim or walk and in the early morning dew the scent is so gorgeous. I knew this would be the starting point for the first product I formulated, our Nourish Body Oil. I blend eucalyptus with lavender and juniper organic essential oils to capture the feeling of being by the sea, both reviving and relaxing. I have used this method for all my scented skincare, evoking a sense of connection with the natural world. 

Do you have any news you’re excited about, and you would like to share with us?

Last month four of our products won awards at The Beauty Shortlist awards. It is super exciting and so amazing to see P & P listed alongside some of the biggest names in the natural skincare industry that I hugely admire. 

I also have a growing number of professional therapists using our products in treatments- including in Lewes! I just couldn’t think of a better way to spread the word about P & P. 

With our skincare it has been a slow process of building up the product range to create daily and weekly skincare rituals. I also had a vision to create seasonal skincare rituals that ebb and flow with nature’s energy, as well as with the needs of our skin at that point in the year. I am really excited to be launching four seasonal bath and body oils over the course of this year- watch this space! 

“Alongside the products I enjoy producing wellbeing content for our journal and have worked with professionals in the wellbeing space to create free resources such as yoga classes and guided self-massage videos. Pinterest is a great space to share all of these and the links, creating a greater insight into the P & P ethos.” – Ella Mclachlan

How has Pinterest helped your business?

Pinterest has helped me reach so many more people than is possible with the algorithms of Instagram and Facebook. With the Pins I’m able to convey (with your help!) so much more about the products than a post on social media. The fact that the Pins can be linked to my website gives people an actionable way to head straight there and find out more about Phoenix & Providence. I also love that the work put in is reused time and again on Pinterest, rather than the fast-paced scroll.

Alongside the products I enjoy producing wellbeing content for our journal and have worked with professionals in the wellbeing space to create free resources such as yoga classes and guided self-massage videos. Pinterest is a great space to share all of these and the links, creating a greater insight into the P & P ethos.

Aside from working on Pinterest, it has also been so helpful to have you (Dörte) outside in viewpoint on my business. You’ve been so encouraging, given me so many ideas, and some days one of your lovely cheerful emails has really given me the boost I need in a moment of self-doubt. 

If you are feeling disillusioned about social media and the quick turnaround of content, I could not recommend trying Pinterest for your business enough, it is a much gentler space. Dörte is the perfect expert to help you get started. She has been such a kind guide and support and has immersed herself so deeply in my business, I just wish we could meet for a coffee in real life! 

Find out more about Phoenix & Providence and discover the beautiful skincare products here:

P & P website | P & P on Pinterest | P & P on Instagram

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