Hello my name is Shannon. I am the owner of Noel Herbal Skincare, a holistic skincare practice based in Somerville Massachusetts. The business is just a little over 3 years old, but I have been immersed in the skin care industry for over a decade. My passion for holistic well-being really came full circle when I started to study herbalism.
My work begins with ‘you’. My goal is to support my clients not only in how they care for their skin topically but more importantly how they treat their bodies internally. This includes looking at food, stress, sleep, environment and thoughts. I want to share a different perspective than what has been previously shared with you. Leaving judgement out of it and just educating so you are “In the know” about your own skin. My hope is to guide you to feel more comfortable caring for your skin while incorporating plants into your every day life in a seamless way. Our biggest organ is defined by our lifestyle choices. I want you to feel confident enacting positive change to support those choices.
I have wanted to start a blog for sometime. It has felt natural to me to want to share my knowledge with my community and now that we all have a little more time on our hands, I knew this was the moment. Below is a series of questions that (hopefully) will provide more insight about me and how I practice. In creating this space my hope is you will feel comforted knowing you have a trusted source for plant based holistic care for both internal and topical well-being.
I look forward to connecting with all of you. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Love and Chamomile,
Shannon
Introducing…The Quick Six! A series of questions we hope to share with you once a week about not only Noel Herbals but also our other vendors on the website! Check below for my answers
1. What drew you to herbalism?
While being in esthetic school my awareness was drawn to how the ingredients of the products were not being talked about. Not only were they not talked about, the more research I did- the more I realized they were not ideal. I could not pronounce half of them, and I intuitively felt they were bad for us. I then went onto to search for spas that held product integrity at a higher standard, but still there was something missing. I took a community herbal class with Steph Zabel from FlowerFolk Herbs and it was like a light inside me was ignited. I felt an immediate connection, a magnet pulling me in. We are all connected to plants, and they are connected to us. It only makes sense that we eventually find each other and mindfully think about this relationship. I was excited to learn as much as I could to incorporate into my practice, but also I wanted my loved ones to open their minds to another path instead of the one that was laid out for them by modern medicine.
2. How long have you been practicing?
I have been an aesthetician for 15 years and I have been incorporating herbalism into my practice for 5 years.
3. What are some of your favorite plants?
Ahhh there’s so many!! It’s so hard to choose favorites, and certain ones speak to me at different times, but calendula, chamomile, rose, and marshmallow are up there. Those are my go to’s in the treatment room.
4. What was the first product you made?
The first product I made was a herbal infused massage oil to use for facial treatments. I wanted something that was plant based, made with ingredients that I knew were fresh and organic. I loved being apart of the process, watching the plants infuse in the sun-kissed oil, straining it, playing the with herbs feeling them on my hands in between my fingers, and bringing every bit of intention to each massage.
5. What is the most fulfilling part of your skincare practice?
The most fulfilling thing about my practice is being able to connect with people in a real way. The power of touch is so incredibly powerful, and allows us to feel more comfortable with showing ourselves, our ‘real’ selves. I’m not one for small talk, or large crowds I much prefer a one on one conversation that has depth and meaning. Being in such an intimate setting encourages real relationships to form, and to me that is the most fulfilling. Learning about myself in the process is just an added bonus. Being an aesthetician comes first, being a business owner comes second.
6. What is your favorite thing in the world besides plants?
My favorite thing in this world besides plants...family, friends, animals, beach, music, sunshine, pajamas.