COAST CHARACTER
Resident of St Martin’s in the Isles of Scilly, Ella McLachlan took the crystal clear shallows and white sandy beaches of the archipelago as her starting point for handmade skincare that evokes the sights and scents of the sea
Ella McLachlan, St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly
St Martin’s is such an outdoors place in all seasons. I might be out walking our dog, or going for a dip in the sea at high tide, or taking the children to the beach to swim and spot birds. We don’t have much choice in what we do, but that means there’s not so much distraction either and life goes at a slower pace. Living on the island has given me a deep sense of connection to myself and to the natural world.
I came here from Devon when I was 21 for six months, and never left. I met my husband Barney, also from the mainland, and now we run The Island Bakery on St Martin’s together – it’s a great community here, really inclusive. I launched my own skincare business, Phoenix & Providence, last summer using seaweed as the active ingredient. It came from an idea I had when I started sea swimming a few years ago to get some peace and headspace away from two young children.
I wanted to bottle that feeling you get after being in the sea, when your skin feels so nice and your head is clear, so I did an online course in making organic skincare and went from there. A few days a week I’ll be out collecting bladderwrack, which is plentiful and traditionally used in beauty treatments. I load it into my wheelbarrow, then go home to make the products and pack orders, cycling to the post office to send them out. I make everything myself in small batches, adding essential oils to evoke the scent of the coast – eucalyptus, mint, lavender and juniper are some of my favourites.
On summer Sundays, our day off, we kayak around St Martin’s or sail our boat out to an uninhabited island in the Isles of Scilly archipelago, taking a picnic with us. The children love looking out for birds and seals, we’ve even spotted spouting Minke whales. It’s so peaceful out on the water, you can really be in the moment. Find out more about Ella’s range at phoenixandprovidence.co.uk.