Aermeda conception - one step at a time

About us

3 Jul

Aermeda was conceived while I was on a walk – a solo hike taking over 5 months and spanning 4250km from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. The transition from a career in medical research and academia to owning my own creative business was developed as I walked!

I was queen of organisation, filling my life with work, work, work - diary full of activities, people meetings. Six months on the trail meant I would be on my own for days at a time with only three things to do – walk, eat, sleep….repeat. Walking alone for days with no noise to tune out my voice, no people to verbally interact with, nothing to distract me, and no busy diary to make me feel useful and productive. Just me. I discovered ‘just me’ is enough!

I had read about rattlesnakes with their deadly venom; patiently waiting, lurking, in every nook and corner for the perfect time to strike! - I searched for them as I walked and I didn't sit down very often at lunch or break for 3 weeks just incase! Then I relaxed. I knew about water, and the lack of it in the desert region. I knew the exact weight of 6 liters of water. I could feel the difference hanging on my back. I sought to rid myself of the self doubt whispering ever so gently into my ears, “Give up. Enough is enough. You can’t do it. Go home!”. Realising I could let my fear and anxiety win or I could use my common sense, knowledge, gut instincts to navigate those situations. I walked. I took the next step. I faced every challenge I was afraid of confronting. I grew. I changed……..Not unlike the experience of starting and running a small business!

The quiet and solitude began to make me feel grounded and centred – moving me to a place where being is more important then doing. The experience took me to a place where I had the space to learn about myself – to think, process, ask questions, listen for answers, find clarity…..in solitude, there is creativity.

Though the new business concept was yet to fully emerge, the seed was planted of creating something that embodied the things I was grateful for along the journey; the closeness to nature, the concept of simplicity, the art of taking things slowly and the act of carving out time to reconnect with yourself and others.

Arriving back home in Coastal Otago, New Zealand at the end of one beautiful adventure and on the doorstep of the one yet to come was a very transformative place to be - like a blank canvas or the space in between breaths.

I began to develop a lifelong passion into a business and after four years in the planning, I took the leap and left my role in the Otago School of Medicine to launch Aermeda.

Blending time-honoured practices, the highest quality natural ingredients and conscious craftsmanship that deeply respects the environment, Aermeda soaps are a luxury offering that is environmentally sound from the conception through to the ingredients, production method and packaging.

While to the onlooker, the parallels between science and soapmaking may not be overt, soapmaking is both an art and a science - creating soaps can be a meeting point between creativity and chemistry. With this approach in mind, Aermeda has implemented exacting safety standards and careful selection and production methods to ensure that the resulting product is of the highest standards; both beneficial to your skin and considerate to our planet.

The entire Aermeda collection is created by me and my wish is to share my passion with you. I have spent hours studying, formulating, crumpling paper, composing imaginary and I continue to develop…”