Well, two hard-working women who want to help other hard-working women, of course.
Celeste and Pippa come from different backgrounds with different skillsets, but when their worlds intertwined, it seemed the perfect match to make a big difference.
After having what she affectionately refers to as ‘shitty skin syndrome’ throughout her life, Celeste had constantly been on the hunt for skincare that she could use with her sensitive, psoriasis-prone, skin.
Earlier in life she was also involved in a traffic accident that
left her pale skin with scarring, and at the time she couldn’t find a natural healing product that would actually work.
So, when she discovered the unmatched benefits of Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil it sent her off in a whole new career/ business trajectory to produce a range of skincare for people with skin like hers, in need of genuine, healing, and properly-good-for-you skincare. Showcasing the Manuka honey, her businesses, Apiary Made and Rescue Goo, was the conduit to bringing these products out to the world.
When she met Pippa, learning about her breastfeeding experience, and that of innumerable mums around the world, it was only natural that they put their heads together and came up with the holy grail of balms for both Boobs and Bubs.
With a degree in Textile Design, Pippa worked as a designer for a few years before starting her own fashion brand Squeak. Seven years into Squeak, Pippa skipped excitedly into the realm of motherhood—then face-planted into reality. Despite a huge amount of love for her tiny midget, her bub’s undiagnosed tongue and lip tie (despite visiting a paediatrician and four lactation consultants) made Pippa’s breastfeeding journey a steep, uphill crawl through wild blackberry bushes planted over hot coals that wound in circles. Over-dramatic? Absolutely not! It was hell.
Bleeding and cracked nipples, thrush, two bouts of mastitis, a nipple almost sucked clean off, a boob deemed ‘unusable due to trauma’, and scarring that will never heal—both emotionally and physically. She’d grit her teeth and curl her toes with every latch, then breathe slowly, begging the forty-minute feed to hurry the f*#k up. She’d wipe her nipple’s dripping blood off her baby’s forehead, then hook herself up to a cow-milking machine, pumping breastmilk from her damaged boob so she’d have just enough to give her baby for the next feed, leaving little time for things like bonding and sleep.
Her story is far from unique; there are mums everywhere with their own fourth trimester battle scars. So, when she crossed paths with Celeste, who had the idea for a natural balm that would genuinely help mothers, it was a must-do project. If all those tears and the excruciating, knife-slicing, pain, led to knowledge that could help other mums, then it was well worth it.
Learn more about Pippa Oostergetel.
