Tell us a bit about ARDERE

Lauren: ARDERE was born from our own personal journeys into the world of wellness. In 2012, I was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (more commonly referred to as M.E. or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). After failing to find help through orthodox medicine I was determined to treat myself as naturally as possible and discovered that by making specific dietary and lifestyle changes, I was able to alleviate and overcome many of my symptoms.

Nicole: Similarly, I went on the journey with Lauren after suffering with stress and anxiety in my early twenties. We have experienced first-hand the power of clever lifestyle choices. Our collective passion became sharing our knowledge with others. We began exploring techniques, products (including the use of essential oils) and recipes that not only promote a profound sense of physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, but also that can be used to support a variety of ailments and reduce your toxic load.

We realised that our all-encompassing message is that we wanted to ‘evoke people’s glow’ from the inside out, hence the name ARDERE came about which is a latin translation of ‘glow’. We decided to pool all of our of knowledge over the last 8 years into ARDERE. Lauren trained as a Nutritionist and Naturopath so she could help people with similar issues to what she suffered, and I trained as a wellness coach and am an advocate of self-care through developing natural organic products.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Nicole: That you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Don’t let any form of rejection in work or life deter you from something you believe in, and remember it can take years for someone to become ‘an overnight success’.

Lauren: I was always told that if I could learn something new every day, I was always moving forwards and in the right direction. So each day I try to gain a new nugget of knowledge that keeps me current and informed; whether this is related to my business, nutrition, health, or making my clinic run more efficiently, I always value learning something new.

What advice would you give for maintaining a healthy work life balance?

Lauren: I always say, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” If we don’t look after ourselves as much as possible, the chances are that over-working ourselves will catch up with us and make us ill. Schedule breaks in your calendar for rest and relaxation. It might be that you schedule 10 minutes in your working day to do some meditation, which will make you become more resilient against any stressors in your day.

Nicole: Remind yourself that there’s more to life than just work, make time to invest in your hobbies, rest and spend time with your family and friends. Book that time in your calendar so that you ensure you make time for you!

What’s your top tip for maintaining healthy skin?

Nicole: You really need to take care of yourself from the inside out. Hydrate-drink plenty of water, eat the colours of the rainbow, a healthy diet does wonders for your skin. Get plenty of sleep, no miracle cream will rid those bags under your eyes like sleep will. And last but not least, nourish your skin with natural oils.

Lauren: I agree with Nicole, inside-out care is essential for skin health. Pre and probiotic foods such as garlic, chicory, live yoghurt and sauerkraut are fabulous for feeding our internal ecology which has knock-on effects with our skin health (our gut microbiome has been discovered to communicate with the community of microbes on our skin, aka the skin microbiome).

Have you heard much about Facial Yoga?

Nicole: I have indeed. It’s something I have been dying to try. I’ve heard it’s great for strengthening your facial muscles and helps to combat the signs of aging.

Lauren: I actually had the pleasure of receiving a yoga-based facial. The facialist was incredible at lymphatic drainage and I really noticed the benefits in a clearer, smoother complexion at the end.

What 3 X items would you pack to take to a desert island?

Nicole: Suncream with a high SPF, water and my dog, Alex — can’t be without my little bundle of joy!

Lauren: I would take cashew butter (plant-based protein for emergencies!), some probiotics to avoid any gut infections, and my trusty toothbrush!

What drives you?

Nicole: The thought of people having my products in their home, that they use for their moments of self-care and bring them moments of relaxation in what today is a quite a stressful world.

Lauren: Having experienced health struggles myself and having overcome them I want to help others as I know I can make a difference in their lives.

Tell us one thing most people don’t know about you…

Nicole: I had 10 years worth of piano lessons as a child – I wasn’t great and now can no longer remember how to play!

Lauren: I reguarly crack my neck, fingers and toes!

What do you to do unwind outside of work?

Nicole: As soon as I get in from work, I signal leaving work behind by cleansing my face, running a hot candle lit bath (I’m the biggest bath person!) and I just let the working day wash away. My weekends of unwind often involve seeing my friends for a walk with my dog or evening drinks and dinner somewhere cosy.

Lauren: I love running, yin yoga and pilates when it comes to unwinding. I also love catching up on some of the latest series on Netflix, and one of my favourite things to do is run a hot bath with a candle.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Nicole: Spa treatments and truffle (obsessed with this in a pasta dish…) I only wish both of these things were cheaper!

Lauren: My guilty pleasure is definitely watching daytime TV and getting into the minutiae of the debates.

Nicole & Lauren x