Herbalist, health consultant, gardener and mother-of-three Daphne Eriksen has developed a beautiful range of high-quality, pure-plant skincare remedies to provide relief and care for the whole family. Using locally produced plant ingredients that are sustainably grown and harvested, she is on a mission to treat health issues and skin ailments naturally. When her son developed severe allergies within weeks of being born, she became increasingly aware of the need for a natural approach to skincare. She launched Daphne’s Herbal to provide safe, affordable, pure-plant, chemical-free topical products that are gentle and effective.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I was inspired by the birth of my first child who suffered severe food allergies and developed head to toe eczema from just one month old: a seriously unwell baby whose skin was raw, inflamed, weepy, infected…you name it – plus was allergic to my breastmilk!
There was very little information from the medical profession or in publications, and the lack of natural alternatives for treating his skin (and what I instinctively knew was an internal health issue) was incredibly disheartening and frustrating.
Being a strong-willed person, dedicated to the welfare of my child, alongside my lifelong love of plants, I began a long healing journey with my son.
As well as my son’s health, I also suffered from chronic IBS and recurring skin infections since I was a teenager. I had tried many things and nothing had helped.
In short, through my training as a mother (big learning there!) and as a Herbalist, I was able to heal my IBS, refine my skin treatments and develop my programmes and consultation work.
I then worked as the Herbal Medicine Consultant at a Wellington pharmacy where I was able to speak directly to mothers, families, elderly…all walks of life…about their health needs, and pinpointed the common skin conditions people needed help with. I then went on to produce the pure-plant skin treatment range.
During my time at the pharmacy, I became increasingly concerned and frustrated at the overuse of chemicals, pills and creams to ‘fix’ health issues that could be treated naturally without painful side effects. I was not able to share a lot of what I knew as it was in conflict with where I worked, and so was propelled to develop my online consultation platform. I wanted to make myself and my work accessible and affordable, as there was, and is still, so much need in our community.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
It all started in my home and garden, with my children. I wanted to know that what I was using on my children’s skin was safe and effective, where the ingredients came from and how it was produced. The research and development of my business has always been within the home, beside my children.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I have had many breakthrough moments, but the biggest is seeing firsthand the healing and relief that has come from the treatments, and hearing the feedback on how well the treatments have worked. It gives me confidence that what I am doing is valuable and needed.
