Busy Girl Bath Bakery Creator Alison Easterby Spotlights Self-Care
Born with sensitive skin and consistently let down by the beauty industry, Alison Easterby, like many, was inspired to create better skincare products. But it wasn’t until her daughter was diagnosed with vitiligo and rosacea that she decided to try to craft something new. While her first invention was a preservative-free, ultra-gentle makeup foundation, she naturally progressed to making bath and body products for her entire family. After years spent relegating skincare as her side hustle, Alison made the jump from her 17-year career as a litigation paralegal to run her company Busy Girl Bath Bakery full time. Now she churns out hundreds of products each day, from luxurious whipped body butters to gentle clay masks, all made naturally and designed to pamper even the most sensitive skin types.
Q. What mistakes did you make at the start of your journey?
Alison Easterby: There were some memorable mistakes involving colorants, additives, and at least one near-explosion. But my worst mistakes involved the use of fragrance. The number of fragrance variables is mind-boggling. It can be found in many forms and purity levels, and it differs in price, safety, skin sensitivity, strength and longevity.
Q. Why do you think it’s crucial for women to focus on their self-care?
AE: I think much of the time, we push self-care aside because we confuse self-care with being selfish. But self-care is whatever you need at any given time to keep going. One of the most basic forms of self-care is washing. You wash every day, but do you know what you’re washing with? Everything I create is formulated without preservatives to be gentle enough for my own family’s sensitive skin — from the youngest to the oldest. So I like to believe I’m helping everyone with that one most basic form of self-care.
Q. What does self-care look like to you?
AE: For as long as I can remember, a hot bath has been my response to just about everything that ails me, from a migraine to sore muscles to a panic attack. It’s my favorite way to relax and reflect, and some of my best ideas and solutions have come to me as I lounged in a bath. Everyone has different needs, and for me, self-care includes time alone. Now that I’m an empty-nester, I try to make it a priority to steal some time at least once a week to use a hair mask and a clay face mask or exfoliate from head to toe while enjoying a long soak in the tub.
Alison’s top tips for self-care
Many people think self-care means mud masks and shopping. While those things are fantastic additions, I believe self-care starts with the basics.
Nutrition – Strive to eat at least one nutritious meal a day.
Sleep – If seven to eight hours a night isn’t possible, make sure the hours you do sleep are comfortable and uninterrupted.
Exercise – I’m a firm believer in just moving. Sure, getting the 30 minutes of aerobic exercise we’re supposed to get daily would be great, but it’s more important to avoid being sedentary.
Skincare – Safe and skin-loving products for cleansing and moisturizing are a must, but so is sunscreen.
Organization – I’ve found that when everything is organized, I become much more efficient in everything I do, saving me time I can use on other things, like soaking in a hot bath at the end of the day
www.bgbathbakery.com, www.instagram.com/busygirlbathbakery
