Well Being | Olivia Thorpe

After graduating from Oxford University then pursuing a successful career in finance, Olivia’s path took a different turn following a move from London to Singapore.

Feeling frustrated by the lack of creativity in her current vocation, Olivia launched an online beauty publication, Vanderohe. It was also at this time that she developed severe allergic dermatitis. With her skin raw and resistant to treatment, she embarked on a healing quest inspired by the natural brands she had written about for her site.

After two years of meticulous research into the chemistry of organic plant oils, and pregnant with her second child, her hypersensitive nose led her to create an oil blend that healed her condition where all else had failed. Vanderohe No.1 Nourishing Face Serum was launched in 2017, securing six leading awards from likes of British Vogue in its first year. The successful skincare line is now a part of Net-a-Porter’s sustainable offering, NET SUSTAIN.

At the heart of all that Olivia does is a dedication to quality and integrity. Vanderohe uses only organic or wild-harvested plant oils grown in native soils, 100% cotton and forest-friendly packaging, and donates a proportion of profits to Marine Savers, a leading marine conservation team.

With her creativity sparked, Olivia turned her hand to glassware. CURIO is built upon the solid foundations of conscious beauty that Olivia established with her skincare brand and adopts the same, luxury, sustainable approach of the mother brand. Each piece is designed by Olivia and singularly handblown in UK by local artisans, allowing the glass to move freely and organically, all the better to mirror the natural elements that inspire each design. CURIO stockists include Net-a-Porter, Selfridges and The Conran Shop.

With Olivia’s values aligning so well with ours, we asked the eco-entrepreneur to tell us a bit about her wellbeing rituals and recommendations.

Skincare

I have the Vanderohe studio on my doorstep, so my skincare always follows the Vanderohe No.1 ritual. I have a bottle of No.1 Nourishing Face Serum with me at all times, wherever I go. It's much more than just a skin tonic - it works on a therapeutic level to calm me down when I feel stressed. I love a magnesium salt bath after a long day and I use our Vanderohe Sasawashi Mesh Towel in the shower every morning, but I've recently started using it as a post-acupuncture, neck-stretching tool. It's amazing at loosening the muscles in your neck.

Health

Since the start of the year, I've been focusing on my spinal health, which I've learned affects everything else in the body. I swim every morning for an hour, followed by steam and ice therapy. I follow Dylan Werner's breathing techniques as much as I can every day - it's actually very basic, but an extremely powerful tool to help regulate and control the flow of energy through your body, making everything more efficient, from sleep to exercise.

Nutrition

I take a range of supplements, including Vitamin C and D, Ashwaganda and Magnolia Rhodiola. I don't adhere to a strictly vegan or vegetarian diet, but I do ensure that I only buy organic - for both my husband and I and also for our three kids. The Acid Diet book by Dr. Jonathan Aviv was a big wake-up call and made me realise that some supposedly "healthy" trends, even lemon in a tea, is actually very disruptive for gut health. I also take Symprove every morning since I got Covid badly and, believe the hype! It's a game-changer. 

Clothing

I've been buying from The Fifth Collection for the last 6 years - they have the most incredible edit of pre-loved clothes and accessories, so I'm really pleased to see British equivalents popping up, including Clare Richardson's new Reluxe. If I buy new, I try to stick with lasting pieces and mainly from brands who have solid sustainability credentials. My weakness will always be shoes, which I've collected for years. I just hope my daughter has the same shoe size as me when she's older! 

Treatments

I have regular acupuncture - it works like magic for me, helping with anything from headaches to my recent and ongoing muscular and joint pain, triggered by Covid. I love massage and my friend Emma Elliott is on speed-dial - she comes to the house and she gives the best facial and head massage, plus she uses Vanderohe for it, so even better! For DIY, I love using my Theragun - it's like the best physio, self-administered.

Home

My new venture, CURIO by Vanderohe, has taught me so much about what it means to invest in beautifully made, artisanal pieces for the home. Whether it's just a small object or a piece of furniture, there is so much beauty and meaning in something that has been created by an individual, by-hand. I think the artisan element of homeware also injects a very real energy into a space, which is what the home is all about. Fast-homeware, which is trend-led and mass-produced, does nothing for me, it's just empty and meaningless. I'd never turn down a trip to Kempton on an early Tuesday morning.